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Old 11-02-2017, 05:52 PM   #1
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trailer trolley, Camper mover

We could use something like a trailer trolley or camper mover to help move our trailer another direction once we get it in our driveway. Does anyone out there use one of these for their escapes. I would be interested in models and price ranges. They seem rather expensive and I don't want to buy one that is more costly than needed for our 21footer.

Please no goofy answers you guys!
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Old 11-02-2017, 05:56 PM   #2
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At least a couple of people here have them. Having looked, I find that many cannot take any or much of an incline. Unless maybe it is a very heavy duty one. And, yes, they cost a bundle. I would look for reviews and not go by the manufacturer only.
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Old 11-02-2017, 06:52 PM   #3
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There have been several discussions of these things. I suggest searches in this forum for
  • Power Caster
  • ParkIt360
  • Trailer Valet
  • TRAX
  • Camper Trolley
  • DIY Power Trailer Dolly
Powered trailer dollies which support the tongue are limited in ability to handle grades by both power and traction. If that's a problem, or if a rough surface is difficult for a typical dolly to handle, a solution is the style of "caravan movers" which are popular in Europe: one mounts on each side just ahead of or behind the trailer's wheels, and when needed they are shifted to engage powered rollers against the trailer's tires. They are rare here, but Purple Line sells them: enduro or e-go.
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Old 11-02-2017, 07:18 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady View Post

Please no goofy answers you guys!
Aw, you're no fun.

A lot depends on what you want to do with it. I made one for my Scamp because I had to turn it 90* and move it across some uneven lawn. It's not adequate for my tandem axle 19. Sometimes I can get the trailer off to the side close to the fence but it's not a straight in situation. Trying to push the tongue sideways by hand isn't possible because of the tandem wheels. I used to just try again till I got it right. But if it's dark etc. that can get frustrating. Which is the long way of saying that I decided the easiest way to shove the tongue sideways was to simply unhook, position the truck at a sharper angle, hook up and push the tongue sideways.

So it depends on what kind of trailer moving you want to do. Love the tandem axle except when trying to re-position the trailer by hand.

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Old 11-02-2017, 07:25 PM   #5
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This is one I designed and use to move my Boler, a heavier duty version could be made for your Escape. You would need a more powerful winch, the battery directly on the unit to supply higher amperage and outrigger wheels front and rear to prevent flipping. This unit does work great, I use it all the time on gravel. Here is the link on how I built it and the parts used: Proud Canadian

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Old 11-03-2017, 07:32 AM   #6
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We almost got the one from Purple Line, but went with the Camper Trolley instead. We're very happy with it. Especially when I was vending in a grassy field and wanted to leave before the guy in front of me did. We plunked on the Trolley and pivoted the trailer around, hooked up and I was out of there. It helped the vendor behind me had already left. We gathered quite an admiring crowd when rotating the trailer around, but since I was guiding Dirk I wasn't able to take a video of it.

Yes, they're not cheap, but for the few times we've used it, it's been very worthwhile. If you get either of those brands, mention my name. Both companies know me quite well.
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Old 11-03-2017, 10:00 AM   #7
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With any dolly system, I recommend that it has a separate/independent power supply. We have friends that installed an extremely expensive power trailer mover system after purchasing a fairly large camper, with multiple slide outs, that they are terrified to back ( their 1st camper !?!). They need power to stow the sliders , as well as position the camper in their driveway after returning to their home ( they have a long narrow and steep driveway ). They've had so many issues running out of power that they're afraid to even run the lights, let alone a fan or furnace while camping. Nice camper, but they are afraid to even use it's amenities due to the power demands of all those motors on the camper batteries. Crazy !
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Old 11-03-2017, 10:18 AM   #8
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We almost got the one from Purple Line, but went with the Camper Trolley instead. We're very happy with it. Especially when I was vending in a grassy field and wanted to leave before the guy in front of me did. We plunked on the Trolley and pivoted the trailer around, hooked up and I was out of there. It helped the vendor behind me had already left. We gathered quite an admiring crowd when rotating the trailer around, but since I was guiding Dirk I wasn't able to take a video of it.

Yes, they're not cheap, but for the few times we've used it, it's been very worthwhile. If you get either of those brands, mention my name. Both companies know me quite well.
Very cool, best designed trailer mover that I have seen to date (no spinning and slipping wheels). Did you buy the 2500 model ? From the manufacturer or a local dealer.
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Old 11-03-2017, 01:04 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Quilting Lady View Post
We could use something like a trailer trolley or camper mover to help move our trailer another direction once we get it in our driveway. Does anyone out there use one of these for their escapes. I would be interested in models and price ranges. They seem rather expensive and I don't want to buy one that is more costly than needed for our 21footer.

