# Anyone ever pull an open trailer in snow?



## lawnboy11 (Aug 22, 2000)

Hey guys, I was wondering if any of you have ever driven around with an open trailer with a few snowblowers in snow conditions. I always use ramps and just the p/u truck, but was curious if anyone ever tried using a trailer. Loading and unloading would be a lot faster and safer too. I've never tried for fear a trailer would slide around or be dangerous somehow. I'd be using a 4wd truck to pull it. Also, no plowing is involved so that's not an issue. Just blowers and shovels. thanks in advance for any input...

ps- anyone drive a 2wd truck in the snow on flat suburban terrain? I always use my 4wd in the snow, but my 2wd truck is much nicer (comparatively anyway) of a ride on the inside. I only keep the 4wd for snow and soil and mulch jobs (more heavy duty truck too), but I think I want to ditch it and just deal with one, although it's always nice to have a back-up as both trucks are older.


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## Smitty58 (Dec 23, 2003)

Last yr I had a big hitch hauler built to haul my quad on. It worked great, this yr I have a Jeep with a plow but I'm using the same hitch hauler to haul my snow blower. I debated hauling a trailer but chose the hitch hauler instead.


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## RidgeCon (Jan 3, 2001)

We have a truck that pulls an open landscape trailer every storm to carry their snow blowers. They have no problem pulling it through snow and it is only 2wd.


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## towelman (Dec 15, 2004)

I am not an expert but I've pulled a snowmobile trailer around with the same things on it with my 4x4 and my brothers 2x4 in the Midwest the biggest problem that i had was the 4x4 was to tall and I lost a lot of weight on the back end (no receiver just bumper)

The 2x4 was not bad but you have to be more alert all the time. It will slip out from under you really fast if you don't watch it!

All in all i did not have any trouble what so ever with the trailer even in drifts and so forth.


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## lawnboy11 (Aug 22, 2000)

Thank you very much for the replies. I think I'll try it this year. I'm not going more than about 5 miles through local side streets at 20mph anyway and your answers give me great hope in success! Keep the input coming if you have any! Thanks again.


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## Turfmower (Dec 20, 2003)

I was pulled my Kubota 12 years ago with my old F 150 it pulled OK but when I stopped on the icy parking lot. (to unload only) I was doing under 5 mph the trailer jack knifed on the ice and dented the rear panel on the truck. The trailer with machine weighed more than the truck.


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## lawnboy11 (Aug 22, 2000)

Turfmower said:


> I was pulled my Kubota 12 years ago with my old F 150 it pulled OK but when I stopped on the icy parking lot. (to unload only) I was doing under 5 mph the trailer jack knifed on the ice and dented the rear panel on the truck. The trailer with machine weighed more than the truck.


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, maybe I'll just stick with the truck alone because I can easily see The thing sliding all over as it is 5*8, relatively light with two tires. There would be 2-3 snowblowers on board. One side of my truck is already dented so I don't care about that, but it's tight around here and I don't want to be slamming it into other cars. I don't really think I've seen people pulling trailers in the snow too often. We're out before all the sand trucks and plows in the worst possible conditions so I've always thought it might be sketchy to pull a trailer which is why I haven't before (and I've had that option for 7 years). I'm inclined against it, but I would still like more opinions....


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## mdb landscaping (Sep 29, 2000)

our sidewalk crew pulls a 16 foot open trialer with a quad and snowblowers on it every storm. never had a problem


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## ta3834bbl (Dec 4, 2004)

It isn't bad, as I have pulled my roadrunner (3800lbs) with a 2wd on a 18 foot open trailer in a snowstorm with over 6" in the ground and still coming down. It was a little unnerving, but everything was fine. Just be carefull and you'll be fine. A heavy trailer will try to jacknife more that a light trailer will, I think. The lighter the trailer, the less centrifical (sp) force to swing around or push. jmo


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## Tarkus (Nov 19, 2004)

Pulling it is not the problem, the problem is that your equipment can get well soaked with snow and salt spray and in the case of salt spray on a nice two stage snow thrower on a open trailer, it would be a rusty mess in a year of two tops. I would use a small enclosed trailer myself so equipment lasts a long time and is ready to use when you get where you are going regardless of weather.


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## Henry (Jan 1, 2000)

We use an International truck to pull a 6 ton trailer with a 6k pound skid steer in the big storms with no problems. Of course, we take it slow and the trailer has brakes.


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## Toby (Aug 29, 2003)

All I do are Subdivision & Small Res. Drives....We Pull 7 Open Trailers w/blowers & Tractor Mounted Plows..from 10' by 80" to 6'-4'

No Problem.


