Gooseneck trailer tips - Page 46 - Lateral-g Forums

**Sieg** · #**451** 05-08-2012, 07:23 PM

Phil - That input as exceptional as it is REALLY helps his decision process.

**Sieg** · #**452** 05-08-2012, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregWeld

BTW - SIEG

I've been inside the one you posted... it's 45' long - is beautiful - but when you put even a 24' trailer behind it - guess where you are in length... with the tongue it's right back up to 75'!

I officially defer further comment to Phil.

**GregWeld** · #**453** 05-09-2012, 08:22 AM

Phil ---

Great help! And exactly what I've been thinking about. I want to park this in my back driveway alongside my shop. In order to do that - I have to pull past my street (I live on a corner) and back it around the corner then down the street and another 70* to start the trailer up in the driveway. These are neighborhood sized streets -- with grass to the edge of the street etc... and I watched a 28' box truck make this maneuver the other day -- it barely made it and he didn't have a trailer to deal with.

I DO NOT want to store this offsite. That really makes a hassle out of it -- prepping to get ready - with all the rain etc... so it's in my driveway or I'm not doing it.

And it's not the highway driving I'm thinking about - it's the before or after an event where I want to use the thing to putz around. I'd like to be able to pull into a "view vista" site and have lunch - take a pee - or just relax etc. So it has to be more for me to just goof around in than just "show to show".

Even more importantly is that if Gwen isn't going it doesn't have to be as fancy. So I asked the dealer for his inventory status of his smaller rigs - I'll still have to have the trailer built and will make that LONGER perhaps.

Good info on the A/C - that's EXACTLY what I thought -- no need!

Blake Foster · #**454** 05-09-2012, 09:49 AM

The backing into your driveway i've seen it. will be worth the price of admission the first few trys, call me i will bring a lawn chair and beer!!

Luckly the hard part of the manuver is on the driver side so you have way better visibility. I used to back our trailer off a standard 2 lane rural street with huge ditches on both sides, the truck was a 300" WB with a 45' semi trailer into a widened driveway, and then 300 feet long as long as you can get over the one front wheel being in the ditch it's all good. Your driveway is not 90 deg to the road and that makes it way easer. You will want to paint a line on the driveway on the driver side so you can "Drive" the trailer wheels on it and not have to worry about hitting the retaining wall with the rear pass side of the trailer because you will have NO idea where it is. you will not be able to see ANYTHING on that side of the truck due to the turn, so a nice white line to follow would make it a breeze. I would be more worried about getting past the Fn tree in the middle of the road!!. OH and you will have to add to the gardners monthy bill to fix the guys grass across the street lol.

**GregWeld** · #**455** 05-09-2012, 10:15 AM

^^^^^^^^^^^ Exactly right!

I was thinking about how smart I was "belling out" the driveway toward the west.... because that is the side you can actually see. I can do my truck and trailer without ever having to pull forward for a restart... but I've got my marks down and I just follow the trailer. But with the rig I ordered - I really don't think I'd get it in and out of the neighborhood. You're right about the tree at the entrance!

Blake Foster · #**456** 05-09-2012, 10:47 AM

call Reliable moving to come to your house and pick up the 33 and see how that goes. that may answer all your questions

bulldogchevy · #**457** 05-09-2012, 10:51 AM

Hey Greg
I just sold my rig it was a 38 ft 0ptima on a freightliner columbia chassis Merc 450 hp with a 26 ft stacker. It towed great with plenty of power.
I ran it for 4 years but i have to say it was a lot of work,prep ,cleaning,waxing.Once on the road it was great. It was challenging on backroads, bridges narrow roads and weight limits.I got stopped at the Ohio tolls several times for being over weight, they scale you at tolls.Made me turn around and seek alt route.
It just took the fun out of it as me and my girlfriend [co pilot]loved to pull off and see the back country but with the trailer it was difficult.
Hope this helps
I've down sized
I do miss bringing that second car
Scott

**GregWeld** · #**458** 05-09-2012, 11:39 AM

Scott -- You hit the nail square! I L O V E the back roads and H A T E the Interstates! And the thing that got me thinking about all of this "length" etc is the trip I took from Thunderhill track over to the Napa Valley.... Hwy 20 was exactly the kind of roads I love to travel on... a "stop and smell the roses" kind of life... and as you said - there were all kinds of "don't do this and don't do that and you can't go here" issues... and I "felt" big just dragging the trailer with my dually.

The washing and waxing thing -- I do with my cell phone.... as in "yo buddy -- come over and wash and wax my rig" so that's not an issue. And I want it in MY driveway so loading food - water - cars - etc is not a hassle. And in the end - I might reach the same conclusion you did... but I'm also not at all concerned about the total lack of resale. That just isn't an issue. The ISSUE is how I want to use it.... I'm trying to build in some freedom to roam... and bigger seems to take that out of the equation.

I also do not want to be hassled all the time with the issues you point out - over length - over weight - blah blah blah. So thanks for pointing that out.

bulldogchevy · #**459** 05-09-2012, 12:05 PM

Yes keeping on your property is key. I had the space at home made it great getting ready for the trip. I wasn't concerned about resale i bought it because it was what i wanted. No regrets.
It really freaked out my co pilot on some of my excersions as i drove it like my duelly

After my experience keep it simple

Good luck Greg

DBasher · #**460** 05-10-2012, 09:28 AM

Greg, you're really messing up my long term plan!

Step 1, Introduce myself to Greg Weld
Step 2, Use words like "cute" and "eeeeeeehaaaaa"
Step 3, Become best friends with Greg Weld
Step 4, Have Greg Weld want to haul my car to events all over the place.

Really I would think that the smaller toter (living space) would be the ticket. Most the events you attend are fair weather and the only time spent in the rig would be to make some food or crash out. Shorter with a slide out sounds like the way to go.

Times a tickin, get this thing built. We've got Bonneville in September!

eeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaa!

Dan