Boat Parking Advice - Steep Short Driveway

[Twalis]

Hey Everyone - has anyone had experience with parking their boats on steep short driveways? I'm looking to buy a boat but worried about the departure angles and being able to hitch the boat on and off the car.

Would love to know how others might have solved this?

Thanks in advance

 

[ellicat]

What sort of car ?

You should have no worries winding up/down the jockey wheel.

[kmcrosby78]

And how big of a boat are you thinking? Need to make sure if you need to lift the hitch/drawbar that it is manageable. 

Backing the trailer wheels onto something live recovery treads (Maxtrax, etc) may help to alleviate some of the angle.

[Old Scaley]

Is the slope towards or away from the road?

[Twalis]

Thanks for the replied - slope is up from the road. Boat would be a bow-rider, and it would be a Toyota Prado. I had a similar problem with my Jayco EAgle caravan and ended up parking it in the street until I sold it.

Thanks

[Old Scaley]

Providing you can chock the wheels properly it should be ok. You would need someone to guide you when positioning the Prado because you won’t be able to move the boat to the tow bar. And you might want to get a boat cover so that rainwater doesn’t just sit in the hull for extended periods of time.  

[ellicat]

Is this the situation that gives you the problems ?

 

If so, the problem could be alleviated by using a set of car ramps at the front of the car which would improve the hitching angle. Assuming you had room to reverse first once connected.

[Twalis]

Thanks ellicat - a diagram is a good idea - see below that explains the dilemma

 

[ellicat]

Hmmm, tough one without an inexpensive cure.

Do you have a box trailer or anything to do some scenarios with ?

[Twalis]

I can try and borrow my father-in-laws caravan again to test. Not sure if there is a wheel jockey that will give me the range I need to raise the hitch off the towbar, but allow me to lower it enough to hitch it back on

Thanks again

[GregOug]

Mate. Looking at your diagram I would suggest some solid flat metal ramps.

 

i have no idea how to sketch like you guys but just imagine two planks (one for each wheel) spanning the crevasse in your drawing. In other words put a metal plank over the V so that you have a relatively flat section to reverse over. Then chock the trailer wheels before uncoupling the trailer from the vehicle. The planks would obviously have to be strong enough to take the weight of the trailer and vehicle. But then again, after a few reds, I could be wrong.

cheers

Greg

[GregOug]

Another thought. Do you own the house? If so, just fill the V with soil, compact it and get the driveway re concreted. Problem solvered. (pun on an old paint brand called solver).

[Twalis]

Thanks Greg - unfortunately I can't fill in the V due to the surrounding landscaping and neighbours. Appreciate the idea though.

BTW - whats the tallest Jockey wheel anyone has come across?

[Junky]

I would never park a boat nose down on a steep driveway. 

When it rains, it can not drain. A cubic meter of water is 1 tonne. Recipe for disaster imo. 

 

Park it sideways across the slope no worries but definitely not nose down a steep hill. 

[GregOug]

Agree totally

[aussie123]

I cannot see how it would be any different to the Jayco caravan that you had and as already mentioned, the water issue is a major problem unless you had a proper fitting waterproof cover.

[rayke1938]

Do you have a problem with trailer bottoming out? If so larger wheels or springs with more lift.

Alternative 1. mount a remote control reversing electric winch at top of driveway and winch boat up bow first and down driveway,

Alternative 2. Get a wallaby jack and use that to lift trailer off towball. That would also raise the bow so water would drain .

Cheers Ray

 

[Twalis]

Thanks Aussie123 - Sorry should have clarified - I never parked the Jayco caravan there. Its a new house