trailering with the Tractor facing forward or backward?

[newbury]

I know there was a thread on this last year but I CAN'T find it.

Tractor/trailer:


Tractor (4K lbs) w/ FEL (1.6K lbs) and loaded rears (1.3L lbs) I'm guessing at about 7.5K to 8K lbs, with a little fuel, chains etc.
Trailer 12K Hudson, w/ wd hitch
Tow vehicle 2002 F350 7.3 dually, w/ only about a 2K lb payload.
I've taken the canopy off for travel.

It fits either way.

The butt of my dually sinks 2.25" with the tractor backed on all the way

This is the "heaviest tongue weight" and I suspect about 15% based on my other playing around w/ tongue weights.

It sinks 1.25" with it backed on


And with it pulled all the way forward, as in the first pic, w/ bucket over the frame it sinks about 1.75".

So I can put it on either way. What does the collective TBN mind think is better? Forward or backward?

 

[George2615]

My tractor is not as heavy as yours (about 4600) but I tow mine facing fwd. I have a 20' trailer so I can move fwd or back to change tongue weight. Whatever works best for you is ok as Long as you have enough tongue weight.

 

[ovrszd]

I haul on a deckover dually GN. I can place the weight wherever it's best hauled by placing the tractor at different spots on the trailer, just as you can do. For me, it's easier to back "off" the trailer than it is to back "on" the trailer. So I always load facing forward. Nothing to do with weight distribution.

 

[Citydude]

I prefer that my trailer does the hauling and not the hitch. I try not to load the front heavy.

 

[ovrszd]

I prefer that my trailer does the hauling and not the hitch. I try not to load the front heavy.

I also agree with this. I bought my trailer to haul a load and the truck to pull it. I load to attain a good balance that pulls comfortably.

 

[Degolyerent]

I also agree with this. I bought my trailer to haul a load and the truck to pull it. I load to attain a good balance that pulls comfortably.

I agree with this also, I haul mine different with different attachments, I have a 20' trailer w/ additional dove tail. I just search for the sweet spot with each combination of attachments.

 

[hhsco]

I tow facing forward when I can. I have an underslung exhaust that exists out the back of the tractor and I like to limit the wind that blows through that could possibly wreck the turbo. I could probably just tape it or stick a sock in there.....but I KNOW I would eventually forget to cover it once....OR remove it!

 

[ovrszd]

I agree with this also, I haul mine different with different attachments, I have a 20' trailer w/ additional dove tail. I just search for the sweet spot with each combination of attachments.

I haul my tractor with FEL the most. I've got a paint mark on the trailer deck to set my front tire on so I get it right the first time.

 

[ovrszd]

I tow facing forward when I can. I have an underslung exhaust that exists out the back of the tractor and I like to limit the wind that blows through that could possibly wreck the turbo. I could probably just tape it or stick a sock in there.....but I KNOW I would eventually forget to cover it once....OR remove it!

I wonder how much of an impact that is?? I see new tractors and construction equipment going down the hiway on trailers all the time with exhaust facing forward and no cover. The last two graders my township has bought were delivered hauled backward with the exhaust facing forward and no cover. Beats me??

 

[s219]

It doesn't matter to me as long as the tongue weight is right. I see a lot of cases where it's obviously way off (and many pictures here on the forum of first time owners bringing home a used tractor where it's real obvious the tongue weight is wrong). I'd rather have part of the tractor hanging off the back, or part dangling over the front of the trailer if that's what it takes to get tongue weight right.

You can buy a tongue weight scale, or rig up a method with a bathroom scale, some bricks, and a board (setup as a lever to limit what the scale reads to it's range). I've never done that myself, but wondered. What I did early on was to eyeball the suspension drop with my empty trailer, and then let it drop a little more with the tractor on (knowing the weights of both situations and aiming for 10% or so). Springs do compress linearly, so it's possible you could calibrate a method based on drop alone, if you have the time.

At a bare minimum, you should see more drop on the loaded trailer than the empty trailer. That's a basic sanity check. Common sense, but I see loaded trailers with too little or negative tongue weight all the time, so obviously folks don't check that.

I noticed when trailering my B2920 nearly every weekend for 1.5 years that it sure started harder after the 20 minute ride to our new property in cold weather, even if it had just started fine during loading up earlier. I assume the cold air blowing over the battery and engine had some effect. I have not trailered my newer L3200 enough in cold weather to notice if it behaves the same way.