You know what the definition of insanity is; doing the same mistake over again and expecting a different outcome. You've just proved that you're as crazy as the rest of us!
Russ I just found your site and HAVE TO TELL YOU ... I LOVE IT!!!! I was having a bad day and watched your video and it turned my day right around.. I love your melancholy attitude .... can't wait to watch more ... keep up the great attitude and the great videos
Russell thanks for sharing your struggles getting to your paradise in the woods. I was laughing at times and crying for you as well. Chat soon. Take care buddy.
Russ, we haven’t laughed that hard in a long time! OMG my stomachs hurts! Don’t get me wrong, I feel for you. That’s a bad, bad day, but man that was hilarious!
Nah buddy, it's okay to laugh when you know there's a happy ending (I mean, I wouldn't post the video otherwise, right?) Btw I love it when the husband/wife team both watch my videos. Because I do it with Alicia too!
Russ !!! I'm afraid I will have a heart attack or SHIT my panties watching your antics !!! Lmao. Too funny but scary !!! BE CAREFUL !! Actually I love watching you !!
OMG. That was the best 38 minutes of UA-cam I have ever seen. There is something very satisfying watching a mate struggle. Thanks for the laugh pal. I drank 3 beers watching this unfold. Bloody sensational viewing.
I enjoy your progress on the cabin and you show the struggles of building a home. I was working full time and building my home. Took me 7 years build log home and shop. Still working on a small log cabin for guests. There are always projects. You are doing a great job
Glad to see all ok, honest video about the realities on living off the grid and establishing the trip to and from with supplies. Your dogs are awesome.
Good to hear from you again, buddy. I swear I only drank that beer because it was already opened. And that 2nd one was already opened as well after I opened it. I swear.
Were you as happy to be at the cabin as I was to see you guys arrive there? You were so calm. I would have had a nervous break down and started crying.
Yes, pretty happy. Happier once the fire was roaring. One thing I've learned out here is to just keep plugging away at stuff. Although one thing you didn't see on camera is a screaming fit I had the 2nd time the trailer flipped over.
Hey Russ, When I first started watching the video I was thinking "hey that's a great idea. I should get a trailer to haul a few more items in. It will save me a trip or two." After watching what you had to go through, I'm reconsidering. lol.
Naw man, don't think like that. I want to say 19 out of 20 trips are trouble free. 1 trip out of 20 I have some adventure which isn't hard to overcome. This adventure was a black swan, once every couple years kind of thing. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. My trailer has come in soooo handy so many times. I couldn't do without it.
OMG Russel - I was feeling so bad for you! What a trip! Great attitude! Take care of the body - you don't want to throw your back out! The girls were great help. They were so patient! Thanks for the fun video!
Hi, I just found your ch. Great videos and I admire your lifestyle choice what a serene setting simply beautiful. And I agree speed is the way to go. I live in upstate NY and our winters are no where near yours I'm sure, but I do have a driveway on a slope so when it's snowy I gun it and head into the garage one day I'm sure my car may end up in my laundry room lol. I would've had one of those beers before attempting that slope of yours. I was trying to think of ways you could get more traction but I'm sure you've already exhausted that. You've done a lot of work on that cabin of yours it looks great!
Just watched this video from five years ago I have a whole new respect for you Russell, I would have drunk all the beer and said the hell with the trailer.😂
Stumbled on the video through youtube suggestions and within the first minute I see an FJ Cruiser, a German Shepherd, beer, an ATV, and a channel about an off the grid cabin...Definitely going to have to check out the rest of the videos on this channel.
Farmer comment, BUT.... If 'twer me, after the second dropped trailer I would have been going to get tools to fix it . Have to admit though, out of all the comments the ones that suggested a clevis hitch are the best ones. It is the way that almost all pull type farm equipement is hauled and it is pretty much fool proof. It also is about as maneuverable as your ball hitch and is as good for backing up.
Hey Rob, I am definitely going to look into an alternate hitch. I love my viewers for their suggestions, they've helped many times. But farm experience is best experience, imo. I worked on a farm when I was a kid and learned many useful skills.
Ball hitches are fine when sized properly and greased from new(wear easily when dry), clevis are very noisy and floppy, safety chain is an obvious choice either way.
