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Log Truck with pup

Started by WV Sawmiller, April 13, 2018, 08:35:33 PM

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WV Sawmiller

   I'm no logger and this may be standard practice but I saw something new to me today. They are logging catty cornered and across the road from me. They built a log road and the landing is about 1/4 mile off and above our county road. I have posted a picture or two of some pretty loads of poplar logs coming out of there, usually they haul right at sunset. All I remember seeing were trucks but there may have been a few trailers. The logs looked to be about 30' long that I have seen.

Today I saw a long log truck with a pup trailer (I guess that is what you call a short, second trailer - not just axles for logs to rest on) pull up to the end of the log road. A few minutes later I saw  a loader or dozer (Really did not notice which) had hooked to the trailer and towed the whole rig up to the landing. I guess that makes sense as there is not enough room to circle up there and backing that trailer up the steep hill behind the long truck has to be pretty tough. About an hour before sunset, sure enough they pulled out with the truck and trailer fully loaded.

Is that normal for trucks and trailers to be hauled into final position like that?
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Skeans1

With our turkey rack on our long loggers from time to time we'll have to get pulled in backwards. Sounds like they need to look into how we do it in the PNW where the pup and trailer are loaded on the truck.

starmac

When I pull a pup, it is loaded on my truck till I get to the landing, so any turn around that a truck can turn around works. I have pulled the pup in on the ground, but in those cases I stop at the loader and unhook, he picks it up and moves it out of the road until,l I turn around and rehook.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

sawguy21

That is common practice here. I have seen trucks pulled up muddy roads but it is very hard on equipment, often results in breakage.
old age and treachery will always overcome youth and enthusiasm

Southside

Is it done - yes, is it hard on equipment - OH YES.  
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

WV Sawmiller

  Thanks guys. I guess they were getting buried under the logs and needed bigger equipment to catch up. Normally they use smaller, straight single trucks rather than trailers. I'm not sure there was even room on the landing to turn the long truck/trailer around let alone when also towing the small trailer. 
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

Dad always said "You can shear a sheep a bunch of times but you can only skin him once

Skeans1

 

 Here's a PNW long logger, guys have been getting a pup up on the bunk of the truck as well as the log trailer on top of that loaded up.

mike_belben

The front bunk is in the 5th wheel and able to rotate right?  Is the forward/back pivot locked out on the hitch?

Do these pole trailers pintle up to the front bunk or to a hitch on back of the truck chassis?
Praise The Lord

Skeans1

No fifth wheel, yes the bunk rotates well turning as well as the compensator comes out of the reach. The stick trailers are hitched to the rear of the frame with a pintle hitch to a compensator which is in the reach.

mike_belben

Whats compensator and reach mean?
Praise The Lord

Skeans1

Reach is a tube that connects the truck and trailer together that's adjustable, a compensator is a tube that slides in and out of the reach well turning. So to set your length you adjust the amount of reach in or out if trailer.

starmac

Mike, the hitch is several feet behind where the frame on a typical truck stops. When you turn the extended hitch pulls the compensater out of the reach and steers the trailer. If the hitch is the right length behind the front bunks, the trailer wheels follow the same tracks as the trucks.  Even on switchbacks that you have to make 3 point turns with the truck, the trailer stays right with the truck.
ow if you forget to unlock the reach or either bunk, she will not turn, it is a straight line truck for the most part, and there has been many wrecked on account of it.

I seldom ever lock my compensator, and have springs to hold my trailor bunk straight while loading, so never pin it. I just pin the front bunk, and usually remove it after the first couple of rows of logs get loaded.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

mike_belben

Alright.. so the neck is a telescopic tube and the logs get to dictate the length of axle bridge length so it wont bind up in turns?   Kinda sorta ?


The extra stinger length makes sense.  In tight places, i really do like a long driveaxle-to-pin distance on a bumper pull trailer so that they track and back like a skidder.  You dont have to do any setup or wide swinging to account for the trail like on a gooseneck/5er.   

Its a pain to back my goose into twisty woods.. Any fudging up takes a wider road than youve got for correction, or a pullup.  My pintle trailers cant articulate as far, but for the most part dont really need to.  They take so much less swing of the truck because of the extra radius from axle to pin.
Praise The Lord

starmac

Yes you have pretty much got it. You adjust the reach to how far you want your bunks apart. In this state our bridge determines how much we can haul.  Hauling 33 foot logs, most log trucks can not quite bridge as much as we are allowed on 5 axles. I can easily because my truck is 305 wheel base, but it makes it harder to turn around in some of the turnaround spots they build for us. When hauling 33 foot logs, I set the bunks 30 foot apart, to get maximum bridge weight, longer logs is no problem.

We hardly ever back these up with the trailer on the ground, but they are not bad to back up at all.
Old LT40HD, old log truck, old MM forklift, and several huskies.

moodnacreek

Each wooded territory has it's own methods of log trucking. Tree length pole trailer , common in the p. n. w. today was done here [ lower n.y.s.] at least until the late fifties in virgin w. pine.  Anybody remember trip bunks ? Round posts in well pipe for stakes are gone now. Dead junk yard axel on a 1 1/2 ton, then twin screw, next picker trucks and tri axel. I don't know when pup trailers became common, they also went to tri axel and know it's hay wagon pup's. I suppose the Michigan trains are the most impressive.

Ron Scott

Tying down the chains on a loaded Michigan Pup behind a Western Star.
~Ron

mike_belben

I have seen gutted full floater housing welded under the back of a 1ton c&c farm hauler.  Empty it was about 6" off the ground but when overloaded the unsprung dead axle prevents the rear leafs from going negative.  Like training wheels sorta.
Praise The Lord

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