Slightly overloaded.....

crowbar032 · May 13, 2013

I'm sure there are threads around with overloaded pictures, but a quick look didn't show any for me. Over the weekend I was at a livestock auction close to Indy. They had another ring outside selling hay. I left before everything was over. When I got to the parking lot I saw this. The trailer is resting on the jack or it would be even lower. A part of me wishes I would have stuck around to see what would have happened when they tried to leave.

dodge man · May 13, 2013

Overloaded? I don't think so, he just needs more rise on the drawbar on his Resse hitch.

3930dave · May 13, 2013

crowbar032 said:
I'm sure there are threads around with overloaded pictures, but a quick look didn't show any for me. Over the weekend I was at a livestock auction close to Indy. They had another ring outside selling hay. I left before everything was over. When I got to the parking lot I saw this. The trailer is resting on the jack or it would be even lower. A part of me wishes I would have stuck around to see what would have happened when they tried to leave. View attachment 317633

Around here (1 hour north of Toronto), you'd have starved to death by the time the bears would have finished writing tickets on that one.

Rgds, D.

aczlan · May 13, 2013

Yeesh. Methinks that they bent their hitch if not the truck frame...

Aaron Z

Soundguy · May 13, 2013

that's pretty surprising!

AKfish · May 13, 2013

Amazing... how something like that doesn't trip off the "common sense" flashing red lights and sirens!

Pictures like that always remind me of the "difficulty" that troopers have when dealing with the public. I'd be strongly inclined to take the keys (and cell phone) away and demand that the fellow start walking... for home!

AKfish

Ford850 · May 13, 2013

I'm sure that tongue jack, the way it appears to be dragging on or gouging into the ground, is helping with the load too.

schmism · May 14, 2013

I think the real question is how much tongue weight does it take to make a ranger look like that? 500 lbs? (that seems light) 800lbs? 1000lbs?

mjncad · May 14, 2013

What an inDUHvidual; I guess he's not familiar with the Mythbusters quote, "Failure is always an option."

thehorseguy · May 14, 2013

I have a three horse version of the same trailer, it has about 1500lbs of pin weight. Sits my 98 dually about 3 inches, not quite onto the overload springs. That is before I put the weight distribution bars on...

deepNdirt · May 14, 2013

It's in deed too much weight for such a truck, I think the way the truck is setting with it's front end slightly up hill has exaggerated the image to appear lower in the rear,

deezler · May 14, 2013

Did you guys ever consider that they loaded the trailer right there, saw how overloaded it was, and didn't even try to drive it? That would be impossible to drive that way. I'm betting they left the livestock in there temporarily and went about trying to find a different truck to actually haul it with.

cqaigy2 · May 14, 2013

deezler said:
Did you guys ever consider that they loaded the trailer right there, saw how overloaded it was, and didn't even try to drive it? That would be impossible to drive that way. I'm betting they left the livestock in there temporarily and went about trying to find a different truck to actually haul it with.

I like this one, though that's not went thru my head when first looking at the pict.

Either way, it doesn't look like it's going anywhere.

Jimbrown · May 14, 2013

The thing is loaded with hay. If they would just move 6 or so bales to the rear it might be alright. It looks like the frame on the trailer is bent from past abuse. I have a trailer just like that one too bad we can't see the tires I bet they are half flat.

aczlan · May 14, 2013

deezler said:
Did you guys ever consider that they loaded the trailer right there, saw how overloaded it was, and didn't even try to drive it? That would be impossible to drive that way. I'm betting they left the livestock in there temporarily and went about trying to find a different truck to actually haul it with.

The trailer is full of hay as shown in the picture, not livestock and from how the jack is bent, I would bet that they drove it there.
Some interesting specs:
Trailer weight rating: Probably 7k (dual axles and the spare has a 5 bolt rim)
Trailer curb weight: Looks to be at least a 14' steel stock trailer which would weigh at least 2500# (comparable trailers 1, 2, 3 all of which are over 2700#).
Truck max trailer weight with an auto transmission (assuming a 2003ish ranger, manual transmission is rated for less): Max of 5860# (with the 4.0, 4x2 and super cab, less for other setups). Source: 2003 Ford Ranger Specifications
So, assuming a trailer curb weight of 2500 and 4x2 with the 4.0, they could (theoretically) legally carry ~70 50# bales of hay on the trailer which looks to be about what is on it. WAY over on tongue weight through.

Aaron Z

Soundguy · May 14, 2013

schmism said:
I think the real question is how much tongue weight does it take to make a ranger look like that? 500 lbs? (that seems light) 800lbs? 1000lbs?

i have a ponderosa 2 horse trailer. it has 2 5k axles.

back in 1999 i still had a ford ranger.. the small 6 cyl job ( 3.8? ) anyway. I pulled that 2 horse ponderosa with a large thouroughbred mare we had at the time.

on a hill, she would make 55 but that was it. rear end was not crushed down like that. normal squatt.

i'd say that has a lot of weight forward of them axles. normally the horse trailers have the weight over the axles..e tc. that one looks forward heavy..

Ted Summey · May 14, 2013

The tongue jack is bent like it was pulled that way at least once. Some don't realize the the front brakes are where the greater stopping power is. I would not want to drive that thing across the yard as it is. As soon as the brakes are applied the trailer tongue will submarine and provide even less braking power on the front wheels.

I hope the trailer was being used to store the hay on the lot to keep it dry or away from the livestock.

What kind of plant is growing out of the bed?

crowbar032 · May 14, 2013

It's possible that they never intended to drive like this. I didn't hang around to find out. I HOPE they loaded it quick because the seller wanted to leave quick and were going to re-arrange the hay bales in a more distributed manner. I believe the plant in the back was a tomato plant. It was at a livestock auction....ducks, chickens, rabbits, goats, eggs, hay...a little of everything. People that bought chickens and didn't have cages just turned them loose in their vans. It was my first trip to this particular place and it was....interesting.

3930dave · May 14, 2013

crowbar032 said:
... People that bought chickens and didn't have cages just turned them loose in their vans. It was my first trip to this particular place and it was....interesting.

Yep, them thar's the folks that made Jeff Foxworthy a rich man !

Rgds, D.

Soundguy · May 14, 2013

i think they have too much hay int he nose.. hade the situated some rear of the axle it would have helped quite a bit. on that lil ranger suspension.. once it goes over.. it's over and down. not much squatt rom available..