whadja do today?

[treebilly]

Went and did an ariel rescue class today. It was a pretty good refresher for us. We had a third party do it for the EHAP training we took last week. The next round of employees go next month. I’m kind of glad a certain contract we have wants to see proof of spending X amount on training. It has really improved everything for us.

 

[pdqdl]

View attachment 678547

Around here the DOT goons will pull you over for those chipper chains. They need to be crossed, rather than straight to the nearest side.

I never read a rule that says that, but they will write you up for it.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Well, lets see the truck

 

[jefflovstrom]

Around here the DOT goons will pull you over for those chipper chains. They need to be crossed, rather than strait to the nearest side.

I never read a rule that says that, but they will write you up for it.

The law here, also can not be twisted to take up slack.
Jeff

 

[no tree to big]

The law here, also can not be twisted to take up slack.
Jeff

That's lame, so how does it work when the trailer goes between two trucks that have a different spread between the chain rings and it's enough to need a length change?

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[pdqdl]

If the chains are hooked pretty close to the hitch and then hooked close to the ball/pintle, that won't really be too much of a problem. The alternative is just make them adjustable in some fashion.

I recommend a heavy D-ring close to the hitch on either side and then a bolt-down (or welded) clevis to attach the chain at the right length. Naturally, it all has to be load rated for the trailer. I don't think DOT would disapprove of that, and it sure works well.

If that doesn't work for you, put the adjustment into the trailer attachment.



Obviously, other schemes will work too. DOT doesn't care. They will find something wrong, 'cause they got tickets to write.

 

[pdqdl]

Here is a good idea I've not seen:

 

[dbl612]

Around here the DOT goons will pull you over for those chipper chains. They need to be crossed, rather than straight to the nearest side.

I never read a rule that says that, but they will write you up for it.

the idea of the crossed chains is supposedly to cradle the trailer tongue if the hitch should fail. ive neverseena written law regarding that, and if a dot cowrites you up for that hems reference the regulation violated on the ticket, or it has no basis.

 

[gorman]

 

[tree MDS]

Around here the DOT goons will pull you over for those chipper chains. They need to be crossed, rather than straight to the nearest side.

I never read a rule that says that, but they will write you up for it.

We don’t actually tow that chipper over the road with that truck, (that’s why the chains are hooked like that). I’m the only guy with a CDL A, so I usually tow it to the job with the bucket which has D rings on either side of the hitch and allows for nice crossed chains.

I do get lazy about the chain crossing sometimes though, mostly for the reasons no-tree mentioned. Southco doesn’t do a very good job with the chain attachment points, at least not on the two trucks I’ve had them do. They’re just welded round stock bent in a U, not real D rings. They’re too far apart for most chains too - then they’re dragging when I put them back on the bucket.

I rarely have to travel very far anyway, and most of the local cops wave to me on occasion. After all, I am The MDS... lol

 

[tree MDS]

Nice plywooding. Those mats look a little chinsey though..

 

[gorman]

Nice plywooding. Those mats look a little chinsey though..

3/4”

It’s been so wet those plywood mats are like cast iron moving them. You guys got any tips to dry them out?

I was thinking about stacking them with slats in between and putting my kerosene blower on them.

 

[tree MDS]

3/4”

It’s been so wet those plywood mats are like cast iron moving them. You guys got any tips to dry them out?

I was thinking about stacking them with slats in between and putting my kerosene blower on them.

Yeah, spread them out in two parallel rows on somebody’s lawn and let the sun and air do it’s thing. Lol.

 

[gorman]

Hasn’t been full sun here for weeks

 

[tree MDS]

Hasn’t been great here either. Some more inches of rain today. I’ve been putting off ordering a fresh couple stacks of plywood, think it’s time though.

 

[jefflovstrom]

That's lame, so how does it work when the trailer goes between two trucks that have a different spread between the chain rings and it's enough to need a length change?

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

They are adjustable, slack is taken up thru the tongue plate for the pintle.
Jeff

 

[pdqdl]

the idea of the crossed chains is supposedly to cradle the trailer tongue if the hitch should fail. ive neverseena written law regarding that, and if a dot cowrites you up for that hems reference the regulation violated on the ticket, or it has no basis.

While there may be some merit to the idea that the crossed chains will catch the tongue, but I am pretty sure that is not the reason. When the chains are crossed, there almost isn't any chance that you will go around a corner and rip off a safety chain because it is too short. The chains would have to be very short with widely mounted attachment points before it would bind up.

When the chains are not crossed, you must make sure they are loose enough that it doesn't bind in a sharp corner.

 

[tree MDS]

Ah, Sunday,,,
We kicked some tree ass today. These pics probably don’t do the hill justice, but you get some idea. There was another smaller maple I climbed and rigged down too, but this skanky oak was a miserable bastard.

 

[treebilly]

I believe federal guidelines state that chains shall be crossed and also shall not be twisted. I could be wrong but don’t yell at me. I don’t make these rules or completely agree with them.

Nice looking truck Jeff. Sorry they demoted you to a dodge.

 

[Oldmaple]

I believe federal guidelines state that chains shall be crossed and also shall not be twisted. I could be wrong but don’t yell at me. I don’t make these rules or completely agree with them.

Nice looking truck Jeff. Sorry they demoted you to a dodge.

I've been through Michigan state police commercial inspection a couple of times. Always cross the chains but also twisted. They never said anything about the twisting. Maybe they found so many other violations that they felt sorry for me. I have to twist them or they'd drag on the ground. Also tow it with multiple trucks with different chain attachment points so need different chain lengths.