Trailer Valet XL-PRO vs Trailer Valet XL — Trailer Dolly Comparison

Welcome to our review of the Trailer Valet XL-PRO — an excellent motorized trailer dolly. We also compare it to the older model Trailer Valet XL. What’s changed and how is it better? If you have the XL model should you upgrade? And if you happen to have some extra money in your bank account, we give you a third option — Trailer Valet RVR, the ultimate in convenience.

Either way, these trailer dollies will make your life much easier and although not cheap, they will make moving your trailer or boat much easier.

Intro | Motorized Trailer Dollies

If you’ve got friends who own recreational vehicles, trailers, or boats, you might have heard them say that towing is actually the easy part. Parking and moving the trailer around the driveway or shop is the most frustrating thing ever, because no matter how skilled you are with a pickup truck it is almost impossible to precisely backup a 30 foot long, 10,000-pound hunk of aluminum and steel without messing up something. Especially if you’re new to trailers and towing, you almost always need a spotter to give you hand signals and shout directions from the back as you reverse the trailer into your garage or backyard.

On top of that, when you actually want to hook up your trailer with the tow vehicle it takes numerous attempts before you get the proper alignment between the hitch and the trailer tongue. The hitch ball on most mounts is either 2” or 2-5/16” in diameter, and the coupler housing is similarly sized. So you can imagine the frustration that arises when you reverse your pickup truck to align these two components (god help you if your truck has no rear-view camera), only to discover that you were off by a few inches and have to start it all over again. Meanwhile your wife and kids are getting bored of watching a pickup truck moving around in circles in front of the camper. All that time you could’ve spent at the campsite, is now wasted trying to align your truck or SUV with the trailer.

VIDEO | Trailer Valet XL-PRO vs Trailer Valet XL

Why waste time and fuel trying to reverse the truck into the trailer, when you can just bring your trailer to the truck? That is what a trailer dolly allows you to do, you don’t have to drive your tow vehicle into precarious spots or wrestle with curved/ inclined driveways anymore. Just take your dolly, hook it up with the trailer, and pull your trailer all by yourself using your own hands. That’s right, you don’t have to waste fuel or get frustrated anymore. Just attach the dolly to your camper, ATV trailer, toy hauler, boat trailer, etc. and maneuver around obstacles until you reach your tow vehicle, at which point you can position the tongue and coupler of the trailer exactly over the ball mount. Then, you just raise the trailer jack and secure the hitch to the trailer. A trailer dolly allows you to make extremely precise movements with your trailer, the kind that is simply impossible while moving it with a SUV or truck.

There are several types of trailer dollies out there, with the price ranging from under 100 bucks all the way up to 1000 and above. But price isn’t everything, you also need to consider the features and overall experience of parking/ towing your trailer with the dolly. Basic or unassisted trailer dollies require you to use the handle as a lever and pull the trailer with your own body weight. This can put immense strain on your lower back and knees, since you are essentially tugging a 5000 to 10000 pound mass for several feet using your two feet as contact points with the ground.

Trailer Valet XL — Manual or Motorized Function

Senior citizens and pretty much anyone with bad knees or an injured back will not be able to park a trailer like this. And if you’re working at a jobsite with a dual-axle utility trailer, there is no way you can execute a 90° turn using a manual trailer dolly. They are fine for moving single axle open utility trailers or motorcycle trailers, but you simply can’t handle larger stuff like campers, horse trailers, travel trailers, etc. which have tongue weights exceeding 600 pounds. A good example of an “unassisted” trailer dolly is the Tow Tuff TMD-800C with an 800 lb. carrying capacity.

So to move larger trailers, you will need some kind of motorized or power assisted trailer dolly. This is where the Trailer Valet XL-PRO comes in, it allows you to move trailers weighing up to 12000 pounds. It uses gear reduction to boost torque, solid rubber wheels for extra ruggedness, and a 60V cordless DEWALT (DCD460T2) drill to supply the power so you don’t have to do the dirty work manually. Just pull a trigger on the handlebar, and the Trailer Valet XL- PRO will move your horse trailer, boat trailer, camper, etc. with incredible ease. You can even detach the 60V cordless DEWALT drill and use it for woodworking projects whenever you aren’t moving a trailer.

