Pulling trailer

[purplewg]

Anyone towing a trailer? I have a smoker on a trailer and a utility trailer I move around a bit. Both are factory rigs with the screw jack just behind the hitch. The dang ball on the gator is so far up under there I can't screw the jack up or down without hitting the tailgate. I see two options. One - move the jacks back away from the hitch further. Two - extend the ball back from the gator. The problem I see with that is the additional offset weight being put way back away from the receiver. I want to put a bumper back there also and that would just make matters worse.

[trainman]

Probably using an extended draw bar would not be the best choice, it would put more down force on the rear and make the front end lighter, thus could become unsafe when driving. I think I would move the trailer jack backward, most trailers tongues will have plenty of room for this to be done, plus in most cases you could get the type of jack that folds up which I like better, one note here is that it doesn't work well with heavy trailers for safety reasons. Tongue weight is always a factor in safety so keep that in mind, I did read in the Gator Manual that 450 lbs. is the recommended max tongue weight, that sounds like a lot to me. I do like the way the fold-up jacks work as they fold-up and are out of the way, much better then the standard ones that don't fold-up.

John

[purplewg]

Right on the money with my thoughts trainman. I was concerned about the canter-lever weight also. I don't pull any of these fast or far. Smoker just around front from the back. Utility just around the house and farm. It is a short dual axle 6x12 so it carries most of the weight it self. It just needs to be pulled. I think I will get the swing up jacks. I had that on the other trailer I had. I traded it for this dual axle as the Gator would not fit my old one.

[Off Road ResQ]

Check the weight capacity of the swing-up trailer jack before you install it on your 6X12 tandem axle trailer. For the little bit of towing you are actually doing, a longer draw bar, and common sense are all that you need. So far, I detect you already possess the latter; or you wouldn't be asking. Right?

Here's what I tow. With a patient and attendant on board, 1280 pounds GTWR, over rough terrain.
http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/47890/2906374040099684271S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2906374040099684271RKWPXf)

Also, I routinely move a trench & building collapse trailer around without issues. Just don't use an ATV draw bar; you will bend it. The SMT shown below has an estimated tongue weight of 600 Lbs.
http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/46247/2214180360099684271S600x600Q85.jpg (http://news.webshots.com/photo/2214180360099684271obPbrB)

Good luck!

Mike
http://www.OffRoadRescue.com

[Turbocohen]

We use this http://www.amazon.com/Heininger-6000-Advantage-Adjustable-Extension/dp/B0002Z9O8C/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1306083192&sr=8-8 and added this http://www.amazon.com/Komodo-ATV3WH22-3-Way-Receiver-Hitch/dp/B001P2X4EQ and the extra adapter went on the atv.. No problem towing 2500 pounds with about 200-300 pounds of tongue weight if the rear preload adjuster is half way up or more. We use this daily on a 25 stall horse farm.