Powered Trailer Dollies...

[GolfStream]

PowerWheel / PowerMover/ PowerCaster... Any experience?

Hello everyone!

I plan to store my Airstream in the back garden driveway which is accessed by a very narrow alley and i can not get the tow vehicle into this very
tight spot to manuever.

I have found three "electric power trailer dollies" on the market...
Does anyone have experience (good or bad) with any of these companies?

Power Caster - The original trailer mover! Maneuver your RV or boat trailer in limited space with this powerful, easy to use and safe electric trailer dolly. POWER CASTER handles all types of travel trailers (including fifth-wheels), boat trailers, A
AC Trailer Dollies,DC Trailer Dollies,Fifth Wheel Dollies,Electric ATVS
PowerWheel USA, LLC - Your easy answer to trailer moving.

Aside from being the coolest gadget i've seen yet, the powertouch (a
set of electric motors that drive the trailer's wheels via remote control) is on sale!

Regards,

[rickandsandi]

Javier-

What a great thread. I too have been looking for a power dolly but before spending the bucks was wondering how good and how big did I need. I look forward as you do to see what others have to say.

Thank you for posting!

[flitzwhopper]

I park my Argosy in the back yard. Difficulty doing it with the 3/4 ton Dodge Ram is real high and it tears up the back yard. It's okay if I manage to miss all of the trees. That wasn't fun....

The Power Mover is really cool. Although the unit is not the most craftsman like fabrication that I have seen, the unit is solid and works well. If you were going to push around anything bigger than my Argosy, I would get a bigger unit. Four wheels rather than the three I have would be good. It has a brake setup that is worth something if you have inclines.

The Power Mover configuration with the real long "handle bars" looked a bit awkward but as it turns out that the extra leverage is worth it. I can pivot the trailer on its center clockwise or counterclockwise.

All in all, it is a really good thing for me. See
All Wheel Drive AC Powered Trailer Dolly

[GolfStream]

Thanks for the reply! Let's see who else chimes in. The PowerMover guy was helpful and he seemed to know his product.

this is the one that i'm finding impressive...

Powrtouch Trailer Mover

Hopefully, someone with one of these will enlighten us. Evidently this is an English comapny (makes sense since everything in eurpoe is a tight fit).
(totally off thread) I know what the red numbers are, but what are the blue numbers?

[Silvertwinkie]

I too have looked at these and the cost is what's held me back. My driveway is about 120ft long it's always a chore to get the Safari into the drive, but at the price these cost, my situation isn't that bad, but it sure would make life easier.

[InsideOut]

Originally Posted by GolfStream

<snip> (totally off thread) I know what the red numbers are, but what are the blue numbers?

AirstreamForums UserID numbers. They are sequentially assigned when you sign up.

Yours is: #19502

Shari

[Killo1]

Wow, the PowerWheel/PowerTouch is really bitchin. What a great idea. You don't have to lug around some 70lb device to move your trailer. With my size trailer, backing in hasn't been much of a problem. But if I were to get a bigger trailer I might SERIOUSLY consider that product.

[tbaugh]

I have used a power caster for 20 years and it is great. With our airstream I needed to upgrade from a PC 1 to a PC 2 because of the hitch weight. We have a 25' trailer.

I still have the PC1 if some one has a small trailer.

[bjond]

I have a 3 wheel 110v Power Mover (see pix) that I use with trailers 5000 # or less and tongue weight less than 500#. There are several issues with probably all these devices.

1. It won't work on grass as the little wheels slip. Works fine on cement.

2. It is designed to connect to the trailer in a special socket that you have to attach to the trailer. Its like a trailer ball but instead of a ball its a cylinder or peg. Probably to prevent side to side movement. I never figured out a good place to attach this to an Airstream because the tonque is crowded. You not only need a place to bolt it on but need clearance to swing the mover around underneath to turn. I gave up and designed a different device that has a peg hole on one side and a trailer ball on the other side. I have to bolt this device on the the trailer when I move it.

3. It takes a lot of muscle to control the handle expecially when turning on the slight grade of the driveway in front of my garage. So much that I broke the handle and then had to add braces to the handle.

4. Coming down the slight incline is real exciting. You give the motor a slight blip of go and then the trailer starts picking up speed. I have to have a brakeman arond to stop the trailer after a few feet with a 4 by 4 under the wheel. Then we go again for a few feet. Never tried the brake which is simply a wire in the trailer connecter to the trailer brakes and the trailers battery.

With that said my mover does work for me to negotiate various trailers around a tight corner behind my garage. This tight corner has a very slight incline so when I back a trailer around the corner, the trailer is going up the incline. There's no way I can move these trailers up the incline with a simple dolly under the ball. I would buy one like I have again. And it doesn't take up much room in the garage.


pix 1- Incline in front of garage
pix 2 - My power mover
pix 3- my ball to peg adapter device
pix4 - mover peg
pix 5 - the supplied peg socket bracket that must be bolted to the trailer

[Jim Clark]

I have a AC8 worth it weight in money. I have a very narrow drive and lets me fit the trailer in with no problem. Has saved me the cost on monthly storage. Best customer service I have ever had, they will get it right and not nickle and dime you to death.


All Wheel Drive AC Powered Trailer Dolly

Thanks Jim

[GolfStream]

Hello everyone!

A quick update... I have given the Powertouch / powerwheel folks pictures and measurements of the 19 foot bambi to see if we can fit the powertouch to the airstream. Looks like everything will fit if i can sort out a "Jockey wheel" at the tongue.

