Modified my drawbar to actually be useful

[California]

I'm hauling people including children on a small light trailer up and down hills.... would hate to dump them out because they unexpectedly moved to the back and made my lift arms suddenly go up

Good point, the fixed height is essential for that use.

I've twice now had my watering trailer do that when I bumped the lift lever. Its so heavy that I had to use the HiLift jack behind the trailer to tip it back down. I finally set the raise-lower limits to a narrow range for that application.

 

[CalG]

I jus' be keerful and try not to jack knife the trailer while backin up.

 

[oosik]

I carefully plan all my trailer outings here on the property. Almost always have an escape route going forward. I wish the Horst running gear had a way of locking the steerage - just for backing up. I'm getting better - but quite a ways to go until I would consider myself as good.

 

[sixdogs]

Good point, the fixed height is essential for that use.

I've twice now had my watering trailer do that when I bumped the lift lever. Its so heavy that I had to use the HiLift jack behind the trailer to tip it back down. I finally set the raise-lower limits to a narrow range for that application.

I now pull off the drawbar like the OP does but in the olden days when I pulled things with a bar on the three point arms, I learned to add stay straps (like the 8N, 9N) to prevent the arms from spiking up and killing someone.

After carefully loading furniture grade ash logs on a trailer I hit something coming out of the woods, dumped the logs in the mud and nearly launched myself out of the seat. It took 8 or 10 years but the stains finally came out of my shorts.

 

[careyo63]

The Ym.2000 won't kick it up. Even tried to make do it. You may need to stick with a little garden cart to be safe. I have it lifted going through the Duel axle Brakes and Tires. See the Jack stands. Never gets close to being unlevel sitting hooked up.

 

[CobyRupert]

Now I understand why the extended draw bar. The running gear on the farm wagon I built has an extended hitch. Prevents wagon contact with rear tires. Still learning - how to back up with steerable front wheels. Ten ton - 8'x12' deck.

People will say counter steer...turn the steering opposite direction....blah blah blah...that’s all b.s.because what you need to do changes as you follow the wagon (or trailer) through the turn.

Other than practice, practice, practice, the best advice I’ve heard whether it’s a trailer or 4 wheeled wagon, is to focus on the end of the tongue where it connects to the tractor.
Does the tongue need to be moved left or right? Its just like if you were pushing the wagon’s tongue backwards by hand, you would intuitively know how to steer the tongue left or right to steer the wagons back wheels in the direction you want it to go, as well as when to straighten back up, correct, etc..
Then steer the Tractor’s Drawbar left or right just like you are pushing the wagon’s tongue by hand.

Of course the tractor’s drawbar being at the back and going backwards adds a degree of difficulty, but you already know how to back up a vehicle to get the drawbar where you want it to go if you were able to hook up the wagon.

 

[careyo63]

People will say counter steer...turn the steering opposite direction....blah blah blah...that’s all b.s.because what you need to do changes as you follow the wagon (or trailer) through the turn.

Other than practice, practice, practice, the best advice I’ve heard whether it’s a trailer or 4 wheeled wagon, is to focus on the end of the tongue where it connects to the tractor.
Does the tongue need to be moved left or right? Its just like if you were pushing the wagon’s tongue backwards by hand, you would intuitively know how to steer the tongue left or right to steer the wagons back wheels in the direction you want it to go, as well as when to straighten back up, correct, etc..
Then steer the Tractor’s Drawbar left or right just like you are pushing the wagon’s tongue by hand.

Of course the tractor’s drawbar being at the back and going backwards adds a degree of difficulty, but you already know how to back up a vehicle to get the drawbar where you want it to go if you were able to hook up the wagon.

My Ranger bass boat outboard would get to my son in a wake zone. F'd him up good the first few times trying to look at the motor backing up. Knew what was happening. He was real young but honestly couldn't help not to laugh the first few times. But sure enough I had to get on him about what "not to do".......

 

[FleetMan]

See attachment, hitch receiver on drawbar. Also,, Hoye's four inch wheel extenders are visible.

 

[Smokeonthewater]

That's a perfect example of what I wanted to avoid

 

[California]

Another solution if you're just moving trailers around: a front trailer ball.
And mount it low enough to get under the tongue of a parked trailer. A ball on top of the loader bucket would likely be to high to do this.