David_Kb7uns
Veteran Member
I would look into a converter dolly and move it with a tractor or the dump truck with a pintle hitch. Where you getting the air for the brakes?
David Kb7uns
David Kb7uns
Tractor moving a semi trailer
- Thread starter jimmyj
- Start date
alchemy
Bronze Member
I got it moved. Hired someone with a regular size case back hoe. It stretched it's limits since the back wheels of the back hoe were off the ground most of the time and had to slide the landing gear "lightly." That trailer is a 45' with a GVWR of 60,000 and and GVR2 of 19,000. The 19,000 has to be the empty weight. It also had about 2000# of stuff in it. I released the brakes by installing a simple valive and air hose fitting then charging from my compressor, shutting the valve, then removing the air line from the compressor. I initially had both lines tee'd from the valve but the back hoe guy said just one releases and the other actually applies pressure when driving so I ended up only needing to pressurize 1 line. We had to switch the lines til we found which one released the brakes. I connected the valve to the heavy nylon or plastic 3/8 line that goes to the the air holding tanks near the axles using just a peice of air line and hose clamps after I unsrewed the line at the compression union. Just one pressurization of 120PSI held plenty long enough and the brakes are probably still released several hours later.
Belive it or not, I had to move it away from a dock and park it somewhere so I could get another truck to the dock to unload a 7500# forklift I just bought. I tried the forklift on it later just testing it and it lifted the trailer with no strain as high as I wanted even at idle speed. I think even smaller hard tire 5000# forklifts would lift it easily.
Belive it or not, I had to move it away from a dock and park it somewhere so I could get another truck to the dock to unload a 7500# forklift I just bought. I tried the forklift on it later just testing it and it lifted the trailer with no strain as high as I wanted even at idle speed. I think even smaller hard tire 5000# forklifts would lift it easily.
alchemy
Bronze Member
confirmed! I later moved it easily with the 7500# outdoor forklift (4 wheels in front) while it had 3000-5000# of stuff in it near the tongue (front). Again, this was a heavier 45' trailer. That even moved it alot easier than the full size case backhoe. A 3000-5000# forklift would probably also work as long as you had traction. Even though the traction was good enough to "skid" it without releasing the brakes, the brakes were released using one charge from an air tank with one 100-120 fill and a shut off valve installed for when the air tank is removed. There is only one of the two lines you pressure. If you pressure the other line it actually puts the brakes on.
I was moving on fairly flat ground and didn't use a chain. Once you release the brakes you want to consider the trailer could get away from you and to assure that can't happen. A chain would work but if it was set wrong and the trailer started rolling it could flip you.
I was moving on fairly flat ground and didn't use a chain. Once you release the brakes you want to consider the trailer could get away from you and to assure that can't happen. A chain would work but if it was set wrong and the trailer started rolling it could flip you.