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Old 09-14-2020, 08:04 AM   #2
Bill
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
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I have not actually laid hands on a 2922, so take this with a grain of salt, based on my experience with 3 swing-hitch 2720s.

I don't think I've seen anything about an overall length shorter than 20 feet with the hitch moved aside. Based on my experience, it might even be a half inch or inch longer. If that is a make-or-break amount, you are right - you need an actual measurement.

A somewhat drastic approach is to buy a 2922 with a standard (non-swing) hitch. Find a welder who will take off a section of the trailer's A-frame, just a bit longer than the factory takes off. Then he will fabricate a swing hitch that is a little deeper than the factory's 2 feet, and mount it on the cut ends. At least one of our member did this - not specifically to change the trailer's overall length, but to enable him to buy an attractive non-folding used unit. You can find his story with careful use of the Search tool.

The rear bumper is not bolted on. It is welded. I imagine you could find a welder who would take it off, shorten the frame members a couple inches, and put it back on. As long as you don't take off too much - don't cut it shorter than the body of the rear shell above it - I don't see a big problem here.

A different possibility might be to modify the back wall of the garage, to create a niche in the wall that would let you back the TM in just a couple inches more. The depth of the niche would have to be small, because you can't have it intrude into the interior of the house behind the niche. If the wall is framed with 2x6's, this ought to work reasonably simply. If it is older, and framed with 2x4s, it might be tougher, but maybe still do-able. A carpenter could take off the drywall (that's 5/8 inch right there!), remove the bottom 2 (or so) feet of the studs - or leave them in place but cut them narrower - then put in a support beam under the cut ends, and cover the modified studs with some code-acceptable wall covering to replace the drywall with something thinner. You might need a structural engineer to oversee this change, and the permit process, if any, could be involved.

Did you ask about height? That question usually refers to the height of the open garage door, and is an easier issue to deal with.

Bill
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