Question???

[DonHof]

Looking at a new bigger boat. Trailer is 7'6" wide, garage is 8'6" wide that give me 6" on the sides to back a boat up.
Is their any kind of small two wheel dolly I can put on the tongue and back the boat into the garage.
(12 volt, 110 volt)
Drive is on a small hill, don't think I can do it by hand, like the boat I have now.

Thanks
Don

 

[GA_Boater]

Only a couple. With no recommendations, but other members have experience with some of these - http://lmgtfy.com/?q=powered+trailer+dolly

 

[Bayou Dave]

Put a front hitch on. I put one on my truck 2 years ago and can put my boat pretty much any place I want. They cost under $150.
https://www.etrailer.com/fitguidefmr.htm

 

[Bayou Dave]

Guess the link was against the rules. Sorry 'bout that.

 

[GA_Boater]

This isn't - http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Front+Mount+Hitch

 

[JASinIL2006]

Gravel or concrete drive? That might make a difference, especially if going uphill. I'd probably opt for the front hitch, too.

 

[alldodge]

Most the problem with pushing many boats by hand is incline and surface. The other thing is the little plastic wheel on the tongue, if it was wider it can be easier.
How heavy is the boat?

 

[bruceb58]

I have one of these to move my pontoon boat around where I have only inches to spare. Expensive but worth it for me.

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

 

[H20Rat]

6" on either side isn't actually bad, you should be able to back that up in the vehicle. Might take some practice, but go slow and you will get the hang of it. I've seen guys back larger boats into smaller garages!

 

[Silvertip]

There is no reason you cannot back into the garage usimg your mirrors. I back my cargo trailer into my garage and about 85% of the time I do it in one shot. I bought a roll of the adhesive caution tape and put it on the garage floor where the left side trailer tire rolls. Put the tire on the tape and back in. If you have 6 inches on each side, clear the door by less than 6 inches in the drivers side and you know you are clear in the other side. Use rubber stop blocks to let you know when to stop.

 

[Sprig]

With 6 inches max on each side forget trying to back it in whether the hitch is on the front or back. I've been backing up trailers and boat trailers 50+ years and am darn good at it but I wouldn't want to back a boat into your garage with only 6 inches to spare. I back my boat into my garage and get it within 2 to 3 inches of the same spot every time. But it takes a bit of maneuvering and I have several feet room on each side. I have orange duct tape running from the garage onto the driveway as a guide so it is easy to get the boat same spot every time.
Think about when you back a boat down a launch ramp. The trailer never goes straight. It continuously goes to one side or the other and you are constantly maneuvering and turning the steering wheel. In your situation with only 6" on each side you don't have any real manuever room. Almost as soon as it starts to go to one side you are going to make contact with the wall. I am sure I could back the boat in to your garage without hitting the walls but I couldn't do it every time, probably not even every other time. If I had a foot on each side probably no problem but 6 inches, no way.
They make electric trailer dollys which work great and may work in your case. I had one and it worked great. I could manuever a boat into your garage no sweat with it. The problem was I moved to a home where the driveway was mildly steep and due to the incline the tires on the dolly would spin , couldn't back the boat up the driveway. The other thing is that they aren't cheap, when I got mine 10 years ago they ranged from $600 to $1200. However if your driveway isn't too steep I think that is your only real option.

 

[JimS123]

When I bought my current boat my garage door was 8" wider than the boat. I navigated it perfectly with the car for 4 years without an issue. Why buy a dolly when the car can do the job?Then I built a new house and designed it with a 16" door where the boat had to do. Problem solved.

Just go slow, use common sense, and have a helper there to assist. Easy, peasy. No sense to give up a perfectly good boat just because you might have to work a little harder.

 

[Scott Danforth]

6" per side is 3" more than i had. With practice you should be able to do it with ease. If your nervous, paint a few line where the tires should go

 

[SDSeville]

I had 6" on either side to back my boat into my side yard and it was pretty tough for me. I bought a winch with a remote ($100 on sale at HF) and mounted it about 10 feet behind where the back of the trailer would wind up on my side yard. I attached the winch cable to the back of the trailer and with a $40 trailer dolly on the front, I used the remote/winch to pull it back perfectly every time.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I currently have 4" on either side going in the garage door when perfectly centered. I'm not sure what your tow vehicle is, but I use low range in my 4x4 transfer case to go slow. My F250 is a standard transmission so low range in reverse is a crawl. I back up a hill with a slight curve beside the admirals car to put the boat away. Back slow and trust your mirrors. It'll be a-ight.

 

[alldodge]

Nothing wrong with not feeling comfortable and wanting something to help. Nothing wrong with knowing your limitations

The discussion is sounding like a saying my Dad use to say when there was beer and guys telling stories: "The first liar doesn't stand a chance" Were down to 3 inches, wonder who has done it with 2 inch clearance?

 

[ajgraz]

When I was a boy, we didn't have these fancy "garage" thingamabobs...we had to park our boats OUTSIDE.

And a cover? Hell, we couldn't even afford a tarp! We built a lean-to over the boat from pine branches and tobaccee spit.

Now get off my lawn!

 

[JASinIL2006]

At least you had a yard!

 

[Maclin]

I had to lift the tongue and push my old trihull with just me to the backyard to winterize, then in Spring back to the front yard driveway. Uphill. Both ways.

 

[Sprig]

I wish you good luck backing that trailer up with 6 inches on each side. Practice first and see how it goes. Put down a strip of duct tape 20' long. Center a trailer tire on the tape and back it up the entire length. If your tire goes off the the tape so that there is a space between the edge of the tire and the edge of the tape of even an inch or so you just hit the wall. If you can do it 10 times without going off the tape then you da man.