Tell me how to load my tractor and skid steer on the trailer correctly

[newbury]

The importance is getting about 15% of weight on the ball.
It's not that difficult to use a bathroom scale and a few boards to get a pretty precise tongue weight. (diagrams on etrailer web site) Then once you do it measure your drop and shoot for that drop the next time. 'My dually only drops a few inches with a ton in the bed.

Another method I used at first was to get about 700 pounds of meat and put it on the folded down tailgate to see how far it dropped. The 700 lbs was myself and my two sons.

I've since gone ahead and bought a scale to get accurate tongue weight.

 

[vsteel]

What I did is put the hitch in my pickup and measured to the ground. I then put weight on the hitch to make it squat an inch. (I stood on the ball and it dropped almost an inch and I weight 285lbs) I figured out that 300lbs drops my hitch an inch. I checked with more weight and in the small range I am in it can be considered linear.

I have a Big Tex 12ET trailer that weighs ~ 3000lbs which also drops the hitch about 1 inch. I then just figure the weight of what I am hauling and take 10% of it and divide it by 300. I don't get too critical on the dimensions, just get close. So for example:

My hitch is at 19 inches, I put the trailer on and I am at 18. I decide I am going to haul my 74 power wagon and it comes in at ~6500lbs. I call it 6K divide it by 10 for the 10% weight and I am at 600lbs. I then divide by 300 and I get 2. So that tells me I need to pull it forward until my hitch drops 2 inches or is at a total height of 16 inches. I do this without the weight distributing hitch connected. After I get it where I want it I then connect it.

I only go to the nearest half inch, I am not counting eighths or anything.

 

[tcartwri]

The importance is getting about 15% of weight on the ball.
It's not that difficult to use a bathroom scale and a few boards to get a pretty precise tongue weight. (diagrams on etrailer web site) Then once you do it measure your drop and shoot for that drop the next time.
.

Don't be discouraged by your results. It's not that accurate, and it's time consuming.

 

[joeu235]

I haul a 11,000# tractor all the time with various implements that affect weight distribution. If the truck feels like a bucking bronco at highway speed, I know that it needs more weight up front. Usually moving the tractor as little as 4 inches forward fixes everything.

 

[aircommuter]

The standard for tongue weight is 10%. You can get a tongue scale. Sherline is the name, I have the 5000lb variety and use it for pre-weight and position weight on equipment.

 

[Tomtint]

As others said, watch the rear end of your truck to see when it drops a few inches, and you should be pretty good on the location for your load. That said, My 350 sags much sooner than my 450 does and I tend to like less sag on the 350 and more on the 450.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

I assume you are talking about EITHER moving the TLB OR the skidsteer not both at the same time. Correct?

 

[Henro]

Jason,

I wonder if I am the only one that feels frightened when he sees something tied down with straps rather than chains and binders?

Nice looking tractor!

Wish I had your trailer!

Bill

 

[Furu]

I use a scale for the first time I load a new implement and then mark my trailer with paint on a reference line for that specific configuration of equipment.
More time consuming the first time you load an implement combination but makes for quick loading on all subsequent loading of different combinations.

Of course I have in excess of 8 different combos for just my tractor and implements on the flat bed trailer and that is before I get to the compact track loader in its dedicated trailer.

Total tie down time over many repeat loadings adds up and makes the first time complexity well worth the extra time it takes to mark the point and use the scale.

If you only tow once a year then may not be worth it.

 

[bdog]

The safest way is to weigh your trailer and load and then weigh your tongue weight and set it to 10-15%. That being said most people eyeball it by the truck sag. Too much tongue weight is better than not enough as long as you don't go overboard and overload your hitch. A trailer with too much tongue weight will pull just fine but not enough tongue weight and it will sway like crazy. I have pulled trailers with probably close to 30-40% tongue weight and they handled fine but it was light load and the hitch was rated for it. I have had loads with not enough tongue weight and they almost threw me off the road.