Russ, you may be the funniest thing on UA-cam! You have this thing, that know matter what, I’m going to get it done, even if it Kills me. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, you might try thinking things out before executing your plan. Before jumping in with both feet, think it out first. You do keep me laughing, keep em coming!!!🤣🤣🤣
Yea, you can borrow my trailer. It's really good for tight trails and hauling critical supplies. Please take very good care of it, it's all I have! 🤣 🤣 I'm sorry for laughing so hard. I've had days like this as well. Good luck brother.
So real. I admit to laughing but really it was just because it is so REAL. It's exactly how it would go for us! We appreciate your honesty and willingness to show us that things don't always go as smoothly as other UA-camrs make it look like they do.
And if it was us, our ATV battery would have died and we wouldn't have been able to find the correct tools and it would have started sleeting and then it would have gotten dark before we could fix anything. Ha!
Thanks Country Frau. I laugh about it too, now. But what you describe with the battery is usually how things go with me. This trail of failures leading me towards a cliff. I just slowly start working my way back on track.
I wrote that before I finished watching your video. I see it WAS dark before you got back! I have to say that you have more stick-to-it-with than I do. At some point I would have probably abandoned ship and tried to tackle it the next day. At any rate, I really appreciate you showing that to us. It is true that so often if you want something done you just have to buckle down and make it happen. Thanks again!
I`m 68 now and your video reminds me of the why I gave my daughter my skidoo and my four-wheeler and now I wait till the snow all gone before I try and make it to the camp....can`t have that much of a hard time to have a good time.....CHEERS
I had the same problem with a trailer I was using to bring up gravel to the top of a hill on my property. When the load is too heavy, it can overcome the hitch spring and let go. I had to crank up the tension on my hitch quite a bit to overcome this problem. It makes it more difficult to attach but once on, it never lets go.
If you don't mind me making a suggestion. I've built a lot of trailers. If you will move the axle towards the back of the trailer about 6 inches past center it will pull much better and won't rare up with you so much.You can also have the hitch cut off and welded back on top of the tongue which will help level it out with your atv. Even with the axle more to the back you will still be able to dump it quite easily. I really enjoyed your videos.
Hi, Russell. You have infinite patience! Just wanted you to know we like you, You're a great human being. I know this is a January, 2018, video, and it's now June 11, 2019, so here's to a good tomorrow. I've been subscribed for months and the bell stays rung. See you later. :0) Donna B.
New sub here. "Off Grid" for me anyways has turned into just another buzz word just like "organic", but it is what it is. I simply came to this site for the cabin life which is enough all in itself. I'm not trying to put anyone down and yes, I am envious of what you've accomplished, but here is my 10 cent worth. Too many emphasis on electrical man made power to make thing a just a little more comfortable rather then just keeping things simpler by learning more basic skills. The less stuff we all have makes thing simpler. I would even go as far as pulling a sled a few miles with less supplies instead of a quad with to much stuff. Its safer, easier to interact with your dogs, quieter, more wildlife, more exercise, etc.. Just more self reliant without all of our creature comforts. Again, Im not trying to put anyone down, just something to think about... Nice set up by the way and I wish you all the best with your endeavors. Enjoy..
You're right in some ways, 40intrek, but I think that a lot of people have a romantic fantasy about what off grid life is really like. It's not until you spend hours every week washing clothes in a bucket (for example) that you realize how nice some modern amenities are. I enjoy walking my trail and we take lots of hikes for the nature aspects, but on the day of this ATV 'adventure', conditions were actually very icy. If I had tried to walk the trail with a sled I would have fallen on my ass 50 times before reaching the cabin. It was much safer to ride the ATV. Thanks for the comments, I hope you stick around for the fun.
Wow, rough trip to the cabin! I'm glad you filmed it for us, though. Easy to relate to operating with limited time and gear and trying to make the best of it. I sure would have had more choice words and would have thrown some stuff off the mountain. You showed good restraint, just trying to think it through, not wasting time but trying again. Plus, we got to see some cool scenes of the atv on the trail !
