NewfieDan
Silver Member
For proper towing, the trailer needs to be as level as possible, loaded as evenly as possible, with a tongue weight of 10-15 percent of the load. If the trailer sits tongue high, or tongue low, it is likely to sway.
Fish Tailing
- Thread starter jp2code
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Rustyiron
Super Member
Bird, that was when a bumper was a BUMPER! The decorative crap they call a bumper today is?.., well definetly not a bumper:laughing:
OP
jp2code
Bronze Member
A little extra tongue wait seems to be what fixes the issue.
That last trailer pic was from a borrowed trailer.
I bought one in November that was custom made with brakes so the truck could stop faster with these loads.
In February it was stolen. Thief cut the lock to my front gate, then smashed the trailer tongue lock, and drove off with it from the side of my house.
Cops said if it ever turns up, they'll let me know.
Like that'll ever happen.
FYI: This little Kubota L4400 is about 2000 lbs lighter than the tractor I had before that.
That is an International 784.
As long as you use your head and don't exceed a safe speed (about 40 MPH in my case), you will be able to stay in control of the load.
These new Super Duty, Extreme Edition and super HP work trucks are warping everyone's perception of what is necessary. They are being pushed on the public by the auto industry that is doing whatever it can to milk money out of your pocket.
I haul this truck once or twice a year. I don't try to drag race with it like you see many of these Mega Cab, 4x4, power diesel trucks doing around here.
The rest of the year, I drive my 1-owner 20 year old truck with no payments and no problems.
That last trailer pic was from a borrowed trailer.
I bought one in November that was custom made with brakes so the truck could stop faster with these loads.
In February it was stolen. Thief cut the lock to my front gate, then smashed the trailer tongue lock, and drove off with it from the side of my house.
Cops said if it ever turns up, they'll let me know.
Like that'll ever happen.
FYI: This little Kubota L4400 is about 2000 lbs lighter than the tractor I had before that.
That is an International 784.
As long as you use your head and don't exceed a safe speed (about 40 MPH in my case), you will be able to stay in control of the load.
These new Super Duty, Extreme Edition and super HP work trucks are warping everyone's perception of what is necessary. They are being pushed on the public by the auto industry that is doing whatever it can to milk money out of your pocket.
I haul this truck once or twice a year. I don't try to drag race with it like you see many of these Mega Cab, 4x4, power diesel trucks doing around here.
The rest of the year, I drive my 1-owner 20 year old truck with no payments and no problems.
My life-threatening fishtailing was towing a larger dovetail with the tractor with loader and box blade up front, and rotary cutter levered high and hanging out the back--just like pictured. I figured I'd leave the box chained to the bucket and shift everything back a couple feet from 'normal'. Having the load back--and more significantly--the cutter airborne, took that 500# tongue weight the trailer usually had, and turned it into a fluctuating negative load. The trailer livened up going downhill on a gentle bumpy curve. I watched the load dart in and out both sides of the rear view mirror as I kept the front wheels pointed forward and accelerated, hoping the trucks rear end would get enough traction to pull the tongue back down. I got lucky and straightened it. I stopped, put the box on the truck and got the tractor forward and the cutter flat on the deck.
My 5 y/o (now 12) was with me, and thankfully no one else was on the road to get taken out by my lack of experience. The experience haunted me--people could have died on account of my incompetence. No one and nothing ended up hurt--but that was only because of luck/timing/fate. I'd have surely caused damage, if not loss of life to anyone and anything unfortunate enough to be in my vicinity.
I was using a '95 f150 without a brake controller--wasn't close to maxing it or the trailer out--just created a dynamic, unbalanced load with a high center of gravity, because I didn't want to scratch up the truck bed with the box. I started payments on a f350 drw soon after. I'd rather have an empty checkbook than a guilty conscience, and the experience showed me that my former vehicle could be easily overpowered by the load--a smaller load than the l4400.
The truck marketers have gotten people focused on power, but its having enough truck to manage a properly sized and distributed load without getting driven by the load, regardless of what goes wrong. Its not happens under ideal circumstances--its what happens when the shtf and you need to come to a controlled stop quickly. I didn't have the rig for it.
My 5 y/o (now 12) was with me, and thankfully no one else was on the road to get taken out by my lack of experience. The experience haunted me--people could have died on account of my incompetence. No one and nothing ended up hurt--but that was only because of luck/timing/fate. I'd have surely caused damage, if not loss of life to anyone and anything unfortunate enough to be in my vicinity.
