using 4x4 to pull trailer in the woods?

[the village idiot]

I have a friend who has used a riko fast tow in the woods for years. He is a very experienced woodman and rates the trailer highly. It's not perfect for the woods, but coupled with its road options makes it very versatile.

I very much doubt however if he would even consider using it in the wood behind a 4x4. I think you would find that a very frustrating experience unless your tracks are superb.

[Tom D]

Forget it, a 4x4 won't go as far in the woods as you think, and with a trailer on the really are pathetic. My alpine will pull 3 times what a mud tyred landrover will, and it weighs the same and has only 1/3 of the power. A real tractor will do so much more, its all down to the tyres really, stick full ag tyres on your 4x4 and then you've got a chance, but you can't run it on the road then.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

"Forgettit it"

4*4 only for pulling itself about on greasy muddy tracks.

Add a loaded trailer, I dont think so.(specially if any inclines)

Without any direct experience, but based on experience and intiution.

PS

Good idea, hire a trailer, load with a dumpy bag (or 2) of sand or gravel, about 1 tonne each bag ,(then guessing 2 or 3 tonne all up) and try it out.

Cheers

Marcus

 

Totally agree! I don't have mud eating tyres mind, but couldn't get up this with empty trailer this morning after last night rain. (I know the hard core 4x4ers will slate me for that!) but, to be fair (and I know you won't be!) the pics don't show the gradient or the mud bath in front of the stables and the thought of trying to get out with a load on was a non starter! Dry, I'd have a Riko fast tow on this job in a flash!

[difflock]

I regret not taking a photograph of a "G" Wagen sitting spinning helplessly, on a dead level peat field, where I had earlier bulldozed the top off.

 

During dry summer weather.

 

So nice surface dry peat, I had parked the "G" Wagen with the front tyres in a rut where I had earlier lifted a line of 3" clay drain tiles, rut only about 4" deep.

But a perfect "fit" for the curvature of the tyre.

 

I was wanting to trig the front wheels to check if the 4WD was working.

 

It was, I then engaged both diff-locks to give me true 4WD.

 

The "G" Wagen failed to move, I could not even persuade her to rock due to the perfect fit of the tyres in the rut.

 

I got out and walked around her several times, with all four "General Grabber" tyres spinning simulteanously but fruitlessly.

 

The vehicle was not digging itself in, the tyre grooves simpley filled with peat and spun without digging in any more, the veh was never "bogged" as such.

 

But it would not move.

 

Lesson learned.

Edited August 5, 2014 by difflock

[Matthew Storrs]

Sorry to have to echo everyone else's comments but a 4x4 (any of them!) are VERY limited in muddy conditions as soon as you start adding any kind of trailer- I spent years struggling away day after day with my landrover/trailer combo getting stuck trying to get fencing materials to site accross fields. Summer = fine enough, winter= different story!

Also if you have 14k to spend you will be able to pick a good basic 4x4 tractor/winch and possibly some sort of trailer too and that will just p*ss all over a 4x4 truck when the going gets tough.

[mendiplogs]

Sorry to have to echo everyone else's comments but a 4x4 (any of them!) are VERY limited in muddy conditions as soon as you start adding any kind of trailer- I spent years struggling away day after day with my landrover/trailer combo getting stuck trying to get fencing materials to site accross fields. Summer = fine enough, winter= different story!

Also if you have 14k to spend you will be able to pick a good basic 4x4 tractor/winch and possibly some sort of trailer too and that will just p*ss all over a 4x4 truck when the going gets tough.

 

HI MATTHEW thats the way £14k is a good put down on 4wd tractor as you say mate :thumbup1:I've been stuck in mud with a 110 and trailer on thanks jon

[eldon]

As has been said, tyres is everything.... nearly. The 4x4's are always dragging something in the mud and ruts (diffs, trailer hitch, cross members etc.) without a trailer so it can only get worse with.

 

Buy the tractor; using a proper tool allows you to enjoy rather than endure your day!

[Logan]

Even tractor based forwarders ( even with drive trailer) bog down and cut rides up in real wet...

 

Your plan may work if:

 

Grade and mow rides and go in on proper dry days (most years there are 2 or 3 such days...)

 

On wet but not soft ground, leave trailer by road, take truck in and handball logs on truck to whatever it can manage without ruining everything, unload truck onto trailer couple of times and get one more load leave on truck, hook up trailer and hit the road, jack.

 

Wet soft days (i.e. last winter) leave trailer in a home for unwanted kit, and take backpack and hike in so as not to create more wet spots.

 

?

[blacknora]

so i wonder now, if i go for a dummy run basically i would need to arrange for riko to lend us one of those trailers - no point trialing it out with anything else???

[blacknora]

or if we do drop the idea - the question becomes - we've got a tractor and a forestry trailer - how do we get it on site? - i know this will sound like a stupid question but some of our sites are as far as an hour away and we would be reluctant leaving machinery overnight as we worried about vandalism/theft. (lots of sites are pretty urban or near urban for us). so if the tractor is too slow to drive (plus you cant take forestry trailer on road) then you will need to load both the tractor and trailer onto something else and drive it there?? surely we will need some very clever trailer for this anyway? (ive seen set ups for alpine tractors and trailers that load onto one trailer but that would mean buying 3 items rather than one). ive been pondering this problem for a while now and i just dont see a workable solution that wont cost us arm and a leg.