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  1. #1
    Member RenegadeBassin's Avatar
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    Looking for some sort of hand jack

    I prefer to roll my trailer in and out of my garage rather than pull it out with my truck because it is a very tight fit and it is easier to see every angle when doing it by hand since I don't want to break anything. Is there some sort of jack or dolly or something that I can buy for relatively cheap that would allow me to wheel it out instead of just yanking on the tongue? Its hard to steer that way and especially hard to stop once it rolls out of the garage. I'm trying to google it but I'm not sure what you'd even call it and you guys may be able to tell me whats good and whats not. Thanks.

    Maybe something similar to this?
    https://www.walmart.com/ip/MaxxHaul-...&wl13=&veh=sem
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  2. Ranger Boats Moderator jc2bg's Avatar
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    #2
    Have a lawn tractor/riding mower? You can make a mount for a trailer ball to fit on the front of a lawn tractor for less than you would pay for a hand jack, and easily move a boat into or out of the tightest spaces.
    John Clark — Findlay, Ohio

  3. Member RenegadeBassin's Avatar
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    #3
    I don't think my riding mower is big enough, and we don't keep it in the same garage as my boat due to space issues. The more I look the more those things I sent the link to seem to make since, I just wish they made one with a brake. The towing weight of my boat is 2322 lbs. What type of weight capacity should I look for in a dolly since some of the weight of the load will be on the trailer wheels? A third of that? (774 lbs)
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  4. Member
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    #4
    I have used my riding mower for this but it has to be pretty flat. One of the type you linked seems like a good option. There are gas powered ones out there but the cost will go up.

  5. Member RenegadeBassin's Avatar
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    #5
    Yeah I'm doing some more research on them now. I'm trying to figure out what the tongue weight of my boat is. As the capacity goes up on these things, so does the price!
    2017 Lund Renegade 1875
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  6. Member
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    #6
    I have the cheap 600 lb version and it worked good with my small snowmobile trailer. I never tried it with anything heavier but I thought my buddy used it with his larger pop-up camper just fine. I only have to wheel my boat away from the garage wall a little bit towards the door and put a wheel chock down where I want it to stop. I use a wheel chock to stop the boat while backing into the garage too. You can always put a 2x4 outside of your garage for the trailer dolly wheels to hit or even your boat trailer wheels to hit and help stop the boat where you want it to stop.

    Here are several different sized trailer dollies with a lot of good reviews and of course some bad reviews too.

    https://www.amazon.com/MaxxHaul-7022..._&dpSrc=detail

    https://www.amazon.com/Tow-Tuff-Adju.../dp/B00IAM1UEU

    https://www.amazon.com/1000Lb-Adjust..._&dpSrc=detail

    https://www.amazon.com/Dolly-Adjusta..._&dpSrc=detail

  7. Member Nightmare's Avatar
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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by RenegadeBassin View Post
    A third of that? (774 lbs)
    Ain't no way you have that much weight on the tongue. Use bathroom scales under jack and THAT will show heavier than actual. True would be where your coupler engages.

  8. Member
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    #8
    If you used the lawn tractor would you not leave the majority of the weight on the jack and wheel so you are just pushing or pulling with the mower? Not supporting the total tongue weight of the trailer.

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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Nightmare View Post
    Ain't no way you have that much weight on the tongue. Use bathroom scales under jack and THAT will show heavier than actual. True would be where your coupler engages.
    Right, this webpage shows a similar boat and trailer would have 135-150 lbs of tongue weight. Most common ball mounts have a limit of 600 lbs tongue weight too.

    https://1source.basspro.com/index.ph...-tongue-weight

    Good info here:
    https://www.etrailer.com/faq-how-to-...ue-weight.aspx

  10. Member
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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Jspell View Post
    If you used the lawn tractor would you not leave the majority of the weight on the jack and wheel so you are just pushing or pulling with the mower? Not supporting the total tongue weight of the trailer.
    My trailer jack would not go down far enough to sit on the garden trailer ball, so I had to use a floor jack to pickup the tongue and swing the trailer jack up out of the way. Then I could lower the coupler onto the ball and use my garden trailer to park the boat inside for winter storage.

    But if you could lower the boat trailer coupler onto the lawn tractor ball and use the tractor to steer and pull, that would work too.

  11. Member
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    #11
    i know a guy who put a hitch on front of truck for that very reason --worked very well
    1988 Ranger 364V
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  12. Member RenegadeBassin's Avatar
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by SkidooSteve12 View Post
    My trailer jack would not go down far enough to sit on the garden trailer ball, so I had to use a floor jack to pickup the tongue and swing the trailer jack up out of the way. Then I could lower the coupler onto the ball and use my garden trailer to park the boat inside for winter storage.

    But if you could lower the boat trailer coupler onto the lawn tractor ball and use the tractor to steer and pull, that would work too.
    Thats the issue I run into as well, even when I crank my trailer jack all the way down, it won't fold out of the way when connected to my truck when its in the garage due to the difference in height between the driveway and garage. I know there are things I could do like put down some boards to drive onto to raise the ball up more and allow for the jack to lift off the ground, but I'd rather just pull it out by hand. But what you guys are saying about tongue weight is helpful. I now know which dolly to look for. I think it will have to be one with an adjustable ball height because of what I just mentioned.
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  13. Member
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    #13
    I have one just like the first one in SkidooSteve's post. I can easily move my empty utility trailer on a flat concrete driveway. It is significantly more difficult to move my 18' aluminum boat on its trailer even though the total weight is about 1,800 lbs. Also, I have just about ripped off the handle as the steel is very mild and the weld is weak.

  14. Member
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    #14
    https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jac...SABEgK1fvD_BwE

    not exactly cheap but I’ve used one before. If you plan on doing this more than a few times it’s worth it

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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by KMcClure View Post
    https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jac...SABEgK1fvD_BwE

    not exactly cheap but I’ve used one before. If you plan on doing this more than a few times it’s worth it
    That is cool!

  16. Member RenegadeBassin's Avatar
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    #16
    Quote Originally Posted by KMcClure View Post
    https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jac...SABEgK1fvD_BwE

    not exactly cheap but I’ve used one before. If you plan on doing this more than a few times it’s worth it
    That is pretty sweet! Less expensive than what I was expecting to see haha
    2017 Lund Renegade 1875
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  17. Member
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    #17
    Check this out!!! I didn't go see the price. Scared to...


  18. Member
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    #18
    This setup works for me since I already had the mower.

    Attached Images Attached Images

  19. Banned
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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by KMcClure View Post
    https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Jac...SABEgK1fvD_BwE

    not exactly cheap but I’ve used one before. If you plan on doing this more than a few times it’s worth it

    I like it!

  20. Member
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    #20
    The gear ratio on the trailer valet is pretty low too. You can move the boat up a small incline with no issue. They also have a handle to assist in turning and also a parking brake

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