How do you chain down a bobcat to a trailer?

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pro70z28

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Mar 12, 2007
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I just registered on this site tonight. I'm glad I stumbled across this thread. I don't know if you can see in the pic of the front, but I tie everything down on my trailer with hitch pins. (don't know if you can see the red Pins?). I have a rack bolted to the trailer that holds all the attachments. I hold the Bobcat in place by running the forks iinto square tubing that is part of the attachment frame. Then pin it in place with 2 hitch pins through fabricated clevices that are part of the attachment frame. I have ratchet straps for the back, (I don't use them all the time, but will from now on). The mini track loader is about 2,500 lbs. After reading this thread I'm thinking maybe I should replace the straps for chains? Don't need any fines.
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skidsteer.ca

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Like this
Note hooks on loader, chain not simply passed through the rings,
On the front the chains go over the attachment holding it down.
Load binders on both rear (loader) chains and pull the ones on the oposite ends tight.
Tie load binder handle shut.
 

Cam2

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Mar 14, 2007
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Like this
Note hooks on loader, chain not simply passed through the rings,
On the front the chains go over the attachment holding it down.
Load binders on both rear (loader) chains and pull the ones on the oposite ends tight.
Tie load binder handle shut.
Skidsteer, What size trailer is your Bobcat on? I noticed how far forward you have your unit on the trailer.
 

skidsteer.ca

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Skidsteer, What size trailer is your Bobcat on? I noticed how far forward you have your unit on the trailer.
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Its a 19' tridem, but if I was doing it again, I'd set it up with a little more tongue weight, its Center of axel group is about 15% rear of center. If I did it again I'd have at least 25% more deck forward of the center of the axel group. Learn as you go, I guess.
15% works good on a tandem in my opinion, because the axels can equalize alot more, but a tridem is pretty limited. The hitch on the truck must be the right hight too, or one set of axels is not carrying there share of the load
I have to careful to load a little extra tongue weight because if you crest the top of a sharp hill where the front 2 axels are carrying most of the load it will lift up on the tongue.
Center of gravity of the loader is near the rear axel and I try to keep that forward of the middle axel on the trailer.
The 19' is nice as it give me plenty of room to load attachments over the sides in front of the trailer fenders, and still put the loader with a backhoe on behind.
Ken
 

Cam2

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Mar 14, 2007
Messages
26
Its a 19' tridem, but if I was doing it again, I'd set it up with a little more tongue weight, its Center of axel group is about 15% rear of center. If I did it again I'd have at least 25% more deck forward of the center of the axel group. Learn as you go, I guess.
15% works good on a tandem in my opinion, because the axels can equalize alot more, but a tridem is pretty limited. The hitch on the truck must be the right hight too, or one set of axels is not carrying there share of the load
I have to careful to load a little extra tongue weight because if you crest the top of a sharp hill where the front 2 axels are carrying most of the load it will lift up on the tongue.
Center of gravity of the loader is near the rear axel and I try to keep that forward of the middle axel on the trailer.
The 19' is nice as it give me plenty of room to load attachments over the sides in front of the trailer fenders, and still put the loader with a backhoe on behind.
Ken
I gotcha!!! I thought it may have been a triple axle, but wasn't sure. Do you feel the need to have 3 axles with that load and does that rig bring alot of attention with the State police in your area? I bought a 12,000# pd and derated it to 9998 to keep under DOT because I do not have a CDL. I hate trailering my unit, and often think of just paying someone to deliver it to the job site. Average prices around here is about 2.50 -3.00 per loaded mile.
 

skidsteer.ca

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Jan 20, 2006
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I gotcha!!! I thought it may have been a triple axle, but wasn't sure. Do you feel the need to have 3 axles with that load and does that rig bring alot of attention with the State police in your area? I bought a 12,000# pd and derated it to 9998 to keep under DOT because I do not have a CDL. I hate trailering my unit, and often think of just paying someone to deliver it to the job site. Average prices around here is about 2.50 -3.00 per loaded mile.
Here your commercial if your doing anthing that looks like work, weather it pays or not. And if you truck weighs over 10 000 or your trailer is over 6600 then you are considered a 18 wheeler. Daily circle check records and hours of service must be produced on demand.
The catch 22 is if you licence either the truck or trailer over that weight, then even when you don't weight that much you still have to do the paper work and comply with hours. When were working in the summer and I have my licence up over 10k, I don't drive that truck more then I have to. I bought a 1/2 to run into town with.
The one idiot we had here stopped me on evening, put me on the portable scales, and I was 10440, so he fined me $390.00 for not doing the paper work my walk around inspection, (which I would not have needed if I was 441 lbs lighter) even though the truck had no mechanical defects, it had 11000 miles on it.
So don't kid yourself, they are all on a "quota" system and flat deck pickups and larger trailer are a**hole magnets just like a semi truck.
Here I wish they would put one of those truck police in every commercial vehicle, then when the whole economy colapsed within a week because no one can comply with all the BS rules, they could begin to rethink some of them.
In Ontario you can drive you 300 hp diesel 35' motor home and tow a big a** boat for 30 hours straight to come here fishing, but not you 3500 pickup to the coffee shop.
Ken
 

skidsteer.ca

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Jan 20, 2006
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I gotcha!!! I thought it may have been a triple axle, but wasn't sure. Do you feel the need to have 3 axles with that load and does that rig bring alot of attention with the State police in your area? I bought a 12,000# pd and derated it to 9998 to keep under DOT because I do not have a CDL. I hate trailering my unit, and often think of just paying someone to deliver it to the job site. Average prices around here is about 2.50 -3.00 per loaded mile.
Oh and no for that load a tandem is more then adequate, there is @ 7500 machine and grapple.
We haul our 350 JD crawler on there and its 10500, thats why its a tridem. Though its good for the skidsteer if I need say the loader, hoe, brusher, grapple and a bucket I can haul it all at once with that truck and trailer.
Ken
 

pelpel

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Jan 28, 2007
Messages
43
Oh and no for that load a tandem is more then adequate, there is @ 7500 machine and grapple.
We haul our 350 JD crawler on there and its 10500, thats why its a tridem. Though its good for the skidsteer if I need say the loader, hoe, brusher, grapple and a bucket I can haul it all at once with that truck and trailer.
Ken
Small trick, instead of bungee cords or wire to secure the handle of the binders, I got myself a few shackles, the bolt fits into the chain link, the loop over the handle a few inches from the end, no more wires or cords to mess with..........
 

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