Help need ideas on getting trailer into garage - Fiberglass RV
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Old 01-19-2019, 08:30 AM   #1
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Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
Posts: 1,773
Help need ideas on getting trailer into garage

I’m sure this has been covered many times.... I tried searching but didn’t have any luck
My garage opening is 84” ... my trailer is 88”.... how are some of you handling this
I have 14” tires and thought about putting on smaller ones maybe 10” or even 8” tires for the winter... I also thought about removing tires and setting it on those car creepers but I don’t believe my jack would go low enough.... cannot remove the door header ( damn hoa).... am I missing any other ideas ???
I think the simplest fix would be those car creepers but I can’t figure out how to lower the trailer enough
Please don’t suggest moving my wife would kill me first lol
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Old 01-19-2019, 08:42 AM   #2
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Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
Posts: 1,773
This is what I meant by car creeper I just can’t figure out to get my trailer on to this with my jack
Pittsburgh[emoji768] Automotive 67338 2 Piece Capacity Vehicle Wheel Dollies
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Old 01-19-2019, 10:17 AM   #3
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Name: Bill
Trailer: 2002 Casita Freedom Deluxe
Arizona
Posts: 42
I have smaller wheel/tires and change them each time -small tires are still push-able but fits under garage door- note - no AC unit on top!
Thought about the car creepers and you are right--might be just too low for the jack. Sounds like work? Yes; but, in my garage is free! the RV storage site varies and covered storage is about $100-$125 per month; that and the accessibility; I walk into my garage, with my tools and everything rather than have to access the RV storage when they are open. I now some are open any time. Mine had time limits.
I have a 13' 1977 boler- it fits with my two cars- lucky me!
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Old 01-19-2019, 10:23 AM   #4
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Name: Bob & Jackie
Trailer: 13' Scamp, 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe
Arizona
Posts: 153
Quote:
Originally Posted by alan H View Post
I’m sure this has been covered many times.... I tried searching but didn’t have any luck
My garage opening is 84” ... my trailer is 88”.... how are some of you handling this
I have 14” tires and thought about putting on smaller ones maybe 10” or even 8” tires for the winter... I also thought about removing tires and setting it on those car creepers but I don’t believe my jack would go low enough.... cannot remove the door header ( damn hoa).... am I missing any other ideas ???
I think the simplest fix would be those car creepers but I can’t figure out how to lower the trailer enough
Please don’t suggest moving my wife would kill me first lol
Hi,
We have the same problem with Casita and Scamp trailers
so we have used CalMark covers on both our trailers for 5 years with no problems.
Best of luck,
Bob
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Old 01-19-2019, 10:30 AM   #5
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Name: Jack
Trailer: Scamp 13
Massachusetts
Posts: 256
I have a similar problem with a 2 1/2 car garage, am exploring the possibility of adding a 3rd stall. I have a Scamp 13 with ac on roof so I need an 10' height opening.

You might consider doing same, a larger opening to fit thru.
Jack
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Old 01-19-2019, 10:35 AM   #6
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Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
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Thanks for everyone’s response
I’m curious ( and a bit lazy)
But if you switch from 14” tires to 10” tires... would you gain 4” ... also what are your thoughts on just put it on smaller rims without tires and rolling it on a piece of carpet or something to save garage floor
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Old 01-19-2019, 10:56 AM   #7
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Name: Bill
Trailer: 2002 Casita Freedom Deluxe
Arizona
Posts: 42
I ended up with 8" tires/rims--not a 4" drop between 14-10. My third grade math came through! Now about the rims only-- pushing 900-1100 pounds on tires is kind of OK- on steel rims...not so much - actually almost impossible, not to mention the grind on the concrete. I tried it! Might be virtually impossible on carpet.
But if you have an AC, could be door change time, which in the long run might still be less expensive than the RV storage-- although the cover sure sounds like an option--I just like mine indoors as we live on the edge of town and have packrats....
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Old 01-19-2019, 11:22 AM   #8
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Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
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Bill rv tech
Can you tell me where you found 8” tires with 5 lug hole pattern
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Old 01-19-2019, 11:35 AM   #9
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Name: bob
Trailer: 1996 Casita 17 Spirit Deluxe; 1946 Modernistic teardrop
New York
Posts: 5,413
I saw where someone made a flat disc wheel out of plywood, and someone made theirs out of flat steel. I would use the smallest rims that will fit, no tires. Remove the tongue jack if it won't crank up enough and use one of those trailer dollies that go into the coupler. OR; a drop ball mount that is low enough to back it in with your car, OR; get a caster wheel, like from Tractor Supply and adapt it to go in place of the tongue jack. I did that with a TS caster wheel that had a rubber tire to move my daughters camper around. Note that the extension tube of some tongue jacks is too long to crank it way up, so you may find one that will crank up high enough to use a wheel on it.
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Old 01-19-2019, 12:00 PM   #10
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Name: jon
Trailer: 2013 Casita 17' SD
Illinois
Posts: 146
Had a similar problem getting my 2013 Casita SD with high lift axle in my garage. Fortunately I was able to raise my door header up about 16 inches and add another garage door leaf. I still was short so had to jack up the trailer, remove the 15 inch wheels and tires. Then installed 14 inch rims with NO tires. Backed it in on OSB so not to damage the rims or the concrete. Had 3 inches clearance. Whew!!! Have done this for two years now and am able to work on the camper in the inclement weather.......like now...snowing again. If I remember correctly changing from the 15 inch wheel/tire to just 14 inch wheels gained about 6-1/2 inches.

