From: Da_Nag™ (Original Message) Sent: 12/30/2002 10:44 AM
Looking for feedback on an electric trailer dolly. I've found two online - Powermover and Powercaster.
Getting my boat into the back yard has been an ongoing struggle. I have about 8" of clearance down my side yard, and it's not a straight shot. Backing in is impossible. I bought a front mount hitch, which works better, but is still a major hassle.
The surface is level and smooth concrete, so I'm guessing one of these electric models would work OK. Anyone here ever use one?
Bill
From: Mike Sent: 12/30/2002 5:59 PM
Holy cow, Bill - them things are spendy. They must have some gyrogizmos like a Segway or something. Your best bet would be to convince your wife you need a JD lawn tractor, make a low-tech dolly to bear the tongue weight, and tow the boat with the lawnmower. That's the American way! If you really need an electric robot, one of those sites lists a used one for sale cheap. Buy that one.
If you are only moving it on level concrete, you don't even need a motor (if the concrete is not level, that's another story). With a good hand truck, a strapping young man like yourself could move the loaded trailer around all day. Attach something with a hitch ball to the bottom of the truck, and mount it so the tongue lifts when the truck is tipped back a little better than 45°. You'll be surprised at how easy it moves. If you get tired, just tip it back up so the tongue jack hits the ground and let your wife spell you off for a while. Seriously, go down to Costco or Home Depot and get a $49 hand truck. You can practice by just putting the platform under the tongue jack wheel, and then decide if it is worth making a fixture with a hitch ball. Even if it doesn't work, you'll have a nifty hand truck for moving the fridge.
If you really want to spend eight hundred bucks, though, I can make you a nice hydraulic drive unit.
Mike
From: Da_Nag™ Sent: 12/30/2002 9:11 PM
Funny you mention the lawn tractor - I have a BCS 830 tractor/rototiller that I've attached a 2" ball to. It works, but just barely. Two problems with it - it really is a workout leaning down on it to hold up the tongue, and it requires I remove the rototiller attachment in order to use it (about a 15 minute job on or off.) The electric dollies are designed so the weight is directly over the center of the driving wheel's axle - no effort is necessary to hold the trailer up while moving, and traction is at a maximum.
As to a manual method - tried that too, but it's a looong push to the back yard (100+ feet), and there's a sharp turn on the way. With a tandem trailer, making the turn by hand is not do-able by this strapping young fellow.
I do have an email in to that guy selling his used one. It looks like they come up fairly often, so I'll probably go the used route if I can't come up with a better solution.
Bill
From: Mike Sent: 12/30/2002 9:26 PM
Oh yeah, I forgot about the second axle. That would make it a little resistant to spinning around. Well, go ahead and get one. They do look like they would be slick.
From: Mike Sent: 5/19/2003 9:54 PM
Hey Bill - How's the Segway working out?
From: Da_Nag™ Sent: 5/19/2003 10:01 PM
I still don't have it, but should in a few weeks. I bought the one mentioned above back in December, but the guy was in LA. He lived near my brother, so he delivered it to his house - too much of a pain to ship.
My brother is coming up in early June, so I'll report back when it gets here.
I ended up with the Power Caster PC-1 - listed here.
From: Mike Sent: 5/19/2003 10:16 PM
Cool.
From: Moskwass Sent: 5/23/2003 7:25 AM
Where I launch for crabbing there is a guy that has mounted a ball on the front of his John Deere Lawn mower and he drives his boat all over pushing it. it is wierd to see him coming down the road pushing his boat. he is pretty good with it.
Roger
Looking for feedback on an electric trailer dolly. I've found two online - Powermover and Powercaster.
Getting my boat into the back yard has been an ongoing struggle. I have about 8" of clearance down my side yard, and it's not a straight shot. Backing in is impossible. I bought a front mount hitch, which works better, but is still a major hassle.
The surface is level and smooth concrete, so I'm guessing one of these electric models would work OK. Anyone here ever use one?
Bill
From: Mike Sent: 12/30/2002 5:59 PM
Holy cow, Bill - them things are spendy. They must have some gyrogizmos like a Segway or something. Your best bet would be to convince your wife you need a JD lawn tractor, make a low-tech dolly to bear the tongue weight, and tow the boat with the lawnmower. That's the American way! If you really need an electric robot, one of those sites lists a used one for sale cheap. Buy that one.
If you are only moving it on level concrete, you don't even need a motor (if the concrete is not level, that's another story). With a good hand truck, a strapping young man like yourself could move the loaded trailer around all day. Attach something with a hitch ball to the bottom of the truck, and mount it so the tongue lifts when the truck is tipped back a little better than 45°. You'll be surprised at how easy it moves. If you get tired, just tip it back up so the tongue jack hits the ground and let your wife spell you off for a while. Seriously, go down to Costco or Home Depot and get a $49 hand truck. You can practice by just putting the platform under the tongue jack wheel, and then decide if it is worth making a fixture with a hitch ball. Even if it doesn't work, you'll have a nifty hand truck for moving the fridge.
If you really want to spend eight hundred bucks, though, I can make you a nice hydraulic drive unit.
Mike
From: Da_Nag™ Sent: 12/30/2002 9:11 PM
Funny you mention the lawn tractor - I have a BCS 830 tractor/rototiller that I've attached a 2" ball to. It works, but just barely. Two problems with it - it really is a workout leaning down on it to hold up the tongue, and it requires I remove the rototiller attachment in order to use it (about a 15 minute job on or off.) The electric dollies are designed so the weight is directly over the center of the driving wheel's axle - no effort is necessary to hold the trailer up while moving, and traction is at a maximum.
As to a manual method - tried that too, but it's a looong push to the back yard (100+ feet), and there's a sharp turn on the way. With a tandem trailer, making the turn by hand is not do-able by this strapping young fellow.
I do have an email in to that guy selling his used one. It looks like they come up fairly often, so I'll probably go the used route if I can't come up with a better solution.
Bill
From: Mike Sent: 12/30/2002 9:26 PM
Oh yeah, I forgot about the second axle. That would make it a little resistant to spinning around. Well, go ahead and get one. They do look like they would be slick.
From: Mike Sent: 5/19/2003 9:54 PM
Hey Bill - How's the Segway working out?
From: Da_Nag™ Sent: 5/19/2003 10:01 PM
I still don't have it, but should in a few weeks. I bought the one mentioned above back in December, but the guy was in LA. He lived near my brother, so he delivered it to his house - too much of a pain to ship.
My brother is coming up in early June, so I'll report back when it gets here.
I ended up with the Power Caster PC-1 - listed here.
From: Mike Sent: 5/19/2003 10:16 PM
Cool.
From: Moskwass Sent: 5/23/2003 7:25 AM
Where I launch for crabbing there is a guy that has mounted a ball on the front of his John Deere Lawn mower and he drives his boat all over pushing it. it is wierd to see him coming down the road pushing his boat. he is pretty good with it.
Roger