Funky driveway = towing concern. Looking for some advice.

[TheHound]

Hey folks,

I am hoping to get some suggestions from you experts on bringing a travel trailer onto our property.

We are in the market for a small couples camper (25' or less) and while we intend to travel with it, we also plan to use it regularly on our acreage north of Toronto. All we have there now is a bunkie with no power or water which limits us to a 1 or 2 night stay.

Our driveway however is not straight in from the county road but requires you to come off the road and negotiate a bend to access it. I think with some tree cutting and extra gravel I can make this work but the real concern is the dip in the driveway. It drops down fairly steep on gravel and then you came back up on what is more like a trail. According to my display at the highest point it was 10 degrees.

So, I am wondering how to approach this to determine if I will have sufficient clearance and not leave a trail of parts behind. I did bring my 11' utility trailer up no problem but the A frame jack scrapped along the gravel at one point. This was using my Toyota SUV but I now have a 2017 F150 with max tow package.

I am enjoying my research on new trailers but this little dilemma is hanging over me like a storm cloud lol.

Apologies for the long winded post but just trying to paint the picture.

A few pics added but not sure they really capture the issue. Thanks in advance.

[profdant139]

You probably have this all figured out, but if you use 2x6 boards, be sure to put something under the middle of the span so that the weight of the trailer does not crack the boards. I had this happen once in the desert, when we went across a little ditch. No damage, but it was a bit of a hassle. Let's just say it was a learning experience . . . .

[TheHound]

boosTT wrote:
As a last resort- you could drive on wooden 2x6" ramps, if its really close.

Thanks. Definitely plan to keep a couple of those near the danger zone until I am sure we have this fixed.

[boosTT]

As a last resort- you could drive on wooden 2x6" ramps, if its really close.

[TheHound]

Thanks guys for the feedback. Nice to know there are other effective options we can turn to. We will hit this in the Spring and I will update here when we get things rolling. Cheers!

[profdant139]

We flipped our axle so that we could boondock in areas served by very rough forest roads -- it has worked very well for us. We go over ditches and rocks much worse than the ones shown in your photos, so you should be good to go.

Once you flip the axles, you will probably need a new drawbar in your hitch receiver -- the "drop" will change. This will mean, by the way, that the front of the A frame will be much less likely to drag.

Good luck!

[drmopar]

I have had the same issue with my old boat trailer. It would scrape on driveways and bend my license plate. I added a couple of small roller fixed casters under the frame. When the trailer would come close to scraping, the wheels would make contact and roll and lift the trailer with the help of the leaf springs. Also had the jack wheel fixed to roll straight ahead to lift front in case of a road bump. Go slow and easy.

[TheHound]

CavemanCharlie wrote:

Swell1 wrote:
you could bring in gravel to raise the ditch up or rent a skid loader and cut the hill down. Both would level out the arch.

I agree. A days worth of skid steer rental can do a lot of work and help you out for years to come.

Seems like this is the route to go. Just need to find someone in the area with equipment looking to make a little cash. Thanks for your feedback.

[TheHound]

Grit dog wrote:
The coyote pic doesn’t look bad, but slopes always look less in pics. 10deg on your vehicle inclinometer is close to 20% slope. That’s significant depending how long the bottom is.
Are you prohibited from filling across the culvert? Looks like a load or 2 of fuill and gravel would make a huge difference
For not much $.
Beautiful spot btw.

Thanks... it is a nice spot to get away. Be even nicer when we can stay a few days 🙂 Will definitely be getting quotes on getting gravel in and smoothing things out a little.

[TheHound]

wecamp04 wrote:
We had a 30ft tt with a much steeper driveway in the picture with the coyote from where he is out to the road mine was much steeper and I never had any trouble,the rear Jacks would come close going in and out but never hit.It was a 30ft jayco if that helps,

Yep! Success stories are always good to hear. Thanks

[CavemanCharlie]

Swell1 wrote:
you could bring in gravel to raise the ditch up or rent a skid loader and cut the hill down. Both would level out the arch.

I agree. A days worth of skid steer rental can do a lot of work and help you out for years to come.

[CavemanCharlie]

westend wrote:
Having seen this same scenario with driveways in different Arboreal forest areas, I'd suggest to do some work to your driveway. For most folks, it can be done at a reasonable cost. If you have connections to someone in that area with machines and/or trucks, it won't be that exorbitant, may be deductible from taxes, and will be a long time improvement. Anything else you do with that driveway will only be a band aid. If you have water issues at the end of the drive, you may have to use a culvert under the improved driveway. In my area +$200.

Compliments on the pictures posted, it sure helps to visualize the issues.

Yes, I don't know about prices but, why not check out having the driveway fixed ? You never know what the future will bring and a decent driveway will last for decades.

[Grit_dog]

The coyote pic doesn’t look bad, but slopes always look less in pics. 10deg on your vehicle inclinometer is close to 20% slope. That’s significant depending how long the bottom is.
Are you prohibited from filling across the culvert? Looks like a load or 2 of fuill and gravel would make a huge difference
For not much $.
Beautiful spot btw.

[wecamp04]

We had a 30ft tt with a much steeper driveway in the picture with the coyote from where he is out to the road mine was much steeper and I never had any trouble,the rear Jacks would come close going in and out but never hit.It was a 30ft jayco if that helps,

[TheHound]

Really appreciate the helpful responses. Thanks everyone! Lots to consider but I feel more hopeful now that we can pull this off 🙂 I am seeing a number of suggestions about doing some work on the grade and I think that might be the best bet. I do not have the equipment but will check what services are available in the area.