stupid trailer question
#16
Originally Posted by kurt M
Get a cheap used garden tractor. The mower deck is the first thing to go so if cutting grass is not important they can be had for next to nothing
#17
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Here is one way. Take the car off the trailer. Put the trailer in the garage with the ramps facing outside. Put chocks under the wheels and jackstands at the corners. Drive car onto trailer. Reverse.
Or buy a small tractor or a powered dolly. http://www.powermoverinc.net/htmls/pmaccarts.html
Or buy a small tractor or a powered dolly. http://www.powermoverinc.net/htmls/pmaccarts.html
#18
Burning Brakes
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Originally Posted by kurt M
Get a cheap used garden tractor. The mower deck is the first thing to go so if cutting grass is not important they can be had for next to nothing
#19
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[QUOTE=BluemaxxRacing] Turns out that my garage does NOT face the street. In fact, it is perpendicular to the street. I will have to make a sharp 90-degree turn in order to make it into my garage. The catch to all this is that I REALLY need to keep the car on the trailer while all of this happens because the wife's Volvo must also share the garage. So here is my questions for you Trailex owners....
1. I plan to disconnect the trailer once in front of the garage. Can I then somehow steer the trailer (with the car on top) into my garage? There is a small lip that I will have to get over and I am wondering if I will be able to do this myself, or will I need help or is this impossible? [COLOR=SlateGray]QUOTE]
Hi Rich,
You proably can pull it off w/o the trolley/garden tractor. My garage/driveway has a somewhat different configuration, but it requres roughly a fairly tight 90 degree backing turn to line up the loaded trailex with the garage entrance when it's hooked up to the Taureg. The garage entrance is only slightly wider than the trailer fenders, so I have to line it up pretty carefully. Once it's lined up, and still a few feet from the garage, I disconnect the trailer (careful here; the trailer will rotate a few degree when it is lifted off the ball if you were in the process of turning when you stopped; think two axles) and push the loaded trailex into the garage by hand. I try to get it pretty well lined up on the Taureg, as it's pretty tough to turn the loaded trailer over a short distance (again, two axles) more than 10 or 15 degrees by hand. If the entrance is fairly flat, I usually do it alone. But occassionally I'll call Marci to give me a hand. Lucky she's in such good shape!
Dan
1. I plan to disconnect the trailer once in front of the garage. Can I then somehow steer the trailer (with the car on top) into my garage? There is a small lip that I will have to get over and I am wondering if I will be able to do this myself, or will I need help or is this impossible? [COLOR=SlateGray]QUOTE]
Hi Rich,
You proably can pull it off w/o the trolley/garden tractor. My garage/driveway has a somewhat different configuration, but it requres roughly a fairly tight 90 degree backing turn to line up the loaded trailex with the garage entrance when it's hooked up to the Taureg. The garage entrance is only slightly wider than the trailer fenders, so I have to line it up pretty carefully. Once it's lined up, and still a few feet from the garage, I disconnect the trailer (careful here; the trailer will rotate a few degree when it is lifted off the ball if you were in the process of turning when you stopped; think two axles) and push the loaded trailex into the garage by hand. I try to get it pretty well lined up on the Taureg, as it's pretty tough to turn the loaded trailer over a short distance (again, two axles) more than 10 or 15 degrees by hand. If the entrance is fairly flat, I usually do it alone. But occassionally I'll call Marci to give me a hand. Lucky she's in such good shape!
Dan
#20
Gregg: "Here is one way. Take the car off the trailer. Put the trailer in the garage with the ramps facing outside. Put chocks under the wheels and jackstands at the corners. Drive car onto trailer. Reverse."
The question is: How do you either drive the car off of the trailer...or onto the trailer when it's not hooked up to a truck/suv, etc? What am I missing here? Are you saying that the strategic use of jackstands will prevent what otherwise would be disasterous? In other words, will the use of jackstands prevent the front of the trailer from catapulting upward and unsettle the car during the loading/unloading process which would likely cause the car to fall off of the ramps? If the jackstands prevent this from happening, it's a great idea...have you ever tried this and does it work? Please explain.
The question is: How do you either drive the car off of the trailer...or onto the trailer when it's not hooked up to a truck/suv, etc? What am I missing here? Are you saying that the strategic use of jackstands will prevent what otherwise would be disasterous? In other words, will the use of jackstands prevent the front of the trailer from catapulting upward and unsettle the car during the loading/unloading process which would likely cause the car to fall off of the ramps? If the jackstands prevent this from happening, it's a great idea...have you ever tried this and does it work? Please explain.
