Interesting Hand Tug for Trailers

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

Ever try and actually move your trailered boat with the tongue Jack wheel?
Betcha it didn’t go so well… at least it’s never gone well for me.
Generally I’ve found that it’s been an activity of some frustration as well as healthy fear and trepidation!
The tongue Jack leg is long and spindly with a fair amount of intrinsic wobble due to the swing up capability.
The original tongue Jack was replaced with a new 3x higher capacity one which helped some but it’s still a challenge on anything but the smoothest of level surfaces.
I’ve day dreamed of a powered hand tug but the costs and weights have generally made me think that approach isn’t worth it.
I’ve looked at and have tried (albeit under limited circumstances) a two wheeled levered lift manual tug but it was awkward. I felt it was sorta like playing with the spring arm of a large mouse trap that was trying to give me an undercut punch.

I came across this manual alternative today and I piqued my interest.
The three wheel approach makes it much more stable than the single tongue jack for sure.
The three wheel approach also more stable than the two wheeled levered lift manual tugs I’ve seen and tried in the past.
There is a hard wheeled version for smooth surfaces and a wide tired version for more irregular surfaces like driveways and packed gravel.
One thing that I’d have included in the design though would be the addition of a robust deadman hand brake!
Personally I wouldn’t want to be chasing a loaded trailer… or have it chasing me!
What do you think?
https://trailertug.com/?gad_campaignid= ... _kbYRoCNaw











Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

I did some thinking and I figure that someone could make up something similar for a MacGregor from a piece of 1/4” thick mild steel plate about 24-to-36 inches across, get some HD wheels from Harbor Frieght, Lowe’s or Home Depot, a bit of pipe and an appropriate hitch ball.
While a MIG welder would make short work of putting it together it could also be made as a bolted assembly by an enterprising individual…
Just a thought…

[Russ]

"BOAT" uses some form of electric dolly to wheel his boat close to his house.

Seems like an easy thing to fabricate.

[NiceAft]

An electric version makes sense for those who have the need of a dolly to move their boat while it is on a trailer, but unless you really have years of physical labor i.e. lifting & carrying heavy heavy objects, you stand a good chance of hurting yourself.

I was in furniture delivery for forty years; sofa beds, armoires, stone dining tables, etc. I have seen my share of guys who overestimate their abilities, or underestimating the manual labor in front of them. It’s not just strong arms, but a strong back that you get from years of strengthening it.

In one of the photos, you see two grown men struggling to move the dolly with a load.

Go for an electric version.

[kmclemore]

If you're talking electric trailer dolly, this is about the least expensive you can get that uses a ball for quick attachment (as opposed to permanently bolted to your trailer) and will pull 3500 lbs., the weight of a basic 26X:

https://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Dolly-De ... B0CK8N5NRQ



They also make ones that pull 5000 lbs., but they get pricey... like $1500-$2000. Way outside of what I'd pay for that sort of utility.

[OverEasy]

Hey Guys!
Thanks for the input!

We’re looking for something primarily to move/park Over Easy alongside the house and out into the more open space of the driveway.
It’s been a bit of a hassle having to maneuver cars around and tow vehicles when wanting to access things. (Yes, there are several more things than I have time/space to deal with right now… ) The hassles mean things either don’t get moved or don’t get done. A hand mover for an empty or loaded trailer would potentially simplify things.

I’m on relatively level asphalt and concrete when here in SC. (That is definitely NOT the case when up in NH! )

As an experiment today when getting ready to hook up the empty boat trailer so we could haul out Over Easy to give her a quick pressure wash (to remove some of the season’s marine growth) I tried pulling the trailer tongue just using the tongue Jack wheel. Now this is an upgraded Jack with a 6 inch diameter 3 inch wide wheel on level asphalt which should have been possible but it wasn’t gonna happen. So I dragged out my 6000 lb capacity shop floor Jack which has four smaller metal wheels but also has a long handle. After securing the lift pad to the trailer and lifting the tongue I was able to reasonably move the ‘empty’ trailer around without much trouble. Now I fully expect that will not be the case when it is carrying Over Easy as NiceAft pointed out…I’m not as gung-ho or spry as I might have once been and really am not wanting to hurt myself at this stage (as I feel fortunate to have made it this far!). But the experiment did work reasonably well enough that it has further piqued my interest.

That electric mover KMcLemore pointed out looks really nice but while it’s a good price it’s sorta outside the boat budget. I’m sorta hoping to keep the budget for this well under a $100 if I can…. Now with that said though I got me to thinking that it might be possible to maybe rig up an electric geared friction drive motor of sorts to the forward pivoting wheel like that of the manual dolly. I think I might have such a thing left over from an old engineering project. I it’s still around it would be able to slowly move the dolly and act as a sort of deadman brake at the same time. It’s an interesting thought…. Now I’ve just got to start scrounging around for the bits’n bobs needed…..

Best Regards,
Over Easy

PS: As the Admiral said “ AFTER I finish the items on kitchen/house remodel “To-Do-List”……

[Julia]

Use a three-wheeled manual or electric hand tug for stability, or a shop floor jack on level ground for light moves. Electric tugs are easiest for heavier loads, and DIY options with steel and HD wheels can work too. Always prioritize safety and control.