In this article, we review three different Trailer Valet dollies :

• Trailer Valet XL-PRO
• Trailer Valet XL
• Trailer Valet RVR — Robotic trailer dolly

What are the differences between the towing abilities of each model, and which one should you buy based on your needs? We will also talk about the multipurpose nature of the XL- PRO since it comes with a detachable 60V cordless drill from DEWALT, which you can use for all sorts of projects and DIY work. And we are going to explain what kinds of trailers you can tow with these dollies- horse trailers, boat trailers, dual axle trailers, etc. Will they work on inclines, and uneven terrain like grass or dirt? We shall answer all these questions, so stick around till the end. Let’s take an indepth look at three excellent Trailer Valet motorized trailer dollies.

VIDEO | Which Trailer Valet Dolly is Right for You? — WATCH

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Trailer Valet XL-PRO — Best Trailer Dolly

Fast and easy to connect, steel bearings, includes built-in Dewalt 60V drill. An excellent trailer dolly to make your life easier.

Features:

• Moves up to 12,000 lbs, 1,200 lb vertical (tongue) weight
• Includes DEWALT DCD460T2 60V MAX, DCB606 battery and charger
• Includes tall handlebars bracket for better control and is equipped with automatic brakes
• Includes both 2″ & 2.5/16″ ball with one quick attach custom base
• “Never Flat” solid rubber tires, u-joint for easy connection, 6 sets of steel ball bearings

✓ View or download the MANUAL for the Trailer Valet XL-50.

Overview

After releasing the incredibly successful XL, Trailer Valet decided to take things one step further with a “PRO” version of their trailer dolly. It isn’t just a regular XL with a cordless drill strapped to the side, in fact you can’t convert your base XL model into a PRO version, even if you bolt on the exact same 60V DEWALT cordless drill. While they might be similar on a fundamental level, the frame of the XL-PRO is beefier and larger to sustain heavier tongue weights. It also has a better anti-corrosion powder coating, so if you live near coastal areas or work in humid environments the PRO makes a lot of sense. It costs more than twice as much, but the level of convenience that you gain is priceless.

VIDEO | How to Install & Operate — Trailer Valet XL-PRO

Think about it, if you have to move your camper or horse trailer more than once a month and you have a really narrow driveway or crowded shop into which you cannot fit a heavy duty pickup truck, would you be willing to wind up a hand crank while hunched over for several minutes at a time? This is a big deal if you’re a tall person, anyone above 6’2” will have trouble bending down and moving their trailer with the regular XL model which stands just 24” tall.

Yeah, the compact nature of the original Trailer Valet XL is what made it stand out from the rest of the trailer dollies in the market, but that same design feature can be a hindrance depending on how tall or old you are. If you’re dealing with back problems or have sore knees, the last thing you want to do is bend over for several minutes while winding a hand crank to pull a 10,000 pound trailer across the driveway or workshop. And that is with just one trailer, what if you own more than one? Let’s say you run a woodworking business, you have a utility trailer with all your tools and workbenches that you drive to the jobsite. For the weekends, you have another trailer so you can take your boat out to the lake for some fishing. Maybe you also own a camper or travel trailer, so the entire family goes on the occasional cross country road trip to visit the Grand Canyon or Disneyland.

Worth the Money — Valet XL-PRO

Imagine how frustrating would it be to manually crank the trailer dolly every time you need to get one of your trailers out of the way so you can pull the other one out. And things get even worse if your driveway has an incline to it, so you have to work extra hard to push your 30 foot long travel trailer up into the garage. You might not have the muscular arms of a bodybuilder, or you’re simply too old for this kind of manual labor. Situations like these showcase the value of having an electrically assisted trailer dolly which does all the work for you. It is taller than the XL, so you don’t have to bend over. The bicycle- style handlebars help you maintain a positive grip at all times, and the conveniently placed trigger gives you great control over the motion of the drive wheels.

The bearings have been updated, it now uses stainless steel bearings for increased load bearing capacity and higher durability even with sustained heavy workloads. Which means, the XL- PRO is guaranteed to last longer than the base XL model. It is also equipped with a beefier steel frame to support the extra 200 pounds of tongue weight that this unit is rated for, compared to the XL (1200 pounds vs 1000 pounds of tongue weight). Even if you aren’t towing a larger trailer, that additional tongue weight capacity allows you to load up more cargo in the boot of your SUV without having to worry about crossing the weight limits.

