Tractor moving a semi trailer

[jimmyj]

Guys, I am buying two "retired" 38 foot semi trailers. They have 2 axles and are fiberglass bodies with the usual wood floor and landing gear at the front. I want to hide them down behind the barn and I have a perfect spot for it.

However, I can get them delivered to just beside the barn and then I have to somehow move them into place without the truck. I want them to be nose first towards the forest so the back doors are easily accessable.

I have a Kioti CK30 TLB. The FEL that can lift (ideal measurement) about 1100 or 1200 lbs and I also have forks.

Any suggestions on how I can move the trailers with my tractor? Am I going to have to make an axle for the landing gear and push them or can I somehow lift and pull?

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[firefighter9208]

What about a trailer mover on the back of the tractor. Tractor Supply Company - FarmForce Trailer Mover You should be able to take the ball of the top and make a plate that will screw in for the fifth wheel to sit in. I move my fifth wheel travel trailer around the yard with a trailer mover.

I bought on at Southern States and use it nearly weekly moving trailers around the yard.

Chris

 

[Bedlam]

Not sure I have the answers but if the ground is fairly solid and hard and good traction I would think maybe even some wood of some sort to use as a skid on the landing gear, and you can maybe pick up some and pull.
I'm also wondering do the wheel brake remain locked when disconnected? Or do you back the adjustments off?
Wish I had more ideas..Lets see what the others say

 

[ToadHill]

It can be done, I pulled a 45ft house trailer into position with my DK35. Just make sure the ground is dry and the tires on the trailer are full of air.

 

[Wis Bang]

Sounds like a pair of 'pups' so they have fairly modern running gear. If so the slack adjusters could be un-adjusted to free up the spring brakes -or- the springs in the air brake chambers could be 'caged' w/ 't' bolts to back them off. Once you do either there will be no parking brakes! No service brakes either...

You will find that these units weigh around 7,000 - 9,000 pounds each so you should forget about using your tractor. The floor is 48" high and the 'tongue' weight will be alot more than a horse trailer unless it's one of those made to be pulled by a road tractor.

The 'trailer' mover posted isn't back far enough to reach the kingpin and would never support the weight, think of a rapid wheelie!

Don't count on making the landing gear support the front while moving the units as they are made only to support a static load and will fold back alot easier than you may think so don't expend any energy there. The supports are thin wall tubing and won't take the force of forward movement

If you could find one of the 'converter' dollies [unlikely as their service life is alot longer than the trailers] that are used to make these trailers move as 'doubles' and hitched it to the front you might be able to move one w/ a large machine BUT using these dollies can be dangerous!

Improper use makes the drawbar fly up w/ tons of force! They are hooked to pintle hooks on the back of the front trailer b/4 being coupled to the 2nd unit and are unhooked from the 2nd unit to 'un-load' the drawbar. You don't want that force lifting the rear of your tractor.

Visit your local heavy duty wrecker service. Any large wrecker could rig on the front and move them where and how you want them if the ground is hard enough. Sometimes these guys have a road tractor frame cutoff that is the tandem axles & lower fifth wheel for pulling wrecks back to their yard that could also be used. They arn't cheap!

Do you have any friends w/ a larger CAT track loader w/ a rear-mounted scarifier? It may be possible to put the ripper bar against the front bottom edge & chain the front fast, crank up the legs and cage the brakes. Though the HD towing service might be cheaper than moving a machine & will be insured...

Any local farmers w/ a road tractor? Alot of them haul grain w/ dump tailers. They would have enough 'off road' knowledge to put them where you need them...Could be worth offering a quick 'Franklin' or so as the HD wrecker could be $250.00 an hour or so for somthing this 'simple'. I've been billed $1,500.00 an hour when they are uprighting a rollover...

Once you get them in place; put cribbing out front to support the weight you put inside otherwise the landing gear will punch down in the soft ground. I worked at a terminal built on the client's former landfill & we had a foot thick concrete 'strip' to support the landing gear of loaded trailers. The ground was so soft that a loaded trailer was nose down within minutes of dropping it.

 

[AndyMA]

I agree, your tractor is way to small to move the trailer. I moved an empty 53' box with my TN75D which is probably 3 times the size and weight of yours and it was all I could handle. There was nothing easy about it. I can move empty 40' containers on the ground by sliding them.

3500 to 4500 lbs is just way too much for your tractor. Let alone trying to move it once you've got it lifted. Good way to get killed.

I do move them with my 44,000 lb excavator fairly easily.

Andy

 

[DanD78]

See about having a towing company set then in. Can you find a single axle semi tractor to borrow. You can jack knife the trailers in where you want them.

Dan

 

[franklinute]

I agree that your tractor is too small to handle this trailer with the FEL or 3pt hitch. I have moved a 40' flatbed trailer with my JD450 trackloader before and did not have a problem on flat solid ground. Your enclosed trailers may be somewhat lighter. How about putting the landing gear on a good 2 axle trailer chained well of course and then moving with your tractor. You may be limited in turning but going slow in a straight line could work.

