Trailer Dolly

D

DaveS

New member
Having just noticed on the Arima site a question regarding "trailer dollys", I decided to "plagiarize" the same topic on this site.

Are any C-Brats using a "manual trailer dolly" to maneuver their C-Dory and trailer around on a concrete floor? If so, does it work well for you? (With the standard "trailer wheel jack", it is not only precarious at best, it is difficult to move the trailer with it).

(The Northern Sales Tool and Equipment catalog has a 600 LB capacity trailer dolly that I am considering purchasing, so I don't have to hitch on to the truck or tractor to swing the boat and trailer around in the shop).

If I'm not mistaken one of our members has a "motorized trailer dolly", but I don't have a real interest to go that "route".
 
Dave-

Here are some thoughts on the subject:

1. This is the one instance where a tandem trailer is a disadvantage over a single axle. The extra friction encountered when turning adds quite a bit to the energy required to position the boat if you're going more than backwards and forward on smooth concrete. With either type of trailer, the several hundred pounds of tongue weight is a difficult part of the equation plus the overall weight, friction, etc.

2. Flat and smooth surface area = ok. Soft ground, gravel = no. Uphill-Ha! Downhill-watch out!!! (I know you know this, but just exploiting the humor.)

3. Especially with a tandem rig, the height of the ball on the dolly ought to be at the "level tongue" towing height.

4. Can't really say about the single axle rig, but my tandem can be moved with considerable difficulty. If all you need is fore and aft movement, maybe a jack with a larger wheel would do the trick. I wouldn't be going more than a few yards with a trailer dolly, however.

5. Depending on where you're going and how much room you have to maneuver, a ball mounted on the front of your tow vehicle works great to push the trailer rig around, but you need room for the tow vehicle, too. A trailer hitch/welding shop can do this for$100-$200, but I understand JC Whitney makes a bumper clamp hitch for cheap that will do the job.

Probably a lot more to this, but have to go for now! Joe.
 
Dave,
Don't run out and buy that dolly just yet. I have one I got from Cabela's when we bought the Lynn Marie that I can sell for a lot less than you can get one from Northern Tool for. I got the 600# model but it just isn't good on my black top driveway with the tongue wait I had. The other thing it needed was to have the ball modified to get it up where the normal trailer height is. That meant welding that I never got around to. My guess is that a nice smooth garage floor would be a lot better than my black top so it might be fine.

Tim
 
DaveS":2g9ntweh said:
If I'm not mistaken one of our members has a "motorized trailer dolly", but I don't have a real interest to go that "route".
Click to expand...
That would be me...got the Power Caster PC-1. I'll suggest you reconsider the manual route...

First, as has been pointed out already, a tandem trailer is a beast to move around manually. There's no way, even on smooth level concrete, that moving around a 22 on a tandem is going to be easy. Back and forth, maybe...turning it, forget it.

The PC-1 is just barely adequate for my needs - were I to do it again, I'd get a larger model with dual wheels. On the flat sections of my concrete driveway/path to back yard, it's more than adequate. However, when I first disconnect it from the trailer, it's just slightly uphill - it barely pushes the boat up, mostly because the wheel spins.

As far as turning the boat goes - with a power dolly, the disadvantage of a tandem trailer is almost completely eliminated. I can turn the boat/trailer on a dime.

They are not cheap...I got mine used, and still paid $500. Another company that makes them is Powermovers - link is here. Still, for moving a trailer around in tight quarters, they work very well.

I'll also second Joe's front-mount hitch suggestion, if that is an option for you. You don't get anywhere near the manuverability of the electric dolly, but you get far more than with a rear mounted hitch. I've got one on my truck, and it works well.
 
Ditto on the front hitch receiver -- I love having it. It also provides a secure point of attachment on the front the front of the vehicle in case you get stuck. Many vehicles come with one, but my van did not.
 