VIDEO | Worth the Money — Valet XL-Pro

In addition, you can detach the 60V cordless drill by removing a couple of bolts. Trailer Valet sells two versions of the XL- PRO dolly, one with the DEWALT FLEXVOLT DCD460B 60V drill, and the other one is just the dolly without a drill. The drill itself is a commercial grade unit with a brushless DC motor and 60V lithium ion battery pack. It is dual speed (0- 300/ 0- 1250 RPM) and is equipped with a special reactionary clutch which detects bind ups or stalls and manages the drill speed until you regain drill control.

The Trailer Valet XL-PRO also has an automatic braking feature just like all the other Trailer Valet dollies, but this is an improved iteration of the highly renowned safety feature. Unlike in the XL, which applies the brakes instantly once you release the handle, the XL-PRO has a gradual braking system which incrementally raises braking force over a short period of time to safeguard the ball joint and coupler from shock damage. If you are pushing the RV up an incline and accidentally let go of the handlebars, no need to worry- the dolly will automatically stop a major accident from happening by stopping the trailer dead in its tracks.

VIDEO | See how easy the Trailer Valet XL-Pro is to use

If you’re in the trailer moving business, you will greatly appreciate the quick connect ball attachment. Unlike conventional trailer dollies which require you to reconnect the ball and coupler for every trailer that you move, with the XL PRO you can simply purchase a bunch of XL ball bases, and preinstall them into the trailer tongue so that whenever you need to move any of the trailers, you just pullup with the Trailer Valet and seat the ball in the cradle of the dolly. One locking pin later, you are ready to move the trailer to your towing vehicle. With a standard trailer dolly, you would have to go through a lengthy process of lowering the trailer jack, securing the ball mount, etc. for each individual trailer. A quick connect ball attachment is a true improvement. Not only do you simplify the hitching process, but you also save money since you can move more trailers in the same amount of time.

— Learn more by visiting the Trailer Valet site.

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Trailer Valet XL | Trailer Dolly

Compatible with the majority of trailers between 4,000-10,000 lbs (400-1,000 lbs tongue weight). Three gear system.

Includes : Drill Attachment, Spanner Wrench, and our Patented Ball Mount.

Features :

• Patented ball attachment mechanism for quick attachment
• Solid “never-flat” tires
• Greater gear reduction to make cranking easier
• Drill attachment that attaches to most 18-20V cordless drills
• Automatic safety brake engages if handle is dropped
• Compatible with most unmodified couplers
• Steering handle makes it easier to move around
• Designed for safe use on solid flat surfaces
• Wheel size: 9.25″
• Tongue max weight: 1,000 lbs.
• Trailer max weight: 10,000 lbs.
• Weight: 55 lbs.
• Maximum dimensions: 29” H x 13” L x 7.5”

✓ View or download the MANUAL for the Trailer Valet XL.

Overview

Unless you own an RV dealership or haul cargo, you probably don’t do a whole lot of trailer moving. Which basically means you don’t have to hitch and unhitch many trailers on a regular basis. If its just the occasional family road trip once every few months, you can get by with a Trailer Valet XL. No need to spend extra cash on the PRO model, when you don’t move your trailer more than once a month. Even if you own 2 trailers, for example- a boat trailer and an RV, this will still get the job done. You can always ease up the process by using a 20V cordless drill, since the Trailer Valet XL comes with a special drill attachment which lets you drive the wheels without having to tediously turn a hand crank. Not only will a drill speed up the rate at which you can move your trailer, but it also helps lower the strain on your arms and back.

VIDEO Review | A Closer Look at the Trailer Valet XL Design

Note that the drill itself isn’t provided alongside the Trailer Valet XL, it just comes with a free drill attachment. This attachment replaces the hand crank and will fit on any ½” or 3/8” power drill, it doesn’t have to be a cordless model. But we recommend you use a cordless drill, because there is less chance of tripping over the wire which can result in a nasty accident while tugging 10,000 pounds of trailer just a few inches from your body. A cordless drill also gives you additional range, so if you have a 40 X 60 foot shop it might be the only choice. There is no way you are getting your trailer from one side of that shop to the other with a wired drill driving the wheels of your Trailer Valet XL.

