What’s it like manoeuvring with a moffet hanging on the back of the trailer in normal traffic situations ,seems to be a lot of overhang on the ones I’ve seen,don’t think I’d be too keen on one myself.
Just make allowances for the extra length on trailer swing, and don’t forget about it when reversing.
Like anything else, you soon get used to it.
Surprisingly moffett aren’t too bad on the back of the trailer you do have to allow for a little extra overhang when turning and overtaking just make sure when they sit on the trailer or truck that they are central and not sat to one side I’ve been driving round for roughly 18months with one and it hasn’t caused any issue just need to remember it on the back as you cannot see it and really watch it when you coming in and out of tight parking bays in services if in doubt Get out and look
Thank you for the replies.
One further bit of advice, more for drivers of rigids with a Moffett on and especially if you’ve got a day cab; DON’T go over a humpback bridge in anything like a hurry if you’re empty! You won’t lose the Moffett but you may well lose a couple of fillings as you bang your crust on the cab roof.
And make sure you’ve got plenty of old rags to wipe the Moffett seat and controls. They are real crap magnets.
Any record of anyone ever losing one? Ie get to destination and no Moffet…
AndrewG:
Any record of anyone ever losing one? Ie get to destination and no Moffet…
Shouldn’t think that would be possible, but then again in the real world anything is possible.
How do they affect running empty? I know the moment arm is small as the rear axles are close but they must weigh at least 2 tonnes. A bit like having 2 pallets on the back. Does the trailer scrubbing plate run light on the fith wheel over bumps?
AndrewG:
Any record of anyone ever losing one? Ie get to destination and no Moffet…
Prize for one over here please. You’ve given me my chuckle for the day 
We have 3 artics with them on and one driver says it takes a ton off the pin. Definitely noticeable when empty but nothing too serious. Iv only been using one a couple of months but I’d second the shout about taking plenty of rags to clean the thing. They are best used on a trailer with a rear steer as well.
Freight Dog:
How do they affect running empty? I know the moment arm is small as the rear axles are close but they must weigh at least 2 tonnes. A bit like having 2 pallets on the back. Does the trailer scrubbing plate run light on the fith wheel over bumps?
Our trailer has a ballast plate, because without it the front is way too light. Got a demo from LoadMac the other week, and it arrived on the back of an 18t rigid, with a massive lump of ballast behind the headboard.
As for losing one? Never heard of it happening, but it could if you were stupid enough when mounting it… There is always a redundant system on ours…
Freight Dog:
How do they affect running empty? I know the moment arm is small as the rear axles are close but they must weigh at least 2 tonnes. A bit like having 2 pallets on the back. Does the trailer scrubbing plate run light on the fith wheel over bumps?
Once had me on the hard shoulder thru tram lines.
■■■■ in snow
The whirlwind:
We have 3 artics with them on and one driver says it takes a ton off the pin. Definitely noticeable when empty but nothing too serious. Iv only been using one a couple of months but I’d second the shout about taking plenty of rags to clean the thing. They are best used on a trailer with a rear steer as well.
Interesting. I suppose that’s in static conditions. Over a bump round a bend and it could be lifting the drive a little and present a jack knife risk in the wet. An empty curtainsider weighs, what. perhaps 9 tonnes? Maybe 3 on the pin imparted, max static. Most of the mass being chassis rails, a large majority of it on euro trailers sitting over the rear tri bogie, or behind the tri axe proving a counter arm and the heavy mass of the axles themselves that are unimpeding. Be interesting to do a weight and balance on the things using datums like we do on aircraft.
I had an unfortunate turn of events when delivering seeds to farms that left 2 pallets on the rear with no subsequent farm able to move them forward and the unit was losing traction in the wet round corners. Got me wondering about those moffetts
F-reds:
Freight Dog:
How do they affect running empty? I know the moment arm is small as the rear axles are close but they must weigh at least 2 tonnes. A bit like having 2 pallets on the back. Does the trailer scrubbing plate run light on the fith wheel over bumps?Our trailer has a ballast plate, because without it the front is way too light. Got a demo from LoadMac the other week, and it arrived on the back of an 18t rigid, with a massive lump of ballast behind the headboard.
As for losing one? Never heard of it happening, but it could if you were stupid enough when mounting it… There is always a redundant system on ours…
Just seen this after I posted! 
interesting!
F-reds:
… There is always a redundant system on ours…
Theres a redundant system in some of our trucks too. . .In my truck its situated between the steering wheel and seat head rest. . .
Someone lost one on the m42 couple of years back think it was the same company who drove up that tramlines on a different thread …
We never had a problem with them was chained on , or the manitou which was stapped on …
Just becareful when empty in the wet …not so bad with a lift axle on the trailer,
If on muddy site I would drive the truck off site before fitting the Moffat back on 
When I was on Brit European trans, there was a story going around about Verhoeks (who done the same job as us) , one of their drivers left their Moffet, or kooiap, on a hump back bridge in Southern Ireland.
I nearly lost mine one day, one of the chains snapped and it was hanging off on one side. 
Running empty on some units you really notice it others you don’t I’ve found on the back of mercs the trailer swerves all over the place empty to the point I refused to take a moffett out when I was temporary driving a merc while my daf was broken down I’ve found on a daf xf you don’t even notice the moffett on the back and I had the same trailer and moffett on both trucks luckily I’ve escaped using moffett for now as I’m now doing a bit of European however I did enjoy working with moffett in the summer round some festival sights
If you have a steering axle, lock it out when M/T and lift front axle on a tri-Axle, they weigh 3 tons by the way and you should have a ballast plate up front.
Franglais:
F-reds:
… There is always a redundant system on ours…There
s a redundant system in some of our trucks too. . .In my truck its situated between the steering wheel and seat head rest. . .
Only in some of yours I note