Power Dollies?

[Buoy]

I know most of you guys are running rigs too big to think about even trying one of these...
That being said, my 24' Pantera would be a good candidate for one. Have a very tight alleyway, and the 12' gate only opens 10'.
It was tricky (to say the least) getting it into the backyard here at the doublewide.
I've seen plans for these for sale on E-bay, and to buy one from one of the Manufacturers is about 1k.
I'm not looking to buy one tomorrow, but thought I'd get a little info on them if this is something that I should put on my "wish" list.

If you're not sure what I'm talking about, they are a powered dolley that helps moving the boat/trailer around detached from the tow rig.

[JupiterSunsation]

I looked at them briefly when I was looking to buy a warehouse with a narrow alley. The alley wasn't wide enough for the truck and trailer to manuever (32 ft boat, crew cab GMC 2500). I ended up buying a different warehouse so I never bought the dolly.

[2112]

I too have been interested;

Here is a link; www.powermoverinc.net

I gravitate towards the gas powered unit but I assume the electric units have great torque.

[Buoy]

I too have been interested;

Here is a link; www.powermoverinc.net

I gravitate towards the gas powered unit but I assume the electric units have great torque.

I was thinking the same thing about the electric vs gas thing.
It seems like it would be pretty easy to build something and use something like a lawnmower engine (I'm saying that because I have two of them laying around).
But, I'm not an engineer, and don't know if something like that would work for this application.

[Trim'd Up]

Why not just go buy a an old lawn tractor? I use mine to move the boat all of the time. One of the boat shops around here use a little 12hp old wheelhorse to move all of the boats around, and they are alot cheaper than $1000.

[cigdaze]

Go find yourself an old golf cart axle and motor and build one. It would be easy.

[MarylandMark]

I looked at these a while back.

I was going to buy a park model RV (trailer...) and the access is on the drivers side vs the passenger side on a 5th wheel or travel trailer.

12' gate only opens 10'? Sounds like you have 2'- what do you need this for again? :rofl:

[Dude! Sweet!]

I have a mechanical one that works great, even on YOUR boat... I just used it to parallel park Bad Temper behind my house... :D

I'll take a picture of the dolly tonight and send it to you.

[Buoy]

12' gate only opens 10'? Sounds like you have 2'- what do you need this for again? :rofl:

Backing in from 90 degrees, in a tight alleyway.
You must have missed that part.


I have a mechanical one that works great, even on YOUR boat... I just used it to parallel park Bad Temper behind my house... :D

I'll take a picture of the dolly tonight and send it to you.

Cool!

[waterboy222]

we have an electric one that we use to move the Cessna up and over the 2 ridges at the door of the hanger and up the slope.. PLENTY of torque and power..

[Dude! Sweet!]

Here you go. Made locally in the '70s. Maybe someone still has one kicking around in their garage?

[duunoit]

Is that how you did it?

[Buoy]

Here you go. Made locally in the '70s. Maybe someone still has one kicking around in their garage?

That thing looks rigged as hell, but that would be AWESOME.
So, do I understand that it's geared so that you can move the trailer around by cranking the winch handle?? with the boat on it?
I like the idea that is has the hand brake.
Can you actually move the whole boat, or just push the tongue over and basically leave the rear trailer wheels in place?
I'm gonna need to move the whole boat, would this do it?

[Dude! Sweet!]

I use it to push the boat backwards up a small hill over uneven concrete. If it was flat ground, it would be no problem. There are 3 different gear reductions and also you can lock or unlock the wheels so you have one wheel peel or posi. I pushed my boat up and back into a parallel parking spot with it.

I get close with the truck, then move it 5 - 6 feet. No problemo.

[Dude! Sweet!]

I have a mechanical one that works great, even on YOUR boat... I just used it to parallel park Bad Temper behind my house... :D

I'll take a picture of the dolly tonight and send it to you.


This is a 34' space with walls to the street on each end. It's a pain, but cheaper than storage! :D

[Buoy]

OK, so all the gear reduction is done on the winch handle, kinda standard.
Whats the purpose of the chain? I don't see where it would be useful for anything.

