Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

The better half and I have a lot that we would like to build on, and I would like to have a garage to park the boat trailer in (with boat sometimes) so I can pull engines and other fun stuff. Please click on the .pdf as I have done a layout that is to scale and would like comments on "Can this be done". The issue is the front yard across the street, I can not "drive over" it. Is there any way? The drive will be slightly uphill from the street to the house. The width of the driveway will be enough for the boat garage and then a full double car garage next to it. The house face sits 25' back from the edge of the road, the boat garage can be set back 32 Ft from the street. The "box" truck shown is ~20' long, the boat and trailer combined ~50'.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

Several thoughts:

1. I've got a place to store a 50' boat and trailer, so maybe ....

okay, back to reality

2. Backing the trailer into the garage at such a tight angle will leave little room for error, and you can't keep much stuff near the wall of your garage where the starboard side of the boat will be, or you'll hit it with the stern while backing the boat in.

3. Can you get either a hitch on the front of your truck, or a smaller yard tractor to back the trailer in? Both would reduce the need to drive on the yard across the street.

4. 50' of boat and trailer is A LOT of trailer. Semi trailers are only 53' long. Are you sure your trailer is that long?

5. Will you have a second person with a radio guiding you into the garage?

Your drawing looks like it's possible if any of the above can work.

What software did you draw it in? that looks sharp.

chart

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

Put a hitch on the front of your truck and you'll be able to put your boat anywhere you want to put it!!

I have a simular problem with my driveway, but I don't have a front hitch (I use to work at a marina that had them, they were GREAT!!) Anyway I used my wifes Denalli (size of a tahoe) to back it into the driveway last time and it was much easier!! I wouldn't want to pull it to the lake with her Denalli, but it was fine for this situation!!! Also used My brothers Avalanche to put my boat into storage, its shorter and turns sharper than my Crew Cab Dually!!

My boat is a Baja .38 Special, so it's about 9600lbs dry and 43ft including trailer and drives.......

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

Chart, Thanks for the reply. Don't have the boat yet, have to build the house first, just trying to do some future planning, a while back, we upgraded our hoist at previous house, and guess what, a boat to fill the new capacity appeared "FM" (very old boat, but in good condition ~31' Fount. with added swimplatform), now dreaming about smoother ride and bigger cabin (think 43' or 46' Black Thunder/Fountain Lightning) so 50' for boat and trailer is what the dealer said. So thought about and will fit a front hitch on the truck, but with with the depth of the lot so short, the back of the boat will be entering the garage as the tongue is at the edge of the street.

Radio, signal flares, and RPG's in case of emergency. I used AutoCAD 2004 for the original and plotted it to adobe .pdf file for posting.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I had the same problem at my old house and got a small forklift that I used to park it. Plus its great for moving motors and stuff around also.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I'm sure it can be done, but it'll probably take some practice. My house is set up similarly. My boat on the trailer is 35' long. I did set my house back an extra 10' to 35' total + there is 12' of city ROW, so my total from the edge of the street is 47' Its not a problem at all now, but if I were to add another 10' of boat, it would be tough. idon't have to worry about that though. Only have enough room in the garage for 4 more feet of boat. I can always build farther out the back though :D

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

Another option would be picking up a retired airport tug. They are stong as an ox, and maneuver great. You may be able to back it in there, but your pivot point is going to be way farther forward when you come to pull it out of there. Realize a 40'+ boat on a trailer is not going to turn and maneuver for shlt. You are probably going to have to wet down the driveway when turning it so it slides better. I agree with the other guys, that it probably can be done, but its gonna take practice. Can you make the front portion of the garage and the door a few feet wider? Also, when it comes time to just stick the trailer in there, you can remove the wheels/tires off of the back two axles, and it will swing/maneuver much easier. Obvisouly, you can't do this with the boat on it.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

[QUOTE=FunHome]Put a hitch on the front of your truck and you'll be able to put your boat anywhere you want to put it!!QUOTE]

Not quite so easy :( . I did that same thing for my enclosed car carrier. Backing up you have mirrors and can see down BOTH sides of the trailer. When I drove it in forward you can't see the right side :mad:

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I had a harder time with my old 28 Scarab than I do with the Hustler. Your just going to have to try it..


