Wrecker to drag a MK17 onto a semi step trailer?

[papabear]

Larry, I'm curious, why no side lift? I know all I have is my puny little M108 but with only 16' of stick, I find myself doing most of my heavy lifting from the side. Is the side lift caviat more directed at side lifts without outriggers? I just don't have the reach to do some of the stuff I'd like from the back. I use outriggers more than most, probably because the truck is so small.

Actually, properly done...not much difference. It's just if ya do a lift from the rear you have the truck's weight as ballast....sorta.

The boom will lift the same...side, rear or anywhere in between...just easier to control with a rear lift IMO.

I would NEVER do a side lift without outriggers down and secure unless it was something REALLY light.

 

[BBoomerBootCamp]

When I had my mk17 delivered, it was on a drop deck with ramps. We first attempted to off load it by lifting it up and driving the semi and trailer out from under. I had my John deere 410 backhoe and a Cat 950 loader, the loader was going to lift the heavy end with the knuckle boom and rear ends and the 410 was going to lift the front end at the docking plates. We were able to lift the MK17 just barely off the deck of the trailer however the stabilty was less than safe and we went to plan B. As it turned out plan B was to pull the MK down the back end of the trailer using the ramps. It was loaded on the trailer in Barstow with the knuckle boom crane facing the rear of the trailer, this added a layer of difficulty to our pulling it back off the trailer. We attached the loader bucket via a couple of chains to the pintle hitch at the rear or the trailer. We also attached my backhoe boom to the docking plates in front with chains and proceeded to muscle the beast a foot at a time down the ramps. It did work out OK, I wish I had brought a camera for this moment.
I was able to later (acouple of months) load the MK on my equipment trailer by chaining my 410 backhoe bucket to the docking plates, lift the front end of the trailer and drive/push it ass end up my equipment trailer. This should not be attempted by the faint of heart or timid operator. It is a white knuckle experience to say the least and extreme caution should be used. The point is it can be done, make good and sure you have a true path lined up to your loading ramps, they don't turn real well being pushed by a chained up bucket and loader. Also by pushing the crane end up first you can reverse the process at the unloading point. I ended up doing this several times before I made a A-frame pintle hitch for the beast, at which point in time it was fully towable with a 10 wheeler.
In hind sight I spent a couple hours on my backhoe bucket, just recently, straightening out a 1 inch thick fork lift hook attachment with a torch and 10 lb. sluggo, ouch
Hope this little story helps! On a side note my MK17 with knuckle boom crane weighed in at 24,000 lbs. Bring a bigger hammer to the party!!

 

[BBoomerBootCamp]

Patracy, here's a shot or 2 of my hitch I made for the MK

 

[patracy]

Ok, on the front of your MK17 should be 2 shackles.

Hook a tow bar here. Doesn't have to be perfect, some slack is ok we are going real slow here.

Now back your wrecker up to it and hook the towbar to your pintle hook.

Now you can back up and push the MK-17 with the tow bar. To let it back up, hook the boom up to another strong point and lift. This way you are only lifting with the boom, and you are pushing with the tow bar. You will be lifting well under rated capacity, and not stressing it by backing.

Have the truck driver drop the trailer right in line so it is a straight push.

I like this idea best. It seems the most controllable as well. Only problem is, I think I'll have to do it backwards on the trailer since there's not any shackles up front. I'm thinking a chain looped over the towbars and attached at a lower point on the MK17 than the shackle point would work as a limiting strap. Then use the boom as the other direction limiting strap.

 

[Floridianson]

why not suspend the "tongue" end with your wrecker boom and back up the trailer? that's how a commercial wrecker would do it.

It seems to me that would put a side load on the boom and might jump the cable?

 

[joshuaz223]

with the boom support legs down the crane is good for 20,000# without legs 10,000#. the manual spells this out. the legs can be used for lifting to the side or rear. there is no rotation with the legs down so you would have to lift it then back the trailer under. personally i would lift it without the legs if i didn't have them. but i wouldn't swing it. my brother in law works for a wrecker company and they have three of these wreckers and they are way under rated.

 

[Chief_919]

I like this idea best. It seems the most controllable as well. Only problem is, I think I'll have to do it backwards on the trailer since there's not any shackles up front. I'm thinking a chain looped over the towbars and attached at a lower point on the MK17 than the shackle point would work as a limiting strap. Then use the boom as the other direction limiting strap.

Put some shackles through the bolt holes that the front until bolts on with. They will point to the side, stick the towbar pins through them, no feet needed.

You don't need a limiting strap- you won't have more than 2-3 inches of "slop" where the towbar and shackles meet.

 

[jrobinson5093]

if you could get a old style tow truck with a truck tow bar, you could just back up to it chain it up and lift and move it any where you want. it would be very easy to back it on to the trailer.

 

[patracy]

I'm waiting to hear back from the owner, but it appears we're just going to have a local towing company pick it up and deck it onto the truck.

 

[joeM62]

Look in your TM with your out riggers out and with the jack poles put on and extend
that boom max lift is 20,000lbs thats what the TM showed but it was an M62 and I was
looking a book manual.

 

[patracy]

Right, problem is, I can't move it up onto the trailer with the bracing. I'm not going to risk harming anyone or anything. $400 to let someone else do it is a wise investment. Plus I'm limited on room here.

 

[joeM62]

Ok, on the front of your MK17 should be 2 shackles.

Hook a tow bar here. Doesn't have to be perfect, some slack is ok we are going real slow here.

Now back your wrecker up to it and hook the towbar to your pintle hook.

Now you can back up and push the MK-17 with the tow bar. To let it back up, hook the boom up to another strong point and lift. This way you are only lifting with the boom, and you are pushing with the tow bar. You will be lifting well under rated capacity, and not stressing it by backing.

Have the truck driver drop the trailer right in line so it is a straight push.

Thats sounds good but by pushing on the towbars like that won't it bend or mess the legs up just asking

 

[patracy]

I'm not going to haul it up. Too much of a risk. I'll let the pros handle this one.

 

[joeM62]

Good idea and good luck to yah man.

 

[simp5782]

Yeah better to let the experts do it than for it to look like the Wile E. Coyote wrecker company doing it. If I was closer I would help since I do have a pretty big excavator, but the 3,000miles would kill on fuel.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Yeah better to let the experts do it than for it to look like the Wile E. Coyote wrecker company doing it. If I was closer I would help since I do have a pretty big excavator, but the 3,000miles would kill on fuel.

That's just classic. I'm staking a claim on that one!

Wile E Coyote Wreckerwerks.

 

[simp5782]

The one guy on here has the Wile E. Coyote card as his avatar. says "have brain, Will travel" its classic.

 

[73m819]

And thay talk about congress and the many bridges to NOWHARE, thay must have run out of, rivers, creeks, streams and parking lots to cross, plus it is a lot easier for roads to go MILES to NOWHARE

 

[Chief_919]

Thats sounds good but by pushing on the towbars like that won't it bend or mess the legs up just asking

That is why in addition to the towbar, I said lift it up with the boom. That gets the legs up.

 

[simp5782]

Well truthfully if 2 of you with wreckers go together and could get on each side for lifting then it would be easy. least 2 is always better than 1.