Loading a N without trailer ramps

Big Trees

Member
I have a 16 ft tandem axle trailer and I have yet to get any ramps to load the N. I have been told by a couple "old timers" that they're pros at loading a N in a road ditch and don't even need ramps.

I will be needing to load and unload the N here very soon and not sure if I'll have ramps by that time. Do you all recommend loading without ramps? Anything specific to watch out for or consider?

Any info would be appreciated as it always is!
 
Just back the trailer into the ditch so that the rear is up against the opposite bank. Then drive the tractor on. Easy peasy.
 
Backthe trailer in a ditch or hump,then back the tractor on to the trailer to keep it from rearing up.
 
(reply to post at 12:21:58 10/0915)
Thank you for your reply. I should have mentioned something else. Around here there's not much of bank on the opposite side. A lot of times there isn't even a "ditch". Just flat surface.

So, I suppose my next question would be if there isn't a ditch and the rear of my trailer sits about 12" off of the ground, do you think I'd be safe loading the trailer like that with the rear of the trailer that high above the surface?
 
I have used many things with out ramps. A couple 2X10 or such doubled up works well as will a set of car ramps that you use to work under a car. I have even made ramps out of a section of old mobile home I-Beam frame. Or if your trailer has its own jack up front some times you can get enough lift on the fornt of the trailer to be able to get the front tires to climb on and then the rears will do so real easy. I knew a guy who would haul his 2N in the back of his Ford 3/4 ton pickup by backing into a ditch and driving it in
 

lol Thank you, old, for your reply and suggestions! The image of that fella driving down the road with his N in the bed has me laughing still haha.

I wondered if wood doubled up would work but you hit the nail on the head with the jacking the trailer up idea. That's what I was wondering in the first place. Mine will jack it up to where the back will sit pretty low. I just don't trust the strength on the jack to hold the tractor and brush hog. But even with the trailer hooked up to the truck the rear still sits lower than most trailers I see because of the trailer hitch raise I have to clear the pot holes on our road so the jack doesn't get caught in the pot holes. I'm wondering if it sits low enough for me to just pull the N on up the trailer.

I'll look and see how much of a distance it is with it hooked up to the truck.

Thanks!!
 
Big Trees.........don't listen to them blow hards. Not only do you need ramps, but you also need some adjustable screw jacks at the corners of yer trailer to take the weight as you drive on. Otherwize yer trailer hitch will LIFT yer bumper pull ball and yer trailer will go scootin'. 2nd thing, ALWAYS check yer electric brake controller BEFORE you hit the highway. It does 2-things, checks yer wiring and scrubs the RUST off'n yer brake drums so you kenn STOP. Generally you want chur bumper to sink about 2-3 inches, so move yer tractor fore'n'aft to do this. After you've "centered" yer tractor, DROP the hydraulics and then CHAIN-UP with binders. I also have a web strap that I throw over the tranny to lock-it down to the deck. ........HTH, paranoid Dell
 
I would think (2) 2 x 12 x 12 ft

cut each in half and bolt them together with 6" sticking over the end. this would make you two ramps 4" thick by 7 ft long. use a short chain or some such to attach the ramps to the trailer as you do not want them walking off as you drive up the ramps.

be sure you place a 4 x 4 or some such under each back corner of the trailer: as the tractor drives up on the ramps and more weight is placed on the rear of the trailer,

The rear of the trailer will go down and cause excess pressure on your hitch.

just be very careful,
1st, you do not want to get hurt
2nd, you do not want to tear up your tractor or the trailer.

if you think the 2 thicknesses of 2 x 12 will not hold the weight, then you can place a piece of stove wood under the ramps about halfway up.

nothing is better than having good quality, safe, heavy build trailers and ramps for loading and unloading equipment.
also used plenty of chains to tie it down in case some fool pulls out in front of you and you have to slam on the brakes fast

good luck,
 

Grayrider - That offer is very kind of you. I can not tell you how much that means to me even though me being in Texas I will not be able to take you up on that but it doesn't mean I appreciate it any less. Says a lot about the type of person you are. Thank you very much!!