How does it independently lock wheels?

[Dude! Sweet!]

OK, so all the gear reduction is done on the winch handle, kinda standard.
Whats the purpose of the chain? I don't see where it would be useful for anything.

How does it independently lock wheels?

The chain goes across the top of the trailer tounge and locks it on there more securely. The wheel locking is done with that lever down at the bottom. Just sort of an in and out pin.

[MarylandMark]

Backing in from 90 degrees, in a tight alleyway.
You must have missed that part.

:moon:

[Bobcat]

some more hand dollies from dollies r us these have a 600 pound tongue capacity and are all under 200 bucks, another option would to buy a used pallet jack and manufacture a tongue on it .

[Buoy]

cool find Bob.

[Bobcat]

I was looking for one like sean had in the photos , that is cool

[Buoy]

Yeah, I really like the idea of having the winch/drive on it.
I don't know how easy it would be to manhandle my boat around.

[Dude! Sweet!]

Yeah, I really like the idea of having the winch/drive on it.
I don't know how easy it would be to manhandle my boat around.

I've used it on your boat. On a hill.

And you said "Manhandle"... huh huh huh.

[Buoy]

I've used it on your boat. On a hill.

And you said "Manhandle"... huh huh huh.

I was waiting for the repercussion of that word.

I just need to find one like what you've got.

Hmmm. Sean, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

[Dude! Sweet!]

I was waiting for the repercussion of that word.

I just need to find one like what you've got.

Hmmm. Sean, are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Not if it involves the word "manhandle"...

But yes, I think I'm with you otherwise... I asked the old man where he got it, who made it, etc. Of course he used to have two or three of them and they were made by someone (probably LAFD) up in the Valley. Who is, most importantly, long long out of business.

Alteratively, maybe keep an eye out on craigslist.

[Bobcat]

:seeya:

[Bobcat]

72247www.quikwheel.com

[Buoy]

72247www.quikwheel.com

OK, so what's the story on this?? the link no-worky.
Here at the new double-wide, I have all gravel, and a cliff on one side of the driveway. The slightest error could be pretty bad to say the least.
Also have a really tight turn to get out onto the "street". I haven't tried to move the boat after I got in the garage.
I borrowed a manual hand dolly (China Freight model), and I couldn't move the thing at all. It's under the tongue in the pic.722487224972250

[Bobcat]

I came across this in an old Boating Life mag Circa 2007(while visiting the porcelain storage area this AM). They have a FaceBook page, but not a lot of info. It reminded me of the device that Sean had in CA. I typed in quikwheel and got one ad for this, and twenty for MacGuire's wheel cleaner.

[Buoy]

I came across this in an old Boating Life mag Circa 2007(while visiting the porcelain storage area this AM). They have a FaceBook page, but not a lot of info. It reminded me of the device that Sean had in CA. I typed in quikwheel and got one ad for this, and twenty for MacGuire's wheel cleaner.

So, you have a place to store porcelain??:ack2:

I know from the pics it looks like I have plenty of space to maneuver, but to the right the driveway drops off on a cliff, and to the left I have the side of the mountain that was blasted out to build the house.
In th middle of the driveway I have a palm tree that I don't want to lose.
It's difficult to just move the trucks, let alone a trailer...

I don't know how they backed the doublewide down here?!

[Ratickle]

You need to watch for an old forklift you can put a hitch on the end of a fork......

[rschap1]

My old John Deere 318 does these jobs for me.
Before that Cub Cadet 105 the 125 did too.
Each has/had a 3" coupler on the rear so I can use any of my trailer receivers and hitches on them.
With the SHORT wheelbases of garden tractors, pretty easy to weasel the boats and trailers wherever they need to be.

[Buoy]

With a fork truck, i'd be worried about getting traction on the gravel. I have to put my truck in 4x4 just to get up the hill on the gravel. I've got a little 6.5hp go-kart I built in the spring, and I basically have to floor it out of the garage to make the turn and get up the hill to level ground. If I don't, the single drive wheel will just start digging.

I'm working on making more driveway space. When we moved in, there was a whole "garden" in the middle of the driveway. We relocated all the plants, I ran irrigation and electric, and put a "well" around the palm tree (which needs trimmed...)
Need to order fill stone/gravel to cover and bring up to rest of drive level. Kinda got side-tracked on this project with some med/physical stuff.

Maybe this will help explain with pics. Pics are from the front porch looking down, left to right (or S to N). You can see in the first pic the "drop-off/cliff". The drive on that side leaves about 1.5' on each side of my truck, so while turning it's kinda tight.
Pic 3 shows the side of the Mt. that was blown out, and the tight turn up the hill.
72258 72259 72260

I'm thinking my best bet now would be something like a SxS Atv, which can also be made street legal in AZ with lights and such, with a hitch on it.

For the record, when this thread was started I was living in suburbia, you can see the boat in the backyard, and the alley that I had to squeeze through in this pic...
72261

[Ratickle]

I would be leaning towards a 4x4 Gator maybe. But they are usually fairly expensive. I do not know if a Rhino would have the strength. Anyone?

[Buoy]

I would be leaning towards a 4x4 Gator maybe. But they are usually fairly expensive. I do not know if a Rhino would have the strength. Anyone?

That's the direction I'm leaning.
My concern is that the weight of the boat could drag the thing right down over the cliff.
Probably 4K# of boat, and less than 1K# ATV/tractor:cuss:

[Ratickle]

Maybe an old Jeep? Small, tight turning, and tough. Probably a lot cheaper than a Gator or Rhino too.....

[Buoy]

not a bad plan with a Jeep.
I want something that I can also use for "fun" in the desert.
Gator/Rhino would run me 8-10K used.
Step daughter has a Jeep she doesn't use anymore. Wonder if I could get it to tow a 5K# Wellcraft from Toledo to here?:huh:

[Ratickle]

not a bad plan with a Jeep.
I want something that I can also use for "fun" in the desert.
Gator/Rhino would run me 8-10K used.
Step daughter has a Jeep she doesn't use anymore. Wonder if I could get it to tow a 5K# Wellcraft from Toledo to here?:huh:


I'd do it only with a good weight distribution hitch. Not just a normal ball. Sway is what I'd worry about. Assuming the trailer has brakes that work......

[Buoy]

I'd do it only with a good weight distribution hitch. Not just a normal ball. Sway is what I'd worry about. Assuming the trailer has brakes that work......

No brakes on the trailer.
I just want something to move it around the yard. For towing I have the 2500 Avalanche.

[Ratickle]

No brakes on the trailer.
I just want something to move it around the yard. For towing I have the 2500 Avalanche.

I meant on the Wellcraft in Toledo, towing to Arizona.....

[Tony M]

Wrangler's only have a 2000# trailer limit.

[Ratickle]

Wrangler's only have a 2000# trailer limit.

Not sure that would bother me with a top of the line weight distribution hitch. The longer wheelbase Wranglers tow more,, just because of the longer wheelbase. The issue is, supposedly, in hard braking incidents, the downward force of the tougue weight causes the front wheels of the Jeep to lift off the ground. With trailer brakes and weight ditributing systems, I don't think that would happen.

Only one way to find out........:sifone:

[Buoy]

Not sure that would bother me with a top of the line weight distribution hitch. The longer wheelbase Wranglers tow more,, just because of the longer wheelbase. The issue is, supposedly, in hard braking incidents, the downward force of the tougue weight causes the front wheels of the Jeep to lift off the ground. With trailer brakes and weight ditributing systems, I don't think that would happen.

Only one way to find out........:sifone:

Well, I can tell you I ain't gonna be the Huckleberry on this one...:leaving:

[sweet addiction]

You need one of those small diesel garden tractors. 4x4. I really want one for the heck of it.

[Ratickle]

Well, I can tell you I ain't gonna be the Huckleberry on this one...:leaving:


Awwwwww, come on.........

[Ratickle]

You need one of those small diesel garden tractors. 4x4. I really want one for the heck of it.


The problem with those, you can't take them offroading for fun.......