I admire your perseverance. I have seen hitches that you put on the ball and then you turn the latch to move the bottom wedge under the ball then you lock the latch down. To disconnect the hitch you do the same thing turning the latch in the opposite direction. Not sure if you have that kind of hitch but it looks like it.
Hey George. I looked at that type of hitch too, but I'm going to go with the pintle style, just need some parts and I'm rarely in the city where I can buy them.
Failure videos teach us more about what not to do than those that try to teach us what to do. I learned from your video to make sure my trailer will stay attached to my side x side, that I have tools with me, plenty of rope & straps and not to worry about the eggs.
At about 11:00 minutes on the tape, it really gets interesting as the trailer, somehow becomes unhooked from the 4 wheeler, rolling down the incline and back onto the rickety bridge.....😂😂😂. Russell, you are definitely entertaining......Julia Johnson
The trailer is too top heavy and the lack of suspension doesn't help either. You have more patients than me Russ, after the second time I would have burned it where it was..lol That's some terrible luck bud. Cheers till the next one.
Thanks, Chad. It got really unbalanced after I moved the water, for sure. But once that little tongue was bent it wasn't going to make much difference.
Your trailer is very top heavy, and backwards balancing makes it even worse. It lifts your ATV wheels up and they loose the grip. I guess using a Travois to move your stuff would be better than that trailer. Slide the axle of the trailer a little bit backwards, so you will get more weight on the ATV back axle. Or at least get a longer drawbar. I hope this helps. Very good video, though.
oh man !!!! only 13 min in....you are very brave , lucky ,unlucky and very persistent .......i just knew the trailer was going in the water when you turned it over the first time.......man what a ride !!!!!
From what I could se in the video when you were jumping on the tongue after tightening the latch portion the ball socket was loose on the tongue itself, you might want to check that out before hauling another load such as that. Also the latching mechanism should be tightened to where it has a fair amount of resistance to get it all the way latched, that way the socket itself will have very little up and down movement which causes premature wear and also aids in the socket in jumping off the ball. if adjusted properly there is no way that it can come loose. That portion that actually clamps against the ball is spring loaded which means it should be tightened to where the spring is almost fully compressed when the latching lever is in the down and locked position
Hey Nortek, thanks for the comments. You're right and it needs some more adjustments. At the time I was worried about tightening it too much because I've done that before then couldn't get the handle down. But I think I'll go with other suggestions here and switch to the pin method, or the articulating method. Both are better than what I have. Cheers.
That has never happened to me losing my trailer on the trail, but I have always hooked chains from my trailer to my ATV just like you would pulling a trailer with your truck on the street you have chains so if it does come unhooked it is still attached to your vehicle and you still have control and you don't lose or flip your trailer cause you never know. Good job getting her back.
That looked like a fun day! You sure have a lot of patience! Love the pups, good company for sure, I have a black Shepard just like willow he’s a male, and a little thick headed but an awesome dog, love the vids, I subbed!
Sitting here in the warm that was quite entertaining. You had me chuckling into my coffee quite a few times. A refreshing change to see a bit of (for my life anyway) normality afflicting someone else's life. You have an enviable attitude. I'd have invented quite a few new swear words just after the second let alone the third time the trailer came off.
I often think, when I'm filming, should I show this? Because this makes me look ridiculous. But then I think, who cares, and show it anyway. Glad you got a good chuckle.
Hey Russell heard that beer when I started watching I thought I was watching Laurel and Hardy movie slapstick comedy you should change that hitch on the trailer to like my friend has on his four-wheel drive camper trailer it's just the pin you put through and it swivels up down and side to side say hello to the girls look forward to your next video stay safe
wow ....just watching the atv go over the ice-covered bridges gave me the heebee-geebees.....i could visualize you going in sideways and the trailer landing on top of you......maybe.....you might find a good tube-bender guy , who could build you a roll-over rack on your atv , and make it where you can haul stuff ( lots of stuff ) on it.....should not be that hard.....man this movie was more thrilling than die-hard................glad you made it before the beer froze.......
one of the best parts was when you picked up one of the damaged beers , with a tiny spew of beer coming out of it.....try to catch the little trickle....too hell with this...pop open an undamaged one.........but like a lot of the other commentors have said ( you have alot of patience )..after the third turn-over , i would have just hooked a chain to it and drug it to the cabin......
you realy need to invest a few 100$ in a good winch. good video thanks for sharing real experience, not only unicorn camping stories when everything goes perfect lol.