Dell, Wellmax - Thank you both for your replies and suggestions/advice. One thing you both made me realize is that I'm not set up yet to haul this thing. I was only going to take it 10 miles down the country road and back but I do not have trailer brakes so that will be a immediate expense and I don't have any corner jacks so that will be another added expense. Looks like I'll have to start pricing trailer brakes and have those installed before I even think about hauling this thing. If only I can get this Kubota fixed this weekend I wouldn't need to take the N.

Thank you guys for your response and to Dell, thank you for the chuckle. I love the way you explain. It doesn't get any better than that haha.
 
Like Dell said, you need jacks at both
rear corners of trailer, i thought i
invented this idea years ago intil i
discovered the internet, i used to carry
blocks and put under trailer, i got my
jacks at harbor freight and put on both
sides....
a202660.jpg

a202661.jpg
 
I have loaded and unloaded tractors by backing into a ditch. I have did this with trucks and trailers and use a pair of short planks. Several times drove on truck or trailer with no planks depending what ditch is like.
 
Never had my truck and trailer take off on me but I do block the tires before loading or unloading. Drove many on and off with no ramps either by jacking the front of the trailer up. But then I also have been a truck driver and have or had what was known as a CDL since I was 16 and have almost 2 million miles on my record and had to load many the hard way like with the back hoe and no ramps etc.
 
if you get the rear of the trailer pretty low,
a shovel and some dirt makes some pretty cheap ramps.
do what you gotta.

ps, covering lumber, logs, with dirt will keep the shoveling to a minimum, and make the logs stay put.
 
You don't actually need "jacks" on the rear corners, just something
to keep the rear end of the trailer from going down and the front
end from coming up, lifting your pickup so it can't hold still.

A normal car jackstand will work, or 4x4 blocks of wood.
Don't make them tight, let the trailer drop a couple inches so
you can get them out once the tractor is on the trailer.

If you back it into a ditch and that ditch will hold the rear from
going down that will work too. Just be careful of where your
trailer license plate is. (don't ask)
 
I've folded a few license plates doing the same thing - I ALWAYS think I'll remember it's there and to move it before dumping/backing/loading.

I've been meaning for awhile to make adjustable support posts at the rear to keep it from lifting the tongue, haven't done it yet and forgot to latch the ball the other day, tongue lifted as I was in a rush to get the N over to dad's to skid some logs - Durango has some dents & scratches in the tailgate and bumper now :(
 
You should have chocked wheels it may not have done as much damage. I load my 8,000 lb. tractor and never pick hitch up but chock trailer wheels both sides and drop the jack stand and it stops trailer from rocking back and forth when driving on.
 
Jeez,
All this rigermarole with jacks and planks
and ramps.
Just back the trailer into a suitable
ditch and drive it on already.
The tractor tires will easily climb up a
6" jump between the ground and trailer.
Before I got a trailer with tilt bed
that's all i ever did.
So many people overthink this stuff.
It really is easy.
 
People don't over think these things, some folks don't necessarily want to carry extra blocks around or look for the perfect ditch to back up to when two cheap jacks mounted on the rear is the simplest thing to add to a trailer. There will be times as a tractor owner when you need to load and unload without the convenience of a ditch.
 
Better a few scratches on the tail gate and bumper.Than it coming unhooked going over a bump and it hitting a oncoming car head on.Always put a pad lock, hair pin or a 1/4" bolt and nylock nut through the lock hole,and be sure its on the proper sized ball all the way before latching it.
 
Funny you should mention a tilt bed Jerry.
I hauled a car on one. Once. Got rid of it the next day.
It worked about like [b:4d3db04295]this[/b:4d3db04295] video even though this isn't a tilt.
(yes, there are many things going wrong in that video!)

I'd rather back a flatbed in a ditch if a suitable ditch is available.
For N or similar sized tractors, I just use a regular car hauler.
Works well up to about 5000 pounds of loaded weight.

