Thanks for publishing this vid, I also just got a trailer for my 40hp tractor and was looking for videos on the right way to load, this is really helpful.

That is why you put the truck in 4 low if you have four-wheel drive. Locks up all four wheels, and doesn’t actually put strain on the transmission if you engage the E-brake. We do it like that all the time when we haul our 3039R John Deere cab tractor behind our 4-door Jeep Rubicon. Definitely not the best tow vehicle, but it works since we put a brake controller in it.

Great videos. Thanks for making them available. Good info.

Very good to learn this without first hand experience. Thank you!

Great information Mike, Thank You!

Great information and a very timely video. We just purchased a 40hp tractor. Keep up the great work!

Very good advice Mike. Love your videos.

Thanks Mike, I am new to the country and this tip probably just saved my butt.

The comments on your video from various folks were pretty useful to me. Now I know why some trailers have those jacks on the ramps that stick out until folded down. The guy from our dealer had this happen in our driveway when he was facing uphill on a slight incline. Once the tractor got on the trailer the whole rig started going backwards until it leveled out, which luckily was only about 10' at most. So this can happen loading uphill as well. I always thought he should have locked his 4x4 in to keep the front wheels from spinning (not sure if it works that way or not when in park). In the future I think I would block the back of the trailer based on all of the comments, or load out on the road where it is flat.

i have had years of experience loading heavy equipment on trailers. Why Mike doesnt mention this i dont understand but never ever drive anything onto a trailer without jack stands or blocking (cribbing up) under back of the trailer.Even on level ground this can be very dangerous and damage your vehicle.

Also is a bad idea to load equipment prior to hooking up the truck. Learned this many years ago after a long day. Didn't even think there was a slope. Everything was fine until the truck ball tapped the trailer hitch. Looking in the mirror watching the trailer roll away, picking up speed as it goes, I jumped out of the truck ran back and somehow was able stop it and throw a piece of wood behind the wheels. Heard the crunch of gravel, looked back and here comes the truck. In my panicked exit, I had shut the truck off but I didn't quite get it in gear. Was barely able to stop the fully loaded truck before it ran into a building.

great video mike i try to see all the videos that you put out because yours are about the only ones that i agree with 100% of the time. now with that said i would like to add a little option to your procedure . now i have always, when loading a tractor or car or any "wheeled" load , made it a habit to use jackstands under the back of my trailer, just forward of the ramps and behind the axle. then you negate the problem of neg. tongue weight. i still never load down hill. and it gives you a more stable feeling way to load. when you move the load forward to balance it you shift the weight a little forward the stands come right out just takes a second and no trailer squat . i hope you try it and ad it to your process. thanx again for all the great info '

My Dad went to an r.v. dealer and purchased 2 screw type jack stands that we put underneath each side of the rear of the trailer. When we load, the jacks support the weight and don't allow for the drawbar and the trailer tongue to be lifted up. Very simple yet they work very well. Also I agree Mike. Always load on the level and chock the wheels just to be safe. Only takes a few seconds. Hurt lasts way too long. Dead even longer. Gary from Iowa

Good tip Mike 👍🇺🇸

i just found this video. Mike this also can be said for loading anything more 500lbs to a trailer. i am a gear head and have loaded many cars on trailers. i have had trailer lift on almost every car with an engine in it. even had one slide the truck i was using.

Great advice Mike, I learned this lesson the hard way! Having feet on the ramps as some have suggested is great but still doesn't mean it's safe to load downhill... trust me I have photo proof. LOL

You may have saved my but. Thank you!

My trailer has an angle iron frame welded to each ramp at the top close to the trailer that prevents this from happening. These frames hit the ground when the ramps are lowered for use at the same time the ends of the ramps hit the ground.

great info

As always....the "Ol' Sage" of wise advice! (There...I said it again!)

Never considered this happening till it happened to me last year. I've always had wedged shaped ramps that supported the weight being loaded. Last year I made a 500mile trip to pick up a tractor almost exactly like yours. I had disconnected the ramps and strapped them to the front of the trailer so I didn't have to listen to them rattle. Just set them behind the trailer without attaching them and it did exactly that, on a slight slope. Luckily, I caught it quick and no damage done. Was a 3/4 ton truck.

Super inexpensive fix. Go to harbor and buy two cheap side crank trailer Jack's with feet. Mount them on the trailer by the dovetail. whenever you put a heavy load on the trailer simply put the jacks down and crank the feet all the way to make contact with the earth almost picking the back of the trailer up a couple of inches. This will keep it from pitching up when you load it.

I know a guy that was killed from unloading a bull dozer from his semi truck. He was parked up hill but didn't have trailer brakes so you can imagine. I like those trailer ramp support things. They look like a triangular support under each ramp and they are much safer.