There are 2 spindles protruding out of the frame on both sides of the Trailer Valet XL, the top spindle is low gear and the bottom one is high gear. Low gear is for inclines, both when climbing as well as descending. Gear ratio in this mode is 27 to 1. The high gear is for paved surfaces with no incline where you want higher movement speed for the trailer, so you can get it to the parking spot or tow vehicle faster. Gear ratio in this mode is 11 to 1. Note that the drill bit is not supposed to be used on inclines, you should use the hand crank instead.

For high gear, you will have to bend down a little more which can be strenuous on your back so beware of this fact if you’re tall or have back problems. If bending down is an issue for you, consider the Trailer Valet XL PRO instead. The extra price you pay now is going to save you thousands in surgery costs later down the line, you don’t want to end up with dislocated spinal disks or a ruptured hernia. Don’t over-exert yourself and be careful not to pull the trailer up an incline with the Trailer Valet XL. On inclines, you should always push the trailer up with the trailer in front of you.

The Trailer Valet XL is available with both 2” and 2-5/16” quick connect hitch balls, depending on what style of coupler your trailer uses. Maximum tongue weight supported by this dolly is 1000 pounds, which is nearly twice as much compared to a manual trailer dolly like the MaxxHaul or Tow Tuff. Gross trailer weight limit is 10,000 pounds so you should be able to move most campers and travel trailers up to 30 feet long with the Trailer Valet XL dolly. Be careful with dual axle trailers though, it will have a harder time pivoting those around. It tugs trailers just fine on gravel and grass, thanks to the dual 9” solid rubber wheels with deep treads.

To facilitate turning, one wheel lifts up slightly and freely rotates in the air while the load bearing wheel provides maximum traction. Once the turn is complete, both wheels make contact with the ground once again for linear movements (pulling/ pushing). Don’t attempt to move your trailer on loose dirt using the Trailer Valet, especially inclines with mud or grass on the surface. The automatic brakes on this dolly are pretty good, but two 9” wheels don’t provide nearly enough traction to stop a travel trailer from sliding downhill if the surface consists of loose dirt.

VIDEO | How to Use the Trailer Valet XL

https://youtu.be/ylXfTsnE4zc

The Trailer Valet XL weighs just 60 pounds and has a front carry handle located next to the wheels, so you can grip it with both hands for easy transportation. The front handle also helps with positioning when you’re trying to get the hitch ball into the trailer coupler. Zinc-nickel plating on the hitch ball protects it from rusting, while the black powder coating on the steel frame carries a 500hr salt spray corrosion resistance rating.

When purchasing your Trailer Valet XL, make sure it is the V2 model (2^nd version). This one is identical to the earlier version in terms of performance rating (how many pounds it can tow, tongue weight capacity, etc.) but Trailer Valet made some slight changes which increases stability while moving your trailer as well as the ruggedness of the machine. So exactly how can you tell the difference between the V1 and V2 models? Well, the most noticeable difference is in the ball mount — unlike the older Trailer Valet XL, the V2 model has an additional plate located right above the locking collar. This helps secure the hitch ball to the tongue of your trailer much more tightly, leaving very little room for play when you move your trailer.

The Trailer Valet XL V2 also comes with a superior powder coating which is rated for up to 500hrs of corrosion resistance when exposed to a salt spray test, compared to the 300 hr. rating of the previous XL model. It features solid rubber wheels, instead of pneumatic ones which you must inflate whenever they get low on pressure. Solid rubber wheels provide greater load bearing abilities and cannot be punctured, so you are less likely to run into tire problems down the road.

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Trailer Valet — RVR Series

Advanced robotic trailer dolly. Expensive but impressive and highly efficient.

Three Models to Choose From :

• RVR3 : 3,500 lbs. — Max tongue weight = 600 lbs.
• RVR5 : 5,500 lbs. — Max tongue weight = 600 lbs.
• RVR9 : 9,000 lbs. — Max tongue weight = 1000 lbs.

