Tractor tow with Gorilla Cart

[MarkoPolo]

Cactusking's question in the previous thread has gotten me to wondering if it would be feasible to use a modified Gorilla Cart and a lawn tractor to move my Trailmanor around my yard.
I have a John Deere X300 lawn tractor with around 15-17 hp. I used to use it to pull my Coleman Bayside pop up. The tongue weight would just about lift the front tires if I was going up a slope.
It occurs to me that a Gorilla Cart could be modified to have a trailer hitch ball attached as a center load and then pull the Gorilla Cart with my lawn tractor. Seems that would keep the tongue weight from being a factor with my lawn tractor. I think I have enough horse power for this.
What I am confused about is how to back up with a "double" pivot. The trailer pivots on the ball and the front wheels of the cart also pivot. If I have a welding shop add the hitch ball and plate, I suppose I could weld the front wheels from turning.
I know I have enough power to go forward, I am not sure about backing up.

At any rate: has anyone done anything like this?

Before I go to the trouble to buy and modify a cart I would like to hear from anyone who has done something like this. The idea intrigues me, but I am not sure it is practical and I might be missing some important issues.

I never tried a cart but did use a 2 wheel dolly, there is a thread of that disaster. The problem is the pivot points make it impossible to back up, the two pivot points just go crazy. If you weld one of the pivots then you will put forces in the wrong places and bend stuff, or at least I did.
The one thing IO was gong to try before I had to sell my TM was to put a large tire on the tongue of the TM to take some of the weight off the hitch. The tire assembly would have to be steerable and large enough to take some of the weight off the hitch. I gave up but wish you a lot of luck. There has got to be a way! I bought a Trailer Valet but I was only on blacktop.
Good Luck
Dave

[Padgett]

Well, I need to find something, hand cranked tow dolly sounds good but not $350 on a lark good.

Have the 2720 closed and plan to try to get the tongue weight, suspect if I use two scales the TW will just be the sum of the readings.

ps, is there any way to change the default font size to 3 ? Am having to do it manually.

[Redtail Cruiser]

Padgett,
Look at this thread for measuring tongue weight.

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/foru...t=Scale+weight

[Padgett]

I used a different method, please see if can find fault. Dolly weighs 20 lbs so 230 + 260 -20= 470 lbs ? Using a trailer dolly. Am holding the dolly handle to not affect vertical weight & hitch is near straight up and down. This seems heavy for a 2720SL, rear battery, 1/3 tank of water and one propane tank 1/2 full. Coach wheels are also on pavers, all jacks retracted.

BTW the scale on the right goes to 400 lbs and was surprised when it maxed out used alone.

Earlier I tried the single scale and lever method and found it inaccurate.

ps there is no way this dolly can move the TM, I had difficulty with a 440 lb teardrop, but seems OK for weighing or maybe as a stand...

[DEarle]

Padgett,

When using windows just use CTRL + to increase font size (as many times as needed) then use CTRL - to decrease font size. I have to use this frequently so understand your need. This works with just about everything I've tried it with using Windows.

[Padgett]

OK 125% on a 24" monitor is easy. Never did understand alla them Unix people with tiny fonts but that was in the green phosphor on black daze.

Meanwhile had someone who should know say I wanted gears and not a hydrostatic trans so was looking at a Troybilt Pony. Shouldn't need much HP, just really low gears.

Now that I have measured the tongue weight of my unloaded 2720SL at 470 lbs, I need to rethink the subject. 300 lbs on the back of a lawn tractor I could see but not almost 500.

The intelligent answer is to clean out enough room for my heep to maneuver in the back yard and be done. Have to do something tomorrow to get the TM out of the way of the Judge so I can go to a car show Saturday morning.

[MarkoPolo]

Well, proof is in the pudding! I hooked up my Trailmanor 2922KD to my John Deere X300 lawn tractor.
First surprise: the front wheels did not come off the ground
Second surprise: it pulled forward easily (about 7 ft)
Third surprise: it backed up OK. I had to "rock" it a little, but could push it right back against the wheel chock.
I do think this will work for re-positioning in my yard. I intend to level that area, add a car port and lay down road base for an even easier surface to move the trailer. Don't think I could go up much of a slope , but altogether I am pleasantly surprised. I do intend to reverse the plate on the tractor that holds the trailer ball for a few inches more height. Should help with hitching and maneuvering.

[Padgett]

And the answer was my heep and a tow strap to move it back far enough to be easy to hitch again. Once hitched I just backed into "the grotto". Since everything is basically on sand I just leveled a bit then laid out 16 20"x20" 52 lb pavers for it to sit on.

Be easy to grab from there. Also found I could move short distances with a 5' piece of thickwall tubing as a persuader.

Did add a double wheel set from HF to spread the drag when towing on the yard & lowered both as far as possible to minimize twisting. Heep never spun a wheel just seemed to move effortlessly.

Not sure why the front pavers (smaller) look tilted, must be the photo because are really level. Need to add a cover to protect from tree sap.

[Bill]

Marko Polo -

Nice work! Nice tractor!

I can't quite tell from the pictures - is the wheel on the TM hitch carrying any of the hitch weight?

Re first pic - if you flip the hitch plate over, does it put the hitch ball high enough to impact the white plastic housing on the tractor, if you perform a hard turn? Since it is outside your line of sight when you sit on the tractor seat, it would be easy to do (for me, anyway).

Bill