Towing my Kubota B26

[Carl Bert]

I was recently told that NYS is really cracking down on trailer violations. He said they have been setting up more check points and have increased the fines. You would think they had enough real crime on their hands to keep them busy, but I guess not.

Anyway I am towing a 4000 lb B26 on an 18' double axle trailer, rated for 7000 lb capacity. The trailer is in like new condition and has brakes on all four wheels. I fasten the tractor with a regulation chain front and rear. I strap down the front bucket and the backhoe bucket to the trailer. The trailer has a break away system. It does not have a fire extinguisher.

I tow this set up with a Chevy Tahoe, which I believe has a towing capacity of 6700 lbs. As I said the tractor is 4000 lbs and the trailer is about 2500 lbs, so I realize I am just getting by with the Tahoe.

Am I missing anything and is a fire extinguisher required to be mounted to the trailer?

 

[bigtiller]

It's so good to see you wright about your efforts to be safe. Too many people in todays world just throw a rope around the steering wheel and say it's heavy, it'll never move.

The fire extinguisher is a good idea but probably not required. I have carried one in my pick-up for many years.

 

[jeffsw6]

I personally think you should have the tractor chained at all four corners, and it should be chained to mounting points intended for cargo loads, not stake pockets or something like that.

Check the tow rating on the Tahoe, it might be higher than you think. You should be within tongue weight also, and your hitch and ball mount have weight ratings that you also must obey.

I doubt you are required to have the fire extinguisher, but if you really want to carry around safety items, some reflective triangles don't take up a lot of room. I have a friend whose insurance requires him to use orange cones whenever he parks his trailer. If his giant white racing trailer gets hit while parked and they can somehow prove he didn't have his little orange cone out, no insurance check. Go figure! Those cones can be helpful when backing up to park though.

 

[brokenknee]

I was recently told that NYS is really cracking down on trailer violations. He said they have been setting up more check points and have increased the fines. You would think they had enough real crime on their hands to keep them busy, but I guess not.

Anyway I am towing a 4000 lb B26 on an 18' double axle trailer, rated for 7000 lb capacity. The trailer is in like new condition and has brakes on all four wheels. I fasten the tractor with a regulation chain front and rear. I strap down the front bucket and the backhoe bucket to the trailer. The trailer has a break away system. It does not have a fire extinguisher.

I tow this set up with a Chevy Tahoe, which I believe has a towing capacity of 6700 lbs. As I said the tractor is 4000 lbs and the trailer is about 2500 lbs, so I realize I am just getting by with the Tahoe.

Am I missing anything and is a fire extinguisher required to be mounted to the trailer?

Do you use the tractor in a business? Are you using the tractor for farming? If the answer is yes to either you will need a fire extinguisher and triangles, you my also need a health card and a dot #.

It sounds like you have enough chains on it, yes bucket and backhoe need to be chained down. You have to secure the tractor for half the weight, so a 4000 lbs tractor would need chains and binders rated at least 2000 lbs. If you get full or half credit depends on how you chain the tractor. If you go from one side of the trailer to the other side you get credit for the full rating of the chain and binder. If you go from one side of the trailer to the tractor back to the same side of the trailer you only get half credit.

It is only necessary to chain all four corners if the load is over 10,000 pounds.


You say you have break away breaks, make sure the cable is attached to the towing vehicle and NOT the safety chain.

These are rules required by 49CFR of the federal trucking code.

edit: these may or may not apply to you depending on how you use your tractor. Also your state may have stricter rules.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Sounds good to me. No extinguisher needed.

Chris

 

[brokenknee]

Sounds good to me. No extinguisher needed.

Chris

depends on how he is using his tractor.

 

[newbury]

<snip>
Anyway I am towing a 4000 lb B26 on an 18' double axle trailer, rated for 7000 lb capacity. The trailer is in like new condition and has brakes on all four wheels. I fasten the tractor with a regulation chain front and rear. I strap down the front bucket and the backhoe bucket to the trailer. The trailer has a break away system. It does not have a fire extinguisher.

I tow this set up with a Chevy Tahoe, which I believe has a towing capacity of 6700 lbs. As I said the tractor is 4000 lbs and the trailer is about 2500 lbs, so I realize I am just getting by with the Tahoe.

Am I missing anything and is a fire extinguisher required to be mounted to the trailer?

Yes you are missing something. When I just looked up the weight of the tractor it was 4,001 lbs. Now add fuel that's in it (55 lbs?), chains and straps (80 lbs?), a spare 5gal can of fuel? (40lb?) and the weight starts creeping up. With a toolbox on the trailer you could easily be pushing 6,700 lbs.

Then compare it to the towing guide that Trailer Life put's out (here's a quick cut from the 2008 year)

Chevy Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon,
Yukon XL, Yukon Denali and Yukon XL Denali,
1500 Series
Vehicle Engine Tow Limit (LB)
Tahoe/Yukon 2WD 4.8L V-8 4,500 (d)
Tahoe/Yukon 2WD 4.8L V-8 6,500 (g)
Tahoe/Yukon 2WD 5.3L V-8 6,500 (d)
Tahoe/Yukon 2WD 5.3L V-8 7,500 (g)
Tahoe/Yukon 4WD 5.3L V-8 7,200 (g)
Tahoe/Yukon 4WD 5.3L V-8 8,200 (i)
)

The 2008 Tahoe runs from 4,500 to 8,200lbs. Other years will likely vary.

And now comes the REAL clinker, I don't know about New York laws but in some of the states I travel thru it's the RATING of the trailer and the RATING of the vehicle. They can ticket you if your Tahoe is rated at 6,500lbs and the trailer is rated at 7,000 lbs EVEN IF THE TRAILER IS EMPTY. That's why when I went to buy a truck I made sure it was rated for what my trailer was rated for (12,000lbs).

So if the County needs the money they might be able to ticket you for towing the empty trailer.

/edit - Also check your hitch rating and your balls, a lot of 6,000 lb rated balls are sold with hitches, you need a stronger ball. Then keep the extinguisher in the truck. Good luck, look clean and proper and you will probably get by.

 

[Carl Bert]

Do you use the tractor in a business? Are you using the tractor for farming? If the answer is yes to either you will need a fire extinguisher and triangles, you my also need a health card and a dot #.
.

No, it's just for my own use, and once in a while a family member needs to borrow it. I also forgot to mention that I do not have commercial plates on the Tahoe, not sure if that makes a difference.

Thanks

 

[newbury]

Well I know from my Dad's experience NY enforces laws strangely. My Dad had a small GM van, about the size of the old Dodge B150, fitted as a passenger van. But because Vermont REQUIRED it to carry a truck tag it did. He was stopped on the Passaic Parkway and got a heavy fine because it was posted as "No Trucks". He couldn't get out of the ticket even in court.