Building a trailer to store backhoe.

[ljames]

I would like to buy a Harbor Freight 94564 trailer and convert it to a low-bed trailer to store my backhoe on so it is easily moved when I have other attachments on the back of my tractor. Right now if I take the backhoe off it has to stay where I drop it. I have a small property with little storage area. The backhoe weighs 1200 lbs; the trailer capacity is 1700. I would have to make the center of the trailer no higher than the axle so that I can slide the trailer under the hoe while it is still on the tractor. Then I could drop the hoe on the trailer and drive the tractor off it. The tractor is an LS 3010. Can anybody tell me if this is feasible, or would I weaken the trailer too much? If anyone is interested I have drawn up a rough blueprint in Google Sketchup showing my idea.

 

[Diamondpilot]

If you go cutting the axle it will weaken it without adding some structure.

Chris

 

[ljames]

I'm not cutting the axle, just the deck cross members. Hrbr Freight trailers are made of U-channels that you bolt together to make a deck and then bolt the axle springs to mount the axle & wheels. The body of the backhoe would rest just forward of the axle. I would have to add outrigger platforms for the backhoe bucket & outriggers to rest on with a stop so they can't move once hydraulic pressure has bled off.

 

[amaxwell]

I would like to buy a Harbor Freight 94564 trailer and convert it to a low-bed trailer to store my backhoe on so it is easily moved when I have other attachments on the back of my tractor. Right now if I take the backhoe off it has to stay where I drop it. I have a small property with little storage area. The backhoe weighs 1200 lbs; the trailer capacity is 1700. I would have to make the center of the trailer no higher than the axle so that I can slide the trailer under the hoe while it is still on the tractor. Then I could drop the hoe on the trailer and drive the tractor off it. The tractor is an LS 3010. Can anybody tell me if this is feasible, or would I weaken the trailer too much? If anyone is interested I have drawn up a rough blueprint in Google Sketchup showing my idea.

Would the weight of the backhoe plus the weight of the rear of the tractor getting the backhoe up on the trailer not be way too much weight for the trailer?

 

[ljames]

My plan is to roll the trailer under the backhoe, put blocks under the body, lower the outriggers & bucket, pull the pins, and drive the tractor off the backhoe. The only weight on the trailer should be that of the backhoe.

 

[IXLR8]

Interesting idea, I will see what you come up with and if this works out.

 

[ljames]

Here is a pdf file printed from Sketchup. This is just a rough draft of my idea. The upper section is the original trailer deck; the long rails are the new section that the backhoe will sit on. The middle of the rails on the top will be cut out at the angle iron. I'm still a novice at using Sketchup and getting it to do what I want, even tho I have experience with other CAD programs. When I can I will upload more files showing more information.

 

[schmism]

if you have height issues why not build "ramps" for the rear tires of the tractor instead of cutting the center of the trailer down.

ie if you need an extra 6" take 2x8 and stack them.

provides stable "ramps" that will not collapse.

 

[Stimw]

if you have height issues why not build "ramps" for the rear tires of the tractor instead of cutting the center of the trailer down.

ie if you need an extra 6" take 2x8 and stack them.

provides stable "ramps" that will not collapse.

This idea makes more sense then mount the trailer axle more toward the rear of the trailer for better balance on the trailer.
Chain the bucket to the front of the trailer to keep it stable. Maybe a loose chain across the outriggers to keep them retracted.

 

[ljames]

The problem with making ramps is they would have to be 12" high at least and made from 2x12s. The rear tractor tires are at least that wide at the tread. Also ramps this size would be heavy; I've made them in the past for working on cars. I would still have to modify the front (hitch) end of the trailer to fit between the tractor tires; 33" max; the trailer deck out of the box is 48" wide. I need to make the trailer about 1' longer because the length of the BHoe is roughly 12'; the trailer manual gives OAL at 139".

 

[tractchores]

I would recommend making something like this: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/236155-bh65-backhoe-dolly-build.html

I did it for my bh65 and it's held up well for over a year now. If you don't have a paved surface you could try using bigger wheels to better roll / support it. I move mine around my garage all the time and all implements have dolly's so that I can store them in close quarters and then pull them out when I want one.

 

[ljames]

Your BHoe is a lot shorter than mine. Mine is about 12' long from bucket to the front of the frame that locks into the underside of the tractor. Also yours is probably lighter than mine. I will need bigger wheels because I need to move it around the back yard. Another thing is building it out of lumber. I built a dolly out of 2x10s & 2x12s to store my snow plow on during the summer in the back yard because I didn't want it out front in the driveway. It was on 4 - 10" casters first, then 12" casters; two of each size got wrecked pulling around it around the yard. (This is probably a whole separate thread on these forums). It's good that your dolly works well for you; it's a simple solution. I have a 3 point 64" snowblower and a 60" box blade each stored on a Hrbr Freight 40" x 48" trailer which works well; but they are 1/2 the weight & length of the BHoe and easy to pick up with the FEL. These trailers are inexpensive if you buy them with a 25% off coupon. I am trying to do this as cheap as possible and still have a reliable piece of equipment. I don't really want to pay for a custom built trailer.

 

[Sysop]

I'm thinking about something similar to transport my backhoe. I've not put anything on paper yet, but I've had the tape measure out and have ideas in my head. What I've got thus far would be made similar to a "tow dolly" used for cars; the type you drive the front wheels up on, strap down, and tow. I would have some suspension under it unlike a tow-dolly, and there would be room under my hoe for the suspension without issue. Basically though, it would just be an axle with springs hooked to some bits of framework with a somewhat long tongue.

How I see it working is to back it up under the backhoe, set the stabilizers down on framed up "stirrups" mounted directly behind the wheel/fender of the trailer, set the bucket down on a stirrup up on the tongue. Pull the pins and get it loose from the tractor but leave the hydraulics connected for a moment. Lower the hoe to the trailer frame with the stabilizers (they would need folded up or the fenders would need to support them the way things measure out on my hoe and a standard cheap axle I had laying around), there would be sections of channel frame the backhoe mainframe would lower into to rest. Tie the bucket down to the stirrup made for it up on the tongue, then use the backhoe arm curl to drag the mainframe of the backhoe a few inches further up onto the trailer above the axle and tie it down. Disconnect the tractor hydraulics and off you go.

Another thought I had rather than sliding the mainframe forward onto the axle of the trailer was to have a "hitch receiver" somehow mounted at the back of the trailer that I could slide a piece of subframe into for supporting the end of the hoe mainframe. That seemed too much like manual labor though. The hoe shouldn't have any issues dragging and pushing the hoe mainframe in the channels to shift the weight up onto the axle.