Traveling with Dolly wheel.

[Bob414]

NewBee here, with a dumb question. I have been removing the dolly wheel after connecting to TV before traveling, reinstalling at campsite. Is this necessary or am I just making more work for my self. I only camp in RV parks or similar locations, no ruffing it.
What should be safe ground clearance from wheel to ground when raised for safe travel.

Your thoughts and experiences please.

Bob

[kenandterry]

Originally Posted by Bob414

NewBee here, with a dumb question. I have been removing the dolly wheel after connecting to TV before traveling, reinstalling at campsite. Is this necessary or am I just making more work for my self. I only camp in RV parks or similar locations, no ruffing it.
What should be safe ground clearance from wheel to ground when raised for safe travel.

Your thoughts and experiences please.

Bob

Without a picture of your dolly wheel setup, I can’t be sure. On some of my trailers, there is a spring loaded pin and pivot point to turn the entire retracting post so that it’s positioned parallel to the road for travel. Clearance is not an issue.

[Blackrock]

You can get a flat shoe that will give more clearance and remember to run it up all the way. I was pulling out of a gas station and drug the dolly wheel on the PUP I used to have.

[007matman]

In my opinion.

The wheel is really only useful when placing The camper in storage so I'd leave it there and not take it with you.

When using it at the campsite it reduces stability and using it increases movement (and increases the risk of a roll-away while you're in it). It helps with positioning the camper but the same can be done attached to the vehicle.

When driving I've scraped the bottom of my Jack in a strep driveway. Having another 6" of length there isn't helpful.

[backpacker3]

Some people prefer to keep the wheel in place and that's fine if that is what you want. In order to help stabilize the tongue movement of your camper, you can buy a wheel caulk that looks like a round plastic donut at Walmart or any other rv parts place. Just lower wheel into Donut and level the camper. When traveling raise the wheel all the way up being careful not to go past stop. Donut will keep front from moving too much and stabilize wheel.

[Jakieboy]

We camped with Pop-up tent trailers for the first 12 years of lour RV-ing "career". We always removed the dolly wheel after hooking up, and re-installed it upon arrival at our campsite. We used blocks under the trailer wheels as needed to level side-to-side before disconnecting. Then, before disconnecting from tow vehicle, we always chocked the trailer wheels securely, including a chock on the dolly wheel made up of an 8" x 8" x 2" block of wood with a slot cut in the middle to secure the dolly wheel from rolling or pivoting.

[Oldbears]

My preference is to remove the dolly wheel and leave it off - replacing it with a jack foot plate. I would have never towed with it on.

We had one camper with a really low jack, even with the plate. It wasn't in danger of bottoming out, but one time we had to straddle a pile of bison poo when towing through Wind Cave N.P. and guess where it ended up! Bet it would have been worse with the wheel on.

[Bluepill]

I built a platform of scrap 2X4 lumber to rest the jack on. No need for the dolly in 200 nights of camping.

[Arnie M]

Originally Posted by Bob414

NewBee here, with a dumb question. I have been removing the dolly wheel after connecting to TV before traveling, reinstalling at campsite. Is this necessary or am I just making more work for my self. I only camp in RV parks or similar locations, no ruffing it.
What should be safe ground clearance from wheel to ground when raised for safe travel.

Your thoughts and experiences please.

Bob

Back when we lived in the city we only used the dolly wheel in our yard to maneuver the TT to where we wanted it for storage in a tight place.
When we traveled we used a shoe, less chance of TT moving when set up.
If you do not have a shoe, use blocks of wood in its place. We never used the wheel when camping, actually we left it at home.

[PlumCamper]

I always remove the wheel when traveling but I would caution about not taking it with you. I recently had a wheel problem traveling home that required the camper be towed on a flatbed. I don't know how they'd get the camper onto the flatbed without the wheel.

[007matman]

Originally Posted by PlumCamper

I always remove the wheel when traveling but I would caution about not taking it with you. I recently had a wheel problem traveling home that required the camper be towed on a flatbed. I don't know how they'd get the camper onto the flatbed without the wheel.

They put the jack on a scrap piece of wood and connect the winch. Pulls it right up. Easy peasey.. no wheel required.

Yep, I've had it done a few times In fact, the last time was when we moved to Georgia from South Dakota. They put the trailer into the back of a moving truck. I asked if they wanted the wheel and they didn't. They said it causes the camper to move around too much.