Get a pintle hitch and receiver for the trailer and atv. A standard hitch wasn't made for off-road articulation. You were lucky to make it without any problems in the past!
You could have used your winch to pull it up the hill ( If it works) or put you straps together. I always carry a chain and a small come a long just in case the winch fails , It fits in a small tote strapped to the atv. If I were you I would get a pair of skies made that would fit over the tires, with a good runner under the skies. A wheel trailer is not good in in snow or ice. Change the trailer hitch to a swivel pin. Just a suggestion.
Still haven't gotten my winch fixed, unfortunately. I used to carry the come-along but you're not going to pull your ATV very far before you have to reset everything. Just takes too long to do anything useful.
I did not mean to use the come-along to pull your trailer up the hill, I have used it to pull the ATV out of a bad hole., but the chain tied to your ATV would have worked, it was the trailer that you were having problems with not your ATV. BUT I guess you know better. I would have got the winch fixed. when you were at home.
I've worked with heavy equipment and off road almost everyday in full size trucks and arcs and it's always handy to pack 200 foot of heavy chain and yes I've had an arc since I was 13 and been riding in the mountains at 23 I can say that and safety chain on trailer it would remedy your problem
I admire your tenacity and how you kept your cool. I've been around some folks who would have beat the trees!! lol Sorry, it was a nightmare for you , but sure was amusing to watch.
Do yourself a favor and buy a (around?) 22 cu ft Polar trailer with a wide stance. I have been there and did all that with my other 3x5 metal trailer with atv tires. Tailgate falling off going up hill, latch releasing and dumping loads while going up hill, tongue bending into a upside down V, heavier loads twisting the tongue and dumping the loads to one side while sitting on side hill, trailer bent all to heck. Your trailer is what I almost did with the remains of my metal trailer. Your trailer has the narrow stance and the weight up high. The Polar trailer is great with it's wide stance and the weight is lower. The tires are more on the side than under the load.
Gravity is your friend. Tetrus says to load and secure heavy items in the front and wrapping the ratchet strap around the hitch and tongue several times would have done wonders keeping the trailer attached.
I have that coupling myself and you may not have the tang fitted under the lip which might explain why you have had to tighten the nut up so much My advice is to loosen off the nut and check the moveable bit under the nut is fitting under the lip then tighten to adjust Hope this saves more hassles
Wow, thought you would never make it back. Thought this was going to be a 2-parter. I like how you kept your cool. Must be something about being up there. :-D
understandably there was frustration... and anyone can be a couch quarterback.... that being said, I would of emptied the trailer, put half of it in the front (weighing down the tongue) took it to the cabin, fixed it, then went back for the other half.... kinda feel for a guy that all he wants to do is get to his destination with his beer in tact and have a couple 4.... first time viewer, working from home, found your page... will check out more. so that means, this vid didnt deture me from watching, and no, I am not looking for more failures.. just great vid content and great ATV riding.
Something to think about Trailers should be loaded with 60% of the weight in front of the axle. Yours appears to have the axle dead center of the load area, Consider moving it back to a better position. Example is I have a four foot by eight foot home built trailer. The center of the axle is at five foot from the front of the box, so 5/8ths of the way down, or 62.5%. I can buy a bundle of half inch plywood, have it loaded in, strap it down and haul ass and never even feel the trailed behind me. Hope this helps
Hey J n J. I have another video where I show my trailer up close and how I had the axle replaced. I can't really move where it is on the trailer without major modifications and I'm no welder. In the start of my video I had all the water jugs at the front of the trailer and so that's why the tongue went down when the trailer popped off. It was only after I moved the water did it become back heavy. I should have spent more time distributing the load when I packed up the 2nd time. Cheers.
Oh I feel you pain on this one. Was pulling my 7x14' tandem axle trailer with a worn hitch behind my truck that couldn't hold on enough anymore and discovered it on a highway when I hit a frost heave last March and it popped off, broke the safety chain links and watched it take the ditch and come to rest in a frozen field. It just sailed level as could be and didn't, by some miracle, hit any trees. Still have nightmares about that one.
