Maneuvering Trailers Into Tight Spots

[Chuck08]

I keep my boat in a 30'x10' storage locker seeing that I currently live in an apartment and want to keep prying eyes off my stuff. My current issue is that I can not back the boat attached to the truck into it due to the angle. Growing up working at a campground I've had to manhandle many boats into and out of a barn each year, but we have a big family to help. to make things easier going into the locker there is a slight incline towards the doors and I can use that to maneuver into the locker after unhitching. there is a ramp I have to us to get the wheels in.

Yay the boat is protected from weather and vandals!!! WAIT!! How do I get it out?!?! well I did once already this year, but I had my rzr hitched up, still not enough room to turn, Dough!! Chock wheel, unhitch, proceed with pushing the tongue back and forth and moving chocks to "walk" the boat out until I turn it by hand. After an hour, I was hitched up and sore for my hour drive to the family campground.


So I got a front hitch for my truck, and it's for the HD Silverado. It's too wide to fit.

Currently, I have a spare atv winch laying around, I'm thinking about getting it mounted on my hitch and just winch the trailer out then pull forward, winch, hitch up, pull out.

I get hairbrained ideas, so I would appreciate input and ideas.

 

[alldodge]

That may work, but my first thought would be if front mounted hitch isn't a possibility, I would find another storage locker with more room. After that I might lean toward a motorized trailer dolly

 

[GA_Boater]

If you don't have the room to make the turn using the rear hitch, using one on the front won't change the room needed to make the turn.

It sounds like there isn't much distance between the locker and the next row. Do you have enough room to back or drive the tow vehicle into the locker without the trailer?

The winch may work to pull the trailer out enough to hook up and go. You won't know until you try.

As AllDodge said, see if you can get another locker. An end unit will probably make things much easier.

 

[fhhuber]

Caution with the winch out idea:

If its downhill toward the truck the boat will gather speed and the hitch will soon be punching a hole in your tailgate.

Be careful.... it can work. I have used a pulley and rope to pull a small boat and trailer up a hill by hand. You may not even need the winch.

 

[StingrayMike]

I think the trailer dolly is the way to go

 

[KD4UPL]

Why not just find a different storage place with more room?
That would be my solution.

 

[bruceb58]

I used to have a hitch on my Toyota Corolla to pull my one boat out of its tight parking space. It is pretty level so not much stress on the car.

Since then, I bought one of these and use it to put my pontoon boat in my side yard where I have a few inches of clearance on each side of the boat backing it in

http://www.powercaster.com/Products.html

 

[Chuck08]

I'm looking at other facilities but there are either no availabilities or rent is more than my apartment. They all look tight from google maps, save for a few end spots. I'm thinking, What if I put the winch on a dolly to turn a pulley on the wheel? or a second, Bigger jack wheel?

 

[fhhuber]

Depends one the boat/trailer and the jack wheel. Some of the jack wheels are good and can take quite a load while rolling over rough gravel. Some will break if you just look at them wrong.
Some Smaller boats, that jack wheel is all you need for the winch-out method. (remember you need some braking action if its downhill from boat to winch...)

Be safe. If you make it roll too easily you can lose control of it, especially if its a big heavy boat.

If needed... use wheel dollies under the trailer wheels so you can push the whole thing sideways. Do what you have to... but do it safely.
(linked example is a light set... they make big enough for >5000 lb/wheel)

 

[JonBrown]

I have a double socket front reciever on my F250 I use it for the air boat , Sometimes the Liberator. It works perfectly. Not as good as a forklift but pretty good ..

 

[Chuck08]

I used my RZR before but its turning radius sucks at slow speed, and the clutching is not fineness friendly.

 

[keith2k455]

So why can't you make the turn with the trailer hooked? Is it because the trailer will jack knife or is it because the trailer plus half the width of the trick won't fit?

If it jack knifes, would a hitch extender help? You could pull the trailer straight, chock wheels, un hitch, then re hitch at a 90 degree angle to pull forward. Then remove extender for tow?

 

[Maclin]

I had a spot with a car trailer that I had to pull out turning left, then unhook and go around the other way then hookup again almost at 90 degree and pull out to the right.

 

[Maclin]

I think truckers call that "had to bend it twice".

 

[Illinoid]

I use my wife's golf cart to maneuver a full hay rack into the barn at angles my pickup would never make.

 

[thumpar]

The dolly idea is probably the best investment unless you can find another location.

 

[Chuck08]

To get it out yesterday I put a which over my hitch ball and attached it behind the front tongue wheel. I winched it out straight until the trailer tongue past the truck and was within inches of the opposite wall. I chokced the trailer tires, released the winch pulled the truck forward about 10-15 feet reattached the winch to the same spots left the chocks in place and used the driver-side chock as a pivot point. Once the prop cleared the opening I made sure both sides were chocked and backed the truck up hitched up and was on my way. All done in about 20 minutes.

to put it back in I let most of the weight of the boat and the incline to man handle it to clear the prop and center it. Once straight we walked it back using wheel chocks until it settled to the curb at the door. Then I got the floor jack, lifted one wheel placed a 2x10 and bricks to level the approach to the locker floor, chocked that wheel, and lifted the other. Once the wheel chock was removed the boat was pushed into the locker until the tongue wheel met the curb. The only thing left was to use the floor jack under the tongue, crank up the wheel and roll the floor jack until the wheel was on the locker floor. push a few more inches and closed the door.

 

[keith2k455]

I'm glad this seems easier, but I would be on more than one wait list for an end shot somewhere.

 

[Maclin]

Bent it twice I see, nice job.

 

[bruceb58]

What percent slope are you working with going into the parking spot?