Author Topic: Tricky Driveway  (Read 5982 times)

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Offline Kenneth23763

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Tricky Driveway
« on: December 16, 2018, 10:32:13 AM »
Guys

Tight driveway.  1:10 fall of approx. 1.5 m from street level.
Street is very busy and not conducive to setting up to reverse trailer.

Used to drive up and manhandle but too difficult.

Is the slope too difficult for an  electric wheel thingymejig>
Will a trailer valet do the job.
What about a simple ratchet jockey wheel?

I had thought about a boat winch (electric or manual) to the garage pillar

Any suggestions?


Hopefully pickming up the Cub Supamatic mid week.


« Last Edit: December 16, 2018, 10:34:02 AM by Kenneth23763 »
Ken

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Offline Bird

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #1 on: December 16, 2018, 10:35:20 AM »
Reverse the trailer up there?
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Offline GBC

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Tricky Driveway
« Reply #2 on: December 16, 2018, 10:37:18 AM »
A winch is going to be much less conducive to death. Trailers, hills, jockey wheels = dodgy.

I’d be fixing to the slab rather than a brick pier though. If it must be the pier it would be through it to a strong back plate behind.

Best way looks to be building a turn in on the right up the top of the drive and a powered jockey wheel along the relative flat back into the garage?


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« Last Edit: December 16, 2018, 10:41:08 AM by GBC »

Offline Kenneth23763

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #3 on: December 16, 2018, 11:11:14 AM »
Guys

If I had my way I'd knock out the right hand wall of the drive and level it all off and I would have no issues and plenty of parking to boot!

I can reverse but it is really tight, only 15cm leeway each side.  You need to be lined up perfectly and unfortunately the road is very busy making it difficult to line up.


Winch off pillar seems easiest. May even use old 4wd winch.
Ken

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Offline tryagain

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2018, 11:16:39 AM »
Reverse the trailer up there?

Yep, the easiest way is going to be getting good at reversing, 15cm each side is enough, maybe go and practice in some empty carparks and use the lines as a guide.

Offline Bird

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2018, 12:29:02 PM »
Quote from: Kenneth23763
If I had my way I'd knock out the right hand wall of the drive and level it all off and I would have no issues and plenty of parking to boot!
sounds like a good idea
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Offline ronmac

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2018, 01:27:55 PM »
Put a tow bar on the front of the 4by and drive it up . cheers Ron.
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Offline weeds

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2018, 01:38:13 PM »
A winch is going to be much less conducive to death. Trailers, hills, jockey wheels = dodgy.

I’d be fixing to the slab rather than a brick pier though. If it must be the pier it would be through it to a strong back plate behind.

Best way looks to be building a turn in on the right up the top of the drive and a powered jockey wheel along the relative flat back into the garage?


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Agree, anchor on slab would be best.


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Offline GeoffA

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2018, 01:46:05 PM »
........
I had thought about a boat winch (electric or manual) to the garage pillar
........

Danger Will Robinson!!

Do not attach to the brickwork. As others have suggested, it's the slab or nothing.

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Offline archer63

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2018, 01:53:10 PM »
I reckon a ratchet jockey wheel would be testing it....and any other mover for that matter....and I don’t think I would trust it on that much of a grading.
I reckon the hitch on the front of the vehicle is the best option....but even that may not be practical depending on the vehicle ?

Offline rags

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2018, 02:07:14 PM »

Offline Hoyks

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2018, 03:28:37 PM »
Definitely dynabolt to the slab.

We had an eye bolt to the pillar on the front of the shed that the horse would occasionally get tied to.

The brickwork pillar was around 6 bricks wide and 1.5 deep, tied to the trusses and with roller doors bolted to it, so a fair lump.

Anyway, horse was tied to it and decided it didn't want to be there any more and pulled back. The whole pillar moved 6" with a 600kg horse just leaning back on the rope. 1500kg of trailer going for a short roll and pulling tight on the winch will rip the bricks out and leave the house bowing in the middle.

Offline rockrat

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2018, 03:46:33 PM »
I reckon a ratchet jockey wheel would be testing it....and any other mover for that matter....and I don’t think I would trust it on that much of a grading.
I reckon the hitch on the front of the vehicle is the best option....but even that may not be practical depending on the vehicle ?
Even if a ratchet wheel did work, I reckon it would be painfully slow. Even if you had to reposition several times while reversing (until you become really good at it, which you wil, with practice), that would still be quicker.