I have used that to my advantage a couple times. My car trailer was originally built for hauling landscaping boulders and construction equipment. So it isn't dovetailed in the back sadly, wish I could find someone to do that though. Anyhow, loading your typical car onto this trailer the ramp is so short you bottom the car out on the ramp and trailer deck. In order to get around this I put the trailer tongue jack down and raise the tongue of the trailer up as far as I can with the truck attached which usually will allow the car to make it over the ramp/trailer deck with minimal or no scraping. I also try and park so the truck is pointed up hill which also lowers the back end of the trailer slightly. I unloaded an 83 Ford Bronco off my car trailer by disconnecting it from the truck and letting the trailer tilt up as I backed off....the Bronco had a broken rear axle, I only had the front axle to power me off the trailer and the Bronco was wide enough I had to go up and over the trailer's fenders to get it back off. It worked, it was dangerous, and would never do it again but it got that dang Bronco off my trailer. I don't have a winch on the trailer and I'd suggest getting one for that stuff LOL. I keep this trailer around because of its seemingly endless possibilities of use. A friend borrowed it and hauled 7 ATV's on it to hunting camp one year, I've hauled several cars, friends and family have hauled cars on it, etc. The huge plus, it was home built, its heavy but its deck was made from old aircraft landing strips so it has holes all over the decking, I can tie anything down anywhere I want on that trailer. It needs the trailer brakes fixed, and need to find someone who can dovetail the back of that trailer and it would be an awesome car hauler....Its a 23 foot trailer with a hinged 1 piece ramp on the back. Makes loading and unloading easier as you don't have to be nearly as careful trying to get the vehicle's wheels lined up with skinny narrow ramps or having the ramps slip.

You said it! #1 Chock the wheels, trailer and tow unit. 4 chocks cost less than even a broken headlight lens on a vehicle. Even what appears to be level may have a slight grade, and if the tractor is at a certain point it could push the whole shebang down, or up, the road. Going to subscribe.

I was at a rental place and the rental guy loaded a ditch witch on my trailer. It lifted my back wheels 2 feet off the ground and the rental guy laughed and said dont worry about it. I did not think it was funny or safe. Fortunarely the hitch did not give way. On another occassion I loaded a riding mower on a small trailer and that hitch gave way, the tongue went up and put a big dent in my tailgate. I learned to place logs or concrete or jack stands under the back of the trailer to prevent this.

Great condensed videos. Thanks for sharing your very practical knowledge and wisdom. But about those safety chains at 4:27, they look tiny for what is being hauled. Is that typical?

Mike,,,here in Alabama the State Troopers and city cops will give you a ticket for your tag being on the fender. I still think it’s the best way to mount but they claim it must be horizontal.

Vehicles vary, I know. But to the comment about the Suburban in particular, those are 3/4 ton trucks. My Suburban had the tow package and the special-ordered rear gearing which allowed it to tow 12,000lbs. Yes, 12000 lbs. I called the dealer and rand the VIN and that was the tow weight rating. But I do agree to your point -- make sure the vehicle can handle the load!

thanks

Try welding a removable jackstand on each rear corner of the trailer, keeps the trailer from picking up the back of your truck and "testing" the coupler.

A few changes that should be done with this video are: install blocks under rear of deck to prevent lifting rear of tow vehicle, showing optimal places to place chocks, and the loading of tractor in video on a tilt deck trailer.

I welded stub 2" receivers to the rear side corners of the trailer. Then plug a tongue jack with a similar male stub onto each side, crank to whatever height. Trailer tilts off the tongue.

What size engine is in the Dodge half ton you used in the video? Does it haul the tractor nicely? I use a 2001 F150 7700 HD to haul scrap metal & vehicles around with on my flatbed trailer. I was told the truck is good to tow for roughly 10,000 lbs and usually it hauls pretty good. I've never hauled a tractor before but it's nice that it looks like there's a good number of tie down points to be had on a tractor to make for an easy and safe securement to a trailer. Great video by the way, very well done.

On a trailer like the one your using its better to have a set of flip out crank down jacks to stabilize the rear of the trailer when loading or off loading. Myself I prefer and use a tilt deck to load tractors....

Could also have legs/supports under the ramps.

I was watching your youtube about trying down tractors, I don't have to stake down on my trailer I have loops, the dealer said it was okay for my tractor was he correct?

Appreciate you taking the time to share you’re valuable experience!!!! Amein on meeting Jesus and getting saved!!!

Shits, Mike! I never even thought of that!

Hey Mike, whats the apx weight of the tractor used? Great info, never really would have though much of a difference either way. Not sure if my little 1025r would cause the back end of my truck to come up like your example here.

Been doing this 40 plus years load down hill all the time block both wheels in front of the rear tires trailer will still fine and easy to load loaded hundreds of things this way

is why I go to the trouble of putting blocks under the rear of trailer so nothing moves much during loading AND unloading.

