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Cowman: Just after I got my first skid steer loader, I wanted to take it one day over about 25 miles of gravel side road to do some lifting of items I had bought. I sent 2 guys on ahead, one with 560 and wagon and other with flat bed truck, for hauling the items. As I didn't have a tag-a-long for my pickup, I borrowed one. It was in hard shape, no check chains. I decided since I was going to be travelling a 25 mph road, safety wouldn't be a big factor. I got to the site fine, unloaded skid steer and did my loading. When I went to load up again the weight of loader on back of trailer caused the ball hitch to come unhooked. Luckily, because of lay of land trailer turned 90 degrees, missed the truck completely, but here I was on loader on trailer and headed for a lake. I imediately backed off the tail end and when the tongue of trailer came down man did it hit hard. Hitched up again blocked the trailer, loaded up and headed for home. Got on the road about 2 miles and noticed front of trailer deck sagging a bit. I stopped to investigate and as I did tongue of trailer broke off at deck. My haulers were ahead of me, and this was 30 years ago before cell phones. I needed the skidsteer at home for feeding and cleanout in my freestall dairy barn. Again I unloaded the loader pushed the trailer in the woods, locked my pickup and headed for home on skid loader. At 8 mph it was a 3 hour trip, temps just about freezing. An hour after ariving home, my helpers decided I must be in trouble so came looking for me. The guy dressed for driving the 560 got the skidsteer job. The other guy and I went back for my pickup. Next day a welder and I returned to recover the trailer. When I returned to the owner with trailer, he said I should have flipped it with loader and recovered wheels and axles, and left the rest in the woods. So much for the cost of welding. I never borrowed another trailer.
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