Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[paulfun9]

Not so sure. People are generally stupid. I have sold equipment and not allowed someone to leave without securing it properly, giving them or selling them straps.

The not allowed part is what could cause some concern. I have seen this play out really bad a couple times! Myself having had concerns in the past I strongly recommended they not do something, and use more straps or suggest a better method. I have even driven one guy to a local store to buy real straps but I strongly suggest loosing the word ALLOW as with some people you may find yourself in a real bad position if trying to assert authority you don稚 have over thier actions.

 

[LouNY]

With everything still attached to the tow vehicle, try to pick up the trailer tongue.

Assuming your trailer itself weighs 300 lbs or so, 10% of 1300 would be 130 lbs., or just barely movable on the slack of the hitch and of the hitch bar in the receiver. If the trailer and your estimated 300 lb. load comes to 600, then there should still be about 60 lbs. on the hitch/receiver. So if the tongue feels like it weighs a lot less than that, or worse, if you need to press/step down on the tongue to move it around on the slack, you would need more tongue weight.

This trick doesn't work as well as trailer weights get heavier, so the next step for a heavier trailer I guess would be if you can budge it at all, you need more tongue weight.

I also like the idea several others have mentioned of calibrating the spring rate of your truck to know when the body drops X inches, you have applied Y more pounds at the hitch.

While a tongue scale is probably the best answer, there are ways to make estimates that don't require unhitching.

Or you can get fancy and have a tongue weight reading always available;
Hitch Scale | etrailer.com

 

[Code54]

I personally have a weight safe hitch on my truck. Soon as the trailer is attached I can look at the scale and get a good idea of my tongue weight. Very quick and easy and take some of the guess work out of the equation.

 

[cqaigy2]

As far as the big box store employees giving advice on loading and securing. Not surprisingly, some would have useful comments, some not so much, some haven't a clue. Just like some of them know the electrical very well and other plumbing. We are lucky, in that the store hear will help load, if you tell them where to put it, but won't secure.

 

[duramaxsky]

I personally have a weight safe hitch on my truck. Soon as the trailer is attached I can look at the scale and get a good idea of my tongue weight. Very quick and easy and take some of the guess work out of the equation.

That's what I have as well. My truck has auto air bags so it always sits at the same height. When I picked up my 2025R I put the bucket on the forks. I grabbed a 1" watchstrap out of my truck to secure the bucket to the forks. My sales rep immediately told me he can't let me leave with the tractor tied down with those. He knows i am a truck driver and seemed a little shocked. I got that strap from the truck. My big ratchet straps are in the trailer tool box. But just for fun I said why not? They are rated for 1500 each. It would be enough combined. He started telling me how the total of the straps has to be more and started explain why until I started laughing and told hit was just for the bucket.

 

[Diggin It]

They help load? Must be a regional thing :confused3:

Yeah, I've had as many as three at a time loading. That was when I bought one of the cull packs (weird lumber, had a thread on it, nobody noticed) they brought to the trailer on a forklift. Took all three to help get it off the forklift.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I did not get a pic but was passed today by a Jeep Cherokee with 2, count'em, mattresses held on with about a dozen bungees.
It looked solid but I am glad he was going the opposite direction from me

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Worse I had was a drywall cart fell of a truck ahead of me, came bouncing down the middle of a 2 lane road at me. 1 car ahead of me went right, I crossed into left lane to miss it.

 

[dougtrr2]

I picked up an item at a large furniture store. I chose to secure it with my heavy duty 1" ratchet straps. I had to sign a waiver release since I didn't allow them to tie it down with their string. I talked with the young gentleman and found that they DO NOT get any training on securing loads or how to tie knots. Kind of a crazy world we live in.

I did work at a big box store. I was helping a young lady load her truck in a manner that would qualify for this thread. I was trying to gently encourage her to do it differently and my reservation must have shown on my face. She looked at me and said "You have the same look on your face that my Dad gets when he thinks I am doing in wrong."

Doug in SW IA

 

[Industrial Toys]

Did you tell her that she might still get a participation award for trying? Might have made everything OK.