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Bass Boat Maintenance & Repairs => Bass Boat Trailer Maintenance => Topic started by: RedAllison on February 20, 2015, 12:00:30 AM

Title: My "self propelled" trailer jack!
Post by: RedAllison on February 20, 2015, 12:00:30 AM
I have a unique situation when storing my Allison. I have a 3 bay garage but can only use the far/end bay as it's long enough for my rig because there is a storage room with doors at the back of that bay. So I open those doors and manually pull the boat into that room far enough that I can then close the garage door. BUT it only works with the boat going BOW FIRST into the garage! Likewise the other problem is my driveway is 90degs from the garage so I have to manually back the boat out into the driveway (no problem really as the garage has a slight fall for water drainage so the boat will roll out onto the driveway without much effort. But yes, then that means there's a slight grade to go up when putting the boat back into the garage.) and turn the boat 90degs to then hook up to my truck. I didn't want to spend the $$$ on a motorized trailer jack/mover so I've grunted, cussed and strained my back for years until lastyear I said, "ENOUGH!" It was no problem when I had my XB2003, with it's lightweight and standard tandem trailer I could raise the trailer jack as far up as it would go and the front tires would essentially come off the ground and I could move the boat around by hand like a single axle trailer. However my XB21 is considerably heavier plus it has tandem torsion axles so raising the front axle off the ground wasn't possible. Then I discovered the "Trailer Valet". http://www.trailervalet.com/  This video will answer most of your questions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqVDxOMrgak (btw my tonque weight is prolly purty close to 500# and the force to turn my rig 90degs and taking it back up the grade into my garage has been NO problem for my TV!)

I caught it on sale lastyear at Gander Mtn (can't remember now but I think it was around $250ish?), I then carried it home, studied a few things and ended up painting the trailer mount/hardware with Krylon spray paint that matches it and is made for plastics (the powdercoat finish is plastic based). I only use the "TV" when moving my Allison in and out of the garage so once it's hooked to the truck I remove the TV and stick it back in the garage so the only thing you see going down the road is the red mount on the front of my trailer (pic 1). Pretty cool get up and sure saves the ol back and my wife says I'm much less "cussumentative" (her words  (giggle) ) after hooking/unhooking my boat!

Pics are of my rig "in action".
Title: Re: My "self propelled" trailer jack!
Post by: Curt on February 20, 2015, 11:10:25 AM
That's pure awesomeness right there  (yes)

And I love the word your wife made up: "cussumentative"  (giggle)
Title: Re: My "self propelled" trailer jack!
Post by: Jimmy RodandReel on February 21, 2015, 04:29:43 PM
1/2 in drill and extention cord..........I can see it!  (hmm)  (hmm)

Cordless impact and you have 4wheel drive.  (fp)   (giggle)
Title: Re: My "self propelled" trailer jack!
Post by: RedAllison on February 21, 2015, 04:48:23 PM
Cordless impact and you have 4wheel drive.  (fp)   (giggle)

I've heard of guys using them on the T-V but I've never tried it. Pushing the boat out of the garage (down slight slope) in high gear is just about fast enough it'll get away from ya, lol with a chordless drill it'd take off!  :o
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