Towing a Trailer Uphill

JCA · Apr 29, 2004

Hi folks,

Please help me think this through. If you have a trailer attached to the drawbar BELOW the level of the rear-wheel axle, it OUGHT to IMPROVE the stability of the tractor, making a rear flip LESS likely than WITHOUT the trailer.

If you hook the trailer up ABOVE the level of the axle, the tractor would tend to rotate about the axle, and could flip backwards. This could happen fairly easily, since you only have to lift the front end of the tractor

But if you're hooked up BELOW the axle the only point about which the tractor can rotate is the point of contact between the tire and the ground...and THAT would require very good traction and a very heavy trailer, and isn't likely to happen.

My conclusion is that towing a properly attached trailer up a hill--with the attachment made below the level of the rear-wheel axel--ought to be at least as safe as, and maybe even safer than, driving the tractor up the hill WITHOUT the trailer.

Make sense?
Jim

JeffRey30747 · Apr 29, 2004

Jim,
That makes sense as long as you maintain the proper tongue weight on your trailer. An area where most folks get into trouble towing a trailer is by not loading it properly which can even result in a negative tongue weight, reducing traction and causing stability to go out the window at highway speeds.

Jeff

JCA · Apr 29, 2004

Jeff,

I don't know the terminology. But from what you said, what makes sense to me is that you just need to make sure you don't have too much weight pushing down on the drawbar/hitch, which could tend to lift the front of the tractor--or too much weight pushing up (because the load is behind the wheels on a single-axle trailer), which might tend to lift the rear wheels and reduce traction. Do I have it right?

hillslider · Apr 29, 2004

This does not make sense to me. The downward pressure is going to be the same no matter at what height you have the trailer. Now.....having the trailer loaded properly is key to how things will work out. To much tounge weight and you have a light front end....to little and you have no traction.
Now....having the hitch high or low will not change the downward pressure so it does not matter for stablity front to rear. but this will effect side to side stability. My kubota has a hitch bar and this is what I would use because it is stationary. If The front end did come up it would only come up until the trailer and hitch hit the ground. If you have it a quick hitch on the 3pt.....be careful beacuse most tractors do not have down pressure so if the front end would come up the hitch will hit the ground but the front end would continue until the 3pt went up all the way. This would be bad. Make sense?

Later and be carefull, I have used a trailer as a wheely bar and it is not fun.

Rob

Egon · Apr 29, 2004

It all might depend on how far the hitch extends behind the tractor.

Egon

JCA · Apr 29, 2004

Hillslider (with a monicker like that I'm supposed to listen to you? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

You wrote : ( Now....having the hitch high or low will not change the downward pressure so it does not matter for stablity front to rear. but this will effect side to side stability. )

But you're considering only DOWNWARD pressure. If the hitch is above the wheel axels, BACKWARD pressure will also make the front end light, because the tractor can rotate on its axle. Right?

Jim

keeney · Apr 29, 2004

The other area you can get into trouble is just plain having enough traction to control the trailer. On a hill, a 10,000 lb trailer can easily drag a 4,500 lb tractor down or up, or sideways, or whatever way it wants to go.

One thing about losing traction in such a situation is that you can go from a safe, comfortable portion of the hill, perhaps sideways to a steeper part of the hill or maybe towards a ditch, etc.

Going down hill can be bad too - the trailer can push the tractor in directions you don't want to go.

In general, as a rule of thumb, I would limit towing to trailers that weigh no more than the ballasted tractor.

- Rick

Laminarman · Apr 29, 2004

reducing traction and causing stability to go out the window at highway speeds

I haven't been at highway speed on my tractor in at least a week.

Slamfire · Apr 30, 2004

While towing a two wheel cart loaded with firewood, I found the trailer actually lifting the drawbar. Not much caring for that I went up to my shop and got the bars that run from the lift arms to the top link connector. That made the lifting force push the front end of the tractor down, like a 3 point hitch ought to. You've seen them they come in pairs which bolt together through slots, to make them adjustable and have offsets with holes in the ends to allow hookup. I think they were standard equipment with N series Fords. At least that's the first place I saw them. I use them now whenever I use the drawbar, even skidding logs. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

hillslider · Apr 30, 2004

You wrote "If the hitch is above the wheel axels, BACKWARD pressure will also make the front end light, because the tractor can rotate on its axle. Right?"

Well kind of. The hitch if mounted to the frame of the tractor above the axle would make the front end lighter than if mounted below the axle. But if you are talking about the 3 pt lifting high or low it would not because the attachment point to the trator does not change.

All you can do is make sure you keep the weight low to the ground in case things do get light your wheels on the front will not get to close to the sky, load the trailer properly, go slow, rather make one big load make several smaller ones. And of course expect the unexpected!! Oh yeah.....using the tractor is fun and relaxing right. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif