Trailer Valet XL - solves all my narrow driveway and bad back problems

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Chris R

I use an electric dolly made by Powermovers Power Movers | MOVING MADE EASY. I did not like the Parkit machine, their video looked like a accident waiting to happen. I also needed a dolly that could turn in a smaller area. At the time the only alternative was the Powermover, it is designed for the big fifth wheels, over kill for a 5TA. In any case, it attaches to a short length of pipe (provided by the dolly builder) that was welded (by ETI) to the front cross member between the power jacks. The trailer is lifted with the jacks and lowered onto a pin on the dolly. The handles for the dolly extend beyond the 5th wheel hitch so it can be steered. It works well, a bit heavy, I move it in/out of an alley to a parking pad, 90 degree corner.
A small footnote, I did rebuild the dolly to make it easier store and use.

I wish I had of looked closer at this when I was out, as it does look like a good option. You certainly have a tight alley to turn out in and out of.

[Jim Bennett]

One thing that I am finding on dollies, is that there is limit on grades they can handle, with most not very steep at all. One of my main reasons for getting one would be to reorient the trailer in the yard if backing it in means the door is against the fence, not ideal in my mind.

Most manufacturers dissuade pulling up a slope, which I don't fully understand. Sure, there may be a small amount less weight on the hitch, but it would not be that much.

[Chris R]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

You certainly have a tight alley to turn out in and out of.

I find it helps to sprinkle some sand on the pavers so the tandem wheels turn/slip easier.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Chris R

I find it helps to sprinkle some sand on the pavers so the tandem wheels turn/slip easier.

That's a great idea.

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Most manufacturers dissuade pulling up a slope, which I don't fully understand.

Could they be thinking of 14,000lb trailers and fifth wheels?

[Chris R]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I wish I had of looked closer at this when I was out, as it does look like a good option. You certainly have a tight alley to turn out in and out of.

Due to where the dolly is attached to the trailer, turning the trailer doesn't take effort to push the dolly handles to steer. The dolly has a brake toggle that is suppose control the trailer brakes, although I have not had a need for it.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

This dolly has a weight rating of 300 kg, which would be a bit light for most outfitted 5.0 TAs.

Good point, especially if lifting back at the jack position rather than the kingpin, and using the 2500 model. The Camper Trolley 4500 model is rated for 450 kg (992 pounds).

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Good point, especially if lifting back at the jack position rather than the kingpin, and using the 2500 model. The Camper Trolley 4500 model is rated for 450 kg (992 pounds).

I got the weight watching the video, and did not look deep enough to realize there was a 4500 model. That one would work under the king pin if you rigged it up to do so, but I bet it would be pressed to work under the front of the lower frame.

[Losangeles]

Originally Posted by skiman

Update:

Used the Trailer Valet XL this week again. I believe the issue was not the coupler itself not being flat. I was making a hard left turn from the parked position. The force to turn the tandem wheels is so high that it is actually bending the lip of the coupler and allowing the Valet to swing forward. I had straightened the lip and promptly rolled it up again. The force does not affect the actual part of the coupler that grabs the ball, but will bend the flat unsupported lip.

So it does not look good for my use. Back to square one.

Sorry to hear that Carl. Bummer.

We have used the Trailer Valet XL with our 17' Casita Deluxe, and it seemed to handle it just fine. Flat, with only a minor rise at one point, and straight back. I even cranked it... didnt bother with the power drill option it comes with.

Hoping it works similarly well with our 21'.

[float5]

Losangeles, when are you getting your 21'?

We need something that would push the trailer sideways only at the front. No such thing. We would have to go back and forth and back and forth several times trying to get it in place. Don't know that that can work. Too bad you can't just try these things out.

[float5]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

One thing that I am finding on dollies, is that there is limit on grades they can handle, with most not very steep at all. One of my main reasons for getting one would be to reorient the trailer in the yard if backing it in means the door is against the fence, not ideal in my mind.

Most manufacturers dissuade pulling up a slope, which I don't fully understand. Sure, there may be a small amount less weight on the hitch, but it would not be that much.

Belleve they are dissuading you because most of them cannot do didley on slopes according to many reviews. Only the very slightest slope, if that.

[ReagentGrade]

Originally Posted by float5

We need something that would push the trailer sideways only at the front. No such thing.

Wrong! Check out Side Shifter:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hHfVp9wwEn0

(Unfortunately they seem to have gone out of business)

[gbaglo]

Shouldn't have taken up all those parking spaces in the first place.

[float5]

Originally Posted by ReagentGrade

Wrong! Check out Side Shifter:

(Unfortunately they seem to have gone out of business)

I'm not looking at it now with data low but guessing this is particular to a 5.0 and probably more than slightly out of our price range! Even if used. Will look later. Thank you for posting.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

Shouldn't have taken up all those parking spaces in the first place.

I have to do that on a regular basis. As long as I stay out of the way and not closer to the entrance, I don't get blocked.

Originally Posted by ReagentGrade

Wrong! Check out Side Shifter:

(Unfortunately they seem to have gone out of business)

[Brian B-P]

I don't see anything fifth-wheel-specific about the Side Shifter. Although described as an "invention", it's nothing new - I've seen specialty cargo trailers with similar hardware. I assume the business failed because there are simply too few people who need it.
Here's an example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPX6oZD7zyg

The "Side Trakker" is a tracked version of the same idea.

In an Escape it would logically be mounted immediately behind the freshwater tank; tire size would be limited by ground clearance, but could probably be made to work. Regardless of the trailer, it swings the trailer around the hitch, while not moving forward or backward, so most cases it would likely be a shift-drive-shift-drive cycle to get in or out of somewhere.

It would be heavy and expensive, but someone should do it just for an interesting project.

[gbaglo]

I suspect the reason this product is not available is that people realized that it is easier and cheaper to solve the problem than to adapt to the problem.
If you don't park a trailer in a situation where you would need this product, then you don't need it.

[skiman]

Originally Posted by Losangeles

Sorry to hear that Carl. Bummer.

We have used the Trailer Valet XL with our 17' Casita Deluxe, and it seemed to handle it just fine. Flat, with only a minor rise at one point, and straight back. I even cranked it... didnt bother with the power drill option it comes with.

Hoping it works similarly well with our 21'.

The sharp turn with dual axles requires the tires to scrub sideways taking a lot of force. The Casita single axle does not have the issue. You will be OK with the 21 if you don't have to make a very sharp turn. The engineer in me is wondering if some of those forces could be absorbed with a cable brace from the bottom of the Valet up to the trailer frame somehow. I am not selling the Valet just yet.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by skiman

The sharp turn with dual axles requires the tires to scrub sideways taking a lot of force. The Casita single axle does not have the issue. You will be OK with the 21 if you don't have to make a very sharp turn.

It could be easier if only one axle is carrying most of the load, by temporarily violating the "keep level" rule of moving the trailer by tiliting it. Nose down would transfer load to the leading axle, but nose up might be better because it would transfert to the trailing axle and add load to the dolly for traction.

Originally Posted by skiman

The engineer in me is wondering if some of those forces could be absorbed with a cable brace from the bottom of the Valet up to the trailer frame somehow. I am not selling the Valet just yet.

Rigid struts would make more sense to me, but cables might work if it only tilts with the bottom of the dolly moving forward.

I wonder if it be traded or converted to the traditional Trailer Valet jack-mounted design, but presumably that's not practical with everything else on the tongue... and thus the choice of the XL in the first place.

It seems like a waste of a perfectly good coupler, but you could just grind it off and install one that works with the Trailer Valet XL's clamp.

[Losangeles]

I reached out to Trailer Valet directly, when I heard of this possible issue, and they reached out to ETI and also researched the Ram couplers that ETI uses, and the reply from Trailer Valet was "it should work fine"

However i am guessing the design of the Trailer Valet XL doesn't account for the large forces at play when trying to turn a dual axle travel trailer 90 degrees....

I am hoping it all works fine in our more conventional situation.... straight back, no 90 degree turn from stopped.

I'll know by end of January 2017

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

It could be easier if only one axle is carrying most of the load, by temporarily violating the "keep level" rule of moving the trailer by tiliting it. Nose down would transfer load to the leading axle, but nose up might be better because it would transfert to the trailing axle and add load to the dolly for traction.


Rigid struts would make more sense to me, but cables might work if it only tilts with the bottom of the dolly moving forward.

I wonder if it be traded or converted to the traditional Trailer Valet jack-mounted design, but presumably that's not practical with everything else on the tongue... and thus the choice of the XL in the first place.

It seems like a waste of a perfectly good coupler, but you could just grind it off and install one that works with the Trailer Valet XL's clamp.