ignorance is not bliss.

   / ignorance is not bliss. #1  

Knobby1

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Dec 10, 2008
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As a mooching no good who has always been fortunate enough to borrow or use someone else's tractor :eek:, I am now in the market for one of my own. I have done a bit of trailering before but not anything the size of a 4000lb tractor. Any tips that might not be obvious to a neophyte hauler that would help me from having to learn all the tractor trailering lessons the hard way:eek: would be greatly appreciated :D
 
   / ignorance is not bliss. #2  
Read all the post you can find here on trailering first. The simple things are you will need a minimum of a 16' tandem axle trailer with brakes for a 4,000# trailer. Of course you will need good chains and binders or as I prefer ratchet straps and axle straps to secure it to the trailer. For a vehicle a newer 1/2 ton or a older 3/4 ton truck will do the job. It needs to be in good order with a tow package and a Reese style hitch. Consult your owners manual for the tow rig to make sure it has the tow capacity to handle your expected load(tractor, trailer, and implements). I am guessing you will be in the 6,000 to 6,500 pound area once all is included.

Chris
 
   / ignorance is not bliss.
  • Thread Starter
#3  
Thanks, I currently have a 2005 F-150 with the 5.4L 3 valve gas engine and tow package. I think it will pull something similar to what you are describing. At this point I am concerned about the process of securing the tractor to the trailer, will need to do some snooping to see how others are doing this.
 
   / ignorance is not bliss. #4  
You are buying your first tractor and are asking about trailering? Is it to get it home or will you be moving it with implements a good bit? If so do take the size and weight of the implement into careful consideration on the math. Depending on what you have been hauling a good bit you may find: center of gravity is higher with tractor, people will steal them and they are hard to track, need a trailer easy to load and UNLOAD from with implement if hauling.
 
   / ignorance is not bliss. #5  
If you use chains, use transport grade. TSC has them as do many dealers. If scratches are a big deal to you, see if you can get some old firehose from the local FD to run the chains through.
 
   / ignorance is not bliss.
  • Thread Starter
#6  
thanks again; I know I will want to move this thing around more than I realize at this time, I can likely get it delivered initially but am figuring I'll want to move it for various reasons as time goes on. It would likely have loader and or mower behind it, jeez. More weight. Yeah I don't like scratches from stuff like hauling, in use thats life. So I'd likely try to keep from screwing it up when strapping it down.
 
   / ignorance is not bliss. #7  
If your F-150 has 3.55 gears your tow rating will be in the 7,000# area. If it has 3.73 gears it will be up around 9,000# and if it is a rare F-150 with 4.10 gears it will have a tow rating around 9,500#. Remember these numbers are about and not the real deal. You need to get your manual out and look. It will ask you questions like cab model, bed length, 4x4 or 2 wheel drive, engine size, gear ratio, tow package or not.

You have answered some of the question. Its a F-150 5.4 with tow package. Now you need to answer the cab/bed/4x4 or not/gear ratio questions.

Chris
 
   / ignorance is not bliss.
  • Thread Starter
#8  
according to owner's manual; with my gear ratio (3.55) and wheel size (18"), my F-150 max trailer wt would be 8000 lbs.
 
   / ignorance is not bliss. #9  
Hi,

I was in your shoes not long ago, so I'm happy to help. I've learned a couple things the hard way too, so please learn from my mistakes!!

Ensure your truck, hitch, and trailer are all compatible with the weight you plan to haul. Buy more trailer than you ever think you'll need. I'd suggest at least a 10k trailer. Your tractor + FEL will be at least 5K, plus whatever implement(s) you take. The useful load of a 10K trailer will be ~7500lbs. (useful load = (trailer capacity) x 1.1 - empty weight of trailer. The 1.1 is the 10% of the weight that is transferred to the truck on a perfectly balanced tag style trailer.

As mentioned above, be sure and account for implement AND front end loader weight. The weight in my tractor manual does not include the FEL, and I think it adds ~1500lbs.

I use 4 chains and boomers to hold mine down, one on each corner. I attach to my rear hitch, and to the front brush guard. It should be pulled down tight with the boomers (the tires should squish a little bit).

Drive slow!! Allow at least double your standard stopping distance.

Make wide turns. Don't pull into anywhere that'll be tough to get out of, like the Safeway parking lot I pulled my GN into....:eek:

Develop a mental checklist when you connect you trailer to ensure that you never forget to do up the safety chains, or lock the ball down.

You'll have to learn to balance your tractor front to back on the trailer so that there isn't too much weight on the trailer tongue/truck, or that it's not lifting the tongue due to the tractor being too far back. I don't know of a scientific way to do this without a truck scale, I just eyeball it. If anyone can tell me a proper way to do this, I'd be interested.

Hope that helps.

-Jer.
 
   / ignorance is not bliss.
  • Thread Starter
#10  
thanks for the info on this Jer, the trailer part of this I think I can take care of and as you say, more is bound to be better, its really the actual securing of the machine onto it that has me spooked. I really don't care to see $25,000 worth of orange metal cartwheeling behind me down the road !! I recall once following some hotdog hauling a new v-8 engine strapped in the back of a dually pickup, he took a corner pretty fast, but the engine went straight, over the side of the truck, across the shoulder of the road and thru a barbwire fence, then about 50 yds into a pasture. I've never forgot that and figure safe is a **** of a lot better than sorry. Thanks again for the info !
 
 
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