Parking (storing) Question

This is a bit embarassing but... my driveway has a slope to the garage and a curve (what was the designer thinking?). I opened up the TM before winter storage just enough to toss in the laundry bag with clean sheets. I didn't bother to insert the locking pins and while I was standing inside the upper shell it "auto closed" on me. It was a little scary for a second and I had visions of calling 911 from my cell phone to extricate me. Of course that wasn't necessary and I just pushed the upper shell open with my shoulders while walking backwards. In the future, however, I won't step inside either shell without engaging the locking pins! - camp2canoe

[ThePair]

UT - I think you have the opposite problem from most, if I'm reading you correctly: you need to lower the tongue to level a TM on your driveway/street, not raise it. And the issue, rightly pointed out, is that there is an absolute limit to how low you can go (the pavement, in this case).

I can think of two alternatives: One, pull the TM out, use the swing-away hitch (if you have one) to get the hitch/tongue jack out of the way, with the TM supported on one or two jacks--probably at the corners of the frame for clearance, but could also be potentially done with one in the middle, and then lower the front as needed. This will make the distance from axle to nose shorter by almost 2 feet, which will give you more allowance to lower the front to where you need.

Option two is more work and less likely to help, but it would involve making some kind of cut into the driveway to allow the tongue to dip into the surface and achieve level that way.

I think option one is better, assuming you have a swing-away tongue.

As to pulling it into the garage itself, I'm thinking that you could, again, try one of two things. Back it in, use the swing hitch and perhaps some kind of wheels added onto the flat part of the tongue after the nose is swung/removed--like the kind you can put on a rowboat gunwale to move it around. You would likely need some kind of winch at this point, since the tongue won't be attached anymore.

Conversely, you could put the TM in nose-first. Since the wheels are closer to the rear than the front, this would give you more leeway, and make Dave's calculations above work for you. For this, you'd need a winch (again) or the rear hitch receiver, which is listed as the bike-rack receiver. You could then make a bar to go into that to which you could hitch your TV and back it in that way. There should be posts on the boards here with someone else's experience in doing that, I kind of remember from a little while back. The added clearance this way should let you get it in (hopefully) without scraping. In addition, it seems that we are all fairly certain that you could level the TM if the nose is downhill, so that problem would be solved as well.

Me, personally, I put my TM in my garage nose-first. I have an uphill slope, like most, but the TM won't fit if I back it in. So, I put a winch in the back of the garage mounted to the floor, and I use it to get the TM up the driveway, past a small curve, and then into the flat part of the floor. I push from there. It's a very tight fit, but it does fit.

[ShrimpBurrito]

I misread the part about which way the driveway is slanted. ThePair got it right. I like his ideas, especially the one about backing the TM down the driveway using the rear hitch receiver and a long draw bar to connect it to the TV....the long bar/rear hitch setup is pictured here:

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...oncrete&page=3

Dave

[Bill]

With regard to getting in/out of the garage without the hitch hitting the driveway:

Another possibility is to buy a cheap hitch at WalMart (etc) with a 4 inch rise/drop.

You can also play games with the springbars. Raise them to raise the tongue a couple inches. Release them to drop the tongue. This has the advantage that you can do it halfway down the driveway, as the TM enters the different slant, if you need to.

Bill

[Trailblazer]

Thanks for the comments! You both have raised some interesting points. My electric jack is the Atwood MPD 80570 with a capacity of 3,500 lbs.

Kidkraz, you driveway's slope looks very similar to mine. I might be a bit unnecessarily cautious! I'm sure others have managed to park and access their TM on a slope worse than mine, just don't want to mess up!

I wasn't so much concerned about the tires or axles, since they're designed capable enough to carry the weight when towed. It was more about whether the front stabilizers would be sufficient to handle the weight on a slope. The weight there would be different than at the tongue, with the jack retracted, as I anticipate needing to add more height to the underlying jack support.

On a slope, with the 3500 lb capable tongue jack retracted so I could add some extra support height underneath it, I would expect more of the TM weight to be distributed from the tires to the front stabilizers, than when on level ground.

I have already made supports for the tongue and the four stabilizers that are fashioned to the slope of the driveway. If there is actually 1.4 feet of extra height hiding in the tongue jack (or close to that) when the trailer is level on flat ground, I likely wouldn't even need to add the extra height to my support. I'm just doubting that there is that much extra, and not so sure that I like the idea of the jack or stabs being overly extended to achieve level anyway. Just would prefer not to be in the middle of all this for the first time, and unprepared. At the moment, the TM is not situated where I can test how high the jack can go fully extended, so still have to check that.

If I understand correctly the stabilizers are supposed to be capable of 5K each!? Therefore I can't see why there should be any issue with supporting the TM on the front stabilizers, while the jack is retracted, providing the wheels are properly chocked. Once level with stabilizers all in play, the fact the TM is on a slope shouldn't matter, with the weight resting on the tires, per usual. Was just wondering if others had ever relied on the front stabs to help them get level on an incline.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Trailblazer

If I understand correctly the stabilizers are supposed to be capable of 5K each!? Therefore I can't see why there should be any issue with supporting the TM on the front stabilizers, while the jack is retracted, providing the wheels are properly chocked.

You understand correctly, though it would be wise to confirm the rating on the manufacturer's web site. The common confusion on this point comes from using the word "stabilizers" instead of "jacks". Most trailers have stabilizers, which are designed to simply prevent rocking as you walk around in a trailer that is fully supported by its wheels and tongue jack. Stabilizers have very limited weight-carrying capacity. TM, on the other hand, has chosen to install real jacks on each corner.

For me, the biggest issue with the TM jacks is that the jack screw picks up a ton of road grime and sand and crud, which makes them hard to operate and limits their usable capacity. Grease only makes it worse - dry-lube spray is a better choice. Still, I find that before a trip, it is a good idea to run the jacks up and down with no weight on them, while holding a wire brush against the threads. I use an electric to turn them.

Bill

[Shane826]

Keep in mind that 5,000lb rating is VERTICAL load with the camper level. If you have them on a slope, I’d bet they fold way before 5,000lbs. Same
With the tongue jack.