Personal trailer parking

A portable power dolly can park your boat or camping trailer in spots where there is no room to maneuver a tow vehicle without waiting for your neighbor to move his car or waiting for the absent owners of boats and vehicles blocking you in at a campground.

Park your boat, camper or other trailer where your tow vehicle can’t

Folks who think the average boater is great at backing a trailer need only spend 30 minutes observing a busy boat ramp to learn the truth.

And even veteran fishermen skilled enough to launch or load a boat on a blind ramp in less than 30 seconds can still have trouble backing the same trailer into a blind or tight parking space at home.

The problem usually isn’t the size of the parking spot: It’s the lack of room in front of the spot for a tow vehicle to maneuver.

Imagine how easy trailer parking would be if you could put your hand next to the trailer’s hitch coupler and move the trailer in any direction — even turning it around in its own length if necessary.

No more waiting for the neighbor to move his car; you could stop your tow vehicle just past your driveway, disconnect the trailer and move it anywhere you want.

A power trailer dolly can do all of this and more.

For instance, the Force 5K dolly from Parkit360 can effortlessly move 5,000 pounds of boat, camper or other trailer having up to 900 pounds of tongue weight.

The basic P360 SD B model ($1,096 MSRP) connects quickly and easily to a trailer using its included 17/8-inch, 2-inch, 25/16-inch or 50mm ball.

Its Stablelock coupler design keeps the ball and coupler positioned over the two 4-inch wide tires on the dolly’s drive wheels.

A 1.5-horsepower Bosch electric motor moves the trailer forward or backward with a thumb toggle switch on the steering handle. An 80-inch battery cable powers the dolly with your boat or camper battery, and a cable is also included to connect to an optional dolly-mounted battery.

The basic dolly weighs about 67 pounds and is compact enough to fit in the back of a Mini Cooper.

If you need to move your trailer on a grade, you can step up to the B2 model with a built-in smart brake controller that automatically applies your trailer’s electric or surge brakes: Just plug your trailer connector into the dolly’s receptacle.

The B2 comes with a battery box, battery monitor and battery charger all built-in.

Moving up to Parkit360’s B3 model gives you 61/2-inch-wide tires for better traction on grades, grass and gravel. It also offers an optional frame mount for more versatility.

All dolly-mounted battery boxes fit a group 24 12-volt battery (not included).

This Canadian manufacturer also offers dollies for moving 10,000- and 15,000-pound trailers, including fifth wheelers.

A power dolly removes virtually all the nerve-wracking worry from trailer backing. You stand right in front of the trailer, looking straight down both sides of it while you operate the dolly — so clearing tight spots is easy and jackknifing is not a concern.

In fact, the ability to steer acute angles is what makes the dolly so maneuverable.

For more information on Parkit360 power dollies visit http://parkit360.ca.