Adapting a trailer for use with Grillo G85

[texanjim]

Hi all,

I'm off to an auction tomorrow to see if I can find a small trailer to adapt for use with my Grillo G85. I was wondering if someone could give me some pointers as to what the best way to hitch the trailer to the tractor unit would be.

Is the best option to fabricate something to attach to the 2 bolts next to the PTO, or is using the pin hole above this a better option?

I was also wondering about the balance of the whole thing, and how it works with only 2 wheels up front on the tractor, a linkage, then the 2 wheels on the trailer. I would think this would create a pinch point at the linkage that would bind, making it difficult to steer. Any thoughts?

Also, should I be looking for a trailer with a bit of height to it, in order to create a seating area that provides enough leverage for turning the tractor unit?

So many questions! Any insight would be gratefully received.

Many thanks

 

[aczlan]

Never used a Grillo, but I tried towing a trailer behind our Gravely and looked at doing it with the BCS. From that, I would say to use a long tongue and have a shortish front - I tried a generic "lawnmower trailer" (the type with 2 wheelbarrow tires under it) and due to the short tongue length and high front on the trailer, the handles and my legs were in each others way.
Here is how the one that Earth Tools sells works:

Aaron Z

 

[oldmech]

Hi! For trailer the more simple and less expensive is garden trailer . I add a pict. No problem for turn and very stable. You can add a step for foot . Now I use a Home made VTT trailer bigger load 800lbs. Good luck Oldmech

 

[aczlan]

Hi! For trailer the more simple and less expensive is garden trailer . I add a pict. No problem for turn and very stable. You can add a step for foot . Now I use a Home made VTT trailer bigger load 800lbs. Good luck Oldmech

That would work well. My problem was that I didn't have the extension you have on the tounge and so my knees were hitting the handlebars every time I turned.

Aaron Z

 

[splitty]

I am building one like oldmechs trailer for my tractor. Does anyone know how much that pto driven trailer is? I like the wheel weights oldmech.

 

[farmerboybill]

Lots.

That, and you can't adapt one to your 735. You can't actually get one for any BCS, used or new. The only models available in the US that have powered trailer capacity are the Grillo 107d and the Grillo 131 - AND only if you buy them with the auxiliary PTO. The 107d requires a $500 kit plus $3700 trailer. The 131 requires a $350 kit and a $3700 trailer.

 

[splitty]

Wow, a lot is an understatement. But still very cool.

 

[Jens767]

Hi

I just had a look at the homepage of an Italian producer of wheel-driven trailers - Erreppi.

Erreppi - Vehicles At Work

Their model RTS 120 is sold in the US, and I'm surprised to see that it should actually fit 7 different BCS models including the BCS 735.

Does anyone by the way know the empty weight of the Erreppi RTS 120?


Best regards

Jens

 

[farmerboybill]

Hey Jens,


Being in Deutschland, they could very well be available to you. As I said, the only tractors available in the US that can be equipped with a powered trailer are Grillo. In order to power the trailer, you need to install a second PTO. No one to my knowledge offers the PTO for any other tractor currently, but that can change. The predecessor of BCS America (the one after Mainline that was based in Matthews, NC) brought in a couple tractors equipped with the powered trailer. My understanding is that it was less than 5. They didn't sell well, so they dropped them.
Of course, I'm sure someone who REALLY wanted one anywhere could order one from Erreppi and install it themselves.

 

[texanjim]

Thanks everyone for your comments. Oldmech, that is the sort of thing I was thinking about so thanks for the picture.

As it turns out, I couldn't find a trailer in my 'project' price range so will continue to keep an eye out for a suitable donor trailer for the job.

I did come back with an old potato ridger though, that I can hopefully adapt to fit on the Grillo. It looks a little larger than the shop bought versions that I've seen, but at only £10 (about 15 US Dollars), I couldn't resist. Might need to fashion some wheel weights too, will have to rummage about the yard and see what I can find.