Trailer Dolly

[Zeeter]

I've been looking at some trailer dollies lately. My fence is just barely wide enough to get the trailer through, and there is a shed less than the trailer length right behind the fence. Moving the shed is not an option. So it takes a lot of effort to get the boat into the yard and I've already scratched up the wheel wells a bit.

I am thinking of a trailer dolly. This will give me more control bringing it in, plus I won't have to account for both the trailer and my truck when getting it around the tight turns.

It is a grassy section of the yard, but is level. I hope to pave this section after a while, but not this year. Does anyone user a trailer dolly? If so, what do you think? What do you recommend? While I'd love a mechanical one, the manual ones are much cheaper. 

[Dwight Hottle]

I have used one in the past with a single axle trailer on an asphalt driveway. They work well on a hard surface drive. Using one on grass might be difficult. Try renting one for a few hours to find out if it will work for you. The trailer dolly will not work with a dual axle trailer unless you elevate one side of the axle with a second wheel dolly. 

[tcbass]

I don't think it would work well on grass either.

[fishnkamp]

Do you have a lawn tractor you could add a hitch to?

 

[BassnChris]

8 hours ago, fishnkamp said:

Do you have a lawn tractor you could add a hitch to?

 

That is what I used for a year with my single axle boat trailer.....John Deere 430.

pulled up the hill ok......would not want to try it on the slope with my dual axle boat trailer.

flat ground would be ok.......but it was a hefty garden tractor.

 

 

 

Then I added this and sold the tractor.

 

[Ktho]

I use a manual dolly to put my bay boat away. I have a really tight fit on the side of house and an awkward sloping driveway, i've only been able to back the boat in without the dolly one time out of 50+ times. I get the back end lined up, unhitch and then use the dolly to make some minor corrections and push it in. If you're by yourself on the grass I'd 100% get a mechanical dolly, it makes pushing it a lot easier. If you can't move the boat at all just pushing it without a dolly, you definitely need a mechanical one but even that might not be sufficient. My boat weighs ~1800lbs on the trailer depending on how much gas is in it. 

[stfreed]

The way my garage and rear patio are configured and due to narrow garage door and wide ranger beam, I pull my boat into the garage tongue first and use a 12V ATV winch with a remote that I got at Harbor freight for $59.  That way I can pull it in the garage while "steering" the tongue manually to clear the garage.  I have a 2" ball welded onto a piece of steel shackled to the winch cable, so I just hitch up the cable and pull her into the garage.

[kjfishman]

Can  you alter the fence?

[Zeeter]

On 8/29/2016 at 8:54 AM, kjfishman said:

Can  you alter the fence?

Yes, I have two plans in place. One is to increase the size of the gate. Currently it is juuuust big enough to get through but with a shed and tree nearby it makes maneuvering difficult. Second is to pave a section of my back yard. Once I do that it should be easier to use the dolly. 

I tried the dolly last weekend and once I got it moving it was manageable. Not something I want to do indefinitely, though. Thinking of maybe putting some plywood down for the time being. Cheap stuff. Won't look too good, but it won't be there too long. Plus I can pick it up after each use so it's not an eyesore.