How to Safely Load and Haul a Skid Steer in a Dump Trailer
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- čas přidán 6. 07. 2024
- How to Safely Load and Haul a Skid Steer in a Dump Trailer
hauling my John Deere 325G skid loader in 7x16 dump trailer from East Texas Trailer
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Pro tip - you're loading a "dump trailer". Raise the bed of the trailer 10 to 15 degrees to lessen to teeter at the crest. If you want to be real fancy, install a remote activation switch for the dump, that way, once it's loaded, retract the dump all the way down to level from the seat of the machine.
Finally a video showing the loader being backed up onto the trailer. I’ve got a Cat 299D3 XE, comes in at 12,000 gross. I’m used a Southland 18’ to haul it, behind my Ford Super Duty. Two solutions. First, I had custom ramps built, extra wide to handle the width plus extra of the tracks. Second, I welded rear end stabilizer jacks onto the frame of the trailer. I used 5 ton rated jacks used with RVs to do the job. With this simple set up safety is maximized and there is zero truck lift.
Leo, getting those 5 Ton jacks welded onto the rear of the trailer is a really good idea. Thanks for your contribution to this topic. Definitely going to use it.
Great info in the video! I dont even have a truck/trailer but its still good to know more than what you know!! The dream would be to have about 50 acres a skid steer, excavator and all the other toys to play around on the property with! At least I get to live vicariously watching your videos!! Look forward to the next one!
I hear you. I was watching these types of videos for a few years before I got in a position to do it myself
Great video hilighting all the main points. Agree with Marvin (comment below) regarding the jack stand issue and shifting the weight forward temporarily to remove the jack stand.
Good job. I am just about to pull the trigger on a new dump trailer specifically for hauling my skid steer and logs. Thanks.
I'm buying one today for my mini excavator! Good luck.
It's a dump trailer so you can lift it few inched to match your ramp angle before you put jacks in and drive on ramps. That way your jacks once you loaded and bring trailer to full down position will come out without even touching your trailer frame on the back. Loading and unloading also is safer with no hump that way. If you have 4wd definitely take advantage of that and get some chains. Good luck and thanks for the code.
I have done it that way before. Thanks for watching
Try pulling the skid loader all the way forward in the trailer to transfer more weight forward. Then see if you can get the jacks out. After the jacks are removed, you can then properly center the load. I will have to admit, this video has a little pucker factor. Moving equipment on trailers always makes my hair stand on end, but I suppose that is a good thing. A little carelessness can go a long way...
Right. Good suggestion not getting the jacks out
Jack stands are a must you can also bend the back end of the trailer, if I back on it's to much tung weight so I pull it on and it's just enough tung weight that it doesent sway and most of the weight is over the axles!.
You could mount a bulldog swivel style jack on each side of your dump trailer.. they are heavy duty, you can crank them up and down and when you done you can fold them up and out of the way. Maybe even remove them completely with pins if needed
Yes
That is some great information, I have seen many, many other super dangerous methods no wonder people are always getting hurt and damaging equipment
Like what
Great video thanks
I hate that tipping feeling when backing out of the trailer 😆
I live in the mountain so unloading and loading Tractors is almost always on a slope best advice apart from what was said Here is to manually engage your brake controller lever in your truck so that your trailer's brakes are engauge when loading and unloading.
I found the best weight distribution for me was to drive in forward, drop the bucket, then load the loader in backwards. That puts most of the machine weight near the axles instead of too far forward or too far back. Now I drop the bucket at the back of the trailer, then just push it forward as I back the machine in.
Great Video. What is the length and width of this dump trailer? Trying to figure out what size to get for mine.
Great video Brock.
Thank you sir
Hi, rise your trailer bed to make it flat with the ramps so is no tipping feel when going backwards ( feels bad man) jack your end of trailer and that my safety way of doing that, I just got my 325 ctl and Going through all of those details.
