Can't load my tractor!

[KeithInSpace]

I think if you raise the front of the trailer about 14"-16" by driving up on a set of ramps with the rear tires of the truck,

I certainly didn't factor that into the analysis. Personally, I would never consider this as a viable solution under "normal" circumstances for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is convenience.

Remember, to do what it is you want to do, you'd have to whack off the "ramp supports" that help hold the rear of the trailer up while loading and keep the full lever-action of the loading procedure from coming to bear as negative load on the tongue.

I would not (nor would my wife allow me to) put the back of my truck precariously on a set of ramps while loading an extremely heavy tractor that, without the ramp supports, would further lighten the rear of the truck. In the best of conditions, this is very dangerous. Put it on a gravel driveway or in a field and it is pure insanity.

I am 100% confident that a 10 foot sub-ramp, positioned as shown, would allow him to safely load and unload his tractor. Since I'm devoting my workday to this silly exercise and I bill myself out at $100/hr, I now have something around $200 into telling the OP that my solution will work.

The other advantage to my solution is that you can then unload stone/mulch/whatever using the tractor without removing the backhoe. To further my point on putting the back of the truck on ramps, I wouldn't do that with 2 tons of stone in the trailer, either.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

81 post of bantering about the trailer haven't gotten us very close to an obvious solution. Is there some way to modify the backhoe to raise it the distance needed? Maybe rather than raise it Jay could tuck it in closer to the rear of the tractor.

Is it subframe mounted or 3 point mounted?

 

[Steve C]

I certainly didn't factor that into the analysis. Personally, I would never consider this as a viable solution under "normal" circumstances for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is convenience.

Remember, to do what it is you want to do, you'd have to whack off the "ramp supports" that help hold the rear of the trailer up while loading and keep the full lever-action of the loading procedure from coming to bear as negative load on the tongue.

I would not (nor would my wife allow me to) put the back of my truck precariously on a set of ramps while loading an extremely heavy tractor that, without the ramp supports, would further lighten the rear of the truck. In the best of conditions, this is very dangerous. Put it on a gravel driveway or in a field and it is pure insanity.

I am 100% confident that a 10 foot sub-ramp, positioned as shown, would allow him to safely load and unload his tractor. Since I'm devoting my workday to this silly exercise and I bill myself out at $100/hr, I now have something around $200 into telling the OP that my solution will work.

The other advantage to my solution is that you can then unload stone/mulch/whatever using the tractor without removing the backhoe. To further my point on putting the back of the truck on ramps, I wouldn't do that with 2 tons of stone in the trailer, either.

I think he said in an earlier post that his ramps didin't reach the ground the way his hitch is set up now. I would not suggest wacking them off, just letting them reach the ground to do the job they were intended to. If the rear of the trailer is supported there is no issue with lifting the front of the trailer. I agree that a paved surface is the only place that ramps could be used safely. I have used them 30 years without incident. Extending the ramps on the trailer is the best option, but it isn't the only way to do it a couple times a year.

 

[Steve C]

I certainly didn't factor that into the analysis. Personally, I would never consider this as a viable solution under "normal" circumstances for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which is convenience.

Remember, to do what it is you want to do, you'd have to whack off the "ramp supports" that help hold the rear of the trailer up while loading and keep the full lever-action of the loading procedure from coming to bear as negative load on the tongue.

I would not (nor would my wife allow me to) put the back of my truck precariously on a set of ramps while loading an extremely heavy tractor that, without the ramp supports, would further lighten the rear of the truck. In the best of conditions, this is very dangerous. Put it on a gravel driveway or in a field and it is pure insanity.

I am 100% confident that a 10 foot sub-ramp, positioned as shown, would allow him to safely load and unload his tractor. Since I'm devoting my workday to this silly exercise and I bill myself out at $100/hr, I now have something around $200 into telling the OP that my solution will work.

The other advantage to my solution is that you can then unload stone/mulch/whatever using the tractor without removing the backhoe. To further my point on putting the back of the truck on ramps, I wouldn't do that with 2 tons of stone in the trailer, either.

The trailer is to small to hold anything but the tractor, no room for stone.

