Carrying Cubs to an event

sawdustdad · #1 05-29-2018, 10:37 PM

I am planning to attend a tractor show later this year. I'd like to take some of my Cubs with me. I have an 18 foot flatbed equipment trailer, rated to carry 10,000 lbs and I have a GMC 2500HD to tow it with.

My question is the best way to secure 6 Cub Cadets for a 5 or 6 hour drive?

I have chains and binders I use for my larger tractors, but that's overkill for the Cubs.

I also have a bunch of nylon strap binders, the 3 inch wide heavy straps. My concern is that vibration over the long trip will abrade the straps and cause them to wear through during the trip. Also, I wonder what is the best way to run the straps through the tractor frames without marring the paint or damaging the straps.

I've moved the Cubs plenty of times, a couple at at time, for 100 miles or so with no problems using the straps but occasionally find a strap worn as a result. I'm running the straps over the foot pads but under the frame from side to side.

I'm contemplating some better hold down method such as a turnbuckle under the tractor, say from the brake rockshaft to the bed of the trailer, essentially bolting the tractor to the trailer bed.

What are you guys using and am I overthinking this? I'd like to put 6 tractors on my trailer, side by side, three down each side of the trailer.

Thoughts?

J-Mech · #2 05-29-2018, 10:57 PM

If you are planning to haul them side by side, no good way to boom them down unless you have "D" rings on the floor. If you have a steel bed trailer, no big deal. If it's a wood bed, make sure to bolt the D rings to the cross member, and not just the wood.

I use at least 3 straps per tractor. Not because it needs 3 straps, but because there is not a good way to attach two without them rubbing something and either rubbing the paint off, or cutting the straps. I put two pulling forward attached to the fender support. (Round bar that the rear of the footrest attaches to. Same bar the "U" bracket for the deck attaches to.) Then the one on the rear through the hitch. If I'm going a long distance, two on the rear. Both attached to the frame, or on a clevis on the drawbar. 4 straps keep the tractor from twisting from bouncing around.

Shrewcub · #3 05-29-2018, 11:20 PM

The "professional" lawn guys around here just set the parking brake and "strap" it down by laying the weedeaters on top.

I like Jonathans idea. FWIW

J-Mech · #4 05-30-2018, 12:00 AM

On a similar note, I used to haul in a lot of tractors to the dealership when I worked for IH. I was also one of the lucky ones to have to deliver them when done, or when we sold new ones far away. (Three of us had CDL's, and I was the low guy on the totem pole, lol. Plus, I didn't mind doing it. Got me out of the shop.) Anyway, I used to use at least 3 chains and boomers per tractor. One over and through the front axle, and to each side of the trailer, on one over each axle on the rear. So 6 mounting points to the trailer, and 4 on the tractor. (Make sense?) One of the other guys only used two. One over and through the front axle, and one on a clevis on the drawbar. I was friends with him, and one day I told him I thought he should use 3 like I did.... he said, "Nah, I've never had an issue." Well.... that's always true until you do have an issue. He was about 40 miles away in a small town and went to cross some railroad tracks. The trailer we had was a double-drop deck so it was very low to the ground. He hit the tracks at about 20 miles an hour or so and the jacks on the trailer caught the tracks. Stopped him IMMEDIATELY! Rear chain broke, tractor came forward and the weight bracket hit the top deck. The angle of the weights made the whole front of the tractor jump up and the weights came down on the old boards on the top deck shattering the boards, and the weights fell into the deck, so it was caught. Took two wreckers like an hour to get him unstuck from the tracks, and I can't remember how long to get the front of the tractor lifted up and back on it's wheels.

He always used at least 3 chains after that......

I've hauled a lot of equipment over the years. Still have and use my CDL's too. I'm licensed to the hilt, lol. I hate it when I have to renew. Costs a fortune!

Shotgun Clay · #5 05-30-2018, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Mech

If you are planning to haul them side by side, no good way to boom them down unless you have "D" rings on the floor. If you have a steel bed trailer, no big deal. If it's a wood bed, make sure to bolt the D rings to the cross member, and not just the wood.

I use at least 3 straps per tractor. Not because it needs 3 straps, but because there is not a good way to attach two without them rubbing something and either rubbing the paint off, or cutting the straps. I put two pulling forward attached to the fender support. (Round bar that the rear of the footrest attaches to. Same bar the "U" bracket for the deck attaches to.) Then the one on the rear through the hitch. If I'm going a long distance, two on the rear. Both attached to the frame, or on a clevis on the drawbar. 4 straps keep the tractor from twisting from bouncing around.

That is how I haul mine.

RumbleFish · #6 05-30-2018, 03:58 AM

I only haul one cub at a time, but I use 4 straps. One on each corner. I like to use axle straps with the extra sleeve around the outside to help protect against abrasion. I recently upgraded to some ratchet straps that have a built in loop to go around the axle. I got them here:
http://securemycargo.com/atv-2-ratch...ook-8-833-wll/

olds45512 · #7 05-30-2018, 08:26 AM

That many Cub's on a trailer that short doesn't leave a lot of room for straps between tractors, the one time I hauled that many I put the strap through the rear wheels of both tractor and the other strap over the frame just behind the nose. It was a 6hr ride home and the Cub's didn't move at all.

finsruskw · #8 05-30-2018, 09:17 AM

If your trailer has a rub rail or a way to secure 2" straps on each side.
Load 'em crossways and use 2 straps over the axles from the front to the back.
Pad the straps where the touch tractor with small pieces of carpet scraps.
Cut some 4/4's at a 45* angle for chock blocks and screw 'em to the floor in front of the front tires and behind the rear tires. And of course, lock the brakes and drop any implements. Be sure to secure your ramps as well.
Clearance can be an issue using ratchet straps, you will discover this and may have to double wrap the clip end of the ratchet strap through the rub rail in order to have room to operate it when tightening.

6 Cubs on a trailer should work just fine.
I use nothing smaller that 2" transport straps. NOT the colorful 1" finger pinching kind you find at the dollar store, they are worthless.

Around here, you are prone to being stopped by the DOT and checked for proper load securement while pulling a tandem axle trailer behind anything larger than a 150. It seems like U see 'em all the time on the shoulder at 4 way stops being checked whenever I go to Cedar Rapids.

cooperino · #9 05-30-2018, 06:31 PM

If you ever plan on doing this more than just this time... You can get recessed D rings to install in the floor. If the tractors are loaded side ways install them in
front of and behind the tires. If you go online you will find companies that sell webbed straps that fit over tires. They make all different sizes for motorcycles, cars, quads etc. They have their own ratchet binder built in. This will secure your machines with no worry at all of touching paint. Maybe a little investment and time to set up but you will never scratch a tractor.

Heres a link.. you can actually do this with a strap without buying them made like this

https://www.truckntow.com/tire-harne...caAruxEALw_wcB

sawdustdad · #10 05-30-2018, 09:20 PM

Great ideas! I was thinking of loading them crossways, but not sure how to get them sideways. Load from the side? Move the ramps for each tractor. Or lift and rotate them with a floor jack?

I like the D rings in the floor, but it is a wood deck (2x6s) trailer and I'd have to either add steel under the floor to get the D rings where I needed them or work out something else.

I use four chains and binders whenever I move one of my larger tractors but generally only use two large straps when moving a cub a short distance. I usually stop half way and check the straps.

What do you think about E track? Would a couple E track clips underneath each tractor, secured to the frame members and pulled taut be adequate? Thinking running two rows of E track down the length of the trailer bed, centered under each row of cubs.