Adding more of a gap for the jackstands is probably the easiest way to go, but you might consider using a hydraulic jack (or a pair of them) instead. You can find combos of bottle jacks and wide base plates (and lots of examples of putting together combos with light modd'ing of separate products) that approximate the geometry of a jackstand. Using an offroad truck floor jack (like from Pro Eagle) in the middle of the trailer between the ramps (assuming you've got a structurally sound lift point there) might be another possibility. Added bonus...you now have an offroad truck floor jack with you that can come in handy for other things :)
I appreciate the suggestions. I might do something with bottle jacks. I don’t think I want to use a floor jack because I have to take it with me for unloading and I honestly just don’t feel like lifting that into the back of the truck every time
@@RockhillfarmYT yeah fair enough re: not wanting to lift the floor jack every time. But if you kept it in the trailer, you could just roll it up and down the ramps assuming you had a way to tie it down properly. Still not as convenient as jackstands or bottlejacks though, for sure. Thanks as always for the great content!
Good job
Thanks
I use wood blocks cheap reliable you can throw them in your dump trailer or back of the truck and wheel chocks is a must
I don’t see it mentioned here, but what length are those ramps, and how high is the deck level of the trailer from the ground?
Mine has drop leg jacks in the rear that also crank. They are just welded to the side of the box.
I saw someone else mentioned RV stabilizing jacks... It would be awesome to have hydraulic RV leveling jacks tied into the dump hydraulics. What I'm really curious about though is the ramps. The ones I've been seeing as I'm shopping around for a trailer have only been rated for 2k. Are these the ramps most guys are using??
I know a 325g fits but does a 331 fit ? I have one but it doesn’t fit , is there a wider dump trailer ?
I need to load my skidsteer in dump trailer without a bucket would that be okay or dangerous since the bucket I assume it creates some weight balance ?
They make jack stands with hydraulic jack built into them. It's one unit. I'm pretty sure you can ask the trailer lot from where you bought it , to find out if they have them for your trailer 👍👍
Thanks
It doesn't matter if you have the jack stands or the legs mounted to the trailer, but just leave more than 1" gap to account for sag. I have a Ktrail with the legs and leave about 2-2.5" gap and it works just fine when loading it up and never gets stuck.
Right. That’s a trial and error thing on how much it’s going to sag
Thanks for watching
@Rockhill farm yep. It all depends how much the machine weights too. Your skid steer will make it sag more than your tractor.
Id be curious what the tongue weight was after the jack stands came out.
What dump trailer do you have? Hard finding a dump trailer with enough axle capacity for a skid steer.
I'm actually shopping for a skid steer since I sold my last one. A few things about a setup like this... You have to know all the weight capacities of everything you are using. My 2004 dodge ram 3500 has a tow capacity of 15,950 pounds. That skid steer weighs 9,500 pounds and the average weight of a dump trailer is 4,750. So the total is 14,250 pounds, that's pushing the limits. I'd prefer to have a skid steer that is 6,000 to 8,000 pounds instead of that beast. Also, I'm not sure your ramps will hold up to that big skid steer over time. I had ramps bend on me with my large skid steer, I actually had to weld up my own ramps. You also have to look at the max capacity of your dump trailer and if it's rated to handle a big skid steer. To me it just looks like any dump trailer would be over loaded with a ten thousand pound machine, better to have a smaller skid steer or a different trailer.
If you install the weld on tongue jack on each rear corner that will give you the ways to adjust the distance between the trailer and the ground. Most trailers that have the loading jacks are the side crank weld on jacks. If your straps have the proper working load limit greater than weight of the equipment based on the rigging then the straps are just as safe as the proper chains. If you switch from 30,000 lbs WLL straps to a 3/8 grade 43 chain the chain only has a rating of 4600 lbs.
Great video! Is that a 2500 or a 3500 ram diesel?
Great video and well explained. I would leave just a little more room on your jack
Thanks
What size channel was on those ramps? Was that 3" or 4"?
You can keep a 20 ton bottle jack to lift it off the jacksrands if it gets stuck.
What size are those ramps?
Are those 3inch chanel? Or 4inch chanel?
And how long and wide?
Two things to think about. 1 are those bars on the back that you have your ramp hanging on rated at 10k 2 did you notice you were only half on the ramp in the opening of the video? In soft soil that cold go south in a hurry. If you are watching for safety I hope you keep the truck in 4 low and chalk the tires because that is lifting hard on the back axel
I've been in situations when loading about the fleet angle while going up the ramps.I simply just raise the front of the trailer and lesson that angle when loading certain pieces of equipment.
Thanks for sharing. I had to do that today to load the tractor in the same trailer because it was bottoming out
I'm purchasing a 2020 Deere 325G. I was worried that my 2020 Big Tex 14LX trailer ramps wouldn't handle 9,600lbs but I'm guessing your dump trailer was similar to a 14LX (14,000lb capacity - trailer weight and machine combined). Watching this video makes me feel better for sure. Jack stands is a great idea. I keep a 6ton Bottle Jack (Big Red) for trailer blowouts, Im going to try the jack stand idea, if it gets packed under the frame, Ill just break out the bottle jack, set it on a block of wood and lift the trailer until jack stand is free. I think I am going to make a metal ramp brace for the center as well to make my ramps last a bit longer. I didn't see them flex in this video but its worth my time to fab up metal legs under the ramps to make sure i don't blow the ramps out. IMO always use wheel chocks and use your E-Brake to keep transmission from getting jarred. I've seen transmissions go out due to hard loading practices. Thank you Rockhill Farm, good vid for sure.
My 259d3 weighs about 9,000 lbs , I've driven up customers ramps to load 1ton pallets, at the customers discretion. I always feel a little uneasy with 11,000lbs on those ramps. Haven't had an issue yet but metal legs under the legs will give you peace of mind and that's worth the time and money. Hope you enjoy your new machine. Those Deere's are nice machines
@@dajb90 SO I went ahead and bought 2 Ton Jack stands instead to put under the ramps in the middle and got 2 6 ton bottle jacks for the rear end of the trailer to keep it from lifting up the front of trailer when loading. Takes about 2 extra minutes of load times but this system worked out great. Jacks are nice cause you can lower the weight freely instead of driving off static jack stands like on the video. Thanks again.
Airbags on the truck. I would put 60 lbs in mine when loading, then drop them back to 5 or 10 lbs to lower the front of the trailer allowing room to get the jacks out
Looking to start a skid business debating on a tilt trailer or dump trailer.. I just know a dump trailer wouldn’t fit a bush hog???
Hi Brock…. I’m thinking of getting a skid steer similar to yours. I was wondering if the dealers are giving any discount from what is listed on their “ build it” pricing schedule on their website ? Probably a regional thing … but when I bought my 2010 2520r with backhoe , I got about 18% off of retail listing. Also, did you get the hi-flow hydraulics with yours… and are you pleased with its overall performance? Thanks for your input !
Sorry, I almost missed this comment
I paid sticker price. It is possible I could have negotiated but I actually didn’t even try.
I did get hi-flow and the severe duty door so I could run a muncher if I get the opportunity
I have been very happy with the machine but I only have 30 hours on it
What are those ramps rated at? Most dump trailer ramps I've seen are rated at 4,000lbs each. Assuming that 325G weights 9000-9500lbs. I'd be worried about bending them if you come down too hard. I'd buy a tilt trailer if I was hauling equipment around frequently.
That Jack stand probably caused more tounge weight as it was holding the back up thus shifting weight from wheels to rear of trailer. What was the tounge weight after getting jack stand out.
PS. I probably would have used a jack to jack up trailer to remove that stand.
This brings up many good points. However I prefer my gooseneck trailers over the conventional ones.
Does the Gooseneck eliminate all these issues?
i'd like using bottle jacks that jack up things hydraulically instead of those types of jack stands .
Two small trailer jack are the answer
Can you tip the trailer up a little to have a more gentle loading angle?
I noticed you didn't use wheel chocks unloading the skid steer.
God bless
Are your weigh safe readings off with the weight on the jack stands
Could be affecting it a little bit and I didn’t think of that.
I doubt it is much but I will check it again the next time I load it
Nice vid, for me as you’ve already got hydraulics on the trailer why not utilise that power with two hydraulic jack legs on the rear chassis rail no axle stands on wind up jacks easy 👍
That would be best solution. Don’t know what it would cost
What do you do when you want to bring bucket, grapple, and brush cutter to the same job at the same time.
I use my other trailer. No way to get it in this one
A key thing with the Dump Trailers.
The point of using Jack Stands is to save the rear pivot of the dump bed. Putting jack stands on the frame does not save that pivot point.
Also putting 15K onto a dump that is only rated to hold 9800 - 10K LBS is never going to end well. Moving the weight forward is a best call on that part and that is why a Weigh Safe Hitch is a Must when you push the limits.
Good Luck with all your future endeavors brother!
I don’t put 15 K on it. If I referenced a higher number like that, I was talking about including the weight of the trailer. My skid loader weighs 9400 pounds and I rarely transport it with this trailer
@Rockhill farm my bad! I didn't interpret that.
What’s the length of your trailer
You should look at getting the crap out of the tracks area.
Another good loading tip is if the truck is 4 wheel drive, engage that and then if the rear tires were to pick up the fronts would be locked into park
Good tip
I have wheels instead of treads. Not sure I want to try it.
i have never put anything under the tail section just drive it up and on. the rear axle on your trailer is set back far enough that it typically wont pick up the truck anyways. still want to chock the wheels though.
10,000 pound skid loader in this dump trailer will lift my truck rear wheels a foot off the ground.
I have done it
Whether it lifts it or not, my concern is the amount of stress it puts on the hitch
Ive never used jack stands
I never load the skid steer on forward. It's dangerous to load and back down when unloading. If you need to load it without the bucket, it's impossible to load it forward.
It has more to do with weight placement than unloading/loading
It looked to me as though the machine was more stable going on forward. Maybe mark your jack stands at the height they need to be while the machine is on the trailer. Then as long as you're on fairly flat ground when loading. All should be good. Loading that just looks to be a bit more pucker power than this old dude could handle. I`ll just spectate!!
Thanks for the suggestion on the Jack stands
Loading definitely feels sketchy, but it works
So I assume that the weight on the jack stand is giving a false reading on the weight scale
Potentially, but I I don’t think they had much pressure on them.
Regardless, I made note of it to not read it with those under it in the future
Load forward best
Would you haul an 8k# skidsteer 1000 miles in a 14k# rated dump trailer this way? Is it safe at highway speeds?
As long as your truck is rated to handle that. I’m assuming you have an HD truck?
It feels fine pulling to me
@@RockhillfarmYT yes, 2018 2500hd
Never back on, were you planning on blocking exhaust?
Getcha a Gooseneck tra
Dot get you for those straps lol
Nice! I'm wondering if your ramps are going to hold up... having the tracks helps I'm sure but still... fits in the trailer nice and snug!
Might want to take a good look at your anchors on the trailer and maybe upgrading or beefing them up... I'm thinking they are probably fine for rolling down the road but I doubt they hold up in an accident. Not a pleasant thought, I know, but you have to plan for the worst. I was a career firefighter for 15 years... I can tell you from experience how devastating unsecured or at least improperly secured loads can be in an accident.
I think the ramps will be fine although I’m thinking I might reinforce the point where they hook on the trailer.
I appreciate your thoughts on it and your service as a fire fighter. That is some tough and important work
the truck a half ton..or a heavy 1/2
Pull the trailer break away pin will lock the trailer breaks ...
Could let the air out of your air ride that would bring the rear of the trailer up. Get the stands out then turn it back up
Thanks for the suggestion
@@RockhillfarmYT just an idea. After seeing how far it went down maybe it might now work but worth a try.
I might be mistaken but that trailor you just aquired has a 10000 pound payload.all dump trailors whether they are 12 foot 14 foot or 16 foot all have a 10000 pound payload. Does that make you overweight for your trailor and your truck payload with your new toy?
I don’t understand what you’re referring to about all dump trailers having the same payload.
What the dump trailer can haul or it’s payload depends on the type of axles it has under it minus what the trailer itself weighs
I can put 10,000 pounds in this dump trailer. Skid stairway is 9400.
I can actually put a little bit more than that because of what is transferred onto the truck
Thanks for watching
Payload is obviously downward weight pressure and not tow weight. My Chevy 2500 has a 3700lb payload. If he's stating 1700lbs on the tongue he has plenty left over. But that's assuming he had a 2500 or a 250 depending on brand. If he has a 1500 he's over.
Dump trailer load ratings are slightly different on length of trailer. 200-600lbs difference, not much but yes a little different. A 2002 7.3L F250 4X4 weighs around 6,700lbs, A 2020 Deere 325G weighs 9,600lbs, a Big Tex 14LX weighs 3,600lbs empty, carrying capacity of 14,000lbs which includes trailer weight and Skid steer weight. Add those 2 total weights (truck and trailer loaded) is 20,700lbs. From what I understand you can haul anything under 26,000lbs without a CDL.
@@RockhillfarmYTim guessing you have 5k axles? If so, don’t you have to subtract the weight of the trailer from that? I would think you would need dual 7k axles.
Thanks
@@chris2884 it is dual 7k axels. Every dump trailer I’ve seen around here is dual 7K.
Pull the machine forward remove the stands then back back to your spot in trailer
You are supposed to load the heavy end first, if you have a heavy attachment on the front of the loader it goes on first. If you have just a bucket, forks, or no attachment the back goes on first.
What I do with each configuration is tested both ways.
I have a Weigh Safe trailer hitch that measures the tongue weight and I know the appropriate amount of tongue weight.
Forward or backward depends on the length of the equipment and the weight distribution
@@RockhillfarmYT Our S66 will pick up the front tires while driving forward into our trailer when we have the weights on the back and only a bucket or forks on it. When the front tires come off the trailer bed while loading is a spooky sight. We do have the max control so loading the machine in our dump trailer I am outside the machine to be able to walk and see all clearances and issues.
Looks like you need to get a set of chains.
Yes I do.
Pull the break away pin will lock up the trailer breaks
If you’re towing more than 10,000lbs, don’t you need a CDL A? Keep the great videos coming!
Only in certain states. Most do not
Only in California. But in all states, Gross Combined Weight (or weight rating) must be under 26klbs total-
Yes sir
Thanks for commenting
George, there is exceptions to the 26k# rule… for instance, farmers do not have to abide by it, and there is actually no written number that is set as a max weight per the FMCSA
@@georgehofgren6123 You can actually put a 10k trailer behind a 26k truck and be under CDL. It's very common to put a 8k chipper behind a 26k chipper truck without a CDL, and that's legal. But if the trailer goes above 10k then you need to keep the total under 26k to be under CDL. And you need a DOT med card for anything above 10k combined weight.
Oh ya, those straps will work, if there's an accident
The easiest way is to just get another trailer lol. Trailers aren’t that expensive compared to a skid steer anyway. Dump trailers sit high so the load angle sucks it’s just not really the right tool for the job. And they are often short so they can hold the weight but it’s either ass heavy or tongue heavy depending which way you load. They work in a pinch but if you plan on moving equipment frequently a DT isn’t great. Buying a dedicated equipment trailer was money well spent IMO.
Over thinking it
As much as you load and unload equipment, you need a dock there on the property.
That would be handy
Brock, go get the damn gooseneck flatbed with the Maxx Ramps. You're so close to an accident here. That's an expensive tractor and I'd hate to see it on its side.
I appreciate the feedback, but even after getting a better gooseneck I still intend to haul the machine in this dump trailer if it saves me trips
I consider it to be sufficient
@@RockhillfarmYT Some better ramps and some welded on stabilizers on there world go a long way then.
Chalk your wheels, truck and trailer. It'll save your transmission.
Need air bags
What do you mean by air bags?
The truck has the factory air suspension
@@RockhillfarmYT Yes , I forgot your truck has that on there!! My bad lol 😆
That's a creepy ride going up and down ramps like that. Moron welders should have turned the angle iron upside down on the ramp cleats so there were more tread contact points. The BWise Ultimate dump with a hydraulic ramp in the back has the best game in town for a dump trailer. Next up would be a hook lift truck / trailer where you just chain down your machine on a dump bed resting on the ground and hoist it to the back of 5500 truck (10k load capacity). Now you are not dragging around a 6,000 dump trailer you have a PTO powered dump box probably a 55 deg dump angle and a more maneuverable unit. You can still drag a flat deck trailer too with all your attachments if need be.
325’s are less then 10k lbs
9400
People need to stop throwing out “10% tongue weight”. It can be as high as 18-20%.
Before the “weigh safe” hitches, people used tape measures with spring trailers and went to an elevator or other public scale for a platform scale.
And before they used cars, they used a horse and buggy. Things evolve, and get better.
What do you mean it can be as high as 18 to 20%
Sure, it can be 40% if you want but that doesn’t make it smart. If you’re pulling 5000 pounds with the diesel truck, you can put as much weight as you want onto the tongue.
you want to balance the load and the problem with putting more than 10% is that if you are hauling near your capacity That overloads the suspension on your truck
I’ll stick with my tape measure. My experience with weigh safe type devices is they aren’t as accurate as people claim. Your weight you showed had major errors to it. Namely you had the load sitting on the jackstands and reading the weight.
Go back and take the reading again, you’ll find out your reading will have changed.
Sorry you seem to think that anyone who has commented isn’t validating your position. It shows in your responses to others as well.
Have a nice day.
I’m sorry that you are so sensitive. I thought when you left a comment you wanted to discuss it.
I think I made valid points and it seems like it hurt your feelings. Now imagine if you got hundred of comments per day.
You can’t read someone’s tone in a comment, and often people take them in a different way than how they are meant. Myself included
My truck has factory air ride and doesn’t squat like a typical suspension. Makes it harder to tell.
There's a bit too much focus on the Hitch scale in this, relative to just general best practices... I am saying this because you are pushing the limit of what a basic, bumper-pull single wheel truck can take... and that really means Unsafe, when guys who watch this don't have brand new, unrusted hitches, nor the ability to so accurately control weight distribution. A Very minor miscalculation on weight in the trailer from the machine *could* lead to the most dangerous, often fatal, of trailering accidents... unrecoverable fishtailing. The % that is recommended for hitches, 10-15%, is only a Very general rule.. applied to virtually every bumper-pull pull from just a lawn mower trailer, up to what you have. But when the gross trailer weight gets as high as you are showing, if the driver does not have the ability to so accurately tell the hitch weight, Or if the scale is not functioning accurately, the obvious solution Would be to just add some more to the tongue by moving forward some... Not in your scenario though. Because moving the weight forward quickly goes over what the hitch can safely handle for tongue weight. I guess what i am saying is that Through the use of the scale, you are maximizing what can be hauled via a srw, bumper-pull. And that's not safe if other guys with older trucks or w/o the scale attempt to do the same thing. (And fail because they know they could break the hitch and then just risk it with too much in the rear... leading to a fishtail event).
The Real-world solution is not difficult (for anyone reading here..). And that is to take the loaded rig (at low speeds) to a Truck stop where they have a drive-on Scale. On the scale you can get your total combined weight, but also figure out just the trailer and by unhooking, just the tongue weight. Scale tickets cost about $10-15. But only the initial weigh. Then you can play games with the setup getting individual weights and it's only a couple dollars for each thereafter. (go on a Saturday or Sunday morning when the scale isn't busy). You basically only need to do this once, and mark you trailer as shown to always afterwards know the exact best spot to load to.
But again, using This combination of truck, trailer and heavy skidsteer, your pushing it on a bumper-pull hitch. I'm not suggesting gooseneck, btw, either. Just that at a certain point you have to accept the limits of the tow vehicle and use the best vehicle, even if it's older, or just dedicated to pulling that machine around.
Also, not mentioned is that Brock just got this longer (16') trailer to solve just the above problem i have pointed out, of not being able to get the machine in the best spot. But Most guys who'll watch this will have the more common 14foot dump trailers, leaving much less room to find the sweet spot to load to. If they watch this video thinking that this was done on a 14'er, and try to do the same, they may again just try and 'risk it' w/insufficient tongue weight, or too much and break the hitch off.
As far as supporting the rear as the machine loads, I had suggested yesterday rear legs which a Few trailers have sockets for... not made clear in the video. IF you have the sockets, most would agree it is a no-brainer to get the legs... they're cheap, easy, safe. Whatever guys were talking about with bottle or floor jacks, I mean, Again... that is just some kind of (can't think of a word that's not insulting)... Don't drive Ten Thousand Pound machines onto lose, non-secured, hydraulic jacks that aren't designed for a shock load i can't believe i have to even say... do you plan on using that jack again with you under a vehicle, now that you've fatigued it with a shock load? And never use wood. (seeing why the rear legs really are important, but that most don't have the sockets to use them...?)
Lastly, i left it vague hoping you would figure it out yesterday, but maybe you need it explained... as far as getting the supports stuck- YES you need simply to leave more space. Between the hitch scale and this, you might be just doing a type of perfectionist or black-n-white thinking that isn't letting you see the physics simply: in this case, by leaving more space for the trailer to sag, you aren't simply making it so you can get your billy-bob jury-rigged stands setup out... (or the legs back up), it's Because you Want To Let The Trailer Sag Down SOME as you load. (you really could kind of figure this out w/o me having to type for so long, w/the amt of experience you have) First- the trailer sagging Some lets the ramp angle be less steep for when the machine breaks over the tail. But Secondly, more important, you Don't want All that weight in the Jack Stands (or whatever foolish bits you put under). Okay, so now you've concentrated Ten Thousand Pounds onto One point, supported Only by your stands, and One stand fails... your entire machine just slid sideways, and off the ramp and landed overturned.
Rather, by leaving More room for the trailer to sag, the trailer springs are being compressed, which along with the front hitch point secure, is going to keep the Entire Trailer stable to the ground.. no wiggle, sway, etc. You just need the stands/legs to take Part of the load and to stabilize the ramps as you get near the top. Not sure if i explained it sufficiently... you might want to stop and actually think about it, get a pad and pencil and draw it out if need be.
None of this is stuff to learn by loading poorly or just going down the road. Which is why i feel i need to type this all out now, for some guy(s) who think it's all no big deal or that just a hitch scale will take away their need to think or learn their own parameters.
Lastly.. as far all rigging (with straps or chain)... If the machine is over 10klbs, you must use chain and anchor all 4 corners. I'll save you all that talk.. but what i need you to understand (which anyone Can figure out if they think about it) is that it's Most important to secure the machine to the Back of the trailer, above All else. Forget about strapping it Down... gravity is already doing that. A 10klb machine is never going to bounce out of position. But what Can And WILL happen with this setup is that If Brock needs to hit the brakes hard (actually When) ALL of the trucks And trailer brakes will engage, and All of the braking force Will cause the machine to slide forward, possibly quite hard, and without the machine ANCHORED to the rear of the trailer, it could slide forward enough to A, break the hitch, or worse... B, not break the hitch but put on so much tongue weight that the front wheels come up and you lose steering. Very Bad. If you don't do a Single other thing, secure the Back of the machine to the Rear trailer D-rings. You can't stop a rig safely without the loads being prevented from harshly shifting Forward, and this is by far the Most likely situation (not taking a turn to hard or whatever).
So hopefully some of that helps to securely and simply load and/or helps others to think about what can be done or Can't and not learning the hard way, on the road, where others are ~ 👍
Thanks for your thoughts on it again.
As far as the first part of the conversation and whether the gauge is accurate enough for centering this load, I think it’s a good conversation to have. There are a lot of people out there who don’t even really think about what they’re hauling.
If it fits it ships thought process. I’ve seen a lot of really sketchy stuff
What I like about this gauge is that I look at it on every load. And I usually know how heavy the load is. A 9400 pound skid loader should give the same number on the gauge as 10,000 pounds of rock. Now I know what percentage my trailer puts on the truck when it’s properly centered. After measuring this a few times I know exactly where to park each piece of equipment
You’re getting less useful information if the entire set up is new to you.
In this scenario because this trailer is new I am assuming that this trailer puts the same percentage as my 7 x 12 dump trailer did . When empty this trailer puts the same percentage
On the jackstands whether this type or the type that is built in the back of the trailer, I’m just looking for the sweet spot for where to put them. Whether that’s an inch below or 3 inches below.
Do you have to allow for room for the trailer to sag but you don’t want to have so much room that it lifts the back of the truck
They are usually only adjustable in 2 inch increments. Once you see how much it sags it’s going to be easy to know where to set your stands
Why use a dump trailer for this? Why not invest in a tilt bed equipment trailer? So much easier to load and unload