good luck...jon
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Old 01-19-2019, 12:14 PM   #11
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Name: Michael
Trailer: Trail Cruiser
Alberta
Posts: 825
Careful with this. Going from 14 inch to 10 inch rims gets you 2 inches of height drop, not 4. You can get 2 inches of height drop by partially deflating your tires. Don't deflate too much or tires may come off rims.

Be sure to measure the highest point on your trailer, not the roof line.
Be sure your trailer is level when you back it in otherwise your height measurement may be off.
Good luck with this.
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Old 01-19-2019, 01:14 PM   #12
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Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
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Thanks mike
I’m only thinking of using something smaller to get it in and out of garage.... and stowing it over the winter
definitely not for towing
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Old 01-19-2019, 01:21 PM   #13
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Name: Gail
Trailer: 1975 Trillium & 2013 Escape 17B
North Carolina
Posts: 81
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Just chiming in to say that we hand pushed our Trillium into our garage after taking our 13 in tires off and putting on a smaller rim without a tire. Our clearance was 84" and the trailer height was 88", same as yours. Memory is a little foggy on the dimensions of the rim, but I want to say it was an 8" boat trailer rim with 5 lug nut configuration, which our local tire shop special ordered for us. In order not to mar up our garage floor we used large cardboard boxes unfolded to about 12 ft long and moved them along when necessary. Success! Inspiration for that idea came from discussions here on the forum, of course!
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Old 01-19-2019, 01:35 PM   #14
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Name: Greg
Trailer: shopping
New York
Posts: 2
I wonder if you can get lucky and find small bicycle tires that would fit over the edge of the rims, two on each rim so youre not riding on the rim.
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Old 01-19-2019, 01:41 PM   #15
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Name: Gib
Trailer: Scamp Shopper
Minnesota
Posts: 11
12" Tires & Wheels

We have a similar problem with our T@B... How to fit to fit an 89" trailer into a 84" door. I bought a pair of 12" wheels with tires mounted at Harbor Freight and change them out with the 14" wheels that are standard on the T@B whenever we want to put the trailer in the garage. Takes about 15-20 minutes to change them over. With the T@B, no need for a jack. Lower the tongue as much as it will go, lower the rear stabilizers all the way down, and use the tongue jack to raise the wheels off the ground. This is the recommended tire changing procedure as cited by the manufacturer and it works great. While the stabilizers aren't designed to lift any significant weight, they are rated to hold quite a bit of weight. This might work on some of the smaller fiberglass trailers.
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Old 01-19-2019, 01:47 PM   #16
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Name: Bill
Trailer: 2002 Casita Freedom Deluxe
Arizona
Posts: 42
Harbor Freight; and I would never take them on the road- lots of suggestions!
Good luck!
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Old 01-19-2019, 02:06 PM   #17
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Trailer: 13 ft Boler
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If you only need 4 inches to get into the garage I would get a smaller set of bare rims that fit over your brakes and a thin piece of plywood.
My boler doesn't have brakes so I have used the bare hub in the past as well.
If your jack is also a problem you may have to get it remounted so it goes lower. This I have also done.
Fred
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Old 01-19-2019, 02:21 PM   #18
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Name: Gib
Trailer: Scamp Shopper
Minnesota
Posts: 11
Only use them to back into the garage
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Old 01-19-2019, 04:09 PM   #19
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Trailer: 13 ft Scamp
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As previously mentioned this was not for towing only for storage... thanks for all that responded
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Old 01-19-2019, 05:24 PM   #20
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Name: Frank
Trailer: Casita
Pennsylvania
Posts: 108
On the other hand, folks......

While I can appreciate the inventiveness and determination shown by most who have commented, I personally think most of you have become overly obsessed with the task.

If the purpose of all that effort is to protect the trailer, I accomplish that by parking my 17' Casita beside my garage (7' door and 8.5' ceiling trusses), and keeping it cleaned and triple coated with 303 protectant at least 3 times annually, and covering the tires to protect from UV.

IMHO, that's a lot less bother than most of the foregoing, and I can spend the saved time and costs for road time.

Hope to meet you somewhere down that road.

Frank
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