Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[aczlan]

The fact he is towing it with a pickup is what is bugging me. I can see it if it was a big truck. I would guess his load is about double what the pickup weighs. I tow heavy but always have part of the towed weight on the pickup. Some of those trailers are up to 20k gvw. I would think traction/control would be a problem with an empty pickup.

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20k is a lot of weight, any idea how far they are going?
It does look like there is something in the bed of the truck, so hopefully they have some extra weight to help keep it pointed in the right direction...

I'm not familiar: Is this for combine/thresher head transportation?

Yes, a larger head is way too wide to fit down the road on the front of the combine.

Aaron Z

 

[4570Man]

Can some of you guys explain this rig? Kind of a poor picture, I took it with my cell phone off a video. It was a video of a custom harvesting/transport crew on the move. Most of the trucks were semis towing two big trailers. First trailer was hauling the combine and the second trailer was towing the header.

With that type hitch there is no weight on the pickup plus he is double towing a fuel trailer. It looks sketchy to me, but maybe it is legit?

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It’s probably pretty safe with the first trailer being so long assuming both trailers have brakes. But when you’re towing doubles the first trailer is required to be a 5th wheel.

 

[azbinder]

Keep in mind that this farm machinery and therefore there is some leeway. Not saying that it shouldn't be hooked to a bigger truck though. I used to pull 30' trailers of cotton with a 1/2 ton pickup. Could get squirrely sometimes.

 

[kevin37b]

Expert opinions with no knowledge , as per usual .

 

[oliver1555]

Nick,

A lot of it depends on who is using it - private farmer or custom/for hire, and the state in which they operate. We retired to Missouri to my wife's family farm and I work part time for some farmers. They have two combines and a corn head and draper head for each. They farm a little over 5,000 acres, spread out over two counties. So, that entails a lot of moving of equipment. They have several header trailers, none of which have brakes. I believe the 16 row corn heads weigh right around 12,000#. I'm not sure what the drapers weigh. That means having both heads at a particular place, as they raise both soybeans and corn, (and sometimes wheat). When we move, it's usually two combines, four heads and trailers, a tractor and 1000 bushel grain cart (sometimes two), and four semis. Mostly, it's just a few of us moving a few machines at a time so it doesn't all look like a circus parade. If that is a custom outfit in your pic, I can't imagine they would have the fuel trailer full, but could be wrong.

To drive a farmers's tractor/trailer in Missouri, no CDL is required within a 150 mile radius of the home base and it's not for hire. I'm not sure what you are allowed in other states. Also, during harvest, we get a 10% overage on weight, so can be legal at 88,000#. Personally, I'd like to see drivers required to have CDL training...

Bud

 

[BigBlue1]

The fact he is towing it with a pickup is what is bugging me. I can see it if it was a big truck. I would guess his load is about double what the pickup weighs. I tow heavy but always have part of the towed weight on the pickup. Some of those trailers are up to 20k gvw. I would think traction/control would be a problem with an empty pickup.

View attachment 752399

The header trailer may have a GW of 20k but it isn't really hitting that limit here. A 40' Draper header similar to what is show above is about 7500#. The Ford in the picture above is an HD (3/4 or 1 ton) so towing capacity is in the ballpark of what they're towing. Trailers like that aren't getting towed at 70 mph down the interstate either, probably under 40.

 

[4570Man]

The header trailer may have a GW of 20k but it isn't really hitting that limit here. A 40' Draper header similar to what is show above is about 7500#. The Ford in the picture above is an HD (3/4 or 1 ton) so towing capacity is in the ballpark of what they're towing. Trailers like that aren't getting towed at 70 mph down the interstate either, probably under 40.

He’s towing a fuel trailer as well. They’re usually around 1000 gallons of fuel and usually have 1-200 gallons of def. Assuming it’s full that trailer and the header trailer would be around 20k combined. I agree not super dangerous with working trailer brakes especially in a flatland state but without a doubles endorsement, a tanker endorsement and a hazmat endorsement for the fuel it’s still illegal. Even if he has all that which I doubt a double is required to be pulled off a 5th wheel trailer. If the farmer actually owned the picker and was picking his field there would be more leeway. But they often do contact harvesting and those guys are considering commercial truck drivers not farmers.

 

[KilroyJC]

Cars back then were tanks; even with all that weight it probably only squatted about an inch.....

Our neighbors back around 1975 had a four door Mercury sedan; don't know the model. I do remember that you could practically stand up and walk around the back seat area because there was so much room.

Hahah the rear springs were shot and a golf ball would have hit the oil pan

After that incident, I replaced the rear spring with front springs from a Ford E350 van - I snapped off the tops of three shock absorbers before they finally settled in! but I never bottomed out again no matter how much crap I loaded into the car.

 

[nisaacs]

The header trailer may have a GW of 20k but it isn't really hitting that limit here. A 40' Draper header similar to what is show above is about 7500#. The Ford in the picture above is an HD (3/4 or 1 ton) so towing capacity is in the ballpark of what they're towing. Trailers like that aren't getting towed at 70 mph down the interstate either, probably under 40.

It is the style of trailer that bugs me, towing with an empty pickup. I tow heavy with my 2500's but carry some of the trailer weight. When you panic stop you load the rear axle of the tow vehicle. That trailer would unload the rear axle of the pickup and be a hand full.

This was a custom harvesting crew, so I am pretty sure they travel some freeways, at speed. I have seen them regular over the years but not this type trailer and a pickup. It just seems funky.

This type would be fine towing with a pickup.

 

[Fallon]

Just missed being able to take a photo even with the wife driving... downtown Denver on I25, 5 lanes across 1 way & heavy traffic. Idiot red Doge 1/2 ton towing a 25' or so travel trailer. Hazards on doing 40 or so with a slide out hanging 4' into traffic on the driver's side.