Noob wants 12x6 CT with ramp door

[sbshaver]

I'm shopping for a 12x6. Before I even buy one I'm wondering if I have space for it. I'm not a great trailer backer upper. My space is roughly 16 feet and some change. The space is bordered on 3 sides by hedges so I can trim out a few more inches. So essentially I have to perfectly double park a roughly 16 foot trailer into a roughly 16' space. Wait, it gets worse. The space is also on a slight incline, backing will be done downhill.

No way can I pull it off in the van, so I was thinking of boat trailer dolly. Like this: http://www.discountramps.com/boat-trail ... AsOI8P8HAQ

Has anyone used boat dolly? Going slightly downhill? Will it transform me in a trailing maneuvering superman? Opinions and insults welcomed.

Second more impossible question, I google and google and can't seem to find definitive answer on the age old question of do V nose trailers get better mileage than the flat ones. Opinion?

thanks in advance...

[lrrowe]

Backing up a trailer becomes very basic and instinctive after you do it for while. At least for me it has been this way. The longer the trailer, I.e the wheel base, the easier it is, so a 12 foot unit should be no problem. Of course, the TV makes a slight difference.

But I think if you are going to try it on a decline downhill, by hand, that could get interesting fast. You better think about precautions so it does not get away from you. Do you think you can hold a 1200 lb. load ( probably min.) back? Then do you have a way to hold it there? Chocks? How are you going to pull it up the incline? By hand?

Join the club in terms of finding a lot of info on aerodynamics. I have tried and even asked the manufacturer and got nothing. There may be test results out there, but they might be geared more towards the trucking industry.
Search this forum and you should find some discussions. I wrestled with this issue and finally just gave up and made my decision based on price, features, quality and so forth. What you use for a TV, how fast you pull the trailer, the size of the CT and weight probably are the times to think about the most. Again, that is my opinion and what I used in the decision making process.

Regardless, ,welcome to the forum and be prepared to have some fun.

[Mike S]

I think you are right to be concerned about your space. Backing up a 6x12 trailer isn't that hard once you're accustomed to it, but you do need some room. The dolly sounds sketchy with a trailer that big and impossible with an incline. Unless you get one of those powered dollys for commercial use. Here's an idea; U-haul rents a 6x12 foot trailer. Why don't you get one for a few hours and see how it is?

My spot is also tight; I have a 7x16 trailer that I back into a 25 x 16 foot parking spot. It was easy to back up my old 6x12 trailer into the spot. But what a difference a few feet makes. Now that I've done it 20 to 30 times, I know that exact positioning and timing. It's not so bad. But I sure am glad I didn't get a 20 foot travel trailer like I was considering.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[BC_Explorer]

No way can I pull it off in the van, so I was thinking of boat trailer dolly. Like this: http://www.discountramps.com/boat-trail ... AsOI8P8HAQ

Has anyone used boat dolly? Going slightly downhill? Will it transform me in a trailing maneuvering superman? Opinions and insults welcomed.

I have and use one of those dollies as my alley is narrow, with ditches on both side. My trailer parking pad off this alley can be tough to back into if the neighbor directly across the alley is home and have their car parked in their parking pad. My CT is 6x10 and I do have to push it in slightly uphill with the dolly but it can done without too much strain, depending on how heavy the trailer is. On the opposite, because the alley is a dead-end, I cannot come in from the opposite end to hitch up and pull out because I have the trailer parked and tucked into the fence on the roadside of the trailer, I use the dolly to pull and swing the trailer out into the alley which slopes slightly down, I need to be real careful as the trailer almost got away on me one day as even after I dropped the dolly to stop it, the dolly slid on the asphalt. Luckily it stopped just in time and then I had barely enough room to get the truck in at a real awkward angle to hitch up.

So to answer your question, yes those dollies have their place and needs for certain situations.

Second more impossible question, I google and google and can't seem to find definitive answer on the age old question of do V nose trailers get better mileage than the flat ones. Opinion?
thanks in advance...

