We have a 45” twin axel box trailer and a 4 tone lift fork lift truck
Can we shunt our trailer with the fork lift truck? And if so
what do we use as a 5th wheel attachment, matty says make a round whole in some box section and mount to the forks of the truck (he even said dose not even need to be round could be square).
How do we unlock the brakes, can they be easy and safely unwound, or could we use a compressor to get air into the system with the right attachment, what PSI is needed for the braking system?
What weight do you think the trailer weighs, if it where 4 tone empty then the fork lift can lift that
Thanks
Not looking forward to doing this but look forward to your replies
Suppose it depends where you’re shunting it to and from! Just across a nice flat yard then yeah jig something up to fit over the pin, wind the brakes off and slowly away. I’d guess the weight of the trailer at about 4.. 5 ton max. Anything other than that I’d just say borrow a tractor unit lol
Your 45” trailer will be small enough to pick up by hand. Forty-five inches is less than five feet. Or did you mean a 45’ trailer. Yes, a forty-five foot trailer will be 13.6m long and need a unit.
I’m not sure your forklift won’t tip over if the trailer is fully-freighted and front-end heavy
I think just about every trailer manufacturer I’ve ever been to, and that’s a lot both here and in Germany does this, for moving new and partially built trailers around the premises.
Your trailer will weigh about 7t, but it’s nose weight empty will be about 1.5 to 1.7t, but don’t forget your picking it up about 5’ forwards of the mast, so I would say that a 4t truck is about the minimum.
You need two long box sections to slide over the forks and either two pieces of flat bar welded between them and two short pieces welded in the direction of the forks to make a 5” square into which the pin will fit, it works but is a bit sloppy. The better way I’ve seen is start with the same two box sections for the forks then weld an old 5th wheel to them. You then need to fasten this assembly to your forks, either by a tight chain to the mast or by some sort of clamp onto the mast.
Assuming the trailer isn’t prehistoric there will be a shunt button next to the park brake button, press this and the spring brakes will release, you only get 2 or 3 goes before you run out of air, so a small wheeled compressor or similar and a redline suzie coupling will be required.
Everything from the OP shouts lack of knowledge from the rooftops. No insult intended but this is a potentially very dangerous proposal. If this is a one off movement ask a local haulage company to shunt the trailer for you; if not invest in an old tractor unit that has been used for shunting trailers and get someone trained to shunt trailers safely.
May 7th Commercial Motor reports £794,568 fines and costs following runaway trailer fatality. And this was an accident involving people who knew what they should be doing and were using a proper tractor unit.
