Does Front Hitch Make It Easy To Maneuver In Tight Spaces?

[Andrew T]

We have one on our 3/4 Ton for putting 37' Trailers into tight campsites. It makes a huge difference in maneuverability. If you can find a local welding shop have them remove the right tow hook and weld a receiver tube there. It is much easier if you can see one side of the trailer from the drivers seat. This only works if you do not have to make a hard left turn.

[Lafitte]

I have a front hitch , 2012 Ram 2500, FC25FBT.

[Keys Dave]

I have installed a front hitch on my last 3 F350 trucks. Many years ago we were renting a house in the Keys that required parking the boat in a 12 foot wide gated yard at the end of a 500 plus foot narrow street. It was almost impossible with the crew cab truck. I installed a 7 way plug on the front of the truck and powered the lights on the trailer. On the Airstream it powers the rear camera so I can see where I am going.

[Gene]

Thanks for the tips—keep 'em coming.

The fence gate is about 10' wide and then there are the obstacles on each side, the worst being a large rock on one side and on the other, an A/C unit. There is only about 10' of gravel and a sidewalk right on the street between then gate and street. The street has increasing traffic as more houses are built.

I think the trickiest thing to master is how much to turn the wheel before I get results and what those results are. Making a 90˚ turn from the center of the street actually has to be less than 90˚ or the 4 truck bumper gets to meet the trailer, so it has to be a curved line to the fence opening and then straight back. I don't know just how much each turn of the wheel turns the trailer—the Tundra has 4 turns lock to lock, so one full turn in any direction is a lot.

I expect I am overthinking this, and I expect if I have the street blocked for several minutes, the few residents past me will all be having heart attacks that day and trying to get to the hospital. I could take out the trailer and practice with the front hitch in a parking lot, but then I have to park it again at home and I am unprepared for that.

[batman]

Gene, I don't know if it would work for you or not, there are a number of hand operated power trailer dolly's on the market. Drop it and park it by powered hand dolly. I think you would still need a spotter to be your eyes. However, I did find one that works by wireless remote control, lol. https://parkit360.ca/products/carrier.

-Dennis

[Gene]

Originally Posted by batman

Gene, I don't know if it would work for you or not, there are a number of hand operated power trailer dolly's on the market. Drop it and park it by powered hand dolly. I think you would still need a spotter to be your eyes. However, I did find one that works by wireless remote control, lol. https://parkit360.ca/products/carrier.

-Dennis

I have thought of a power dolly but the expense (several thousand probably) is daunting for a 27' trailer with a slight uphill over the curb and on gravel with slighter uphill on the approach to the fence. The truck will need to be in 4wd once I get on the gravel. RV dealers use small tractors with front hitches to move trailers, but that costs even more.

Money is an object and too bad I don't have a neighbor with a power dolly (or a batmobile). The Parkit you referred to is $4,500 and a big expense for a few trips per year and when you are octogenarian, you know your travel days are limited.

[Al and Missy]

I put one on my F-150 and used it to back my 25. I had a relatively straight driveway but was trying to make a 90 degree turn at the very end to get the trailer in front of one of 3 garage door spaces. I was concerned about exceeding the weight limit on the hitch so I got a heavy duty caster wheel at HF and put it on the tongue jack post when I turned the truck around. I would lower it when I was sure there wouldn't be much height difference between the trailer and the truck.

The good news: It made it much easier to back the trailer for several reasons - I didn't have to think about which way to turn the steering wheel, it was second nature; the visibility was much better, at least from the standpoint of not having to use mirrors or turn around - once a turn was started I could see where the rear of the trailer was and was going.

The bad news:
When you hook up to pull out, the trailer does not come out the same way it went in unless you are very careful have the truck make the hitch ball follow the same path it took on the way in. This is not easy with the truck going forward. Don't ask how I know, or how much the trailer repair was.

[Gene]

Thanks Al and Missy.

When you say steering was second nature, how so? Doesn't the trailer go left when you turn the wheel right, or have I missed something?

From the truck driver's seat, it sounds like you could see both sides of the trailer—is that true? I can imagine seeing the driver's (right) side, but not the left unless it is turned.

Since I only have to tow (or is it "push") the trailer for a short distance I am not worried about weight, though the front hitch is rated pretty high.

When I parked the trailer last winter when we moved, the worst of it was getting it straight and not too close to the A/C. Maybe I could back it into the driveway the regular way and then turn the truck around and attach the front hitch to straighten it in the parking area.

[SVTRIDE]

Originally Posted by Gene

When you say steering was second nature, how so? Doesn't the trailer go left when you turn the wheel right, or have I missed something?

From the truck driver's seat, it sounds like you could see both sides of the trailer—is that true? I can imagine seeing the driver's (right) side, but not the left unless it is turned.

My storage building is at the back of my lot that necessitates backing the trailer ~400ft around my house, winding past a rear deck, among trees, and up a inclined gravel drive involving left and right turns. No way could I back my truck/trailer with precision in a timely manner. I fabbed up a front receiver tube into my snow plow mount. Now, it is so easy maneuver the trailer all the way into the the building albeit not into it’s final parking space in the building…for that last 40ft in the building, I use a Park-It tug to spot trailer in final place. I have the trailer pretty well shoehorned into it’s spot.
Backing trailer, left hand turns are breeze as you have clear visibility from truck cab to back of the trailer. Yes, you need to steer truck right to get trailer rear to go left and vice versa. Right hand turns are more difficult as trailer obstructs your view of the back end from cab. Estimating where the back of the trailer is I find difficult. Thus I never back up without a spotter. A little steering input into the truck has a large effect on how tight trailer will turn. And you can make very sharp turns... To the extent that tight turns bind the trailer tires, what I mean is the trailer front tires may push side ways.
Again, I never back it to the building without a spotter, it’s that tight a maneuver but it goes quickly as I can do the move in a constant manner really never having to reverse to correct direction.
Highly recommend a front hitch receiver.

[Gene]

Svtride, thanks very helpful.

When I back I hold the bottom of the steering wheel and that way the trailer goes the same direction—easier than thinking inside out.