Moving my gooseneck horse trailer

stormking · Mar 27, 2008

My neighbors just let me store my horse trailer in their shop. It's a tight steep gravel driveway entrance. I got backed down in there with my truck(not 4wd) but I'm sure I can't get it out (barely could get unhitched truck out). I have a 2004 Kubota L3130 HST with 723 loader and heavy duty bucket. What are my best options for using my tractor? Is it better to put a ball hitch on the loader or use something off the 3-point? I'm a female doing this myself so I'm really worried about safety. I don't want to flip my tractor. The horse trailer weighs 3800lbs. with a tounge weight of about 1200.

MrJimi · Mar 27, 2008

This is only a suggestion from the other side of the USA, I would use the truck again with a helper spotting you
It put it there and it should come out same way

deereguy · Mar 27, 2008

Sounds like you might be able to use one of those 3pt hitches with a gooseneck hitch on the top of the 3 pt. Maybe TSC has them? Is the incline towards the barn or did you back up the hill to the barn? I would thing the tractor with weight (dirt) in the bucket and in 4WD and going SLOW and EASY (safe), you shouldn't have troubles.

Good Luck!!

RobS · Mar 27, 2008

I'm with MrJimi on this one. I'd use your truck and a 4X4 helper truck if you need more traction. That's an awful lot of trailer for a CUT, especially if the terrain is not flat.

I watched a couple of trucks pulling very large boats at a ramp once. They'd load one, and use both trucks to pull it up the ramp. Unhook the first one and repeat the process with the second.

Be safe!

Jimbrown · Mar 27, 2008

Unless you are going to keep using the storage area it is hardly worth the cost to try and rig up anysort of goosneck hitch. In order to get it out I would beg one of my horsey friends with a 4x4 to try and haul it out.

bota7800 · Mar 27, 2008

The trailer dealer where I has some repairs made routinely uses an old JD to move GN trailers around. However, my gut reaction is that I don't think my B7800 could move it reliably. I have no data as I have never tried it but I would not want to experiment in someone else's building on a steep drive.

Looking at my owner's manual, the B7800 can have a drawbar weight of 1100 lbs and a max trailer weight of 3300 lbs.

I would look for a friend to help like Jimbrown suggested.

GaryCrowell · Mar 27, 2008

Hitch the truck to it and have someone drive the truck while you pull the truck (& trailer) with the tractor. Trying to jury rig a way to hitch a gooseneck to a tractor is asking for trouble.

sandman2234 · Mar 27, 2008

Pulling the truck with the tractor is probably the best way, and be sure to use the drawbar on the tractor as a hitch point.
There is another way, by putting the horses you are hauling to good use, and let them assist in pulling the truck and trailer up the hill.
David from jax

pat32rf · Mar 27, 2008

Put a heavy load in your bucket before you start, then use a long nylon strap or rope to pull the truck. Once you get the Bota to the top of the hill you are laughing.(Hence the looonng rope) Between the added traction of the full bucket, the stretch of the nylon and the stability of the truck you should have no problem....Using the bucket is asking for disaster.

zzvyb6 · Mar 27, 2008

Take a horse water trough and stash it in the back of the trailer. Take a hose and fill it with water. That will lighten the hitch load with counter weight.

Then take a fence post and lay it across the loader crossbar (behind the bucket). Pick up the front of the trailer at the frame edge by resting it on the fence post (not the ball cap) and ease it out of the shed. Back it around and then PUSH it up the hill. The water will lighten the front trailer load. The position of the post will lighten the hydraulic cylinder loads (instead of using the bucket edge) as will using the trailer house edge. If you are still worried, put a heavy implement on the back (rototiller, mower, etc). Make sure the tires have rated pressure in them so they don't mush out on you. Take it slow and don't raise it up so high you tear off the garage door.

Good grief. More electricity used worrying that getting the job done....

Either it picks it up or it doesn't. If it does, do it. If it doesn't don't give up. While you are at it, air up the trailer tires if they are soft. That will make it push easier.

HayDR · Mar 27, 2008

stormking said:
My neighbors just let me store my horse trailer in their shop. It's a tight steep gravel driveway entrance. I got backed down in there with my truck(not 4wd) but I'm sure I can't get it out (barely could get unhitched truck out). I have a 2004 Kubota L3130 HST with 723 loader and heavy duty bucket. What are my best options for using my tractor? Is it better to put a ball hitch on the loader or use something off the 3-point? I'm a female doing this myself so I'm really worried about safety. I don't want to flip my tractor. The horse trailer weighs 3800lbs. with a tounge weight of about 1200.

Do not try to move that trailer on anything but level ground with that tractor. You do not have enough mass and weight to safely handle that trailer weight on an incline.

ddivinia · Mar 28, 2008

stormking said:
My neighbors just let me store my horse trailer in their shop. It's a tight steep gravel driveway entrance. I got backed down in there with my truck(not 4wd) but I'm sure I can't get it out (barely could get unhitched truck out). I have a 2004 Kubota L3130 HST with 723 loader and heavy duty bucket. What are my best options for using my tractor? Is it better to put a ball hitch on the loader or use something off the 3-point? I'm a female doing this myself so I'm really worried about safety. I don't want to flip my tractor. The horse trailer weighs 3800lbs. with a tounge weight of about 1200.

Agrisupply sells a nice trailer mover. It goes on your 3 point hitch and has a 2 5/16 ball on the top for moving goosenecks. I use one to move my trailers all the time.

D.

bjcsc · Mar 28, 2008

Your truck might get it out better than you think. Once you're hooked to the trailer you'll have a lot more weight over your back wheels. If it was me, I'd move the trailer out far enough so I could drive the tractor into it, all the way forward, and then try to just drive it out...

bjcsc · Mar 28, 2008

Oh, and I almost forgot, with no offense intended to the member who posted, there is no way you would ever get me to pick the nose of the trailer up and push it up a steep hill while it was resting on the bucket/loader/fence post whatever. No way. That sounds like a good way to make it into the Safety forum to me...

Jimbrown · Mar 29, 2008

Stormking. Seeing where you live. I bet you got a nice set of snow chains. I bet if you chain up the truck it will pull the thing out.

Willis Fecon Bushhogging · Mar 29, 2008

stormking said:
My neighbors just let me store my horse trailer in their shop. It's a tight steep gravel driveway entrance. I got backed down in there with my truck(not 4wd) but I'm sure I can't get it out (barely could get unhitched truck out). I have a 2004 Kubota L3130 HST with 723 loader and heavy duty bucket. What are my best options for using my tractor? Is it better to put a ball hitch on the loader or use something off the 3-point? I'm a female doing this myself so I'm really worried about safety. I don't want to flip my tractor. The horse trailer weighs 3800lbs. with a tounge weight of about 1200.

Best bet is to get someone with a 4X4 to move it, but.
Im not sure how big your tractor is, But I have a JD 5105 45hp, i welded a plate on my box blade and installed a ball on it. I have two GN trailers and its a pain to hook up the trailer and move them 20ft. I just lift the box blade/ball up into the GN hitch (dont lock the lock, you might want to get out quick) lift up a little to clear the jacks and away I go. If you are going up a incline, I would have weigh in the FEL. You can go easy and you should be OK. I think it took me about an hour to install the plate on the box blade.
Just an idea, but always us safety

jimainiac · Mar 30, 2008

Seems like 'most any of the suggestions would work okay, especially a 4wd truck, if you could borrow one that's rigged up with a gooseneck ball. We have a three horse slant bumper-pull, and I always use a 4wd pickup for just this sort of problem (or parking in wet fields at rides). If you thought you might want to move the trailer around sometimes with the tractor, you might consider getting one of those 3ph attachments that incorporates a gooseneck ball. I use our tractor (L3830) to move our trailers around all the time with a 3ph ball.
The one thing you should not do is to try to move the trailer with your bucket. We have the same loader on our tractor, and it maxxes out at around 1100 lbs. load. As someone else mentioned, if you go with the 3ph ball, you might need to put some weight in the bucket to weight the front of the tractor. I don't have to, but our trailers, being bumper-pull, don't have that much tongue weight.

Timber · Mar 30, 2008

Before I would offer any advice a picture of the situation would make realistic options easier. That said my B7800 would have no problem moving my 8000 pound camper. I would only do that from the back of my tractor and never from the loader. If you were to do this fill the loader to use it for ballast. If your not moving it anytime soon then it will come to you by the time you need to move it again.

By the way I love the using horses to pull it. That would work on dirt but requires some special tac and it helps if the horses are trained for pulling but it is a great Idea. Horses are still the preferred method of logging in rough terrain

zzvyb6 · Mar 30, 2008

I still don't see what the problem is with trying to move it with the bucket or loader arms. Either it does or it doesn't. Either it will or it won't. You aren't gonna be picking it up off the ground crane style; lift it just enough to pick it up off the stands. I think you should try and show all these nutless armchair toy tractor owners what made this country in the first place. Your tractor and loader is 20% more capability than mine. I routinely pick up 1500# objects (baler axle, plunger side), boulders, stackwagon tongue, trees and other heavier stuff. Yes I have loaded tires and keep the fronts aired up. But for heaven's sake give it a try. It's a gooseneck. Not a 155 Howitzer with a stuck misfire in it. If this works, you are way up in the line of ball-less tractor paint waxers that seem to have taken over this forum. "Gee, honey do you think the groceries in the minivan will overload my loader bucket? I'd sure like to help you bring them in, but, I'd have to raise up the rpm to get enough power. OK, dear, I'll be out mowing the back 1/2 acre with my 3' finish mower. It will take me all day because I might roll over if I turn too quick. Just whistle if you need me... Maybe I need to change the air in the tires for nitrogen. Read that on the 'innernet'." Kisses."

Good grief, Charlie Brown. Show us some pix of the Grand Canyon this garage is in. Better would be 'before' and 'after'.

No wonder the Asians and Indians are kicking our asses. They still have courage and guts and enjoy a challenge.