I did just what you warned about. One time I showed up at a field to bushhog it. The dirt driveway was curved and slightly up hill with woods on both sides. The truck and trailer was positioned at the apex of the curve. When I loaded it, The whole works started not only to slide but it jack knifed too. Like an idiot, I kept going on thinking that the weight being fully on the trailer would load the back of the truck and it would stop sliding. Didn't work. I backed the tractor off the trailer in record time but the trailer tongue already met the quarter panel of the truck and creased it badly, almost pushing the other side of the truck into a tree. Fortunately, it stopped just short of the tree The truck was a 3/4 ton Ford Super Duty but the tractor and trailer combined weighed 13000 Lbs. I know because I had weighed it a couple of years before at a local truck stop, so I was over weight besides. The truck was only rated for 10000 Lb max trailer. Ever since I try to keep it not only as level as possible but as straight as possible too. This is a very important message. Keep up the good work.

what is the weight of your tractor? I have a 61 M-F 203 w/ bucket I think it's around 4300#

I think the biggest issue with loading facing downhill is the potential for an accident to occur because of speed you pick up while driving towards the front of the trailer. Lose control and you will hit the rear of the tow vehicle.I wouldn't be worried too much about the rear end coming up unless your tow vehicle is undersized to begin with. I think it would take more than a 40 horse tractor to pick the rear end up completely off the ground on a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.

The exact reason I prefer a tilt deck trailer instead of a ramp load trailer. I have a deckover tilt deck trailer and it works perfectly for my 42hp Kubota. Tilt deck trailer doesn't have the problem of the rear axle of tow vehicle coming off the ground. What is your views on tilt deck trailers??? Deckover and lowbed tilt deck.

Witnessed a guy almost get killed loading a tractor on a trailer down hill. Picked the back wheels of his truck a few feet off the ground and sent the truck, trailer, and tractor down into some trees. Got jammed in there jack knifed, big dent in his bumper and side of the truck from hitting a tree. The guy owned a excavating business too

Another danger would be in tractors without 4wd or without 4wd engaged, that have no weight in the rear, that causes the center of gravity to shift forward on the tractor causing the rear end to slide around. I've seen it, not while loading trailers, but it could happen on wood or steel trailer decks.

And don't put blocks under the back of trailer to stop the lifting from occuring. Especially if you are loading a tracked machine such as a bulldozer. Equipment can over backwards if the front bucket is not kept low enough and crush the operator. This happened to a friend of my dad and killed him in front of his young son. I think of this every time i load equipment. Even if its only gonna take a min make sure roll bar is up & locked and seatbelt tight.

The ONLY way to load in this situation is to load on a tiltbed trailer. I've had to load on a mild hill before. I hate it.

The EXACT reason I use tiltbed only trailers. I will not have ramps if I can help it at all costs.

They do it because a half tone can do it just fine

My and my brother place cinder blocks, it you could use a thick piece of wood, placed under the rear end of the trailer. The back end can only go down as far as the block is. His truck hardly moves at all. As for the hauling part, I have a half ton pickup and have pulled my MF gc1710 on a 16' utility trailer. It pulled my truck to death. Luckily, I was mostly on level ground. I actually smelled tranny fluid when I got home. I will never again do this. I am gonna buy me a bigger truck so this doesn't happen again. Just be careful when you are hauling things. Your trucks can only do so much. Thanks.

Could you please do a video about loading a tractor that doesn't run?

The Xj is rated at 6000ibs when properly equipped so that amount of weight is about half of its tow rating the Ram shouldnt be far from that.

Great educational video! But (at least in PA), your safety chains are illegal. They need to be crossed to form an "X"!!! The idea is if the trailer comes off the ball for some reason, the trailer tongue will fall into the X and be cradled off the ground until you can bring it to a stop. If the chains are not crossed, the tongue will fall between the chains and be sliding along the road and will flip the trailer like a pole vaulter when it hits a pothole or just digs itself into the asphalt. Be safe and thanks for the video! I've learned something!!!

I wouldnt use that trailer for a tractor. The trailer ramps should have feet so that you dont screw up your suspension on your vehicle when loading. As to the hill? I do it where it is flat.

The truck always does that

How do you safely load and unload a tractor on a trailer with an implement attached?

#1: WHEEL CHOCKS. #2: Support the back of the trailer so it can't lift the back of the truck as the tractor is loaded. There are times you can't avoid loading/unloading on an incline. So you need to know how to do it.

Be smarter than your equipment put jack stands under the rear of your trailer to keep it from going down.

Your trailer is missing the rear jacks. With them what you are describing won't happen,

Tractor Mike we love you but I'm thinking that God dang it I'm thinking that you're assuming that these this trailer does not have any breaks maybe that is the case in your case but if you're going to put a tractor on a trailer in probably 95% of the occasions you're supposed to actually have brakes on the trailer I understand you're saying to be safe rather than sorry as that some trailers do not actually have brakes and that is true some trailers don't have brakes but in the majority of cases if you know how to use the trailer brakes too that would this would never matter cuz you can go uphill or downhill and you could use all of the brakes most of the time you're actually supposed to have brakes on a trailer especially if it's something heavy enough to where you can legally put a tractor on the back of it

You better get a real truck to pull that heavy load...!!

Proofs in the pudding: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/r7yFqsilmd_IeXk.html