The Mr Bean car works too:D :D

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

strip, you let that thing in your driveway? :eek: does it have NOS too? :evilb: :eek:

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I have a similar problem. Although my boat and trailer together only measure 30'. My driveway is 100' long and only 11' wide. The garage door is offset from the center of the driveway by 2 1/2'. There is a patio and awning hanging off the back of my house that comes to about 15' from the garage. It is just impossible to back all the way down the driveway and into the garage. If it were a straight run it would be easy, but with the offset, forget it. So, to get my boat and trailer in the garage for the winter I back it in as far as I can. Which is just about where the awning hangs off my house. I drop the trailer of the hitch and onto the front wheel on the trailer. I have a winch mounted to the floor in the back of the garage. I hook it up to the trailer and just steer it in from the front by hand while holding the winch controls. Works great..

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I borrowed it from my dad while the car was in the shop . I figured I hook it up to see how it sat it down in the ass. It did not move the Bean car much :eek: My dad didnt like it either . I told him it made some funny noise's when backing it up the drive way with the trailer breaks on :D

They are ugly but there fun to drive


Its still funny looking :D

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

i bet a 200 shot would make it much cooler.... :cool: :eek: :evilb:

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

It would probably make all the plastic fall off :D I would rather have the Dodge mini van I posted in the OT section,runs 12's

The say you can wash out the interior with a water hose :eek:

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

let me know how that goes.... :D :evilb:

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

Kinda like my setup, as far as manueverabilty. The pic may not show it, but my boat alone also is longer than the front of the 3rd stall to the curb. (8x9 door) I can back it in with no problem and also stay out of the yard across the street. I just start off in front of the neighbors house hugging the curb across the street and slowly make as wide of a turn as possible. I usually have to pull forward to straighen out the truck because I have to have it lined up straight when going in.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

A 43 FT Black Thunder on an aluminum trailer w/o drive guard and no drive boxes is 47 to 48 ft long. Also the Black Thunder is 9 1/2 FT wide at the cabin entrance to behind the front bolsters. I store mine in a 16' x 16' x 50' pole barn with 14' x 14' roll up door and it fills it up. It takes lots of practice and lots of "when in doubt, get out and look" to get proficient in trailering a bigger boat. Do not get surge brakes on the trailer, go for the electric over hyd disc brakes. Makes backing up much easier.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

an old Jeep works well to and you can find them in the paper cheap

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I use a 40 horespower New Holland farm tractor for this purpose. Rear tires are about 40" tall. Easily backs a 12,000 pound trailer. Plus you can use it to blow snow and cut the grass. :)

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I would have to say, seeing I have never lived in town. Buy 40 acre's and turn that rig around.

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Funny you mentioned this. I needed to move my boat back 1 foot the other day and didn't want to hassle with the truck. So I just set the tongue on the front bumper of my Jeep Wrangler. Dang thing didn't stop going down until the frame was sitting on the axle. Going to block it with 4x4's next time. :D

BTW, have you priced Jeeps lately?

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

WOW, you get a 32' boat in there? Impressive driving.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I was going to suggest that you lay it all out in a parking lot and try it but since you said that you do not have the rig yet I guess that aint gona happen.... Any chance you have a friend with a similiar boat? One of the things that my wife and I have been doingn while designing the house is to go down to the beach at low tide and lay out the plans in the sand. I really helps a lot for her to understand what all the dimensions are. I have worked in construction long enough now that I can see it better but even I find problems while doing that.

Jon

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

I'd change the garage/house plan to this, and put the widest door you can put on there. From the street, it would look fine.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

Yep, no problem. 48' deep too on that last 16' width. Sucks because I can get a bigger boat, just won't fit under the door. :(


I agree with Sydwayz, that outside corner is going to be your biggest obsticle. I luck out because mine extends out, not recessed in.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

Thanks Sydwayz; I will do this and hope for the best, If I can't get the boat in there, I could at least part the trailers in there (taking tires off the back two axles). I will also "work on" the neighbor across the street to allow me to enter his yard, I only want to put the boat in when I pull an engine or there is a 'cane coming (hopefully only once every couple of years) the rest of the time it will be on the hoist in the back of the house.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

You could do it like I described, and make it big enough to put two cars side by side at the front of the garage. Much more versatile. It would be pretty trick.

Re: Trailer Backing Into Garage
 

One other thing that you might want to be concerned with is the rise of the driveway apron/curb. Usually, these are only about 12" to 14" high, but if your vehicle's hitch rides too low, you will drag the bottom of the trailer tongue or ball hitch on the ground until your rear wheels hit the apron. The same thing goes for the rear trailer box extension behind the trailer's rear axle. If the tires and suspension are not tall enough to keep the trailer's rear from hitting the apron, you will NEVER get the boat on the side of your house (unless you used some monster truck tires...)

Good Luck!

-Larry :drink: