Camper Storage
- Thread starter THal
- Start date
My suggestion is to practice your backing skills so you can get your camper garaged unassisted. I'm not aware of a motorized product that will let you move it separate from your vehicle, although that would be great . Maybe someone else on the forum has a similar situation and will have an answer for you Best of luck.
Screw a big eye bolt in the back of the garage, then use the item below to pull the trailer in slowly, while a helper steers the tongue end. I have one of these and it is amazing.
https://www.amazon.com/XSTRAP-Heavy...1084158&sprefix=rope+hois,aps,165&sr=8-3&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/XSTRAP-Heavy...1084158&sprefix=rope+hois,aps,165&sr=8-3&th=1
Steve and Karen
Ranger
It would probably depend upon on how often and and from what distance you would need to rely on some mechanical advantage. If it's only once a year, throw a neighbourhood trailer storage party.
A wall-mounted electric winch would also do the job, give you longer range and better efficiency than a come-along, and still be reasonably priced. But with anything like that, and at that grade, I would want a backup in case any part of the system failed: i.e a third/fourth person regularly chocking the wheels with something to prevent a runaway trailer from ending up in your neighbours living room across the street, or running over your travel partner steering the tongue.
I've had similar (and worse than 5% grade) campsites that require steep grade backing up. Or having to reverse course on a bad road and do a 3-point turn up a hill. Best to learn the skill with the trailer attached to the tow vehicle; you never know when you'll need it.
A wall-mounted electric winch would also do the job, give you longer range and better efficiency than a come-along, and still be reasonably priced. But with anything like that, and at that grade, I would want a backup in case any part of the system failed: i.e a third/fourth person regularly chocking the wheels with something to prevent a runaway trailer from ending up in your neighbours living room across the street, or running over your travel partner steering the tongue.
I've had similar (and worse than 5% grade) campsites that require steep grade backing up. Or having to reverse course on a bad road and do a 3-point turn up a hill. Best to learn the skill with the trailer attached to the tow vehicle; you never know when you'll need it.
Sweeney
Administrator
Before I learned how to back up the trailer, I considered one of these eyebolt solutions, but when it comes time to get it out...you've got to move a heavy trailer down an incline without the brakes of the tow vehicle to stop it. Potentially setting yourself up for a roll-way camper.
But, the best thing to do is learn how to back up, its not that hard. Besides that, eventually, you'll find a campsite you want but need to back up into it....Knowledge is power.
I like "loloho"'s take on it.
BTW, never let people watching you intimidate you. If someone his being you, before you start, let them pass you. Ita easier if you don't feel like you're holding someone up. Getting a set of FRS radios can make communication easier between you and your safety spotter. Eventaully you'll back up without one, just go slow slow slow and always GOAL. Get Out And Look....there's no shame on it.
Every one of us have gone through this. Ignore the spectators --- especially the ones with score cards
TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
^^^this, +1
And to Sweeney's point, yes get out often. You'll get it eventually, and will be the old pro the envy of every big rig driver as you effortlessly roll in first try...
Here is a tip: when reversing using rear view mirror- put your hand on bottom of steering wheel, turn in direction you want trailers butt to go...
You will need that practice backing up, at night, going down a sandy wash if it starts to get deep...
And you dont wanna burn your manual clutch tryna feather it to roll without spinning, digging in deeper...
(Ask me how I know!!!)
And those three point turns? Practice practice practice so you can eyeball exactly how far to angle over before denting your bumper with the trailer tongue jack...
So you can do it in the rain, at night, in that wilderness area next to the full-up state parks with best kayak canoeing evah...
Srsly, you only need a wide spot or a t-intersection...
to do a U-ey or easy couple of three point turns,
IF you practice...
and dont be afraid to get out first and eyeball the hidden drop off at road edge...
so you dont put your front tire in there..."plop!" Lol.
Comfort yourself with the knowledge that these abilities will allow you to sneak into some tent sites with the best views, lowest cost, far from the tin walls and generators in your ears in the fancy places with mostly canyons of big rigs...or stealth camp in complete silence in a forest full of deer and wild pig...
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Sweeney
Administrator
I didn't even thnk of the roads....We were in South Dakota and the GPS sent me down a logging road. I am still not sure how I made it out of there in one piece...That one was embarrassing enough at the time, I didn't make it to the camper confessional, though it probably should have!
TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
I do the same even in campgrounds- put a couple chocks where I want wheels to end up and back towards them...
TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
LOL! Me too! I have been burned bad by Goolag Maps- tryna get to our farmers house from a different direction than usual, and the dang thing routed me down a "road" that became a tractor track for last half mile...fortunately a tdiwagon (with a 96hp diesel tractor like engine)
and winter tires on frozen mud, or I'd have been walking...in a ground blizzard at -20f...
derp!
Sorry OP for thread jack!
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Nope. Trailer Valet does not work with our frames. The mount requires two fully boxed edges. While the outward facing portion of the frame is a 2" box ... the inside facing portion of the frame is an "L" shape.
Returned my TV yesterday and quickly got good at backing trailer in single garage, as Ken & Peggy suggested above.
Cary Winch
Camp-Inn Staff
There are models of Trailer Valet that will work with our campers. The base model bolts to the frame and won't work with ours. But, the other models do because they use a ball and you just lock that into your coupler.
Trailer Valet XL
Cary
Yep ... I should have been more clear. The XL is a true beast and would work. The TV 5X was the one that I just could not mount.
Will definitely keep working on backing. Looking for an alternative until I am confident in my backing.
I love this video.Before I learned how to back up the trailer, I considered one of these eyebolt solutions, but when it comes time to get it out...you've got to move a heavy trailer down an incline without the brakes of the tow vehicle to stop it. Potentially setting yourself up for a roll-way camper.
But, the best thing to do is learn how to back up, its not that hard. Besides that, eventually, you'll find a campsite you want but need to back up into it....Knowledge is power.
I like "loloho"'s take on it.
BTW, never let people watching you intimidate you. If someone his being you, before you start, let them pass you. Ita easier if you don't feel like you're holding someone up. Getting a set of FRS radios can make communication easier between you and your safety spotter. Eventaully you'll back up without one, just go slow slow slow and always GOAL. Get Out And Look....there's no shame on it.
Every one of us have gone through this. Ignore the spectators --- especially the ones with score cards
Sweeney
Administrator
I hope it helps. Let us know how your practice session goes
BTW --- see this is your first thread. Welcome to the community. Do you own a CI? What model? How long have you had it?Wendimarie Haven
Newbie
If the tongue weight for Travel Valet XL says minimum of 500 lb. Tongue weight in the specifications. Does that matter? I am guessing our 560 is much lighter than that. I would love to get one of these for tight spaces.
TheSongDogHouse
Ranger
Good question.
I can see how even the standalone motorized Trailer Valet with ball that inserts into hitch might slip on a steep slope esp if a bit oily, sandy, icy because you need the extra weight on it to provide traction.
See the specs on CI hitch weight- depends on how you load it but IIRC should never be more than 200#. Maybe call Trailer Valet?
This is an old thread but for lurkers reading and worrying- its so worth it to get used to backing- some practice and you'll be a pro. Go slow and mental trick: look behind you over shoulder or in side mirrors to see fenders, and turn top of car steering wheel in the direction you want the rear of trailer to go.
Watch your fenders or ends of CI bumper if you have it. Put a rock or a chock as a visual aid back in the garage or campsite for where you want the rear corner of the CI to end up, spread out enough you can see those in rear mirror and guide on those.
Once you are "there"- can see the chocks at same distance as rear corners, roughly-
Just set parking brake on car, get out and reset chocks under CI wheels and lower the trailer jack, unhook hitch and then you can easily manuever by hand on level ground, by just moving chock a little bit one side or the other to straighten it up, go forward or back a bit on level surface.
You are gonna need this basic skill backing into campsites in various places especially where you can get a big discount for camping in a tent only site if you can get by on just trailer battery power for a day or two. Or boondocking on epic BLM or USFS open lands or Army Corps of Engineers camp sites that are often emoty if dry site only, in other than popular dates.
Its the big advantage of these teardrops, with a little skill you can stick them just about anywhere, tucked under some shade in the desert, for example, or a wide spot on a free hunting reserve if the state park is full, in a tent site under the trees, vs steam in open sun like the standy's.
You'll see...just keep practicing.