Age old question with no clear answers. MY CT is a V-Nose and it can weigh anywhere from 2400 to 2800 lbs, With my 2012 RAM 1500, Hemi and 3.92 gears, I get on average of 13 miles per gallon (Canadian) . This average is a combination of freeway and (mostly) mountain driving here in BC Canada.

[sbshaver]

This might be the first pic here that did not feature a trailer. Trailer spot is the area where the yellow tape measure is. Gonna rent a uhaul and see if it is doable. If i cut some bushes u can maybe get 17 or 18

uploadfromtaptalk1409520408875.jpg (104.79 KiB) Viewed 10035 times

uploadfromtaptalk1409520397602.jpg (131.89 KiB) Viewed 10035 times

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[hankaye]

sbshaver, Howdy;

I'm just guessin' but I take it when you say the yellow tape measure is you are referring to the place with the tarp hangin' in the bushes???
Can't see any tape measure...

hank

[sbshaver]

Sorry yeah hard to see that tape. But yes, where the tarp is is where i store trailers.

[Chilly Willy]

I'd keep the bushes. They can be an extra set of eyes when you're backing up. Russling some bushes would indicate that you're slightly off track. Better than a crumpling sound from pushing against that tree

[Chilly Willy]

Oh, and regarding gas mileage for trailer shape...

Resistance from displacing air as you travel is mainly a product of your width x height. The leading edge shape has little to do with resistance. The trailing edge shape actually has a greater effect on your efficiency as your speed increases. Essentially, all other things being equal, a blunt nose trailer and a wedge nose trailer will tow roughly equal. Putting the tongue on the back of a wedge nose trailer and towing it backwards will gain you some efficiency, more noticeably at higher speeds.

Trying to explain why it works that way amounts to a bunch of math and physics. Proving that it works that way is actually very simple. Take the real world applications done by people who know the most about pushing mass through a fluid medium. For example, look at the profile of an Airbus A380, or any military submarine. Blunt nose and a tapered trailing edge.

[OverTheTopCargoTrailer]

Hey chilly Willy

What ever happened to the Dr Do Little & his 6 dogs ?

[Chilly Willy]

Hey chilly Willy

What ever happened to the Dr Do Little & his 6 dogs ?

I'm not sure. Hopefully he solved his living arrangements such that the trailer became moot.
If you mean me I still have my dogs. Still pondering how much trailer I want to commit to.
Tempted to start a thread on here to pick peoples brains for info on adding slide outs to cargo trailers.

[sbshaver]

Oh, and regarding gas mileage for trailer shape...

Resistance from displacing air as you travel is mainly a product of your width x height. The leading edge shape has little to do with resistance. The trailing edge shape actually has a greater effect on your efficiency as your speed increases. Essentially, all other things being equal, a blunt nose trailer and a wedge nose trailer will tow roughly equal. Putting the tongue on the back of a wedge nose trailer and towing it backwards will gain you some efficiency, more noticeably at higher speeds.

Trying to explain why it works that way amounts to a bunch of math and physics. Proving that it works that way is actually very simple. Take the real world applications done by people who know the most about pushing mass through a fluid medium. For example, look at the profile of an Airbus A380, or any military submarine. Blunt nose and a tapered trailing edge.

I've read this explanation before. It's alway disputed by people with anecdotes about how their v nose gets better mileage blah blah. I am going to accept the science version. So then, assuming the mileage is equal, it comes down to if you want a little bit of extra interior space or do you want more tongue space.

Also, since height matters are there any rules of thumb for the relative efficiency of the 72" hight interior versus the 78" high top?

[Chilly Willy]

The general consensus seems to be that getting enough height so that you can stand up inside is well worth the small loss to mileage.
You can partially compensate for that by towing slower.

[sbshaver]

The general consensus seems to be that getting enough height so that you can stand up inside is well worth the small loss to mileage.
You can partially compensate for that by towing slower.

I'm a tad under 6 feet so I can stand in the 72-74" ceilings. But somehow those 78 inchers seem so much more spacious. Gonna go with the tall one.

[abqlloyd]

The v-nose provides extra interior space. That's the biggest advantage.