Buddy clinically dead

[aczlan]

This is true. If you look close in the pictures, it is a tandem dual 20k gooseneck trailer. It would be difficult to position a backhoe on that trailer so that it didn't have enough tongue weight. He did do a good job chaining it on the trailer though. It sure didn't go anywhere.

Are you sure on the gooseneck part? The pictures of the accident and where the trailer ended up in relation to the truck make it look a lot like a tag trailer as does the fishtailing part.

Either way, it looks to me like the back tire of the backhoe was probably on or behind the rear axle of the trailer (based on where the beginning of the dovetail is in relation to the back tire of the backhoe as seen in the story) making the nose of trailer very light:

Now, compare that picture to one of a similar backhoe on a tag trailer:

It appears that the backhoe in the accident was on a trailer similar in length to this one, but was back a foot or two more than this one (as measured by the distance from the bucket to the front of the trailer and the distance from the backhoe's back tires to the beginning of the dovetail).

It is possible that the backhoe shifted in transit or during the accident (if it wasn't chained down properly), but I doubt it as the chains that I can see look like they were well placed if if they were loose, they would have probably snapped from the shockload.

I am glad that he is recovering, but I suspect that this accident might have been preventable with proper trailer loading.

Aaron Z

 

[slowzuki]

Looks like a bumper pull and looks to be loaded too far to the rear, the hoe is hanging over the rear of the trailer. Centre of mass is barely in front of the rear tires on these machines.

10,000 lbs is fine on a 350 when setup right. If I'm towing over loaded, which it appears he was as the trailer looks like a small float, am I going to head out on the freeway at 70 mph? Nope.

 

[Kyle241]

Sorry to hear about your friend. Personally I would not tow a full sized backhoe with a 1 ton either. I don't like heavy loads on the back and I've driven a 40ft RV with pickup attached for years and it works because the RV outweighs the truck by 8 to 1. Having a BH with a 1 ton just doesn't seem like enough truck but others have stated if loaded correctly it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Army grunt]

sorry to hear about your friend. I have a "CDL" got mine in 68 when you only needed to be driving a rig an have your employer sign you up. At that time my rule of thumb when i was told to pull something was really simple after checking the rig an tie downs excepting it was all ok. pull whatever up to speed. apply the trailer brakes(only the tr brakes)if it stopped ok then all is ok. if it didn't its not road worthy.I wouldn't pull it. job or not.
Just my $00.o2 worth
Army Grunt

 

[slowzuki]

Flat towing a vehicle, even with integrated braking is really tough, the dynamics of a flat tow cause the tow vehicle to get pushed around hard.

Looking up 4wd 580 weights, a modern one weighs up to just about 18,000 lbs. Over loaded with a bad weight distribution is a bad combo.

Sorry to hear about your friend. Personally I would not tow a full sized backhoe with a 1 ton either. I don't like heavy loads on the back and I've driven a 40ft RV with pickup attached for years and it works because the RV outweighs the truck by 8 to 1. Having a BH with a 1 ton just doesn't seem like enough truck but others have stated if loaded correctly it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[dodge man]

I've seen a lot of backhoes towed to job sites. If that isn't a goose neck, I bet its a pintle(??) hitch setup. I've always seen a tandem axle dump truck pulling a load like that.

 

[High Compression]

It looks like a pintle to me too. (even more insane) It also looks like a Deere 310 or 410 not a 580 now that I blow up the pic. I went off what I was told by my other friend that talked to him. Regardless, I don't mean to preach. I'm not perfect and I have done stupid things in my younger years. We ALL just need to step back and take a second look sometimes and make sure that we're not going to make a mistake that will cause someone else grief, pain and suffering. And we can't always trust what the truck tag says. Sometimes a little common sense has to come into play. Happy tractoring, towing, living.:thumbsup:

 

[clemsonfor]

All you guys are making good points. When you think about liability the manufactures are robably a little liberal on the tow weights.

But along what Dpiolt said, if you cant ever tow more than 10K, 1/3 to half all the campers on the road would have to be pulled by F-450to650 trucks which pretty much NO regular person has can afford and wont get a CDL to drive them.

 

[powerstroke444e]

It puts a guy in a tough spot when his boss says do it and the driver is the one that gets the ticket.
Best wishes for the driver.
Remember that its doing safely is the drivers job.

 

[Soundguy]

All you guys are making good points. When you think about liability the manufactures are robably a little liberal on the tow weights.

But along what Dpiolt said, if you cant ever tow more than 10K, 1/3 to half all the campers on the road would have to be pulled by F-450to650 trucks which pretty much NO regular person has can afford and wont get a CDL to drive them.

you are seeing half tons with those tow ratings now.. and as you mention.. RV's pull more than that every day...

I have a f350 and f450 both DRW and a 14k tandem gooseneck with good brakes.. it's rare when i'm NOT pulling 10K..

soundguy