Trailer has too much weight over the back of the axle. Put the heavy stuff (water, beer, whatever) closest to the hitch and get the tongue weight down. Get enough weight on the hitch, and you might not even need to latch it, as it is always being forced down (well not really, but you get the point). I'd get someone to cut the bed off that trailer and mount it closer to the hitch, you have plenty of room to move the trailer bed forward at least 2 or 2 1/2 feet, maybe more. All that weight hanging out behind the axle is putting a lot of wear on your hitch receiver, thus you have to adjust it more. I'd also make sure you really have the right size ball for that hitch on your ATV. Just the $0.02 worth from a former trucker.
you might want to get some larger wheels for the trailer so it sits level, that and a pin lick for the tongue of the hitch. You might want to check the hitch ball size too.
I would suggest you read up a little on trailer towing and perhaps redesign your trailer and/or redistribute the load. Put approx. 15 to 20% of your load weight on the hitch. Possible more for your application. Cross your safety chains under the trailer tongue so that if it comes detached from the ball it will fall into the chains and not run away from you.
You know what the definition of insanity is; doing the same mistake over again and expecting a different outcome. You've just proved that you're as crazy as the rest of us!
The end of that statement should read," , but sometimes crazy gets it done."
Raspberry Rock - Off Grid Cabin, Yes, it should have.
Russ I just found your site and HAVE TO TELL YOU ... I LOVE IT!!!! I was having a bad day and watched your video and it turned my day right around.. I love your melancholy attitude .... can't wait to watch more ... keep up the great attitude and the great videos
You're a legend for posting this.
LOL because it makes me look like an idiot?
How frustrating! You are so tenacious and patient! Glad you finally made it home! 😊
Russell thanks for sharing your struggles getting to your paradise in the woods. I was laughing at times and crying for you as well. Chat soon. Take care buddy.
Thanks Chad. Look forward to seeing you next booxefest!
Russ, we haven’t laughed that hard in a long time! OMG my stomachs hurts! Don’t get me wrong, I feel for you. That’s a bad, bad day, but man that was hilarious!
Nah buddy, it's okay to laugh when you know there's a happy ending (I mean, I wouldn't post the video otherwise, right?) Btw I love it when the husband/wife team both watch my videos. Because I do it with Alicia too!
I've have laughed so hard! I have days like this from time to time.
Russ !!! I'm afraid I will have a heart attack or SHIT my panties watching your antics !!! Lmao. Too funny but scary !!! BE CAREFUL !! Actually I love watching you !!
Well this trip was a nasty one
You have to love the way you live to put that much work into it! I admire your stamina and sympathize with your pain. Thanks for the video.
Russ!! What a fun day you had! I would have drunk all the beer and said the hell with it LMAO!
LOL thanks Morgan.
I think if the truth was known he drank all the beer before the trailer crashes
OMG. That was the best 38 minutes of UA-cam I have ever seen. There is something very satisfying watching a mate struggle. Thanks for the laugh pal. I drank 3 beers watching this unfold. Bloody sensational viewing.
Thanks Geoff. So happy everyone got a good laugh out of my struggles. And I'm serious about that.
I enjoy your progress on the cabin and you show the struggles of building a home. I was working full time and building my home. Took me 7 years build log home and shop. Still working on a small log cabin for guests. There are always projects. You are doing a great job
Thanks Ernest. It's taking me a while but I'm sure I'm just more of a procrastinator.
Glad to see all ok, honest video about the realities on living off the grid and establishing the trip to and from with supplies. Your dogs are awesome.
Popped off again, better drink a beer...lol...totally binge watching, awesome real and better than anything on the tv...love this stuff
Thanks for sharing. Its good to see the bad with the good. Many would have left out all the troubles.
Oh My ! What a freaking buzz kill ! I would have cracked a beer WAY before the second trailer flip ! LOL . Thanks for sharing !
Good to hear from you again, buddy. I swear I only drank that beer because it was already opened. And that 2nd one was already opened as well after I opened it. I swear.
Raspberry Rock - Off Grid Cabin Cheers !
Were you as happy to be at the cabin as I was to see you guys arrive there? You were so calm. I would have had a nervous break down and started crying.
