Use an 18V drill & turn it into a motorized dolly. (Buy from Amazon)
What’s the best motorized trailer dolly? Thankfully we live in a day and age where we can simply buy tools that make our lives easier. Most of us take it for granted because there are tools and equipment for all types of laborious work. A motorized trailer is precisely the type of tool that is essential for anyone who owns a trailer or caravan.
Best Motorized Trailer Dolly
Getting your trailer hitched to your vehicle takes time and is seriously back breaking work. There’s really no need to call for help when you’re preparing to head out on your journey whilst towing a trailer. Using a motorized trailer dolly makes it easy for you to get your trailer perfectly lined up by yourself, with absolutely no effort.
By using an electric motor, these dollies do all the work for you. Whether you’re parked on an incline or need to maneuver in a tight space, you’ll have absolutely no problem. The Purple Line EM4445 Enduro is probably the best motorized trailer dolly that you’ll find. With this excellent attachment, you can kiss muscle pains and a sore back good bye. It’s the ultimate in remote controlled motorized trailer moving.
Video | Purple Line EM4445 Enduro
If you’re willing to do a bit of hand cranking, the Trailer Valet 5X V211 is worth considering. It doesn’t have the convenience of an electric motor but costs a good deal less than a motorized trailer dolly. So, perhaps you don’t have the cash to splash out on a high-end motorized trailer dolly, but still, want to easily move your trailer by yourself – then you’ll love this one.
The Trailer Valet XL is the big brother to the 5X V211 and is an excellent option if you want a cheaper dolly, but still, want the option to move it with electric assistance. We can view the Trailer Valet XL as a sort of hybrid. While it’s essentially a hand cranking model, it can be used as a motorized trailer dolly as it allows you to connect it to a hand drill, which will do the manual labor for you.
With these three options, you’ll be able to consider your budget and choose a high-quality trailer mover that is perfectly suited to you. Obviously, if you have the cash to spend, a motorized trailer dolly is going to be your best option. For many it just isn’t worth paying the extra buck, in which case, the cheaper models will certainly make things much easier than pushing your trailer with a bunch of guys – yelling and screaming to coordinate your motions and trying not to smash into the back of your car.
Vestil PTM-GPT | Gas Trailer Mover | 12,000 Pulling Capacity
highly maneuverable. Ideal for turning in tight spaces. (Amazon)
We’ll start with the cheapest option, which is not a motorized trailer dolly but offers a very reasonably priced alternative. We’ll move up the price range and finally review the ultimate motorized trailer mover for those who are happy to spend the extra money on a machine that will do all the hard work for you at the touch of a button.
Trailer Valet RVR3 (3,500 lbs.) & Trailer Valet RVR5 (5,500 lbs.)
Includes a wireless remote which allows you to control it up to 40 feet away. Powerful motorized dolly. All you have to do is tell it where to go. As easy as it gets.
Self-motorized and remote-controlled travel trailer dolly.
Features:
- Compact Design: Measuring under 22″x18″x12″, the RVR weighs between 45-77 lbs (97 lbs RVR5 & RVR9 shipping weight)
- Planetary Motors: 2-4 high torque motors to drive both single and dual axle trailers
- Aluminum Body: Allows for a lightweight design and a lifetime of corrosion resistance.
- Heavy Duty Treads: Caterpillar Treads that give you more traction over different surfaces.
- Wirelessly Controlled: Easily and safely operate from any angle with the push of a button.
- Comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can give you up to 30 minutes of runtime.
- Included remote control allows you to not only move your trailer with just the push of a button, you can do it from up to 40 feet away.
- Move your trailer into tight spaces without having to ask someone else to help you look around the corners.
- Heavy-duty caterpillar treads allow the RVR to go over different terrains including asphalt, gravel, grass, and dirt.
- Comes with 2 or 4 planetary gear motors that can drive both single and dual axle trailers.
- RVR5 model includes the Trailer Valet Base + Ball Set attaching the unit to your trailer coupler. Plus, includes interchangeable 2 inch and 2-5/16 inch hitch balls.
- RVR3 model includes a Mounting Bracket, attaching the unit to the side of your trailer frame.
VIDEO | Watch this & see how impressive the Trailer Valet RVR is
If you can afford it, this is the motorized travel trailer dolly you should get. Honestly, this will make your life easy allowing you to move your trailer without bending over. No need to use your own drill or other apparatus. No manual labor. Self-motorized and remote-controlled. This is the king of motorized dollies. Again, it’s not cheap but as far as convenience, quality and functionality; this is as good as it gets.
Trailer Valet 5X V211
Trailer tongue dolly
Chain drive crank system.
