browns40
Gold Member
Boy, I am one stupid & lucky guy...
Today I loaded the tractor onto my 18ft trailer & '95 F-150 with the bushhog on the back... by no means overloaded, but quite a different set-up than the boxblade...
Long story short, an extra 300 pounds hanging off the back of your trailer, suspended in the air (as the fold-ups wouldn't fold up unless it was!) drastically changes the balance of your trailer.
I've been towing for years--boats, campers, trailers--and I know about tongue weight, have preached about tongue weight, and made the dumbest move to date today with that trailer...
I put the tractor where I usually put it. Only the balance of the tractor was not where it usually was...
Folks, never take shortcuts, never become too accustomed to habit to watch (look at) what you're doing. That sucker started fishtailing on me, & the rear end started following it...
I tell you what, the speed at which the human mind suddenly recalls & sorts through all that is & is left undone is astounding...
I accelerated through it, then coast until going slow enough to pull over & get that tongue weight up, but it's only by the grace of God that this fool of habit did not kill someone today, beacause that tractor & trailer were dancing all over the place, & there was nothing I could do about it.
I thank whatever angels were watching over me today, and in thanks give you all this egg in the face story, in hopes it will spare you from the same situation.
Happy (& SAFE) tractoring!
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Today I loaded the tractor onto my 18ft trailer & '95 F-150 with the bushhog on the back... by no means overloaded, but quite a different set-up than the boxblade...
Long story short, an extra 300 pounds hanging off the back of your trailer, suspended in the air (as the fold-ups wouldn't fold up unless it was!) drastically changes the balance of your trailer.
I've been towing for years--boats, campers, trailers--and I know about tongue weight, have preached about tongue weight, and made the dumbest move to date today with that trailer...
I put the tractor where I usually put it. Only the balance of the tractor was not where it usually was...
Folks, never take shortcuts, never become too accustomed to habit to watch (look at) what you're doing. That sucker started fishtailing on me, & the rear end started following it...
I tell you what, the speed at which the human mind suddenly recalls & sorts through all that is & is left undone is astounding...
I accelerated through it, then coast until going slow enough to pull over & get that tongue weight up, but it's only by the grace of God that this fool of habit did not kill someone today, beacause that tractor & trailer were dancing all over the place, & there was nothing I could do about it.
I thank whatever angels were watching over me today, and in thanks give you all this egg in the face story, in hopes it will spare you from the same situation.
Happy (& SAFE) tractoring!
/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif