Trailer tips-driving, loading, and unloading

nbryan

Well-known member

Equipment
B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
Jan 3, 2019
1,161
705
113
Hadashville, Manitoba, Canada
"I'll be towing the B2650 with FEL and BH. Approx 5,000lbs. The trailer is 3,000 lbs..."
5000 lbs? Sounds high.

My B2650 ROPS: 1800 lbs.
BH77 backhoe: 900 lbs.
LA534A: 800 lbs.

TOTAL: 3500 lbs.

I haul this rig on my 18' PJ trailer 7000 gvw (1800 lbs trailer weight, dual braked axles), runs beautifully behind my lowly '06 4x4 Tacoma.

I don't put blocks under the trailer rear when loading, the load doesn't lift my pickup rear off the ground.
 

Freeheeler

Well-known member

Equipment
b2650 tlb
Aug 16, 2018
704
519
93
Knoxville, TN
I put the bucket 1/2" off the floor and drive forward till it's butted up against the front rail, making it easier to ensure no forward movement while hauling. I'm just lucky that it puts the weight just right for proper tongue wt on my setup so that I didn't have to mark a position on my trailer. Once you find the sweet spot mark it or make a mental note of where things are. If you trailer with different implements attached, you may need multiple marks. Great looking set up. Be careful and enjoy.
 

NoJacketRequired

Active member

Equipment
B7510 & LA302 FEL & B2782 blower, B7510 & B2781 blower, B2410 & B2550 blower
May 25, 2016
415
47
28
Ottawa, Ontario
I'm an infrequent trailer tower so have to get comfortable every time I do it. I borrow my next door neighbor's F150 which is a really nice towing rig. I rent either U-Haul tandem car haulers or their tandem 6x12 utility trailer. I've also rented a 20' tandem float, much like you've pictured.

The lesson I have to re-learn every time I draw a trailer is to look further down the road. Looking up close will have you fighting the wheel to keep the trailer centered on the pavement. Looking further away helps reduce the tendency to constantly be correcting and over-correcting.

The comments about leaving extra space are right on the money. Some idiot is always going to want to fill that space, so just get used to it. Signal your turns well in advance, and I make a habit of flashing my brake lights (just enough brake pedal to light up the lights) when decelerating or coming to a stop - it wakes up the idiot behind you.

With respect to tongue weight, I make a habit (doesn't matter if it's one of the bigger rental trailers, or one of my small utility trailers at home) of trying to pick up the tongue while the trailer is unloaded, then trying to do so while the trailer is loaded. This gives you a good comparison, a way of guessing how much weight you've got on the tongue.

If loading a tractor with a 3pt implement attached, be prepared to swap the load end for end in order to get the tongue weight correct. On my last haul (B7510 with cab & front-mounted snow blower) I found I could achieve excellent balance by loading the tractor backwards on the trailer.

As has been mentioned previously in this thread, always tie down your implements, even if they are attached to the tractor. Tie them down like they were standing on their own. This removes the possibility of them shifting, gaining momentum as they move, and jerking your tractor around on the trailer when they hit the limit of their travel.

Lastly, once you're loaded and ready to go, stop at the end of the driveway and check your tiedowns. Go another mile or two, and stop and check again, especially if you've been driving over a bumpy local road. If you've done it right you'll have the wonderful confidence that comes from knowing your load is properly tied down and not shifting. If you haven't done it right, you'll learn quickly what doesn't work when tying stuff down on a flatbed.
 

SolbergDave

New member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
MX5800HST w/LA1065 FEL, Bobcat forks, QH10, RB3784, BB3584, RTA1274
Jul 12, 2018
27
0
1
PHILLIPS, WI
Always make sure your front jack is ALL the way up. Those big square pads grab railroad tracks, etc pretty aggressively. When I got my trailer I was going to go with straps, went an got some grade 70 chain. Maybe I get some paint wear, but I know that unit is secure.