Peterson Mill Question

[Snag]

Hi everyone,  I have been hovering around this site for quite some time now reading all your posts and absorbing as much info as possible.  I have owned a small Hudson bandsaw mill and for the past year and a half used an alaskan with a 395xp.  I have wanted a swingblade mill for 3 years now, and finally ordered an 8" Peterson 27hp WPF from Captain last week.  So, I guess it is time to come out of hiding and start with the actual interaction on the board.  I will probably have a bunch of questions for a while, but hope to contribute more and more as time goes on.  I dont even know when I will be getting the mill yet, but my little mind is spinning with ideas and questions to get as prepared as I can for it.  I really like the idea of the enclosed trailer to haul it.  I could then set up some storage for my various chainsaws, supplies and keep my alaskan handy.  However, I think a tractor is next in line so the trailer will have to wait.  This brings me to my question:  I have a Dakota 4x4 quad cab, which means the bed is short.  Anyone know if the mill will fit in it ok?  I also have a small 4x8 utility trailer I could use, but it would be a rougher ride.

I would like to thank Captain and his wife for being so helpful and courteous.  You see less and less of that nowadays.  I would also like to thank and appologize to Husband.  (I believe it was you that I talked to).  Again, you were very helpful and courteous.  I appologize for interrupting your vacation.  I didnt realize you were on holiday.  Not many companies that would delay going to the beach to provide some customer service.  Thanks guys....

[Ga_Boy]

Welcome and congratulations on the mill.  You will like it; I have a 10" WPF.

My first few jobs I used a 5' X 10' trailer, my truck a 4X4 GMC Dulley is way to high to load the power head.

I would think between the truck bed and trailer you can fit most everything you need to transport.  The only chalange I can come up with is your rails, they are 13' each and you will have 4 of them.  My first SWAG is a set of ladder racks on your truck bed. 

I am now using an enclosed trailer, I need the storage and it is alot nicer to have everything on one place for milling and storage.

We do look forward to seeing pictures of your adventures.





Mark

[vgbob]

I picked up my WPF last fall in a regular cab Dakota. We left the tailgate down
and the frame sat on that. So, a short bed is going to be worse. I don't know
the actual difference in the bed lengths, but you get the idea. Perhaps sitting
the frame on some longer boards just for support. You can use the tie-down
points at the front of the bed to at least hold it down.

[Captain]

Hey SNAG!!

Your small frame WPF is going to fit on the bed...on the tailgate...tailgate down so make sure your tailgate straps are in good conditon, we've seen broken ones on Dakotas before.

I'll caution you from runnign right out and buying a ladder rack....most commerical racks for your truck are too short/too narrow to fit the Peterson frame into. 

If you can't swing the enclosed trailer for now, I would suggest a small utility trailer with short sides and a homeade rack framework on front and back.  It is much easier to load and unload the mill at a lower height than the truck body when by yourself.  You can probably put something like this together for a few hundred dollars.

Bottom line is....it will pack in your truck, but to do it repeatedly time after time to go out on jobs, then unload to use the truck to go to work, then reload to go sawmilling...really gets old fast.

Captain

[Snag]

Sounds like the utility trailer should be fine then as long as you dont think there will be a problem with it getting jarred around.  Those small utility trailers dont exactly have the best suspension.  If it will fit into my truck bed, it should fit onto my 4'x8' trailer.  I will keep my eyes open for a good deal on an enclosed one though.  I assume the rack framework you mentioned is to place the rails onto.?  What is the greatest item length that I will be dealing with?  I figured I should also pick up a job box of some sort to store extra blades, parts etc...  I think that should fit well on the square tube that has the tongue on it.  Waiting for this mill is going to be worse than a kid waiting for Christmas.  I already have some poplar picked out to get my feet wet on after I get it home.  I am going to follow past advice and saw a bunch of stickers.

[Captain]

Hey Snag,

Your rails are going to be in 13 foot sections.  Plus Track Joins bring it to 14 feet for 2 of the sections.  You also have 2 metal track skids that will measure 7 ft 8 inches.  The rest is under 5 feet in length...except for the carriage of course!!

Captain

[Snag]

Whatever I do for transportation, I can guarantee it will be coming home with me even if I have to carry it on my back. 