Features :

• With three models ranging from 3,500 lbs, 5,500 lbs, and up to 9,000 lbs, there’s a RVR for every trailer.
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery  — up to 30 minutes of runtime.
• Remote control
• RVR5 and RVR9 models includes the Trailer Valet Base + Ball Set attaching the unit to your trailer coupler. This includes interchangeable 2 inch and 2-5/16 inch hitch balls.
• The RVR3 includes a Mounting Bracket, attaching the unit to the side of your trailer frame.
• Limited stock of certified refurbished units available. Contact us for information and availability.

Overview

At first glance, this looks like something straight out of the bomb defusal squad. Attach a robotic arm to it, and you can visualize this little guy creeping up on IEDs in Afghanistan. It even has a remote control with an operating range of 40 feet, which is designed to keep the operator safe. Not from explosions, but from an RV sliding downhill. The real purpose of this robotic trailer dolly is to completely erase the physical element involved with moving a trailer the traditional way. No more need to get your hands dirty or get smothered in grease, because now you can park and turn your trailer from the comfort of a chair.

Forget asking your son or daughter to play spotter for you behind the RV, as you back it up into a corner. Now you are the operator, spotter, and driver – all at the same time. Not sure if your trailer can make it through a tight spot? Well, you can just walk over and inspect the spot yourself. The RVR has automatic braking so it will hold the trailer in place while you take your time inspecting the rear end and plotting a course.

VIDEO | A Closer Look at the skill of RVR the robotic trailer dolly

Since the built-in lithium ion battery pack allows the RVR to operate for up to 30 minutes on a single charge, you never have to worry about running out of juice in the middle of a slope. And since it uses tracks in place of wheels, the increased traction allows you to move your trailer through grass, gravel, stone, and pretty much any surface that would otherwise be impossible to traverse with a Trailer Valet XL or even the mighty Trailer Valet XL- PRO. But it does cap out at 9000 pounds of Gross Trailer Weight, so you can’t pull as much weight as the XL models. And the price is pretty high, so very few can afford the luxurious experience of watching their trailers get towed around by a robot.

If you have the money and are lazy enough this is just perfect for you. It allows for extremely precise movements, so you can back your trailer up into impossible spots and get it out of there without and trouble. The RVR uses skid steer like a tank, so it can do 360° spins on the spot without moving an inch forward or backward. This helps you hit the perfect approach angles when parking your RV, and since it features a purpose built electric motor instead of borrowing a cordless drill, the RVR can make extremely small movements at infinitely varying rates of speed. It turns and stops on a dime, and packs enough torque to drive even dual axle trailers. You can make your trailer do donuts with this robotic dolly, and 90° turns on inclines.

RVR9 — Move up to 9000 lbs.

There are currently 3 different RVR models :

• RVR3, rated for up to 3500 pounds of gross trailer weight.
• RVR5, rated for up to 5500 pounds of gross trailer weight.
• RVR9, rated for up to 9000 pounds of gross trailer weight.

The RVR3 is perfect for moving garden equipment trailers, ATV trailers, small fiberglass/ aluminum boat trailers (up to 15 feet long), and basically anything that can be handled by a class II hitch.

The RVR5 can be used for single axle horse trailers, 17 to 20 foot long campers, folding and tent trailers, etc.

The RVR9 will handle longer travel trailers, up to 30 feet in length and most campers as well as boat trailers. It may even pull some of the lighter fifth wheel models along with a few toy haulers.

The crazy thing about these robots is how light they are compared to the amount of weight they can tow. The RVR3 weighs just 45lbs but can tow up to 3500 pounds of trailer weight. The RVR5 and RVR9 weigh approximately 77lbs but can tow 5500 and 9000lbs of weight respectively. Trailer Valet has put some really heavy duty motors in these robots, along with a nice set of planetary reduction gears to maximize torque so they can handle dual axle trailers with ease. And to top it off, they are equipped with super compact aluminum bodies which keeps things light and prevents corrosion. The RVR3 comes with a mounting bracket which lets you keep it permanently attached to the trailer tongue, right next to your trailer jack.

NOTE : Do note use the RVR on inclines exceeding 5° (paved and concrete surfaces only). Don’t even try operating it on inclines with loose or unpaved surfaces. When going up a slope, make sure the RVR is pushing the trailer and not pulling it.