How to back up a pivoting axle trailer

[LouNY]

If anyone has a video of someone backing a double or triple wagon, I'd like to see it to understand how it is done. Back in the day, I knew people who would pull double hay wagons or grain wagons, but they would always unhook them and back them one at a time.

I can back a double wagon a short distance enough to jack the tongue up the slope to aid in keeping the wagon from running away.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

When I was a kid, they had contest here. Lots of guys (farmers) could back two wagons and a few could back up three, all through an S curve to win bragging rights.

I have no problem at all backing my wagon, to wherever I want,

but this combo,

not so much.

SR

 

[LHF2019]

Hate to be the one to say it, but . . .

Stories about anyone backing 3 hay wagons in anything except a very short straight line strike me as fantasy. As soon as one of them starts to turn, the tongue on the one behind it will go the other way and they're all jack-knifed within a very short distance. You can pull them forward all day long, but you just can't back a train of these hitched together.

As they say in the X-Files, "I want to believe". Fact is, the only way to back up 3 hay wagons is to pull the hitch pins and back them separately. Does anyone have a credible video of this maneuver?

Have never tried it but will say there are going to be a few out there that can. If I had 3 perfect wagons that hooked together I would no doubt try it.

I can back this rig up a considerable distance, occasionally I'll have to pull ahead to straighten up a bit.
My brother was much better at it, as is my nephew then I am. The tractor forage chopper and front steer wagon. Hay fields aren't bad, when you start opening up a corn field you may have to back it out a considerable distance to get to a spot to switch wagons without knocking down a lot of corn. Then you have a hedgerow or ditch or tree line crowding in on your left side, so no S's around.

View attachment 854628

This was the scenario I was thinking of for the above quote. This I have done.



Backing up a Kuhn double rotor rake in to a shed even presents its challenges because of the way it flexes and pivots

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Have never tried it but will say there are going to be a few out there that can. If I had 3 perfect wagons that hooked together I would no doubt try it.

I'd try, too. Even if it has already been posted that it's impossible.

 

[Texasmark]

I just got an utility trailer with two axles. The front axle pivots.
The tongue is A-Frame. It looks just like the photo attached.
While I am normally pretty good at backing up trailers -without pivoting axles- I find this one is just about impossible to back up. I don't know if it's because the tongue is too short or if it is the double pivot point that screws me up.

So for those of you whom own one of these how do you back them up?
Do I need to lengthen the tongue?DO I need to rig it so I can tie the 3-points lower arms to the tongue or do I need to fit something to lock the tongue at the 0 degree position when backing up?

Thanks in advance.


View attachment 849621

My experience is that the towing vehicle wheel base needs to be much shorter than that of the trailer. You need to have a good view of the trailer from the driver's seat and you need to immediately correct any change in direction that interferes with your anticipated task.

Best bet is to ensure that you never have to back it up. I've BTDT and it's not that hard to plan ahead.

 

[Farmer495]

Hate to be the one to say it, but . . .

Stories about anyone backing 3 hay wagons in anything except a very short straight line strike me as fantasy. As soon as one of them starts to turn, the tongue on the one behind it will go the other way and they're all jack-knifed within a very short distance. You can pull them forward all day long, but you just can't back a train of these hitched together.

As they say in the X-Files, "I want to believe". Fact is, the only way to back up 3 hay wagons is to pull the hitch pins and back them separately. Does anyone have a credible video of this maneuver?

I agree anything other than a straight line more than one is pushing it. Three would be pushing it for the most expert operator. I won't say impossible since there are some that say backing one is impossible

I haul all my bales with this combo. I've been backing wagons for decades and backing two isn't something I make a point of doing.

When unloaded I can back it up short distances in straight line, and I have backed it up in an arc to change direction to go back the way I came in a large space where I didn't have to be fussy on where the 2nd wagon tracked.

Two are not something that I can easily do in one attempt and nothing I would attempt loaded since you can't see what the 2nd wagon is doing from the seat.

 

[Farmer495]

If anyone has a video of someone backing a double or triple wagon, I'd like to see it to understand how it is done. Back in the day, I knew people who would pull double hay wagons or grain wagons, but they would always unhook them and back them one at a time.

Be a feature length film for anything other than brand new gears with no slop and a creeper reverse tractor for almost any operator. I can back two empty wagons up if in no rush and in the right mood, but if I have to put both wagons into a barn, I unhitch and back one at a time.