Features:
- Patented drive system with high and low drive gears
- Automatic safety brake
- Folds up or down in seconds
- Moves up to 5000 pounds or 500 pounds tongue weight
- One year manufacturer’s warranty
If you’re looking specifically for a motorized trailer dolly, perhaps you’ll want to skip this one and move on to the next two. However, for its price, the Trailer Valet 5X V211 has to be mentioned. You’re going to have to use a hand crank to move the trailer, but thanks to excellent gearing, this won’t take too much effort.
Once you’ve fitted the mounting bracket, the Trailer Valet 5X V211 bolts easily to the bracket in very little time. This means that it’s easy to remove and, if you have multiple brackets, you can use it on any number of trailers without too much fuss.
Video | Trailer Valet 5X V211
The tongue jack lifts and lower the trailer very easily and can handle a tongue weight of 500 LBS. It will handle a total trailer weight of 5000 LBS. The Trailer Valet 5X V211 has two gear ratios. You can move it at a good speed in high gear and when you need extra power, the low gear will make it possible to move your trailer up an incline with very little strength needed.
The steering handle flips easily into position making it simple to move the dolly wheel. This makes it really easy to turn the trailer up 90°, so you can move the trailer in our out of any position without going back and forth. When you release the steering handle it will return to the upright position and automatically engages the brake. This is a fantastic feature and it means that your trailer will never run away from you.
Designed to carry up to 5000 lbs.
Two Large 9” pneumatic wheels placed side by side, with good tread, means that you won’t have problems moving your trailer over uneven terrain and it works well on a gravel surface. When you’re done and the trailer is hitched to your vehicle, the dolly flips up and locks securely into position. It attaches to the side of the tongue and will not hamper the ground clearance of the trailer. At a weight of 51 LBS, it won’t add much weight to the tongue either.
Excellently crafted, the Trailer Valet 5X V211 is powder coated. So it’s very durable and will endure the rigors of all road types, withstanding a good deal of sandblasting and gravel. This is an excellent piece of machinery at a very reasonable price and has a 1-year warranty.
Trailer Valet XL | Motorized Trailer Dolly
Heavy-duty build construction enables it to handle 10,000 lbs.
Effortlessly move your trailer into your garage or another tight spot for storage Chain drive system is powered by easy-to-use hand crank.
Features:
- Included drill attachment allows you to use most battery powered and corded drills and turns your Trailer Valet XL into a motorized dolly.
- Automatic brake keeps trailer from rolling.
- 10,000 lb. weight capacity on a flat packed surfaces such as concrete and asphalt. If considering a sloped surface above 2° degrees contact manufacture for more info.
- Handles most trailers weighing up to 10,000 lbs (1000 lb. tongue weight)
- Patented ball attachment mechanism for quick attachment and greater maneuverability
- High strength pneumatic tires that can withstand 500lbs of pressure per tire
- A greater gear reduction to make cranking even easier
- A height extension which gives the user more control
- 300 hours of corrosion resistance
- A drill attachment that enables the user to attach most 18V cordless drills
- Automatic safety brake
- One year manufacturer’s warranty
- Posi-traction for maximum traction and ease of handling
- High quality steel with powdercoat hammer finish. brass bearings
Overview | Trailer Valet XL
For a dolly capable of extra weight with some additional features, the Trailer Valet XL is step up from the cheaper 5X V211 model.
Along with the same automatic brake, large 9” pneumatic wheels, durable powder coated finish and excellent gear ratios (high and low), the Trailer Valet XL also includes a patented ball attachment which makes it really simple to hitch and remove your trailer.
Video | Learn more about the Trailer Valet XL
The Trailer Valet XL is able to handle a trailer weight of 10,000 LBS and a tongue weight of 1000LBS. Despite having class-leading load capacity, this dolly only weighs 53 LBS and can easily be the lightest dolly, capable of handling such a large load.
The Trailer Valet XL is a real winner when it comes to versatility. Not only is it able to crank very easily by hand but it also allows you to attach a drill to either of two gearing positions. So you can use a battery drill to do the cranking for you and you don’t have the extra weight of an electric motor on the dolly which adds to the weight you’re loading on the trailer tongue.
It’s as easy to attach and stow as its smaller brother. It’s made to same high quality standards and, for the added weight and extra features, also offers outstanding value for money.
Learn more by visiting the Trailer Valet site.
Purple Line EM4445 Enduro
Motorized Trailer Dolly / Trailer & Caravan Mover
Corrosive resistant, electro-plated & powder coated.
The Purple Line EM4445 Enduro will fit all single axles and most twin axle trailers.