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## dlcs (Sep 2, 2004)

If you can load them in the back of your truck do it. Stopping a trailer in the snow and ice can be a problem for a vehicle let alone a vehicle pulling a trailer. I've always felt the lighter the trailer the harder to drive in snow. Once the trailer starts to slide, you'll be in trouble. Then there is the problem that Tarkus mentioned and around here parking a truck/trailer curbside can also be a problem before streets are plowed.


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## PremierLand (Jun 11, 2004)

I wouldnt be worried to much, just take it slow, go maybe 10-15 instead of 20. and make sure you start to stop before you get to the stop sign, it can be real hard to stop, espisally with 1000lbs+ of momentum behind your tires! Its real hard to stop in 2wd in snow if ya dont know what your doing. Last weekend we had some snow on the ground( like an inch maybe less), the trailer didnt fishtail at all, but it made it harder to stop, and when you did go to stop the trailer started to sway.... so what you do to prevent jack knifing...

as your approaching the stop sign/red light, you brake sooner, but you also do brake, then let off then brake again, and so on. I found that this helps ALOT with the fishtailing, because this reduces alot of the momentum while your stoping, because then the vechicle will be pulling the trailer 1/3 of your stopping, instead of the trailer pushing you. bassically its ABS but with your own foot and its better. I hope you understand it, its kind of hard to explain. Basically, just brake, let off brake, brake, let off, and follow. it helps ALOT. hope this helped. Have fun, and go get that $$$...

$$$ was falling from the sky eariler, but it stoped and no accumulation


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## thundercat99 (Dec 15, 2003)

*this is a simple question*

before there were 4x4 everthing was 2x4 semis dont stop in snow storms unless there is a trmendous amount of snow yes you can pull a triailer in 2 wheel drive. your ecquuipment will get dirty but it was going to anyway your suppose to clean your stuff after a storm anyway


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## Toby (Aug 29, 2003)

There's No problem w/driving open trailers around in the Snow...Make sure you're running 4WD's & have Good Snows on the Truck Like you should anyway.


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## Tarkus (Nov 19, 2004)

Toby said:


> There's No problem w/driving open trailers around in the Snow...Make sure you're running 4WD's & have Good Snows on the Truck Like you should anyway.


Pull in 2wd when ever possible because you will have no directional control if you start to skid in 4x4.


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## Up North (May 4, 2004)

I've been pulling snowmobile trailers forever. Unloaded or loaded. You just have to use some common sense when pulling in the winter, don't drive Mach 80 and you'll be fine. As far as protecting the equipment, just put some sort of salt shield in front of the trailer. They make them for snowmobile trailers, so I'm sure you can fab something up for a landscape trailer without any problem.

Buck


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## Tarkus (Nov 19, 2004)

I have a freind the regularly pulls a 7x 18 foot enclosed trailer that weights between 3 and 4 tons loaded during winter for his window and doors installing bussiness with a 2wd 1 ton van


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## NEUSWEDE (Mar 14, 2003)

I worked for a company that pulled a mow trailer around during storms for hand crew that had 3 walkers on it with snowblowers. They pulled it with a cab forward GMC and got around fine. Only used it for bigger storms where hand crew couldn't shovel the whole thing. Used them mostly for condos or larger places that have a lot of walkways and such.
Dylan
payup


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## Dieselgeek (Dec 15, 2003)

I don't want to sound rude, but if you start skidding, doesn't matter if you have 2wd or 4wd, you're not going to stop any sooner with 4wd. Thus the reason I see so many suv's and 4x4s in the ditches in the winter time, people think they can stop better with 4wd, and it has nothing to do with 4wd. So whatever you have, just take it slow, and don't think you're god...


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## ProWorkz.com (Nov 29, 2004)

*trailer in snow*

I pull my skid steer (6900 lbs with blower ) around on my 21' tilt trailer with no issues. I do have trailer brakes on both axles which helps out a lot. But as most guys have already posted. Just take your time. A trailer can save you time. Or it can cost you time... It's all up to you.....!!!


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## 04superduty (Jan 9, 2004)

my truck stops worse in 4wd when i really need to stop fast because the front and rear are locked together. 
one question will your trailer have brakes?


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## PLOWMAN45 (Jul 2, 2003)

i have seen small and med suvs pulling those 2 stage snow throwers i guess there ok i really dont know


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## lawnboy11 (Aug 22, 2000)

Thanks for the replies. Think I'll give it a cautious try. I do have 15 years experience of driving 2 and 4wd thru snow storms on LI and upstate NY and will of course go slow and be careful. The reason I've never pulled a trailer in the snow is to err on the side of not destroying things and I was wondering how a trailer handles.


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