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Old 03-04-2017, 01:41 PM   #1
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Name: Sandra
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Trailer Valet - Has anyone used one of these?

I recently got a Parkliner and I'm having a hard time getting in to my driveway.
My problem is that my house is on a cul-de-sac which has a one-way street around a big island. I can't make the turn in to my driveway with the Parkliner without going over the curb of the island and putting my truck's front wheels on the grass in the island.

I was thinking about getting a Trailer Valet www.trailervalet.com to move the Parkliner in to the driveway. Has anyone ever used one of these?

My HOA won't allow me to keep my Parlkiner more than 48 hours in the driveway, so I have it at a storage place, and bring the Parkliner home when I need to get ready for a camping trip.
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Old 03-04-2017, 05:26 PM   #2
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Would it be OK to drive around the cul-de-sac island the wrong way to back in? Would the good neighbors give you some slack once in a while? Just a thought before you spend your money.
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Old 03-04-2017, 05:47 PM   #3
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I can't get your link to work but I had one for a while that I was selling for a non profit. I never tried to move my Casita with it but did play with it a little. The one I had included a plug to activate the trailer breaks, which seems like a great idea. It was pretty heavy, but I think it would work great for your purpose.

The guy that boat it needed to move a larger camper to an awkward position next to his garage.
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Old 03-04-2017, 06:15 PM   #4
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Trailer Valet XL

We have the Trailer Valet XL that we use to put our Casita 17FD into the driveway. Our driveway has about a 4% rise. It is more difficult that the video implies. The brake on the valet is either locked on or fully off, nothing in between. It also moves very slowly, even when powered by the electric drill. It took several tries to determine the best way to run it.
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Old 03-04-2017, 06:29 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandy54 View Post
My HOA won't allow me to keep my Parlkiner more than 48 hours in the driveway
The better way is to move out of that HOA. I'm not kidding. I used to live in Cape Coral, FL. When I bought Scamp and found out that Cape Coral is in reality a large HOA with strict RV rules, I moved to nearby town without such rules.
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Old 03-05-2017, 10:39 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by sokhapkin View Post
The better way is to move out of that HOA. I'm not kidding. I used to live in Cape Coral, FL. When I bought Scamp and found out that Cape Coral is in reality a large HOA with strict RV rules, I moved to nearby town without such rules.
Sergey, you seem to have common sense on your side. Your property is your property when the HOA says it is...
Mike in NS
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Old 03-05-2017, 11:30 AM   #7
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I, too, have ass holes near by!
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Old 03-05-2017, 12:59 PM   #8
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We almost bought a manual trailer valet (I didn't know any words for it at that point) for $10 at a yard sale. Later I wished I had. But after reading some of these posts, seems it wouldn't have been as easy and I thought, and I'm glad we didn't bother.


I agree, look for a new place to live. I don't care for HOAs. Though they are usually in nice neighborhoods. But it's often someone else's idea of nice. I don't object, personally, to a cute FGRV in a driveway! Ahh, but Paul points out, when the RV is there, so are you. When it's gone, everyone knows you're gone, too, and the house is now open for crime. Maybe that's why they restrict it.


I've often wondered, myself, it Peanut being gone is a signal to everyone around. Plenty of people have asked us how we liked our vacation on such and such dates, when we were gone.


They notice.




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Old 03-05-2017, 01:40 PM   #9
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Travel Valet

Well, I really can't sell my house and move without losing our shirt. We just move to the area 3 years ago. I might try and get on the HOA board and change the rules though. Tom Bass from Parkliner said that is what he did when his HOA wouldn't allow him to park his Parkliner in the driveway.

Sandy
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Old 03-05-2017, 01:45 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul O. View Post
Would it be OK to drive around the cul-de-sac island the wrong way to back in? Would the good neighbors give you some slack once in a while? Just a thought before you spend your money.
I have tried coming in from the other direction. The problem is the road around the cul-de-sac is narrow. I can get the trailer wheels in the driveway, but then there isn't enough room for me to straighten the truck out without going about 3 feet over the curb.
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Old 03-05-2017, 01:54 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Sandy54 View Post
I have tried coming in from the other direction. The problem is the road around the cul-de-sac is narrow. I can get the trailer wheels in the driveway, but then there isn't enough room for me to straighten the truck out without going about 3 feet over the curb.
Front hitch receiver on the truck could help a lot. I assume you don't have garden tractor.
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Old 03-05-2017, 02:00 PM   #12
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Travel Valet

The road in front of my house is only 1 vehicle wide. Large trucks, school busses and moving vans have to drive up on to the curb to get around the cul-de-sac. That is what makes it so hard for me to get my camper in to my driveway.

