How to safely load equipment

D2Cat

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L305DT, B7100HST, TG1860, TG1860D, L4240
Mar 27, 2014
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A few good pointers, even good for those that know it all! You can do something so many times you become unconsciously incompetent.

 
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Kurtee

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BX2660, BX2680 cab, JD 2032R, Honda 5518, JD X590, JD X739
Oct 3, 2013
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Pretty good video with some important loading pointers. I am going to choose to critique a couple of items. First you should never pull the breakaway brake switch with the light plug hooked up. It can destroy your brake controller. Second the breakaway brake switch cable needs to be connected somewhere other than the hitch. I suggest an eye bolt in the bumper. The MN state patrol has photos of trailer with the receiver hitch still attached but not on the tow vehicle anymore. Third the safety chains should be shortened so there is just enough slack to turn with. These are the items I noticed. Positioning the load was presented well here.
 
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GeoHorn

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M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
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Speaking of break-away cables…. There are some “coiled” break-away cables sold on the market…and you SHOULD NOT USE that type. Why?

Because you SHOULD be keeping your breakaway cable as SHORT as possible so that you are able to make sharp turns with your trailer…. but short-enough such that IF your ball-hitch should become UN-coupled… the trailer hitch will fall and be CAUGHT on the under-crossed safety-chains…. and THAT IS WHEN YOU WANT YOUR TRAILER BRAKES TO ACTIVATE!

If the trailer-hitch/tongue should fall onto those chains…so much MOVEMENT will be available that the trailer will begin to SWAY UNCONTROLLABY and likely cause you to JACK-KNIFE and may even cause your tow vehicle to roll upside down!

You want your trailer brakes to activate on a short cable.

IF the Brakes are applied on the trailer in that scenario…. the trailer will PULL the chains TAUT… and keep the trailer under-control…. and you will also know about this immediately as you will feel that trailer create Drag.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen someone hitch-up their trailer and take great pains to leave so much trailer-brake-cable LOOSE that it will never activate at all unless the trailer completely leaves the tow-vehicle (and I’ll bet you have seen it too.) But that is NOT the purpose of the break-away cable. The PURPOSE is to prevent that wildly-swaying trailer from killing YOU and anyone else around you.

Hope his makes sense and helps.