[rbjones03]

I have a WPF large frame. I load it all on a 16' dual axle trailer. I pull it with an F-150 pickup. I keep all my support equipment in the bed of the truck. The trailer works well because I can also stack lumber on the trailer when I'm leaving the job. Just be sure to leave room for the frame on one side when loading lumber. The trailer also doubles as a log carrier ( I have a 5000 lb winch on the front). Pretty good set up for me but you will need to see what works best for your situation. Be creative.

[getoverit]

rbjones03,

I have a flatbed autohauler that I am considering doing the same thing with as you, and have bought an 8000# winch to load the logs. The problem is that I cant figure out how I want to mount the winch and whether or not I want an "A" frame on the back, or just a mast, or how to get the logs off of the ground and onto the trailer.  Once it is on the back of the trailer, it should slide just fine on the diamondplate decking, but getting the butt of the log up there in the first place is what is perplexing me.

Is there any way you could post some pictures of how you get the logs on your trailer?

[jpgreen]

Gitoverit...

Another member "Daren" I beleive had a little low boy trailer used prior to haul propane tanks, and he rigged it up just for that purpose.  He posted a pick, but it would be nice if he could post some better pics in more detail.

I too want to build a rig for a salvaged travel trailer frame I have with a drop axle.

[getoverit]

I saw Darren's nifty little trailer. It's a nice one.

What I have is an autohauler though... its a flatbed trailer decked with 3/8" diamond plate and is about 18 feet long. The last 3 feet of the trailer slope down, and that part has some built in ramps that slide out to load cars on. I bought it for hauling around the 57 chevy, but I need it more for hauling logs right now. Its a dual axle with electric brakes, so it should haul some mighty big logs, or a bunch of mid size logs.

Since the 8000# winch is in the front of the trailer near the tongue, I can simply drag about any size log on the diamond plate, and drag it all the way to the front of the trailer. My question is how to get it off the ground and started on the trailer? This would require about a 1 foot lift, which dosent sound like much until you think about lifting a 5,000+ pound log. How do ya'll do it?

PS: it doesnt tilt like Daren's

[Chris Burchfield]

Do a search on the Forestry Forum for "parbuckle". Urban Forester in Memphis has a good drawing on his website. It's less wear and tear on your winch rolling logs up ramps vs a dead drag where your pulling the log through the trailer so to speak. I have a winch that hooks onto the ball in the bed of my truck. Cable to a snatch block on the side of the trailer then down to and across the top of the log. Chains from the trailer down under the log gathered and caught by the cable. Winch in the round log rolls up the ramps. I have my ramps built for the log to clear the wheel fenders. About an eight inch drop to the bed. I do have to go out to a snatch block then back to drag the logs off my trailer. 

[DanG]

Getoverit, if your trailer has rails along the sides, or the tires are above the bed, parbuckling is hard to do.  You'll need to look into the DanG-Deadheader SuperDuper Log Loading Deevice.  There's pics somewhere on the Forum of mine, as well as Harold's.  It's easy to build, easy to use, and snaps right off your trailer when you don't need it.  I'll try to find the pics and post a link. ;)

[DanG]

Here ya go.

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=6803.0

[getoverit]

Thanks Dang !!

Looks like I have all the info I need now...I can get started with the torch and welder now and make that nifty DanG-DeadHeader-Log-Lifter I especially like the fact that I can make it with tractor pins, so the whole thing will come off and I can still use it for hauling cars or the tractor.

Thanks again!

[DanG]

Stand by for a Pm, GOI.

[Part_Timer]

HAy DanG

I just got finished building a log arch and headache rack for the trailer so now i have to have one of those log loaders.  I showed the pictures to the guys in the shop and they asked if I was going to change from electrician to welder/logger ???  ???  ???  I'll post some pics when it is done

thanks a lot for the link.

Tom

[rbjones03]

I have a flatbed autohauler that I am considering doing the same thing with as you, and have bought an 8000# winch to load the logs. The problem is that I cant figure out how I want to mount the winch and whether or not I want an "A" frame on the back, or just a mast, or how to get the logs off of the ground and onto the trailer.  Once it is on the back of the trailer, it should slide just fine on the diamondplate decking, but getting the butt of the log up there in the first place is what is perplexing me.

Right now I just slide them up a ramp but I'm working on a log arch to make things easier, See DanG's log loading arch. I'm building mine out of 2 -1/2" black pipe.  Pic's as soon as I get it done.