Road in front of house.jpg
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Old 03-05-2017, 02:41 PM   #13
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Trailer Valet

Quote:
Originally Posted by sokhapkin View Post
Front hitch receiver on the truck could help a lot. I assume you don't have garden tractor.
No, I don't have a garden tractor, although that would probably work well. A garden tractor would cost just as much as the Trailer Valet.

Even if I put a receiver on the front of the truck, it still wouldn't work because the back end of the truck would not fit on the road. I would jackknife the truck and trailer going either way.
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Old 03-05-2017, 05:02 PM   #14
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I hear you about not wanting to sell and move. I also hear you about it being difficult in your situation with your nice trailer. I like having Peanut in the driveway, accessible all year 'round. We're in and out every couple weeks even when it's quite cold out, to adjust things, check on leakage (none so far!) make sure there are no critters living rent-free...and to show it to visitors sometimes, too, even though being out there often makes their teeth chatter.


Doesn't sound like the trailer valet will be a perfect solution, either, and if they cost as much as a garden tractor, wow, they're a bit spendy.


This will make whatever solution you end up with all the more elegant for reaching it having been difficult.


Let us know what you come up with?


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Old 03-05-2017, 06:21 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by Sandy54 View Post
Even if I put a receiver on the front of the truck, it still wouldn't work because the back end of the truck would not fit on the road. I would jackknife the truck and trailer going either way.
Your aren't visualising how it actually works. I installed a CURT front hitch for $150 and move around in a smaller area than you have. You would simply need to pull past your driveway, unhitch and turn the TV around rehitch and push it back in around the corner.

Look at this video to give you a better idea. LINK
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Old 03-05-2017, 07:17 PM   #16
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Trailer Valet

If your trailer is light weight, a trailer dolly like this one will work well.
https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/MaxxTow/MT70225.html
I used one of these to manoeuvre my boler trailer in the driveway. As long as there are no steep slopes it's easy! You may need a second person to help push the trailer wheels over a low curb, but otherwise it's a one man job.
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Old 03-05-2017, 08:26 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by RandyNH View Post
Your aren't visualising how it actually works. I installed a CURT front hitch for $150 and move around in a smaller area than you have. You would simply need to pull past your driveway, unhitch and turn the TV around rehitch and push it back in around the corner.

Look at this video to give you a better idea. LINK
Don't think I've ever seen a front hitch offset.....great idea.
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Old 03-05-2017, 09:48 PM   #18
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A neighbor used a dolly to move his trailer from alley

It was actually quite similar to the cul-de-sac you face. He sold his trailer, but I think he still has the electric dolly. Different brand. Email ts001@hotmail.com if interested. Tom in Denver, CO.
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Old 03-06-2017, 02:03 AM   #19
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Name: Kerry
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Flatten Out the Curve?

Can you fill in some of the grass with additional cement in the mow strip and along the driveway to allow for a flatter (not as sharp of a turn) transition from the road to the driveway? HOA allow it?

Re-position the mailbox (?) in the picture and add more surface on the inside of the turn. Probably have to jump the curb but you would be on cement and not on the grass.

In any case, good luck.
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Old 03-06-2017, 05:44 AM   #20
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Looked at the Valet site and personally didn't like a few things about it.
1- worked of a portable drill..
salution (before others say it) get a long extention cord and use reg. drill

2 -wheels were too small
3 - stearing handle too short

We had a more industrial model at the campground I worked at. Same idea but had 9 inch wheels and a 4 foot handle and it was even at that a beast to manage a 20 foot trailer on dirt.
Prehaps on your drive it would work just fine but that short handle worries me.
The biggest problem with the one we had the front of trailer needed spotters to act as stableizers while moving trailer and "For Godsake do not let go of handle" as the weight of trailer would scoot the valet wheels out from under the hitch, down on the tounge and that handle would take your arm off if it hit it.
Don't like it.
Get a used 4 wheeler or a lawn tractor. cheap.
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