How to tow & push BACKWARDS?

[RetroAirBnB]

I have a Whitewater Retro 195 travel trailer.

I'm going to use it as an AirBnB in my yard.

The way the trailer needs to be situated is such that I cannot tow it into position.

I will need to PUSH the trailer in, from behind.

The area the trailer will sit in is not paved, it will be on gravel.

For that reason none of the motorized or powered dollies will work (based on the reviews I've read).

I'm wondering how I might mount a tow bar on the BACK of the RV, which i could then hitch to my 4runner. Effectively towing / pushing it backwards a bit.

The travel trailer has a large metal bumper, and I can see it'd be easy to mount a hitch RECEIVER on it.... and maybe jury rig something where i put in a 48" hitch extender, and then put a coupler on the end of that bar.... definitely not elegant, but maybe it will do the job?

Otherwise I have no idea how to move the darn thing from behind. It's 7000 GVW.

I can't be the only person with this problem.... does anyone have any solutions?

[Jebby14]

if turning is the problem cant you just back it in

[GrandpaKip]

Compact tractor. Mine is only 5’ wide and would move the trailer just fine.

[2012Coleman]

It seems to me that if you towed it it - the door would be on the wrong side.

And I have stayed in an Airstream AirB&B - it was plenty cool. Don't knock it till you have tried it.

[spoon059]

A1ARealtorRick wrote:

afidel wrote:
My concern would be local and/or state ordinances about occupation of a trailer as a residence. I know where I'm at that's a complete non-starter and I assume California is even more strict as far as regulation. Before you sink a bunch of time and energy into this you'd be smart to look into the legalities of what you're thinking of doing.

^^^ What he said

I can think of about a dozen reasons why this sounds like a bad idea to me, but he isn't asking, so why are you guys offering?

[campigloo]

Since you have access to a dolly I’d go the plywood route. Rip a sheet of 3/4 and lap the ends.

[valhalla360]

bpounds wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
If you do a hitch on the rear, make sure it's attached to something solid. Not the typical paper thin rear bumper you find on most trailers.

Also, you might consider something like a pintal hitch as you are going to have a fairly large negative hitch weight (probably in excess of 1000lb on a 7000lb trailer). I wouldn't want to be pushing from the rear and have it pop off a ball.

There is little concern about the bumper thickness, since this is just a device for short moves in his yard. And there won't be any negative or positive hitch weight, since a tow bar is hinged at the trailer attachment points. Weight will still be on the front trailer jack as usual. The tow bar acts as a steering and pushing device, not much else.

If the OP is still going to buy a dolly, that is partially true (it would eliminate the hitch weight being negative).

I still wouldn't trust the typical rear bumper not to cave in.

[bpounds]

valhalla360 wrote:
If you do a hitch on the rear, make sure it's attached to something solid. Not the typical paper thin rear bumper you find on most trailers.

Also, you might consider something like a pintal hitch as you are going to have a fairly large negative hitch weight (probably in excess of 1000lb on a 7000lb trailer). I wouldn't want to be pushing from the rear and have it pop off a ball.

There is little concern about the bumper thickness, since this is just a device for short moves in his yard. And there won't be any negative or positive hitch weight, since a tow bar is hinged at the trailer attachment points. Weight will still be on the front trailer jack as usual. The tow bar acts as a steering and pushing device, not much else.

[Grit_dog]

Motorized dolly? $1500-2000 to move a trailer basically once? Lol

Stop overthinking it. Unless it's up a hill, run the trailer jack on plywood and have a couple helpers push it into place, or use a neighbors 4 wheeler (same guy that would help push for a cold beer or 2).

I can push a 5-7klb vehicle or trailer on flat pavement by myself. Surely a few people can push it into it's final resting place.

[bgum]

Did you say that a motorized trailer dolly rolling on plywood can't put it in place.

[valhalla360]

If you do a hitch on the rear, make sure it's attached to something solid. Not the typical paper thin rear bumper you find on most trailers.

Also, you might consider something like a pintal hitch as you are going to have a fairly large negative hitch weight (probably in excess of 1000lb on a 7000lb trailer). I wouldn't want to be pushing from the rear and have it pop off a ball.

[Lwiddis]

California strict? No kidding!

[bpounds]

RetroAirBnB wrote:
Yes, thank you. That's what I was trying to figure out: how to rig up a tow bar on the rear bumper. There's no products out in the market that i can see which would make that easy.

Depends on what you've got on the rear of the trailer. If you have either a C-channel or square tube bumper back there, Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive tow bar that comes with brackets which bolt right up to a CJ or YJ front bumper, and would easily bolt or weld to your trailer rear bumper. Then 2 pins and it comes right off the trailer for storage.

I think it would work perfectly for you, but you need to make sure your front jack has a swivel wheel, and keep it from digging in to your gravel. The trailer is already front heavy obviously, so it needs to travel and turn on that front jack wheel. You could probably lay some plywood down for it to run on.

Someone above mentioned the door being on the wrong side of his trailer, and that is exactly why my father did this. To get his entry door where he needed it, and the other side was up tight against a fence. He was also fighting a fairly steep incline, but it still worked fine.

[rightlaneonly]

cougar28 wrote:
Put in the post but chain a pulley to it. Attach a cable to the front of the rv go through the pulley back under the rv and attached to your pickup. Now your pulling it in.

This sounds too easy and sounds like the least hassle to geterdone.

[gmckenzie]

Whatever you do, remember you will need to get it out at some point.