DaveS, I got just the deal for you. At school we have some paper roll carriers that we're trying to get rid of. For about $1200 you could have a Cat 3208 powered trailer mover that would allow you to just drive over the boat and trailer, pick up the whole shebang and drive off. While not in service as a trailer mover, you could use them as a portable garrage...these bad boys are bigger than Rogers trailer mover :)
 
Dave,

I bought the trailer dolly that has two small (small as in the size you would find on a very inexpensive lawn mower) wheels on each side of the axle. I'm not sure the carrying capacity as it was the last one the store had and they were selling it cheap. It works well with small and light trailers but not with the single axle EZ Loader I have for the C-Dory. The ball height is too low and the wheels come off in a turn. My Dad bought the trailer dolly that has one large wheel (the size you find on a decent wheel barrow) on each side and it works quite well for all his boat trailers, although as others have said, the two axle trailer is difficult to turn.

"Chivita" Dave
 
Now for the "rest of the story"..........Tim ("Lynn Marie") was kind enough to spend a great portion of a Saturday dismantling and boxing up his super trailer dolly and shipped it to me. (It has been reported to me, that he even found it necessary to consume at least a couple of Snoqualamie Falls Brewsky during the packing process). Thank You, Tim!

Unfortunately, as others have alluded to, the 22' Cruiser with a tandem wheel trailer is too heavy for me to even move the vessel on my "glass smooth" shop floor.

However, having previously owned a 16' Cruiser on a single axle trailer, I would suspect that this would be a dandy adjunct to own. If that is something that would interest anyone, then you may contact Tim.

As to other solutions to my dilemma. I do have a front hitch receiver on my 6 X 6 flatbed truck, which would certainly work, with the exception that a front hitch mount on a truck does not provide the maneuverability room at the shop doors that I desire.

Probably my "best bet" is to do what I've considered doing for years......set up a detachable hitch ball on the front end loader of my Kubota tractor.

I sincerely appreciate all of the comments this site has generated! What a fine group to be a member of!!! :smilep
 
Dave, For what you need would car dollies work? We use them in our garage to move cars around in tight spaces with great ease. As long as the floor is smooth and flat, they let us move a car in any direction with little effort. Even sideways. http://www.aaarims.com/car-dolly.shtml
We did not buy from this company, but it is the only picture that I could find.
We use another type of dolly that is called an Eastwood Rolling Car Jack. It has it's own jacking mechanism built in. More costly, but pretty slick.
Just another thought. :crook Robbi
 
Hi brats - Noticed an article in the local paper today that I thought I would pass on - A couple of local Bend, Oregon residents have developed and are starting to market a motorized trailer mover that may be of interest to someone out there. It is pretty spendy though (around $2000 I think). Anyway, you can check them out at www.withoutahitch.net. Really enjoy this site. Looking forward to the day I can quit lurking and start participating!!
 
Up here in Canada we have a cool store called Princess Auto. I noticed in their recent flyer that they were selling a motorized trailer dolly good for 5000lb. for 399.00 CDN They also do online selling. e-mail for flyer download is www.princessauto.com
 
I like the ball on the tractor idea...
I have a Kubota that has a ball mounted on my 3 pt hitch.
I use it extensively. The tractor has more than enough power and has a ultra tight turning ability. The ball is offset back about 4 inches and I can even "jacknife" the trailer with no ill effects to make very tight turns.

I need to read how to post a picture...
 
I've got one of those too on my Kubota 24HP tractor. It's a 3pt hitch rig that can take the regular hitch bar with a 2" square receiver. It'll lift the hitch right up and is extremely maneuverable. A little expensive though at >$20K.

It does other things of course...

This is what I call a "Tractor Dolly". Actually she's one of Tom's (OTTER) cute little girls, taken at our 2004 Potomac River Gathering.

Char_and_Claire_tractor_2.sized.jpg

Charlie
 
Hey there Dave
If you give me a week or so I will be able to help you out with fabricating a hitch on your tractor . we can figure what steel you will need and then a couple hours of cutting and welding and voila, you will have a fine boat mover
 
SENSEI":2y4yy2a9 said:
Hey there Dave
If you give me a week or so I will be able to help you out with fabricating a hitch on your tractor
Click to expand...

Hey Roger/Dave - check out the plans I just uploaded (link here).

An alternative to a 3-point receiver is a clamp-on bucket receiver hitch. The guy that wrote up these plans has had some great feedback from folks who've built them - here's a link over at TBN (TractorByNet) where they've been discussed.

Oh, and Roger...I know somebody else who could use one of these... :mrgreen:
 
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