Coochas

We are considering doing a little expansion work on the garage which will make manipulating my trailer around even more difficult on our lot.

With the expansion (simulated with cones), I can still get in and out of our driveway (a bow shape) with the trailer. So that's good.

Loading and unloading will be tight but doable. There is a slight incline on our lot which makes moving the trailer with my hand dolly difficult. OK, so I'm a ***** and can't push the thing around easily. With the car on the trailer, I can't budge it.

I've been doing some research on the various powered trailer dollies out there. They use car batteries, AC, or gas to power them. They range in price from about 800-2200.

Does anyone here actually own one of these. I saw an old post from Ken Gorman that he used an ATV. If I did that, then I'd have to have a secure place to park that!

Please don't tell me I need to hit the gym. I'm well aware of that. Then again, having extra weight should help push the damn thing around.

RickBetterley

Not sure if this will work with your configuration, but if you unload the car and back it into the garage, then maneuver the trailer by hand to in front of the car, then hook up the trailer to said tow vehicle, then drive car onto trailer, then back trailer into garage, you're done.
Or, you could buy the dolly and spend the time saved over a beer or 3.
You have room for a trailer in Cambridge?!

VERBOTN

Dave:
Another thought would be a simple garden mower/tractor you put a ball mount on front or back and off you go. If it was a warehouse you could use a forklift

ltc

^ + 1
Any vehicle with a front hitch makes it easy to accomplish what you need to in this case.
Be aware that some of the motorized dollies are designed for flat/zero grade applications in dry conditions.
Add an incline or sand/salt/leaves/water and it can end rather badly....damn you Sir Isaac Newton.

Coochas

Hi Rick,
Belmont is literally across the street from me so we're sort of Cambridge suburban! Our front yard and driveway takes the Featherlite no problem.
I think I'll still keep the trailer outside, especially if I go enclosed. I like the idea of a beer when moving the trailer though.
I was almost wondering if your snow blower could be equipped with a hitch ball. It's a bit abrupt even when shifting into its lowest gear. It must have a racing clutch.

We have a slight incline now but with our proposed project, I might flatten out the whole front and make a courtyard.

kgorman

Dave,

I posed this question some time ago. We ended up just purchasing a cheap-o ATV off of Craigslist for about $1k and use it to tow the trailer. We just use a simple harbor freight dolly and hook it to the ATV so the ATV does not take the hitch weight directly.. Not awesome, but good enough and we use the ATV at the track events.

kurt M

Too bad you are not local to VA I have a used but working car pusher that is also a great trailer tractor to sell off.

ltc

Never thought of a snowblower, but I would have to wonder how well the friction type clutches would hold up in this application.

Of course make sure you size your trailer mover for an enclosed trailer...it's just a matter of time you know

mrepka

Snowblower may or may not work... Back in the day when my son started to leave non-running vehicles in the driveway for extended periods of time. I was able to push them around the driveway with the snowblower in the snow, where I could not move them myself. Our driveway does not have much of an incline, but I was pleasently surprised at how well this actually worked.

Coochas

You are right of course. I think I would now have a harder time giving up track than I did quitting smoking,....and that was brutal.

It was my wife who suggested that we expand the garage and she likes the idea of an enclosed trailer. Geez I married well.

Arrccod

Go to your local Boat dealer....they handle enough trailered boats in a day to tell you the correct gizmo to get!

Bill

Coochas

Good idea!