How to back up a pivoting axle trailer

[grsthegreat]

those kind of trailers SUCK to back up. had them back in the day on the ranch, and even the old time geezers that ran equipment their entire lives had issues.

i drive a competition CDE horse carriage that has articulating 4 wheels, they always have issues backing up. Some competitors cheat (in my opinion) by using a steering break to lock hitch in place when backing up. Wimps i say

 

[BlueKnife]

those kind of trailers SUCK to back up.

It's not a trailer. It's a wagon. Two different things.

 

[Sportsman762]

I remember the first time I had to back a wagon up. It was a gravity feed wagon which have a short wheelbase and the ground was ice covered. Probably took me 30 minutes to get it just inside a barn door.

It is like playing a piano............Practice, Practice, Practice.

I have gotten pretty good at it now. The key is to go slow and counter steer as soon as you see movement. I am not the best, but I can generally get a wagon were I want it. The worst are semi mounted plows. With the play in the toggle linkage they are a real pig to back up. I can do it. Just takes time and a few pull forwards. First time I tried I gave up. After watching my friend back it out for me I decided to figure out how to do it myself. All I can say is it took me 4 hours to move 5 plows 1.5 miles down the road. Most of that time was trying to get them in a pretty line...

Practice until you get mad, take a break and try again. You will figure it out. Once you do, you will discover it is much quicker to toss the tractor in reverse and back it in rather than hooking to the front or another method.

 

[ruffdog]

Only look at the wagon's front wheels and where you want the wagon to go. Yes, using a hitch on the front is easier because adjustments are quicker. A modern tractor with hydro and power steering is almost cheating.

 

[CH4Ohio]

It's just like the Little Red Wagon you had when you were a kid. And those sucked to back up too.

Used to have competition events at the county fairs where kids would see who could back one through a couple obstacles in the best time. (These would be your standard 16' hay wagons.)

When we're in a hurry and have several that need to be backed into the barn, we just unhitch it -- have someone walk along and guide/steer the tongue while a small tractor pushes on the front of the wagon with the FEL. It's easy to steer it in by hand and put it right where you want it. But our wagons are rough wood and we don't mind scuffing them up a little.

A few years ago when you could still find kids that wanted to bale hay, we just pulled the wagons into the barn and unloaded them, and then pulled the hitch pin and pushed it out by hand. Much easier and quicker to steer it out by hand than try to back it out with the tractor.

2nd best option is to have a hitch on your FEL bucket so you're facing the wagon and can see what you're doing.

If you're hitched to the rear of a tractor, best to put it in low range and go very slow and just focus on getting it lined up and straight and then keeping it there. I don't even try to back it up with a truck.

And if the wagon is empty, and on flat ground, it's usually pretty easy for a couple people to roll it around by hand and just steer it by hand.

What are you planning to use it for? It looks to be pretty high off the ground, pretty heavy duty with duals on the rear. What's the plan?

 

[BlueKnife]

Only look at the wagon's front wheels and where you want the wagon to go. Yes, using a hitch on the front is easier because adjustments are quicker. A modern tractor with hydro and power steering is almost cheating.

Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever backed a hay or gravity wagon with a tractor younger than I am. I'm in my 40's

 

[LouNY]

Now that you mention it, I don't think I've ever backed a hay or gravity wagon with a tractor younger than I am. I'm in my 40's

I can't say that, I'm older then any of my tractors. The only one's that are older then me on the farm are the AC WD and the Farmall H.

 

[pmsmechanic]

We used to back up hay wagons in a straight line behind a 3 ton truck all the time as teenagers. The trick is to look in the mirror and steer the front of truck the same way the wagon moves in the mirror. A lot of practice and you can put the wagon where you want it.

 

[oosik]

Fourteen years ago I built this farm wagon. Ten ton Horst running gear and LONG tongue. It's taken all that time but I can finally back that @#$% wagon up. It's not fun - it's not easy - but it does go backwards.

The best solution - plan the use of the wagon so you are always going forward. Forward keeps the smile on my face.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

We used to back up hay wagons in a straight line behind a 3 ton truck all the time as teenagers. The trick is to look in the mirror and steer the front of truck the same way the wagon moves in the mirror. A lot of practice and you can put the wagon where you want it.

Back it around a corner and then I'll be impressed.