#21
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Two jack stands, one under each of the rear corners on the trailer with the wheels well chocked front and rear, will allow you to drive onto a trailer not hooked up to a hitch.
#22
Rich, THIS is what you need! I had one at my previous house which had a very tight space for the trailer. Most likely, you won't be able to move the trailer very well while the car is on it by hand. It won't make it over the lip in your garage unless you start taking steroids!!
Edit: I really need to read the second page before I post! Sorry, I didn't see that someone beat me to it.
Edit: I really need to read the second page before I post! Sorry, I didn't see that someone beat me to it.
#23
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Originally Posted by agio
The question is: How do you either drive the car off of the trailer...or onto the trailer when it's not hooked up to a truck/suv, etc? What am I missing here? Are you saying that the strategic use of jackstands will prevent what otherwise would be disasterous? In other words, will the use of jackstands prevent the front of the trailer from catapulting upward and unsettle the car during the loading/unloading process which would likely cause the car to fall off of the ramps? If the jackstands prevent this from happening, it's a great idea...have you ever tried this and does it work? Please explain.
Yes the jackstands support the trailer and keep it level. I have done this, used this method to store my car and trailer for the winter.
Another option is to install a "hitch" in the garage. Had a friend that drilled into his garage floor to set up a hitch so that he could hook up the trailer. Same net effect as what I discussed.
#24
Three Wheelin'
Bluemax wrote:
Second, I need a lightweight trailer so that my Toyota Sequoia will be able to pull my 996 along with all of the wheels on the rack and maybe even a storage box.
____________________________________
If you have a Toyota Sequoia, then don't worry about your weight issues. Put your money into the car, or driving time.
I have a 2002 Sequoia with which I tow my 968 on a tilt-bed open steel trailer with storage box. The trailer must weigh a minimum of 2,000 lbs, plus the 968...Probably close to 5,000 total.
The Sequoia takes me all over the East Coast, from Summit Point, Watkins Glen, to Limerock. That truck rocks! Cruising at 70 mph is no big deal with the loaded trailer...just don't expect to get anything resembling gas mileage...we measure it in gallons per hour, like the big boats!
Jason
Second, I need a lightweight trailer so that my Toyota Sequoia will be able to pull my 996 along with all of the wheels on the rack and maybe even a storage box.
____________________________________
If you have a Toyota Sequoia, then don't worry about your weight issues. Put your money into the car, or driving time.
I have a 2002 Sequoia with which I tow my 968 on a tilt-bed open steel trailer with storage box. The trailer must weigh a minimum of 2,000 lbs, plus the 968...Probably close to 5,000 total.
The Sequoia takes me all over the East Coast, from Summit Point, Watkins Glen, to Limerock. That truck rocks! Cruising at 70 mph is no big deal with the loaded trailer...just don't expect to get anything resembling gas mileage...we measure it in gallons per hour, like the big boats!
Jason
#25
Greg & Bull, kudos! What a great idea! I'm definitely for trying it. I have the stands. So, if I have this right, car off the trailer, trailer goes into the garage, secure the wheels with chucks on both sides and jack stands under the back end of the trailer, pull the ramps and I'm good to go, right?
Thanks guys.
Thanks guys.
#27
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Originally Posted by agio
Greg & Bull, kudos! What a great idea! I'm definitely for trying it. I have the stands. So, if I have this right, car off the trailer, trailer goes into the garage, secure the wheels with chucks on both sides and jack stands under the back end of the trailer, pull the ramps and I'm good to go, right?
Thanks guys.
Thanks guys.
#28
Mr. Excitement
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Chock the wheels real well. the cars movment or hitting the brakes will want to disloge the chocks and if the trailer moves enough it can come off the stands and then you drive the trailer through whatever is in front of it.
#29
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As several of us have said, chock it well; you don't want the trailer to move! If this were going to be a permanent arrangement for me, I would definitely rig up a solid hitch in the garage.
#30
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This thread just seems to be too at the limit for me. I think you need overkill for everything related to towing. The towing capacity, the trailer axles and so on.
I guess it would work to put the trailer on stands, chock it and drive on an off but it still makes me nervous and I wouldn't do it. Visions of the trailer shooting the neighbors kitchen.... Ripe for one of those disaster home video shows.
I guess it would work to put the trailer on stands, chock it and drive on an off but it still makes me nervous and I wouldn't do it. Visions of the trailer shooting the neighbors kitchen.... Ripe for one of those disaster home video shows.