Turning in a tight gate

[Kiwi Pete]

Go out as wide as possible, and don't even begin to turn in until your front tyre is level with the far post of the gateway.
Even if it means you're too late and have to jacknife slightly to get the front wheel of the tractor in, timing it this way puts your pivot point (hitch) in the middle of the gateway.
It is then best placed for putting the trailer through... the middle of the gateway!

Sometimes a touch of one wheelbrake can help steer the back end of the tractor a few inches, so undo the "suicide latch" before beginning turning in.

Believe me, it isn't a lot easier with an 8 wheeler dragging a 5 axle stock trailer, and as others have said if you smoke the strainer-post then the gate is miraculously wider next year....

I like Dry Rot's idea too, get the toys out and play with them on the table/floor and just look at how they move as a unit.. not everyone is a natural driver or has the necessary spatial awareness to be one, it's often simply practice.

I had a tricycle as a kid (with a trailer) so that helps a whole heap as a truck-driver, I have an idea what is possible and what is not!

 

[averageguy54]

It's a technique that you need to practice. Same as driving a tractor-trailer combination. As you near the drive, get your unit as close to the center of the road as you can and start slowing down. As you come up on the driver let your front wheels go past the tracks a bit.Turn hard as the front wheel gets to the middle of the two wheel tracks and steer the off front wheel to the gate post or even a little on the wrong side of it. As you start in the drive bring the tractor into alignment with the wheel tracks, hugging the far side. This should bring the rear of the trailer around onto the wheel tracks and through the gate. If it doesn't then insteadd of getting the tractor aligned with the wheel tracks after you start in, then s keep[ the tractor heading for the far gatepost and stop before hitting it. Cut the wheels opposite and back up just enough to get the tractor through the gate. This should bring the trailer around.

 

[Rob Holmes]

As said before, go slow and try to keep off the brakes as some tractors engage 4wd when brakes applied, this slightly increases turning radius.

Also, wears tyres out

 

[Tomr10]

And brakes put trailer brakes on if it has them then there a pain

 

[kiwi pom]

Flatten both posts with your first load, no point tiptoeing round it all day just to accidentally catch it with the last load

10 foot gates in 2020 ffs.

 

[7610 super q]

Flatten both posts with your first load, no point tiptoeing round it all day just to accidentally catch it with the last load

10 foot gates in 2020 ffs.

Yeah, I know.....but.....all those ancient stone pillars and jambes all ripped out in the last 30 years
Wouldn't be so bad if they were moved/ replaced further apart to create a wider gateway, but no, galvanized posts plonked in instead....
Sorry, nostalgia rant over.

 

[Lincs Lass]

A 10ft gate isn't even a drive way width round here .

 

[Tarw Coch]

A 10ft gate isn't even a drive way width round here .

What does that say about the drivers around there????

 

[Selectamatic]

Off topic a bit, but why is jacknifing called that? What is a jackknife?!

 

[Wellytrack]

It’s a wonder error 502 doesn’t flash up on a screen somewhere now as the driver approaches the gate.....

 

[Lincs Lass]

What does that say about the drivers around there????

Numerous posts and brick pillars have come to grief.

 

[melted welly]

I’m ok with stock but one thing I’m shocking at is driving and I don’t know why, does anyone have any advice for turning in a narrow gate (10ft) from a narrow road with a 20ft trailer . I always cut the corner short I’ve tried the jackknife technique but still to no avail. Or should I just give up

drive up to it flat out, no indicators, braking hard at the last minute to ensure any following traffic is hard up behind the trailer.

next, swing onto opposite side of road, unannounced, ideally it’s a wet day and get right into the soft verge.

then turn as tight as you can into the gateway, if doing this by the book, you want the tractor to be bouncing as the tyres rub the drawbar. A true professional doesn’t tie up the lighting cable either, so use this opportunity to get it, and if possible the brake pipe, caught between the tyre and drawbar to ensure they’re severed, or better still stretched and damaged just enough that they break with the next user.

You’ll find that the outfit will feel tight at this point, almost as if it is wedged. Don’t worry, drop into a lower gear.

It’s also particularly important to remember,
that this predicament is all someone else’s fault so be sure to stare hard at anyone who’s witnessing.

Once half through, accelerate hard, otherwise you’ll feel the impacts of the rope hooks and side markers getting scraped off on the post.

When 90% thru, turn hard lock or there won’t be enough tail swing and the rear lights will remain intact.

finally, get parked up in a corner and rub some earth on the battle scars, before returning to action, commenting loudly to anyone who’ll listen about the mess someone’s made of the road.

 

[8100]

My mates dad avoided gateways altogether and just took the hawthorn hedge option

 

[8100]

Off topic a bit, but why is jacknifing called that? What is a jackknife?!

I think it comes from how a penknife etc opens and closes the knife tip hits the bottom of the handle type scenario.
But i could be wrong .

 

[tomg]

When getting far over to the other side of the road, be mindful of the tail swing of the trailer doesn't take out what ever fence/wall there might be. Obviously will depend where the wheels are on positioned on your trailer.

 

[Lincsman]

Its where you are starting from that matters, you need to be on the verge on the other side of the road in good time to get the trailer onto it, then turn hard just in time for the front wheel to only just make it in without hitting the post, the rest will follow.

 

[TripleSix]

Just do what I do and close your eyes.

 

[FIL46]

If you can put in a bigger gate, or you could sharpen your skills buy setting up some cones in a field and practice some tight manoeuvres, it’s easy to say for us who find it second nature driving machinery, I spent my younger years carpet farming at the age of 10 I could handle a 20 foot bale trailer no problem it may be a toy but the princeples are the same just scaled down.

 

[Tom19]

I’ve got a few temporary stakes set up in a field as the road is no place to learn, I said I’d start small with a 10ft trailer. And about going on to the other side of the road, well there is no other side of the road it’s a lane that not even two micras could pass on. Can I ask would a steering axle make much of a difference

 

[Davy]

Swing her in at speed and let the trailer sort the problem, keep the foot down when you get through the gate as there'll be a pull, most likely a bounce and definitely a bang. Never look behind