Trailer Valet XL thoughts

[bikemutt]

We store our trailer on commercial property, the bay is covered and a pretty tight fit, especially when parking the rig.

There are rigs on both side of us, and one behind us. Parking the trailer runs anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, as long as it takes, just so we don't end up with an insurance claim. I would call it high stress, especially if its hot outdoors.

The storage facility and bays are dead level.

I had a good luck with our last truck and boat trailer; had a hitch welded to the front winch mount. But that boat, while awkward (Pontoon), had a tongue weight within the 500lb limit of the winch mount. This travel trailer is closer to 700lb TW.

I don't see a powered trailer dolly in the financial cards, those seem to run into the $2.5k and up range.

I found this Trailer Valet XL setup that looks as it might fit the bill without breaking the bank. From what I've read, it can be operated manually with a hand crank, or with a cordless drill. The tongue and trailer weights appear to be within the maximum recommended. I think I can get a refurb unit for $600 or so.

Anyone use this machine, or one like it? I'd like to know if this thing will do the job and make my parking life less stressful.

Thanks!

 

[Kirk]

I have not seen that one, but did recently see a similar product in use. The drill powering it is novel. If you do get one, please return here and tell us about it.

 

[tlmgcamp1]

In order for a drill to move it I would think that it is geared really low so have extra batteries. If the storage area has 110v go with corded. I moved my popup around with a purely manual version and always had people at each trailer wheel with chock in hand.

 

[bikemutt]

After watching a lot of videos of folks using this dolly to park rigs, my takeaway is it works, but its far from perfect. A common complaint is the operator must assume a stooping position to power and steer the rig, and that's regardless of power source, although the manual handle amplifies the body strain. Battery life using a drill is another complaint. Neither of these two are severe enough to have me avoid the dolly; I can spend more time in the gym, and I have plenty of batteries.

The runner-up complaint that gives pause concerns traction; those two relatively small, solid wheels are counted on to propel the trailer. Any sort of grade, or wet surface may result in the wheels just spinning instead of moving the trailer. This parking spot doesn't have a grade but, here in the Pacific NW, rain isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when, and how much.

The main concern I have is the increased resistance to movement when a dual-axle trailer is forced into a very tight turn. I can hear the axles "snap" from time to time as a tight-turn backup is in play. A powerful truck doesn't care much about bucking resistance, I have my doubts a cordless drill, even when endowed with a lot of drivetrain mechanical advantage, will reliably move the trailer in tight turns. And, there's the previously mention loss of traction which may be induced when the rig puts up a fight.

Even with a great price on a refurb unit, and a further 20% discount, and free shipping, I just don't have a warm, fuzzy feeling. If I could try one and return it if it doesn't work out, I'd do that. I already have a lifetime supply of paperweight purchases, I'll let this one simmer for a bit.

 

[bikemutt]

Not one to throw in the towel, I'm considering a harebrained scheme I wanted to propose here in the event others have tried it and have thoughts on it's likelihood of success, or failure.

This scheme involves two simple accessories: A hitch receiver on the front of the truck, and a wheeled, swiveling foot on the trailer's jack.

As I mentioned in the thread starter, I had good luck with a my last front hitch; it made parking a 24' pontoon boat in a tight spot a breeze. In this case however, the tongue weight of this trailer exceeds the load bearing of a front hitch. Enter the swiveling, wheeled foot on the trailer's power jack; extending the jack until the wheel contacts the ground should take the tongue weight off the truck's hitch.

This arrangement allows the truck to do what it does best, move the trailer, and allows the wheeled jack to do what it does best, bear the bulk of the trailer's tongue weight. And it's pretty cheap, a two-wheeled foot runs about $35, a front hitch receiver for this truck runs about $230, plus my time to install it. If the scheme fails, I can still use the front hitch for hauling our bikes.

Here's a couple of pictures showing the parts:

 

[Rene T]

How are you at backing up this trailer with the truck using the mirrors. Do you do it by yourself or do you have someone guiding you back. If you have a spotter how do you communicate? I would be using walkie talkies.
How much clearance is there on each side once located. Have you checked with the landlord to see if there is another spot to park it which may be a little wider?

 

[John From Detroit]

I saw one at a campground that was also the front tong jack they combined both functions in one device.. And you controlled it with a umbilical cord and dongle. no "Hands on a lever"

Thing was impressive.. expensive too but impressive

 

[tlmgcamp1]

Not one to throw in the towel, I'm considering a harebrained scheme I wanted to propose here in the event others have tried it and have thoughts on it's likelihood of success, or failure.

This scheme involves two simple accessories: A hitch receiver on the front of the truck, and a wheeled, swiveling foot on the trailer's jack.

As I mentioned in the thread starter, I had good luck with a my last front hitch; it made parking a 24' pontoon boat in a tight spot a breeze. In this case however, the tongue weight of this trailer exceeds the load bearing of a front hitch. Enter the swiveling, wheeled foot on the trailer's power jack; extending the jack until the wheel contacts the ground should take the tongue weight off the truck's hitch.

This arrangement allows the truck to do what it does best, move the trailer, and allows the wheeled jack to do what it does best, bear the bulk of the trailer's tongue weight. And it's pretty cheap, a two-wheeled foot runs about $35, a front hitch receiver for this truck runs about $230, plus my time to install it. If the scheme fails, I can still use the front hitch for hauling our bikes.

Here's a couple of pictures showing the parts:

View attachment 1325796

View attachment 1325797

I used a single wheeled version of that to move my popup and it left grooves in the asphalt on a warm (not hot) sunny day so I switched to a hand dolly with inflatable tires. With your proposal, I would be concerned about the horizontal force on the jack if those little wheels come up on a pebble or a joint in a concrete pad.

 

[bikemutt]

How are you at backing up this trailer with the truck using the mirrors. Do you do it by yourself or do you have someone guiding you back. If you have a spotter how do you communicate? I would be using walkie talkies.
How much clearance is there on each side once located. Have you checked with the landlord to see if there is another spot to park it which may be a little wider?

The truck itself has all sorts of mirror views available on the display, some just for towing. The trailer has a rear camera with a dashboard display. We have walkie-talkies and cellphones. I haven't measured the clearance side-to-side, it's not unreasonable. The clearance problem is more because the carport structures are too close to each other. The truck has to start out with a tight angle to the trailer in order to avoid hitting a parked vehicle with the front of the truck when it's time to straighten things out.

I like you idea to check into a different spot, I'll visit the facility this week. The spot itself is ideal, it's covered, the prevailing winds drive dust out of the spot rather than into it, it has power, and it's a bargain around here at $160/month.

 

[bikemutt]

Figured I'd hammer the last nail into the thread's coffin.

Today we were able to get another spot at the commercial storage facility. Parking the trailer in the new spot was laughably easier. Same width but the driveway separation between carports went from 52' to 64'.

$24/month is worth 20 points of my blood pressure .

Not sure what covered parking costs these days but $5.5/ft for covered with AC power seems decent.