Unload/load an unhooked trailer

[MESSMAKER]

I park my tractor on my trailer (18 foot) to save space. I have room for the tractor to come off if need be. Is there a safe way to do this without hooking it to the hitch on the truck? I could not get my truck to the trailer to unload so I could clear snow from my driveway I have thought about cinder blocks,jacks,jack stands but I can't come up with anything that seems safe.

 

[MogginMike]

Ehh, I hate to suggest loading or unloading an unhitched trailer.

If I was *forced* to, I would try to chock all 4 wheels front and rear to prevent movement laterally, and put jackstands under the rear by the ramps to prevent the tongue from lifting off the ground.

And drive *really* *really* slow.

 

[rus_geek]

What Mike said. Might be able to chain through the tires, so they're locked to each other to provide some additional rolling resistance. To get the back end blocked up tight, lower the tongue jack, put your blocking in and then jack the tongue back up to transfer weight and solid contact onto your blocking.

Or just drop the ramps, put your seatbelt on and gun it.
You can let us know how that worked after you crawl out from under it.

Really, though, chock it, block it and drive slow. I accidentally unloaded a skidsteer from a disconnected trailer once with no ill effects other than major pucker factor. The trailer was connected when I started unloading, but the coupler failed.

-rus-

 

[Diamondpilot]

Be careful but if I were to do it I would install 2 top wind tongue jacks on the rear corners of the trailer. There is a thread on this right now.

Chris

 

[Diamondpilot]

Here is the thread with some good info.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/trailers-transportation/162939-trailer-tipping.html

Chris

 

[tommu56]

I use these on my travel trailer

Trailer Wheel Chocks - Stabilizes Tandem Axles
But this doesn't prevent tipping.

A set of rear jacks would do that or some cribbing as long as it wont roll or move

tom

 

[Egon]

With blocked tires you should be able to back off without using the ramps!

 

[radman1]

I have done it before several times. Block the tires and put jack stands under the rear of the trailer. Unloading is easier than loading. When loading, the tractor can push the trailer forward as it climbs the ramps. If you have MFWD, leave it engaged to help prevent pushing the trailer by the tractor.

 

[gerard]

It's doable. If you were going to do this regularly I would do what I did to my trailer. Welded some pipe to some plate steel, then welded that to the bottom of the ramp. When the ramp is up they stick out like a rear bumpter, horizontal to the roadway. When I rotate the ramp down, they then act as jack stands so the tongue won't life if not attached to a truck. Can you weld?

 

[JB4310]

My ramps have the L shape lower leg, like what Gerard is referring to.The trailer might squirrel around a little but can't really go to far. Like egon said even without the ramps it would be like a tilt trailer, worst case the front is only gonna lift 2-3 ft.

Unless your on a hill and risk the trailer squirting out and getting away, I don't see a problem, even without wheels chocked, though blocking wheels is cheap insurance.
Now granted I've only had an equipment trailer for a year so I've yet to see all the possible Murphy's law examples.

JB.