Features:
- Direct drive gearbox
- Solid cast alloy rollers for superior grip and durability. Rollers have a lifetime
- Cross actuation allows both rollers to be engaged simultaneously from one side
- Heavy duty design suitable for single and twin axle travel trailers
- 2 year parts warranty
- Fully transferable to a new or upgraded caravan
- Corrosive resistant materials, electro-plated for durability and prolonged life
- Park and hitch your trailer by remote control; 2 motor system
- Motors engage and disengage from your tires
- Automatically braked immediately the remote buttons are released
- 5,000 pounds capacity
✓ The ground clearance from the bottom of the chassis must be a minimum of 165mm – the Enduro will decrease it by 50mm.
If you’re looking for the king of motorized trailer dollies, then look no further. In fact, it’s not like a conventional dolly at all but, rather a fully remote controlled trailer mover.
Powerful 12V motors use friction rollers to drive the trailer wheels through a direct drive gearbox. A standard kit containing two drive motors and all the necessary attachments will drive a single axle trailer weighing 5000 LBS. For double axle trailers, one can use four motors that will give a load capacity of 6500 LBS.
The kit needs to be installed correctly, which takes some technical skill, if you’re wanting to do it yourself, this video will show you exactly how to go about it. This will take a bit of effort and many may prefer to have a professional do it for them. However, once installed, you’ll never worry about moving your trailer in or out of any position. You can install the mounting brackets to any number of trailers, so it’s possible to use the same motors by quite easily swapping them from trailer to another.
Installation Video | Purple Line EM4445 Enduro
It has a remote control, so you can move around the trailer whilst moving it. No more blind spots. You have perfect control over the trailer’s movement and maximum visibility at all times. So whether you’re hitching the trailer or trying to get it out of a tight spot, you have the power to do so. Engaging the rollers is super easy, made possible by cross actuation, allowing both wheels to be engaged at the same time from one side.
Durability is key to a machine of this nature. You want it to cope with whatever you throw at it. Here, the Purple Line EM4445 Enduro fares incredibly well. The solid cast rollers have a lifetime warranty, offering excellent grip and durability. To extend their lifetime, all the metal components are electroplated and powder coated. When you’re spending good money on something, it’s good to know that it’s going to last.
At a weight of 105 LBS, it’s not too light but this is a sign of how solidly the machinery is built. Your confidence in the equipment will be further bolstered by a really good 2-year warranty.
✓ You will need 16” of clearance back from the tire to have enough room to install the Trailer.
Cross actuation allows both rollers to be engaged simultaneously from one side.
Safety Features:
- Isolation switch fitted to prevent accidental use of the remote
- Unique double press on button on the handset to prevent accidental operation
- Control unit and handset will shut down automatically after 60 seconds if the handset is not used in that time
- Control unit will shut down if the mover is working constantly in one direction for 3 minutes
- Built in motor overload protection (current and temperature) – no requirement for a fuse
- Automatically braked immediately as soon as the handset button is released
Tech Specs (Purple Line EM4445 Enduro):
- Designation : Enduro Mover EM 4445
- Operational Voltage : 12 Volt DC
- Minimum Current Consumption : 19 Amps
- Maximum Current Consumption : 84 Amps
- Power output : 495 kg
- Speed : 11 cm / sec.
- Weight : 40 kg maximum
- Safe Working Load (SWL) : 5000 lbs (2 motors) – up to 1.5 tonnes on a 25% incline 6800 lbs (4 motors) – up to 2.5 tonnes on a 20% incline
- Minimum Width (caravan/trailer) : 1800 mm
- Maximum Width (caravan/trailer) : 2400 mm
✓ View or download the MANUAL for the Purple Line EM4445 Enduro.
Learn more by visiting the Purple Line site.
Choosing the Right Trailer Dolly
The most important thing to consider is the trailer weight. Whether it’s a manual or motorized trailer dolly, they all have a maximum weight capacity. Remember that you need to factor in the trailer weight and the load that the trailer will be carrying.
The tongue weight will match the load weight for the normal construction of the trailer but you may be carrying extra weight on the tongue, so you need to be aware of this. Many trailers have storage boxes on the tongue, these boxes usually hold tools, accessories and other items that you may be using. Often the spare wheel is also mounted to the tongue. You’ll need to consider the extra weight that the tongue is carrying and in some cases, you may need to remove some of the extra weight to match the dolly’s tongue load capacity.
Having the best wheels will make things much easier. Pneumatic (Inflatable) wheels are a real bonus when you’re moving the trailer on gravel or sand. Good tire tread will also help. Having double wheels on the dolly will also make it make much more effective and easier to use.