Shoot, rent a u-haul car hauler for $50 a day if worried.
You get a suitable trailer with brakes.
Just tell them you're hauling a 1948 Ford car.
 
(quoted from post at 17:49:37 10/09/15)
I was only going to take it 10 miles down the country road and back.........

Drive it! I took my 9N on a 14 mile round trip last Saturday to pull a buddy's pontoon boat out for the winter. It's the only open cockpit vehicle I've ever owned and I'll take any excuse for a road trip.
 
I carry a jack stand that was built just for putting under the rear of a trailer so as to keep the trailer from trying to lift the rear end of the truck. But I have also found times that the rear of the truck coming up sure did make it easier to load a tractor up since that way no ramps where needed
 
I understand about not finding a suitable ditch or bank. I always was able to find one.
Some guys have ramps on their trailer. That's fine. It solves the problem of finding a ditch.
But I was looking at your jacks that you have on the rear of your trailer and I wondered why you have them on there.
What is wrong with letting your trailer squat in the rear when you are loading and loading?
And what is wrong with letting the trailer lift on the ball on the pickup?
Why are people so adverse to that?
Both ends are made to take those forces several times over.
To me those jacks are an example of overthinking things.
 
I still have the first set of ramps I made, cut a 3 by 12 out of oak and lagged some angle iron on one end. they are about four foot long. I had to nail some cleads on because the wheels spun in the winter. they lasted so far about 30 years and the new ones I have came with the trailer.
 
Royse, I don't get the connection between a tilt bed and that video.
What happened in your case?
Did the trailer tilt back up flat and catch the nose or front bumper maybe?
On a car with a lot of front overhang that could be an issue.
 
(quoted from post at 22:49:37 10/09/15)
I was only going to take it 10 miles down the country road and back

Why not just drive the tractor? 10 miles on a country road is easy on a tractor and kind of fun.
 
"What is wrong with letting your trailer squat in the rear when you are loading and loading?"

Nothing at all.

"And what is wrong with letting the trailer lift on the ball on the pickup?"

With an N, probably not an issue, but with a larger tractor you
can lift the rear tires of an empty truck. That truck and trailer then
have nothing holding them in place if you didn't chock the wheels.
The whole rig becomes a run-away.
 
Yeah, the trailer tried to tilt down before the rear wheels were on.
Obviously the trailer was not power tilt as I hear some are.
Couldn't get it loaded without propping the deck up.
It was a long car though. 1970 Olds 98 with a 455 in it.
Might have been better to back it on, but it was a non-runner.
That was pretty much the only angle we had easily.
 
That is why one should ALWAYS chock the trailer wheel no questions ask always.
 
Boy that seems unlikely Royse.
It would definately be a case of oversizing your load and undersizing your tow vehicle by a couple of factors.
In which case loading is just the beginning of your problems.
 
"Boy that seems unlikely Royse.
It would definately be a case of oversizing your load and undersizing your tow vehicle by a couple of factors.
In which case loading is just the beginning of your problems."

I see your point, but sometimes it is just geometry.
It happened to me when I tried to load a JD A on that old deck-
over I had. Trailer was 24 ft long with a bumper hitch.
It could handle 10,000 pounds easily and my truck can haul 10,500.

Hooked behind my empty pickup without anything holding the back end
of the trailer up the 5500 pounds of that A with that long of a lever lifted
the rear of the truck. Luckily it didn't go far.
I backed the trailer into a hill and loaded the tractor anyway.
Yet another license plate bent! :)

I can't find a picture of the A on it, but here's a picture of the
truck and trailer. (with ramps)

Bring on the redneck jokes! LOL
28786.jpg
 
5500 A what all did it have on it to make it that heavy?? Fluid in the tires and wheel weights or what?? My Oliver S88 comes in under 5500 lbs and it is a whole lot more tractor then any JD A I have ever seen.
 
