I'm building another dump truck to pull my loader with. I've been thinking rather than a pintle hitch a simple heavy pin type hitch would be simpler. You don't have to jack the trailer as far and lining up would be just as easy. What are the thinking on this?
I went to michigan and bought some trailers, where I discovered a lot of michigan multiple trailer rigs used what they called "fish mouth" hitches, which are kind of like that. They start on page 31 of this Holland hitch catalog. The thing that surprised me is that they have very low tongue weight ratings. A lot of ag stuff uses pin hitches, but it's usually not that heavy. If you do it, you need a lot of slack, or a swivel mechanism, or it will tear off when you get on uneven ground. I liked the "drop jaw" type pintle hitches in this catalog. http://www.safbenelux.nl/files_content/HollandCouplingProducts-en-US_2.pdf
I unhook the trailer a lot and just get tired of having to jack it to clear the pintle. I was just thinking but will probably go with a pintle again with the loads I carry.
Check with your local regs. "Here", an ag-style drawpin would be illegal to use on an over-the-road trailer. Must be pintle. Andrew
Do you have a 2 speed jack on the trailer?
I do but the way I mounted it makes it a pain. If the truck is not straight the handle doesn't clear the back of the bed. I made the tongue on this trailer shorter than the last and that was a mistake. This jack doesn't have a drop leg on it either.
We have a trailer where you swing the jack handle, you knuckle slams into a bracket. Having some dunnage and/or a pinned leg extension speeds up the jack process to unhitch.
We carry around a piece of timber to put under the jack on our tiltbed so usually only have to crank about 6 turns before contact, of course you need somewhere to store the wood a simple wire shelf welded under the front of the trailer works great
I custom ordered my 22.5 ton from an in-state manufacturer. Added an extra 2 sp jack and moved the jack location from the tongue to one on either side of the front of the deck. This allowed for a larger tool box in the tongue. Drop legs on the jacks.
Mitch, The only trailers using the fish mouth hooks are our dump trucks pulling dump trailers. Everyone I know uses the standard pintle hitch for tag trailers.
Dumb question... In that Holland Hitch Catalog, they have pintle hitches without an air can and jam listed for highway usage. I thought all pintle hitches now had to have an air jam to hold everything tight. Is there an exception???
is the truck on airbag rear suspension? if so you can wind the trailer leg to the ground apply lift pressure only just then dump the air on suspension and pull away thats how ive seen many trailers connected and disconnected much the same way as a prime mover (tractor unit)
Spring, I will probably change the tongue this winter when work is slack. A foot more would make a big difference. When I put a bobcat and backhoe on they barely fit and if the bucket is on the bobcat it hits the bed when turning very tight. I really need 5 foot more deck but they are never long enough are they? Any one use a hydraulic jack on their pintle hitch?
First time I have heard of that.:beatsme
Dump trailers are what I bought, that's one of the few other places that well specced 24'trailers are common, and they were cheap up there 10 yrs ago. I only see the air jams on interstate haulers around here.