O.K.
I have a question for you that will only take you 1 second to find the answer to using Autocad

"If you take you example that is third fron the left in the top row and draw a line from the contact point on the ground to the top of the end of the trailer, that will give you the length of ramp that will work."

What is that Dimension?

It looks to be around 12 foot, you could then hinge it in the middle as DiamondPilot suggested, extending the origional ramp only 7 feet, saving on materials

 

[Diamondpilot]

OK, guys. I said it once before...I'm not a fan of speculation.

So I built a simple replica of the situation in AutoCAD to demonstrate the problem and a couple different solutions.

I used fairly conservative parameters based on the OPs input and information available online. I put the deck 24" off the ground (Hudson says 23"). I assumed stock ramps are 5' long. The wheelbase of his tractor is 71", but I put in 72" (even 6 foot). I made the rear-most tip of his backhoe 3 feet behind the rear-most point of his rear tire and put that corner a mere 6" off the ground.

From my model, you can see that even if the stock ramps were extended to 10 feet long (which I wouldn't want to lift or have sticking up during transport), it wouldn't come close to working. I don't even think 12 foot long ramps would work IF they are hinged at the trailer deck.

He needs "sub-ramps".

By my calculation, sub-ramps that are 10' long (properly positioned) or 8' long with a "ledge" at the lower end at least 3 inches tall will allow the point of the backhoe to swing harmlessly in the air as the tractor is loaded.

As I stated before, I have the identical problem, albeit on a smaller scale with my little BX tractor/backhoe, and this is how I solved it. But my sub-ramps are only 8 feet long and could be a little shorter.

I hope everyone finds this information helpful to the discussion.

Even more, I hope the OP tries it with a few 2 x 12s and tells us that it works!!!

Very nice work Keith. The issue is I said he would have to back up the ramps and onto the trailer. Can you run some models that way with say adding 2' to 3' to the factory ramps. Remember that the BH will fit in between the 2 ramps so all that will be a factor is the trailer deck.

I could see in my head that pulling on forward was just not going to work without mile long ramps since his BH extends 3' and is only 6" off the ground.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

81 post of bantering about the trailer haven't gotten us very close to an obvious solution. Is there some way to modify the backhoe to raise it the distance needed? Maybe rather than raise it Jay could tuck it in closer to the rear of the tractor.

Is it subframe mounted or 3 point mounted?

I though about that also but then his dig depth would suffer and the outriggers would probably not touch.

Chris

 

[two_bit_score]

By the time it gets figured out on here he could have drove it there and back twice.

My new vote $7 SMV.

+1....

 

[radioman]

Hmmm, How much lower can he get the back of trailer down? with trailer still hooked up to truck and jack it up, wouldnt the back go down at leat 2 to 5 inches? I still think using hydraulics to do the work for you is the best thing to do.

Why not drive the truck rear tires on couple of 2X12's? jack up the trailer still attached to truck as far as you can . put a couple 2X12X12 under the ramps. Drive tractor up. I betcha by this time you might only need couple more inches more to get tractor on trailer. Just get outrigger down, use the BH bucket to push up 2" up and in. done!.

This seems so perplexing that it can't be that difficult to get it on. perhaps the OP can take a video and post on youtube ?

 

[Chuck K.]

I dont have auto cad or even a manual cad .. Seriously I had the exact same problem with my Kubota L5240 and woods BH95. I had removable ramps I think they where 5' I made some redneck ramps out of 2x6's with a 4x6 stacked they had rope handles and work fair. By ramps I mean they laid flat on the ground the added height of the 2x4 and 4x6 atop each other.

I found myself trailering my tractor more and more after a few near misses with the board cribing a buddy offered a fix easier on the back and safer.

He added 3' and mounted the ramps to the rear of the trailer with a spring assist. It is the best thing I have ever done to the trailer the approach and departure angle very much better and no more b/h dragging.

Digging a hole is a great idea if you are seldom going to have to trailer it. I dont advise loading with trailer disconnected done it once did not like it.

Anyhow they do stick up rather high and are somewhat fugly but they work great..

Good luck which ever route you take.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Chuck your fix is just what I am proposing. I still think he will have to back on but we did the spring thing also on the trailer ramps I modified using stock garage door springs. He can put the ramps up with a single finger.

Chris