I was using a '95 f150 without a brake controller--wasn't close to maxing it or the trailer out--just created a dynamic, unbalanced load with a high center of gravity, because I didn't want to scratch up the truck bed with the box. I started payments on a f350 drw soon after. I'd rather have an empty checkbook than a guilty conscience, and the experience showed me that my former vehicle could be easily overpowered by the load--a smaller load than the l4400.
The truck marketers have gotten people focused on power, but its having enough truck to manage a properly sized and distributed load without getting driven by the load, regardless of what goes wrong. Its not happens under ideal circumstances--its what happens when the shtf and you need to come to a controlled stop quickly. I didn't have the rig for it.
Norm W
Gold Member
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- Sep 20, 2013
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- Syracuse NY
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- Oliver 70, Farmall A, Allis Chalmers C, VW Rabbit (repowered with a Geo engine} tractor/backhoe, Cat D4-7U
Around my neck of the woods all of the attachments must be down on the deck and secured. A tractor with a loader and a brush hog more than 10K would need six chains. Each corner of the tractor, one on the loader and one on the cutter. If it is under 10K four chains, two on the tractor. That means a long enough trailer, tie downs, and brakes on all trailer wheels. It isn't just safer, it is the law. If you have an accident and these regs aren't met, guess who Rosco P. is going to had the safe driving awards. The insurance co. might take a dim view of it too.
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- Cat D3, Deere 110 TLB, Kubota BX23 and L3800 and RTV900 with restored 1948 Deere M, 1949 Farmall Cub, 1953 Ford Jubliee and 1957 Ford 740 Row Crop, Craftsman Mower, Deere 350C Dozer 50 assorted vehicles from 1905 to 2006
Good to know how strict or lax various jurisdictions are when it comes to securing a load...
We have landscape trailers around here where the mowers/tractors are not even secured... the just tilt up the ramp and drive to the next job... often wondered about that... the screened in trailers box the equipment in... it's just there is nothing to hold it there should the trailer upset.
We have landscape trailers around here where the mowers/tractors are not even secured... the just tilt up the ramp and drive to the next job... often wondered about that... the screened in trailers box the equipment in... it's just there is nothing to hold it there should the trailer upset.
Norm W
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2013
- Messages
- 334
- Location
- Syracuse NY
- Tractor
- Oliver 70, Farmall A, Allis Chalmers C, VW Rabbit (repowered with a Geo engine} tractor/backhoe, Cat D4-7U
Their insurance co. would hang them out to dry if they have an accident. Who ever they hit would own the business.
MossRoad
Super Moderator
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- Aug 31, 2001
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- 58,084
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- South Bend, Indiana (near)
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- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Bird, my dad put one of those on a Volkswagen bus and we towed an old 50's pickup bed converted to trailer with that for Boy Scout camp several times. That bus didn't go very fast. :laughing: I do remember my dad rearranging the load so that the rear of the bus didn't squat too much. I can't imagine towing anything with a 70's VW bus but he did it.
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2004
- Messages
- 24,332
- Tractor
- Cat D3, Deere 110 TLB, Kubota BX23 and L3800 and RTV900 with restored 1948 Deere M, 1949 Farmall Cub, 1953 Ford Jubliee and 1957 Ford 740 Row Crop, Craftsman Mower, Deere 350C Dozer 50 assorted vehicles from 1905 to 2006
You would think so... it just doesn't seem to be the case... heck... don't even have to be a citizen or a green card to get a driver's license or take the Bar Exam...
We have had a few problems with undocumented drivers and the DMV, Police and ICE would do nothing... I guess if you have little or nothing to lose... no need to worry about lawsuits or insurance?
MossRoad
Super Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2001
- Messages
- 58,084
- Location
- South Bend, Indiana (near)
- Tractor
- Power Trac PT425 2001 Model Year
Your axles are rated at 3500 each, so 7000# less the weight of the trailer, which is probably 1500-2000#, so your usable load on that trailer is probably between 5000 and 5500#.
Figure 3300# for the tractor alone (from TractorData specs)
TractorData.com Kubota L4400 tractor information
Plus your loader weight and the trailer is probably still well within limits.
So, 5000# trailer w/load take 10% for tongue weight and that would be about 500#.
Anyhow, if I have trouble getting the load far enough forward, sometimes I'll back the tractor on and that lets me get the weight farther forward. It all depends on your attachments, etc...
As to how much weight that specific truck in the pictures can handle, its probably a topic for another very long thread. :laughing:
