MoKelly
Super Member
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- Oct 30, 2009
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Advice needed for road travel while pulling a trailer
- Thread starter kiotiken
- Start date
- Views: 14083
OP
kiotiken
Veteran Member
OK, you're all right about this. I've looked into a U-haul truck/trailer with a 6K# capacity and can get one on Sunday for under $100. Since I have to take my tractor to load (the building owner is not willing to load for me), pulling my friends trailer with my tractor and having my wife drive the U-haul would get it done in one load.
I don't think I'm going to go that way. Here's my current plan (all thoughts are welcome but I already know I'm nuts). Granite is very easy to weigh, you just take the sq/ft and multiply by 18 (for 1.25" granite). That will let me load the trailer fairly precisely to 5000#. At that point, I'll make a judgement call. If the pile is almost gone, I'll load 1000-2000# on to my pallet forks and take it extra slow and easy. I would stack the rest on a pallet and come back with the trailer and my van and ask the owner to load the rest for me. He really wants it all gone (that was part of the deal) and at that point, I'll have 20X the granite I'll ever use, so I have no problem walking away if he refuses. If I load 5000# and the pile is only half done, I'll make two trips, which I expect would make it a 10hr day at the minimum.
"Sounds like you are getting $10K worth of granite for free, so a couple hundred for a truck/trailer is a no brainer." - at the prices I just paid for granite for my kitchen, I'm getting about $28000 worth of granite for $200 :thumbsup: Of course, that was cut and the edges were finished, but I love learning new tricks. The reason NOBODY else has taken this is that there isn't a full slab left. One is 6'X10', but has a crack at the top edge, none of the others are full slabs, some are close. Granite guys only want full slabs and preferably two from the same lot to do a full kitchen. Our kitchen was 2 slabs and they were able to match all the seams in the stone because they were consecutive pieces from the same block.
I finished step one last night. I finally got around to building a 3pt hitch receiver. Been done a million times here on TBN, but here's my version. May actually get some paint on it when all this is over.
Also, here's a pic of the granite. It doesn't really show how much is actually there and there's more lying on the ground.
I don't think I'm going to go that way. Here's my current plan (all thoughts are welcome but I already know I'm nuts). Granite is very easy to weigh, you just take the sq/ft and multiply by 18 (for 1.25" granite). That will let me load the trailer fairly precisely to 5000#. At that point, I'll make a judgement call. If the pile is almost gone, I'll load 1000-2000# on to my pallet forks and take it extra slow and easy. I would stack the rest on a pallet and come back with the trailer and my van and ask the owner to load the rest for me. He really wants it all gone (that was part of the deal) and at that point, I'll have 20X the granite I'll ever use, so I have no problem walking away if he refuses. If I load 5000# and the pile is only half done, I'll make two trips, which I expect would make it a 10hr day at the minimum.
"Sounds like you are getting $10K worth of granite for free, so a couple hundred for a truck/trailer is a no brainer." - at the prices I just paid for granite for my kitchen, I'm getting about $28000 worth of granite for $200 :thumbsup: Of course, that was cut and the edges were finished, but I love learning new tricks. The reason NOBODY else has taken this is that there isn't a full slab left. One is 6'X10', but has a crack at the top edge, none of the others are full slabs, some are close. Granite guys only want full slabs and preferably two from the same lot to do a full kitchen. Our kitchen was 2 slabs and they were able to match all the seams in the stone because they were consecutive pieces from the same block.
I finished step one last night. I finally got around to building a 3pt hitch receiver. Been done a million times here on TBN, but here's my version. May actually get some paint on it when all this is over.
Also, here's a pic of the granite. It doesn't really show how much is actually there and there's more lying on the ground.
Gil Case
Gold Member
Seems to me this project is the epitome of penny wise and pound foolish, a saying of which I very familiar, since I am one of those guys who are not allowed to go to the dump alone because we come home with more than we drop off.
However, even for me, the potential for disaster (using only the tractor) in this project far outweighs the benefits. I agree with the "rent a big rack body truck, load it with the tractor and have a safe trip home" crowd.
However, even for me, the potential for disaster (using only the tractor) in this project far outweighs the benefits. I agree with the "rent a big rack body truck, load it with the tractor and have a safe trip home" crowd.
OP
kiotiken
Veteran Member
Isssh, tough crowd. I expected a few people on TBN to be as crazy as me. You guys are scaring me into considering two very manageable 3500# loads. It would take all day, but I can't imagine it could damage the tractor, me or anybody else. It would give me two loads about the size I originally thought I would have and I seemed to get the green light from you guys on that. I'm going to start loading and see how the whole thing feels at 3500#, see how much is left and get a feel how the load feels on the trailer. Two loads would suck, but not as much as breaking the tractor or being in a run away tractor that I can't control.
Xfaxman
Super Star Member
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Ignorance can be cured, stupidity is forever.
Do you have a SMV sign for the trailer?
krazsk
Silver Member
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- Oct 28, 2009
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Ken,
I'm with you, everybody here is chicken to hillbilly engineer stuff. My only comment is that I think I would try to bolt the ball hitch right to the drawbar if possible. I'd be a little concerned about the 3 point. But you do have to report in how this went. The best stories come when you almost kill yourself but survive (and get the granite home)
Good Luck
I'm with you, everybody here is chicken to hillbilly engineer stuff. My only comment is that I think I would try to bolt the ball hitch right to the drawbar if possible. I'd be a little concerned about the 3 point. But you do have to report in how this went. The best stories come when you almost kill yourself but survive (and get the granite home)
Good Luck
joshuabardwell
Elite Member
Here's my opinion on that.
If you do use the drawbar or the three-point, for goodness's sake, look up the max tongue weight/three-point weight and see if you're exceeding it, okay? Heck, for all we know, your tractor has a tow rating.
OP
kiotiken
Veteran Member
Well, the trailer has a pintle hitch so I have to use my friends hitch and a receiver on my 3pt hitch, there's no way to bolt it to the draw bar and that would set the trailer far to low.
I'll report how this goes. In fact, if anybody's interested, I'm going to start posting my progress around 5:30 tomorrow morning. Don't worry if you sleep through the first few updates, they'll just be getting there but I should start loading by 7 if all goes to plan.
Last edited:
Xfaxman
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2013
- Messages
- 12,883
- Location
- Guthrie, OK
- Tractor
- Toolcat 5610 G - Bobcat V417 - TORO+Loader
Good Luck.
Run a chain from the drawbar to the top of your 3 point hitch.
It is the law here (and a good idea) that the safety chains must be crossed under the tongue.
sam5570
Veteran Member
this is why I am on tbn the people here will help you in any way and not incourage you to put your life and other people in danger. now listen to them please