Here's the question: With space at a premium (see picture below), how can i get a GRASS capable jockey wheel (airfilled 10" tire) on the trailer tongue?

I was thinking that after i remove the car, i could use a bottle jack to lift the tongue enough to fit a tire to the electirc jack post but i'm afraid that might be unstable. What do you think? Going over a grass lawn is an occasional but necessary requirement, so i need a jockey wheel that can handle softer terrain.

Does anyone know of a tire that can be some how mounted to the hitch socket?

I'll post the pictures and conversations with the powertouch folks later.

Thanks!

[SilverToy]

Golf....

Had a thought about your 'grass' issue. How about 'multiple' attachment points for your grass wheel.... something like:

Mount the wheel in the bottom of the tongue jack, with a stabilizer going to both sides of the a-frame (saddle mount) AND to the ball reciever (use existing to hold) ie. a 3 point system with the wheel in the center of it and mounted up INTO the jack tube. Thinking that would easily provide stability and should be capable of resisting 'wiggle', which I think would be the greatest issue in 'soft surface' movement.

I dunno, just had that thought and figured it wouldn't hurt to mention it. "Give it a think".

Be sure to post back when you 'solve' this one, OK?

Axel
SilverToy

[GolfStream]

I think we'll be able to mount a stable (10" air filled) wheel directly to the electric hitch post without too much hassle. The problem is that i will need to somehow get the trailer tongue high enough to slip the wheel into place.

Since the height of the tongue with the car attached is too low to slip the grass wheel into place, I'll have to unhitch the car and lift the tongue with something else. Right now, i'm thinking of doing that with a bottle jack into the hitch socket. That should get me tall enought to slip a bigger wheel onto the electic hitch post. My question is how stable will that be? I'd hate to have all that weight fall on me as i try to fit the wheel.

What i think would be perfect is something that looks like the front wheels on a 747... Twin wheels on either side of a center post. the center post could do the swivel.

Any ideas?

[malconium]

You might be able to use something like the following manual trailer dolly as a starting point.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Malcolm

[GolfStream]

Thanks for the idea Malcom! Great minds think alike! =)

I tried that very same trailer dolly and it didn't work well for my
application.

After much research, I've decided on the powertouch
(http://www.powerwheel-usa.com/products/powrtouch.htm) motors that
engage the wheels on the trailer to move through tight spaces where
the trailer has to be positioned for storage. The big reason for
getting the power touch instead of any of the other powered dollies,
is it's ability to move the trailer over grass and soft ground. The
problem to solve with this set up is keeping the tongue
from "plowing" the soft ground underneath.

I believe a (hitch post mounted) set of pneumatic jockey wheels will
do the trick. I'm willing to have it designed and manufactured for my
use (within a resonable cost). Specifically, i'm lookng for
something with a swiveling post that i can slide onto the electric
hitch post (preferably while the car is hitched). The twin wheels
will give me the needed clearance (lower attachment point) and better
stability (two wheels in stead of one) when traveling across the
grass (with sugar sand underneath) on my side yard. (An active)
hurricane season is coming and i need to be able to manuver the
trailer easily (by myself) over soft/wet ground to the "safe space" i
created on my side yard.

Below are (rough) drawings of what i'm looking to do along with a photo of my (very) crowded tongue.

Anyone have have a recommendation of who could design and make
something like this to carry the tongue weight of my trailer?

Thanks!

Javier

[SilverToy]

Javier -

Just another completely different thought about this question. Might it be possible to get a four wheeler (perhaps a neighbor has one) and could easily move you trailer ala the 'pusher' cars at the airport, that move those unwieldy planes around all day long. Your 4 wheeler might need a ball mounted but should be able to get it moving.

This came to me when I saw a neighbors 4x4 go by, stoped him and asked him what the carry capacity was - 'no idea but gotta be plenty cause it can tow trailers and stuff' - has had a ball already lounted in the standard 3 inch hitch.

Giv it a think.....

Axel
SilverToy

[malconium]

Javier,

I was not so much thinking that you could use the dolly as is. Rather I thought that you migth be able to use the parts as a starting place for making what you needed.

Also I would think that with two wheels you might still need to steer them somehow when the power wheels are working.

If you used a smaller tounge jack wheel could you just lay down a piece of plywood on the grass as a track?

Malcolm

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by malconium

You might be able to use something like the following manual trailer dolly as a starting point.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Malcolm

I have one of those and unless you are moving 1700 pounds or less on level ground - forget it. I bent the handle on mine moving a pop-up and it got away from me a little. it is great for lightweight stuff but a bear for things with a little weight.

[GolfStream]

Hello everyone!

Thought I would post a followup on this thread for those who were watching.

I ended up installing a solid surface driveway and purchasing the powerhitch to bring the trailer into and out from the back yard.

I have been using it for the last 9+ months and the product works great with the Bambi. I have no complaints with the manufacture or the operation of the device. Just keep the tires filled and the powerhitch takes care of the work.

As for the powerwheel: We just couldn't get easily get the device to fit underneath the airstream without removing the underbelly skin and creating a toungue wheel that would accomodate the weight of the tounge and grass just became a design and implementation nightmare. It's a great solution for someone else's trailer.

Should anyone want to head down that path and want to know more, post here and I'll tell the story as i can best remember.

warm reagrds,