Maybe you guys have seen one of these but I sure haven't. This thing will apparently articulate and wheels will go into the crab mode and almost go parallel with the truck plow. This rig was sitting down the road from the house and I had to check it out. I did find some information and pics of this thing through Google but I was unable to link it up. All in all I thought this was a pretty cool idea. Have any of you ever seen one of these working? We plow a pretty nasty hill with our D5 every winter and have been toying around with ideas for a wing. A slope board just didn't seem all that practical but this opens up a bunch of new ideas..
Its called the tow plow, built by a snow specialty shop in KCMO, Viking-Cives. Tow Plow PDF http://wcco.com/local/snow.tow.plow.2.630304.html
I found a youtube vid of it in action. http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=vqjzFZ9QaUU I couldn't find a make or dealer though, can you pass along anything and someone can find some links? Looks like a neat idea, though I would have thought more weight might have been needed to keep the thing from sliding if it hits something.
Im a member at plowsite dot com and there are a few threads about these. A few states are running them. There is a green laser light on the truck cab that shines ahead to the right to show the plow operator how far the trailer is to the side so he knows if he'll hit anything.
Seems like it would be cheaper and easier to just put a wing on the truck. I have never seen one of those trailers, here all trucks have wings and even some of the loaders.
The trailer covers more ground than a wing. There is alot more info over on plowsite. Sorry, I dont have a link.
JD4020 is correct that it covers more ground, as it is about twice as long as a truck mounted wing, but IMO it would'nt work well in deepsnow or hard drifts as it would tend to be pushed in behind the truck when working hard even with the tank full of calcium chloride or whatever they use, as a truck full of salt/sand with a truck mounted wing can really get pushed around in heavy going with a wing half of the length.
The main use is for on Interstate highways. a four lane highway might take 8 trucks, where as with this, they can cut that in half or less. There usually isnt too much accumulation in an interstate with a DOT that plows with the storm, so they work great.
Here is the condition you would most likely see it in. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqjzFZ9QaUU
For you die hards who know equipment. I just came across the old thread where someone took pictures of the TowPLow truck I believe in Arizonia or New Mexico spring of 2008. Well, most all Dot engineers doubted the TowPLow for several reasons, mostly "you can't take something that big and plow snow on highways. Well I never thougth I would see 16 row planters and now have seen a 54 row unit by JD. Who ever took the pictures GOOD job. I am surprised you caught it. Meanwhile the reason for this note, you can be brought up to date by viewing photo at www.towplow.com Doubters should look at the Canadian users in deep snow. It works because the blade is only 30 degrees from tow. Snow flys off the moldboard above 25 MPH and we are now operating above 55 MPH clearing 24' wide on I44 in Missouri.... enjoy.
I can see where this would work real good for the throughway{NY} or other interstates that get lots of snow.
The day one of those comes to my county is the day i go buy a post pounder!
The other benefit I see is spreading either sand or de-icer off the trailer. I am curious how much the trailer weighs, I would think that at 55 mph it might climb over the snow. Most equipment I have used is fairly heavy, of course we usually have quite a load of ice under each snowfall. And, I have not rolled snow for many years. Like MoSnoking said, things change.
Carillion uses them on the 402 west of London....
I saw one in action a couple weeks ago in Missouri. It was going the other way on the interstate. At first I thought there was something going terribly wrong. When I looked back again I could see it from behind. It certainly looks impressive in use.
Never seen or heard of this idea. 10 minutes after reading this thread there was a bit piece on the 6:00 news tonight showing one here on V.I. B.C. Neat to watch and have it explained. Looks like they work great. Looking forward to seeing the real thing on the road. Regards D.D.
This is a video of one in use in B.C. Has a sandbox and looks heavier.[video=youtube;QxxmQOOxN5U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxxmQOOxN5U[/video] The private companies contracted to maintain the Provincial highways need all the help they can get. The normal scenario is to bring the sandtruck out after the second accident on icy roads.
That is cool. kyle