Ratcheting tie downs BROKE in transit!

hhw · Mar 26, 2005

You know, you bring up an interesting point. If I could afford it ,I would have a nice good size roll back just for equipment transport. They are just so flexible for loading and unloading and of course the "shorter" operation would make access a lot easier.

As it is ,I have tried all types of trailers searching for something I really like. Right now I just keep three: a small 6X12 with gate and racks, a 10K E-Z Dumper and a PA. INTL. 19 Ft. tilt.

I've had deck overs, steel bed low profiles and other basic ramp-on trailers. This is my second Hyd. tilt though. After all of my research this seemed to fit my needs the best. No ramps to deal with, low profile keeps incline manageable when loading and as long as I keep a battery maintainer on the battery over winter it lasts a long time (the current one is 4 years old!) I just switched it over to pintle for my new dump truck. I didn't think I'd like pulling with the pintle, but now that I am use to it, I like it. It has a reverse beavertail section on the rear for easy loading. I can load just about anything on it comfortably. It's made by Kutz Farm Equipment in Pine Grove, PA. Not too far of a drive for me and they seem like real nice folks to deal with. They have a web site and have added some equipment to their inventory. I may have to hit the CFO (wife) up for an allowance advance and make a purchase!

I had a nice Pequea 1018 deck-over; it had the doube large gate ramps. You could slide them together to load tri-cycle tractors and still have enough width for the rear wheels. Just seemed that you were really "up-there" when loading, even with the beavertail. But it was a well built trailer.

And Of course, after following this thread from day one, I went out and got two new binders and replaced one of my chains. I use a (4) point hook-up. In PA they require that they be seperate. Also, I'm told the bucket must now be secured seperately. I haven't verified this yet.

Still as happy as I am with my tilt trailer, it would be nice to have a rollback to play with!

LBrown59 · Mar 26, 2005

Oh yeah, I was actually on the phone when all heck broke loose.
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Here is on of the contributing factors to the incident using the cell phone while driving.
So the straps aren't the only guilty thing.

LBrown59 · Mar 26, 2005

Still as happy as I am with my tilt trailer, it would be nice to have a rollback to play with!
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You already have a dump truck - what you need is truck with a combination roll back and dump bed.

LBrown59 · Mar 26, 2005

( You know, you bring up an interesting point. If I could afford it ,I would have a nice good size roll back just for equipment transport. They are just so flexible for loading and unloading and of course the "shorter" operation would make access a lot easier.
)
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Trailers are prone to breaking loose from the tow vehicle and or fish tailing .
I have never heard of or seen this happen with a truck bed.

Darren · Mar 26, 2005

Straps have a place in the scheme of things. The commercial straps used on flatbed loads, I think they're 3", are obviously much heavier than than the stuff sold at Walmart. The towing industry uses non-metallic slings that have impressive load ratings. I bought a couple just to move a large safe. I didn't have to worry about chain damaging the paint.

With straps you just have to use protectors on sharp edges and constantly be on the lookout for abrading. The other point is that the stamped metal used in the rachet body for light straps can bend under load and either bind or release the dog holding the pressure. I think the metal in some cases is too light of a gage to withstand the rated load if side loading is applied to the rachet.

I would never buy chain or fastners from China for any critical use. Wood screws to build a bookcase is OK. A chain to secure a load is risky. In a conversation with a maker of forgings for suspension bridges I heard some eye-opening stories about fastner failures. The same guy volunteered that Korean sourced fastners meet our specs. Chinese stuff is a crapshoot.

cthonestguy · Mar 26, 2005

Guys, great site. I Want to throw that in forst as this is my first post here.

I had close to the same thing happen to me. I am a volunteer firefighter in my hometown and was cutting grass last summer. I was doing my small lawns and just threw the 52" Scag in the back of my 2002 silverado.

You guessed it, we got a "real" call . I took off to the call and BOTH tiedowns snapped and out went the scag. Broke a wheel motor and cracked the deck. They both broke in the middle. I guess what happens is one breaks and the other can't hold the load by itself and breaks.

hhw · Mar 26, 2005

Now that's an interesting concept. I wonder if I could locate one, add it to the "fleet" and just tell the wife a couple of items must have produced a mix?

Darren · Mar 26, 2005

Rather than buy a fleet look into hook loaders. Those are a varient of the rolloff design. A truck with a hook loader can hook and lock down different bodies. That means you can have a variety of bodies including a dump, flat bed, etc. You back the truck up to the body, hook onto it, retract the hook and pull the body onto the truck and drive off. The mechanisms come in sizes to fit every thing from light trucks to class 8s (65,000lb).

The interesting thing is the flat bed can be loaded while it's flat on the ground. Then the body and the load is hoisted onto the truck. That means you could chain your load down while working at ground level. Anything from hay bales to lumber could be loaded at ground level. I've also seen hook loader bodies with built in winches.

You essentially get a rollback and dump mechanism in one product. The basic frames that attach to the hook can be used to build any body you want. Want to run a dumpster business with the same truck you use to haul tractors and bulk materials like sand and gravel, it's that versatile.

http://www.stellar-industries.com/newstellarweb/shuttle.html

froggy · Mar 26, 2005

Very informative article.

LBrown59 · Mar 26, 2005

( Straps have a place in the scheme of things. The commercial straps used on flatbed loads, I think they're 3", are obviously much heavier than than the stuff sold at Walmart. The towing industry uses non-metallic slings that have impressive load ratings. I bought a couple just to move a large safe. I didn't have to worry about chain damaging the paint.

)
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Straps have a place in the scheme of things.
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YER RITE.
I use to work at times at a furniture store over the years.
They never did use chains to strap in a refrigerator television appliances etc.

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