Most Oliver owners think that way Rich.
The "other green tractor". LOL

I love those smooth running Oliver engines.
Parts for a JD two cylinder are easier to find and cheaper
around here though. Gas is a different story! That A burned
a ridiculous amount of fuel! I traded it off on a Farmall M.

To answer your question, yes it had loaded tires AND weights.
 
Ok I know I can haul both my 1935 JD-B and my 1946 A/C C on my 16 foot car trailer and not even come close to what my Olivier S88 came in at. The picture show me in a pull. It came in at under 5500 lbs by over 100lbs. I lost and got 4th place and was only 6 inches between 4th and 1st.
To keep this on subject I can load it with not ramps and the front tires will walk right up on my 16 foot trailer
a202705.jpg

a202705.jpg
 
A '35 B and a '52 B are different animals and weights.
The difference in year alone makes a big difference.
Nice looking Ollie! Not so sure about the driver! LOL
 
I have a 24 ft. 14,000 lb. bumper pull deck over pulled with a 97 GMC k1500. I load an IH 450 weighing 8,000 lb. and never had the rear wheels of pickup truck ever come off the ground. I also always chock wheel on trailer fore ward and aft.
 
(quoted from post at 17:49:37 10/09/15)
Grayrider - That offer is very kind of you. I can not tell you how much that means to me even though me being in Texas I will not be able to take you up on that but it doesn't mean I appreciate it any less. Says a lot about the type of person you are. Thank you very much!!

Dell, Wellmax - Thank you both for your replies and suggestions/advice. One thing you both made me realize is that I'm not set up yet to haul this thing. I was only going to take it 10 miles down the country road and back but I do not have trailer brakes so that will be a immediate expense and I don't have any corner jacks so that will be another added expense. Looks like I'll have to start pricing trailer brakes and have those installed before I even think about hauling this thing. If only I can get this Kubota fixed this weekend I wouldn't need to take the N.

Thank you guys for your response and to Dell, thank you for the chuckle. I love the way you explain. It doesn't get any better than that haha.
ou are in more or less 'flat land Texas', so if trailer & load (gross) weight are under 4500 pounds (& with N, it will be), then trailer brakes are not required. Some people think they need Cadillac of everything!
 
Ultradog
I'm sure you remember some of the tales about trailer surfing, when the trailer lifts the rear wheels of the truck off the ground. The actual lift pressure on the ball won't hurt anything, but that sudden stop when the truck hits a tree or other object will.
I have seen it happen.
Willie
 


Thank you all for the replies, some great suggestions and ideas in this thread.

Walston - I could drive it but that's a little further than my comfort range will allow me to drive it at this point. I have a fear that something will not go right and I'll end up stuck on the side of the road trying to get the tractor back home lol. I'm new to tractors and I'm still learning so I'd hate to have it take a poop on me on the way.

JMOR - Thanks for the heads up on not needing brakes. I didn't know if it was required or not for the load I'd be hauling, but I figured it was probably a good idea to have them installed before I haul it. If I decided to haul it without trailer brakes I would surely drive slow and keep in mind that I'm only relying on the vehicle brakes to slow and stop the whole load.

There are many good posts and I'm going to read through them again so I make sure I didn't miss anything as I feel everything said is important to remember.

Old, that's a nice tractor there, my friend. Looks real good.

Thank you all!
 
Trailers over 2,000# empty are required to have brakes. Does not go by loaded trailer weight. Some states require only on one axle if tandem, some both axles. State I live in requires only one axle but neighboring state that I am in a lot with trailer requires both axles to have brakes but as mine is registered in my state I am legal to cross state line.
 
(quoted from post at 10:32:36 10/11/15) Trailers over 2,000# empty are required to have brakes. Does not go by loaded trailer weight. Some states require only on one axle if tandem, some both axles. State I live in requires only one axle but neighboring state that I am in a lot with trailer requires both axles to have brakes but as mine is registered in my state I am legal to cross state line.
f you give info for a state other than Bigtree's, then your information is useless. He is in Texas and that is info that I gave him, right from Texas Dept of Public Safety web site.
 

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