Unloading without supporting the rear-end of the trailer a bad idea?

[terryknight]

adjustable jack are good since once you load you can adjust them up, otherwise you need to make sure you leave enough room to get the stands/cribbing out.

 

[N80]

One of these welded to each corner would work well but I might just simplify and get a couple of adjustable jack stands which can be use for other stuff as well.

Fulton Drop-Leg Stabilizer Jack with Mounting Channel - Weld-On - 28" Leg - 13" Bracket - Fulton Camper Jack FSJ1-SJ2

 

[nikerret]

I have never supported the rear of the trailer, nor seen anyone else do it, on a standard size (7K) trailer. I have seen the tow vehicle do some dancing, when we loaded a full size pickup and another time, winched up a minivan. I guess we've just been lucky. When I load the BX, it doesn't move THAT much. Trailer tire location to rear of trailer has a lot to do with how much tilt you get. Due to this thread, I am considering making a block, to put under the rear, for loading larger vehicles.

 

[cmyoung2]

A friend of mine, Highway patrolman, was loading a fair sized tractor onto a gooseneck trailer attached to his crewcab, 4x4 dually. We are in the mountains so flat ground is scarce. Even though the truck was in gear, parking brake set, when he got almost on the trailer, it picked the rear end of the truck off the ground, truck, trailer, and tractor took a quick trip down the drive, across the highway, and through the neighbors yard. He panicked, like most of us would do and jumped. Broke hip, shoulder, ribs, banged up pretty bad, but is doing fine now. The rest of the rig finally stopped, no damage. Blocks between trailer tires might have stopped it, blocks under the front truck tires might have stopped it, putting the truck in 4x4 would have stopped it, but blocking up the rear of the trailer seems to work every time.

 

[MossRoad]

One of these welded to each corner would work well but I might just simplify and get a couple of adjustable jack stands which can be use for other stuff as well.

Fulton Drop-Leg Stabilizer Jack with Mounting Channel - Weld-On - 28" Leg - 13" Bracket - Fulton Camper Jack FSJ1-SJ2

The only potential problem I see with pinned supports like that is somehow getting a lot of weight towards the tongue of the trailer, dropping and pinning the support at the rear of the trailer, unloading the trailer, which springs the tongue up and then there's a bunch of empty trailer weight on the pin and you can't pull it out with your hand.

Anyone run into that? :confused3:

 

[LD1]

I carry around a jackstand or two with a flat plate welded to the bottom. The legs of jackstands made for a garage will just burry themselves, thus the flat plate.

The legs on my trailer ramps are inadequate. And are the same as every other trailer I have seen, so dont think its a design issue there.

The trailer is a 25' GN 24k trailer. When loading my light kubota (~5000#) I dont use the stands. No need.

But when hauling a 16-18k dozer or backhoe that I have done a few times, the stands on the ramps arent enough and jackstands are required. The first time I went to load the D3 dozer (~17k), The ramp legs did their job and only allowed the rear of the trailer to squat just a bit til they made contact with the ground. But since where the ramps are attach is a pivot point, once the dozer started climbing the dove, and most of the weight was on the section of trailer BEHIND the axle, but yet forward of the stands on the ramps, up went the truck and down went the back of the trailer.

Didnt have any blocking or jackstands handy at the time. Had to put the truck in 4wd so the front axle would keep her from scooting away as we loaded.

So now the jackstands always go with me if I am gonna load heavy. A longer GN trailer may not have had the leverage to do this??? but my 25' trailer and the D3 sure had no issues raising the rears of my 8000# DRW truck

 

[RobertN]

Only once, cause it is embarrassing when you have to go to another station and pick it up(and buy ice cream for the other station!).

It happens now and then in the Fire service. Had a friend who had to go pick up his chock... Not something you do a second time

The only problems with wheel chocks, blocks, etc... is driving off without them.

 

[N80]

The only potential problem I see with pinned supports like that is somehow getting a lot of weight towards the tongue of the trailer, dropping and pinning the support at the rear of the trailer, unloading the trailer, which springs the tongue up and then there's a bunch of empty trailer weight on the pin and you can't pull it out with your hand.

Anyone run into that? :confused3:

Good point.

A few pieces of cribbing starting to look like the cheapest, simplest and maybe most effective method.

 

[joefromga]

Or a tilt deck trailer.

 

[N80]

Or a tilt deck trailer.

Too late and too much $$$.