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #13 on: December 16, 2018, 03:49:13 PM »
I reckon a ratchet jockey wheel would be testing it....and any other mover for that matter....and I don’t think I would trust it on that much of a grading.
dont think Id wanna be on the downhill side of a ratchet jockey wheel going up that hill and having to 'reposition'...
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Offline Coolblue80

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #14 on: December 16, 2018, 04:26:54 PM »
Yep, the easiest way is going to be getting good at reversing, 15cm each side is enough, maybe go and practice in some empty carparks and use the lines as a guide.

x 1000. I drive semis and B-doubles for a living and some places we have to back the trucks into are a pain in the arse. Go and practice as suggested. When it comes time to put it up the driveway, put your hazards on and get to work. Most, not all, people will wait while you get it done. You won't be holding them up for very long at all.
Cheers, Mike.
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Offline alnjan

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #15 on: December 16, 2018, 04:51:13 PM »
Excavator? 
Cheers

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Offline ivan

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #16 on: December 16, 2018, 05:16:03 PM »
Can you drive up into 1 garage unhitch and push trailer into 2nd garage.

Offline Bird

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #17 on: December 16, 2018, 05:18:50 PM »
Excavator?
na hes too old to help push.
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Offline kylarama

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #18 on: December 16, 2018, 06:47:41 PM »


put your hazards on and get to work. Most, not all, people will wait while you get it done. You won't be holding them up for very long at all.

This.  At the end of the day it's the easiest solution.  For about 5 years, every year I had to reverse my wife's Nans 17ft caravan up her very narrow driveway (and narrow gate) off Pascoe Vale Road in Melbourne.

Tried doing it at night, but mostly a Sunday arvo with relos and Stop/Slow lollipop sign, as the house was at the crest of a hill.  Nothing like an audience to make sure you bring your A game!   Usually got a toot and thumbs up when it squeezed through the gates, but got the bronx cheer from a truckie when I cocked it up....



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Offline gronk

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #19 on: December 16, 2018, 06:52:08 PM »
Can you drive up into 1 garage unhitch and push trailer into 2nd garage.

Yep, if its pretty flat up near the garage, a Campomatic  won't be hard to spin around into the other garage..
« Last Edit: December 16, 2018, 08:45:13 PM by gronk »
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Offline SimpleSi

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #20 on: December 16, 2018, 07:04:16 PM »
I'm no engineer, but that brick pillar looks to be designed to support a vertical load?  Strap a winch to it and drag a 1.5T load up a steep incline looks like a recipe for disaster.
Dynabolt into the concrete for sure.

Offline Paddler Ed

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #21 on: December 16, 2018, 07:23:24 PM »
What have you got as a tow vehicle?

Both mine have manual freewheel hubs, so I put them in L4 when I'm reversing the trailer up the driveway, and it just gives that bit more control over the trailer.

Offline Troopy_03

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #22 on: December 17, 2018, 08:16:24 AM »
I have both ratchet and a powered jockey wheel, and can tell you from experience that both struggle on even a gentle slope. Any more than a gentle slope and the wheel will spin anyway.
4.2L TD Toyota Troopy, (Clarke's Country Camper Trailer, softfloor.) sold it and bought a Avan Ray small poptop caravan. I miss being able to acces the little tracks off into the scrub.

Offline sparksy

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #23 on: December 17, 2018, 09:19:24 AM »
If you are going to use a winch. I wouldnt even rely on dynabolts in a what looks like old concrete. Park your car in garage and connect the winch to it. I dont think the car will move with the rolling weight of a trailer up that slope. Problem would be getting enough length of rope on winch to go that distance.  The old capstan PTO winches would be the go.

Offline wilson79

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Re: Tricky Driveway
« Reply #24 on: December 17, 2018, 09:27:00 AM »
If you have a Winch on the front of your car you may be able back the trailer up as far as you can use wheel chocks and hand brake disconnect car and turn around.

using eye bolts Dyna bolted to the concrete floor attach a pulley block run the winch cable under the trailer through the pully block on the floor and attached to the rear of your trailer. ( if you have rear recovery point)

Using the winch to pull the trailer into the garage. You should also attach a strap to another anchor point and trailer just in case something let go especially if you are on a steep slope. Would be best to do this before disconnecting from car.

I used to do this at my old place although the driveway was not steep just to tight to swing the trailer and car around into the garage so limited risk in the trailer getting away.

I was able to steer the trailer while winching it in at the same time..
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