 

[Wis Bang]

MT 40' containers are around 6,000 pounds and their bare chassis would be another 5,000 pounds, or so. A 53'van would be closer to 12,000 pounds. A pup has half the body but all the running gear so 7,000 pounds is in the ballpark while road tractors are 18,000 to 22,000 allowing 45,000 - 48,000 pound payloads and w/ the right 'weight reduction' design 50,000 pounds under the 80,000 pound federal weight limit. 53 footers let the weight be spread out enough to meet the axle loadings of the Federal 'Bridge Formula'.

Pups like OP has usually load out b/4 they weigh out.

Either way they are too heavy ffor a little tractor.

 

[jimmyj]

Good advice guys.

I'm going to give up on using my tractor (although the dolly idea was a neat one). My neighbour has a full size JD 4wd backhoe. Would it be strong enough? The ground is sandy and pretty soft down back where they have to go but I'm not going to move them in until it's good and dry. I can't get a road tractor down where I want the nose of the trailers to be.

You have me thinking that maybe I should change the parking configuration so when they are brought here they can just be dropped where I want them. I am starting to think that is the best idea vs moving them again later. As stated, I don't want an accident.

Any other suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks so far.

Jimmy

 

[George2615]

I agree that your tractor isn't large enough to move the trailers. Your neighbors full size JD might do it but even that is risky. Ask the delivery guy if he can get a bogie set of wheels used to connect two trailers (for pulling doubles) and then your friends full size JD could then tow the trailer where you want it, drop the landing gear, then move the bogie to the other trailer and do the same. Otherwise you need to have him drop the trailers where someplace other than your first choice for placement. If you can't get a road tractor down there a wrecker won't be able to go there either.

 

[jimmyj]

I am going to change the placement. Thanks everyone! Another fine example of why I am addicted to TBN.

 

[jimmyj]

Holy cow, I just got the weight of the trailers. 6725 kg. That is 14900 lbs. Yikes.

I guess I've got to get new placement!
Or
Less junk to store!

 

[AndyMA]

Holy cow, I just got the weight of the trailers. 6725 kg. That is 14900 lbs. Yikes.

I guess I've got to get new placement!
Or
Less junk to store!

A 180 class 36,000 lb or 220 class 44,000 lb excavator would have zero trouble moving them as I stated earlier. Perhaps you could find somebody who could stop by and swing them over for you . The excavator is tops in moving them as you can each over the top and chain to the hitch and put it as close to the woods as you want.

Andy

 

[herringchoker]

I have repositioned a 40 ft. semitrailer with my Case 450 crawler by lifting the front of the trailer with the dozer blade and pulling against the king pin, then setting it down, re-positioning and then lifting again and pushing against the king pin. This was on semi-soft level ground in a field - no chance of rolling away on me. Went off without a hitch!

 

[Diamondpilot]

As others have stated, the air brakes on the trailer will be a problem. They will not release unless coupled up or adjusted to manually release.

Your tractor is way too small. A dolly set of wheels is the best way but you will still have the brake issue.

A backhoe or excavator and even a large tractor will move them but if you are dragging the landing gear make sure you chain it at 45 deg angles front and back to take the stress then cinch it up with load binders.

Chris

 

[Wis Bang]

Holy cow, I just got the weight of the trailers. 6725 kg. That is 14900 lbs. Yikes.

I guess I've got to get new placement!
Or
Less junk to store!

Then they are not US 'pups' as they weigh as much as a US 53 foot unit.

Must be built for the Canadian market. Your allowable weight is double what we allow in the states and the tandem axles are spaced further apart [you can stand between the 2 sets of wheels on a Canadian tandem] and the running gear is built heavier to carry that weight.

Plus Canada does not allow 'A trains' utilizing the converter dolly. Instead they use the 'B train' where the frist trailer frame is extended over a third axle to hold the 5th wheel for the 2nd trailer.

You still need to support the front end so loading does not make then nose dive...makes it hard to get your stuff out that way.

 

[jimmyj]

No worries fellas. As said I am changing the parking configuration. I have a neighbor with an excavator but it will tear up the place so I have decided to park them where it will be easy.

I am very grateful for the advice, you all have been a big help.

 

[Midsouth]

I wonder if that is the weight of both trailers? That would put them at about 7000 lbs each which would be about right in my mind.

 

[Wis Bang]

I wonder if that is the weight of both trailers? That would put them at about 7000 lbs each which would be about right in my mind.

That's right for a 28 foot US pup which would need to be declared thru customs to end up in Ontario. Canadian built units [he said they were 38 footers, a common size for a Pup on a B train] would be much heavier than US built units. Our tandem axles are 96" on center while a Canadian is over 120" and qualifies as a 'spread' axle in some US states.

I used to work for the US subsidery of a Canadian carrier and we had tons of problems using the Canadian built trailers in the US. But we did get away with it in Ohio as the Canadian tandem was counted as a spread and allowed 20,000 pounds on each VRS the standard 34,000 pounds combined allowed on a US tandem. Frame rails & the rest of the running gear was also much heavier to meet the increased weight allowance in Canada...