Please no goofy answers you guys!
I use the Trailer Valet XL purchased from Home Depot for around $500. As others have mentioned it does not work well if there is a bit of an incline. My driveway has a good bit of incline until I get to the top where it flattens out. I use my truck to get it as far up the drive as possible, then hook up the trailer valet to position it closer to the fence. I have to be careful not to go too far forward down the drive into the incline area or it starts losing traction. For safety my wife is standing by ready to throw a wheel chock under the tires in case it starts getting away from me. One nice feature of the trailer valet is that I can use my 20 V cordless drill to drive it instead of the hand crank. It has two Crank locations with different gear ratios for speed or power.

Your future 21 foot will be heavier than my 19 foot, so if you have any bit of incline where you want to Park it I would look for a different choice.
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Old 11-03-2017, 04:27 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NW Cat Owner View Post
We almost got the one from Purple Line, but went with the Camper Trolley instead. We're very happy with it. Especially when I was vending in a grassy field and wanted to leave before the guy in front of me did. We plunked on the Trolley and pivoted the trailer around, hooked up and I was out of there. It helped the vendor behind me had already left. We gathered quite an admiring crowd when rotating the trailer around, but since I was guiding Dirk I wasn't able to take a video of it.

Yes, they're not cheap, but for the few times we've used it, it's been very worthwhile. If you get either of those brands, mention my name. Both companies know me quite well.

Thanks for responding Laura, Which model did you get, the 1500 or the 2500? I had looked at them online. May I ask where you got yours? N
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Old 11-03-2017, 04:39 PM   #11
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I use the Trailer Valet XL purchased from Home Depot for around $500. As others have mentioned it does not work well if there is a bit of an incline. My driveway has a good bit of incline until I get to the top where it flattens out. I use my truck to get it as far up the drive as possible, then hook up the trailer valet to position it closer to the fence. I have to be careful not to go too far forward down the drive into the incline area or it starts losing traction. For safety my wife is standing by ready to throw a wheel chock under the tires in case it starts getting away from me. One nice feature of the trailer valet is that I can use my 20 V cordless drill to drive it instead of the hand crank. It has two Crank locations with different gear ratios for speed or power.

Your future 21 foot will be heavier than my 19 foot, so if you have any bit of incline where you want to Park it I would look for a different choice.
Thanks for responding. I sure like that price better! The area we park our trailer is not on an incline but it is slanted a bit on the left side to allow for rainwater to drain off. We use an anderson levelor chock. Do you thin the trolley could at least push the trailer up a few inches on that? N
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Old 11-03-2017, 05:36 PM   #12
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I use the Trailer Valet XL purchased from Home Depot for around $500. As others have mentioned it does not work well if there is a bit of an incline. My driveway has a good bit of incline until I get to the top where it flattens out. I use my truck to get it as far up the drive as possible, then hook up the trailer valet to position it closer to the fence. I have to be careful not to go too far forward down the drive into the incline area or it starts losing traction. For safety my wife is standing by ready to throw a wheel chock under the tires in case it starts getting away from me. One nice feature of the trailer valet is that I can use my 20 V cordless drill to drive it instead of the hand crank. It has two Crank locations with different gear ratios for speed or power.

Your future 21 foot will be heavier than my 19 foot, so if you have any bit of incline where you want to Park it I would look for a different choice.
I called etrailer and the girl that answered the phone said that it went up inclines and told me to watch their video which i did. It only showed it for about 1 foot before they switched it show something else.
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Old 11-03-2017, 06:13 PM   #13
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Thanks for responding. I sure like that price better! The area we park our trailer is not on an incline but it is slanted a bit on the left side to allow for rainwater to drain off. We use an anderson levelor chock. Do you thin the trolley could at least push the trailer up a few inches on that? N
Yes, it should. Also you have far fewer rainy days in Abilene than we do in Western Washington. The main issue is traction and wet pavement affects it. Even where my driveway flattens out, it still has a mild slope, so you should be fine.

It is very important that the nut that tightens the collar up into the hitch is tight. One is transferring force from a vertical post to the horizontal hitch arms so the connection has to be secure.

The other thing to be aware of is that the twin axels of these trailers will resist sideways pressure on the wheels. In other words, one cannot expect to turn the trailer at 90 degrees. One would need to angle it in with a tight turn.

Good luck!
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Old 11-03-2017, 07:44 PM   #14
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Did you get the special ball mount with the Valet XL, or other items such as wrench? That adds to the cost.
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Old 11-03-2017, 08:29 PM   #15
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Did you get the special ball mount with the Valet XL, or other items such as wrench? That adds to the cost.
No, It came with a 2" ball and the collar nut wrench. Oh wait, I did get the socket that allowed me to use it with my 20V drill. But looking at the current listing at Home depot, that is now included. The other changes are now the tires are "Never Flat" instead of tube tires and the price has gone up.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trailer-...XL20/300268409
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Old 11-03-2017, 08:31 PM   #16
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No, It came with a 2" ball and the collar nut wrench. Oh wait, I did get the socket that allowed me to use it with my 20V drill. But looking at the current listing at Home depot, that is now included. The other changes are now the tires are "Never Flat" instead of tube tires and the price has gone up.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Trailer-...XL20/300268409
Thank you. The fact that they no longer use tubes, I take it, is significant from some reviews.
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