Handy Trick For Moving Trailer

[keeney]

I needed to move my fishing boat out of the way of some construction activity on my property. Problem was, the normally light-weight boat and trailer was very tongue-heavy because a bunch of water had collected in the front of the boat and was frozen there.

It was too heavy to lift the tongue up to the ball on the drawbar by hand. The trailer doesn't have a tongue jack on it because normally its light enough to just lift onto the hitch by hand.

I had the idea that I could use the 3-pt lift arms some how to lift the trailer tongue. Turns out, its really handy to just hook the trailer safety chains over the edge of the lift arms, one on each side and use them to lift the tongue up. I had to wrap the chains around the arms about 1 full turn to get the length right.

Hop back on the tractor, back up a few inches, then lower the tongue onto the ball for a strain-free way to hook up the heavy trailer to my tractor without fetching any other tools.

I left the chains hooked while transporting (see my previous post concerning a near-incident with a run-away trailer) and it was just as easy to lift it back off.

- Rick

 

[RalphVa]

Any seen attachable tractor tongue props?

I'm looking for an attachable tongue prop to put on my Gravely cart for when I get my 4wd tractor, to prop it while I load (or empty) it with the FEL. Then reattach to the tractor to move it.

Anyone seen them for sale that'll attach to my cart tongue? It's basically a 1 1/2" steel pipe.

Ralph

 

[Egon]

Re: Any seen attachable tractor tongue props?

RV stores have diferent kind of screw jacks that may work for you.

I use a block of wood and have the ball mounted on the three point. Place the block under the tongue, lower three point and drive away. For hook up reverse the procedure.

Egon

 

[jmc]

That trick could inspire a scene on the Simpsons if it wern't frozen and the tongue was lifted enough for more water to go to the back of the boat. (Most 3PH's are held down by gravity)

 

[GrayBeard]

One item that is pretty handy is "hitch bar" that spans between the 3pt .
They're sold at many tractor supply places and were used extensively years ago with 8n, 9n Fords, old Fergies etc.
The last one I bought was about 35.00.
fyi- They're just a piece of steel bar about 2.5" wide by 1" thick with a series of holes (8) along the bar to accept a pin, ball or clevis.
The bar fits between the 3pt arms.
GrayBeard

 

[higgy]

at any tractor store you can by the draw bar for 10 or so bucks. Then put on an old ball. Should be able to do it for less than 15.

 

[Egon]

I'd assume if the ice was water one would pull the plug and lift up the front. Think most plugs are near the back of the boat.

And remember; the ball hitch locks on while the tree point will only go so high.

Egon

 

[jmc]

I'm not going to quibble about whether the water can get out the drain hole as fast as it can get to the back of the boat. The main point is, a 3PH mounted drawbar, ball or no ball, shouldn't be used for a trailer if the center of gravity can ever shift to behind the trailer's axle. That includes tilt trailers, dump trailers, cars on trailers you're going to unload without ramp support, boats on trailers that kids may play in, trailers that are unloaded front first, and so on. If nothing is holding down the tongue, nothing is holding up the rear.

 

[BillyP]

That pretty much goes for any type of towing. Although, I might add, they do have safety chains for the 3PH that keeps the tongue for flying up.

 

[keeney]

<font color="green"> That trick could inspire a scene on the Simpsons if it wern't frozen and the tongue was lifted enough for more water to go to the back of the boat. </font>

Been there, done that before in the summer. Funny thing is, once you get enough water in the back, it will sit there for tewnty minutes or so with the front of the boat up in the air and the back sitting on the ground while the water drains out. Then it tips back down and the remaining water slops into the front again.

Once I hade the tongue lifted, I connected it to a ball on the regular drawbar of the tractor, not one on the 3-pt, so once it was connected up, there wasn't any chance of the weight shifting in a dangerous or unexpected way.

The problem of putting a block of wood under the tongue is that you have to remember to do it when you set the trailer down, before the boat gets full of water.

- Rick