Yes, pretty happy. Happier once the fire was roaring. One thing I've learned out here is to just keep plugging away at stuff. Although one thing you didn't see on camera is a screaming fit I had the 2nd time the trailer flipped over.
I'm so sorry that happened, but I was a little down today and it made me laugh so hard I now have abs. Oh dear!
LOL!
I'm glad you they told us about going off the deep[screaming fit] end that is what my husband does, super that you made it in the end .
Hey Russ, When I first started watching the video I was thinking "hey that's a great idea. I should get a trailer to haul a few more items in. It will save me a trip or two." After watching what you had to go through, I'm reconsidering. lol.
Naw man, don't think like that. I want to say 19 out of 20 trips are trouble free. 1 trip out of 20 I have some adventure which isn't hard to overcome. This adventure was a black swan, once every couple years kind of thing. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. My trailer has come in soooo handy so many times. I couldn't do without it.
I think you showed how to remain calm and persevere when things go south. And still managing to get the shot! Amazing.
OMG Russel - I was feeling so bad for you! What a trip! Great attitude! Take care of the body - you don't want to throw your back out! The girls were great help. They were so patient! Thanks for the fun video!
Hey Elizabeth, if ONLY I could put the girls to work. Just running around wasting energy, that's all they do!
Hi, I just found your ch. Great videos and I admire your lifestyle choice what a serene setting simply beautiful. And I agree speed is the way to go. I live in upstate NY and our winters are no where near yours I'm sure, but I do have a driveway on a slope so when it's snowy I gun it and head into the garage one day I'm sure my car may end up in my laundry room lol. I would've had one of those beers before attempting that slope of yours. I was trying to think of ways you could get more traction but I'm sure you've already exhausted that. You've done a lot of work on that cabin of yours it looks great!
Maybe a wood chipper and adding wood chips to the mud...but you would need an awful lot of wood chips for that!
Thanks for the comments Patricia. Lol on the car on the driveway bit
Just watched this video from five years ago I have a whole new respect for you Russell, I would have drunk all the beer and said the hell with the trailer.😂
Easily a top 5 video. The beer at the top of the hill, you earned every drop lol
Stumbled on the video through youtube suggestions and within the first minute I see an FJ Cruiser, a German Shepherd, beer, an ATV, and a channel about an off the grid cabin...Definitely going to have to check out the rest of the videos on this channel.
Thanks Nick. Hope you enjoy my videos.
Subbed! Brutal honesty and reality.. Love it, man! Cheers.
Fun video. Glad you're OK.
I didn't laugh. It was like I was living it myself. I felt for you man.
I wasn't laughing at the time, but I find it pretty funny now. Thanks Bill.
Reduce the contents by 75%, haul that load to where you are going, unload, repeat. Four trips and you are done and safe.
I feel your pain but mine is in my side from laughing so much,good video.
I can laugh about it too, now. It's all good.
Raspberry Rock - Off Grid Cabin Alls well that ends well.
Surely one of the greatest mysteries of the world must be how you've managed to survive as long as you have !
Farmer comment, BUT.... If 'twer me, after the second dropped trailer I would have been going to get tools to fix it . Have to admit though, out of all the comments the ones that suggested a clevis hitch are the best ones. It is the way that almost all pull type farm equipement is hauled and it is pretty much fool proof. It also is about as maneuverable as your ball hitch and is as good for backing up.
Hey Rob, I am definitely going to look into an alternate hitch. I love my viewers for their suggestions, they've helped many times. But farm experience is best experience, imo. I worked on a farm when I was a kid and learned many useful skills.
Ball hitches are fine when sized properly and greased from new(wear easily when dry), clevis are very noisy and floppy, safety chain is an obvious choice either way.
Great comic relief from ny so so day -- Thanks for the laughs!
Thanks Don!
Russ, you may be the funniest thing on UA-cam! You have this thing, that know matter what, I’m going to get it done, even if it Kills me. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, you might try thinking things out before executing your plan. Before jumping in with both feet, think it out first. You do keep me laughing, keep em coming!!!🤣🤣🤣
Thanks Len.
Raspberry Rock - Off Grid Cabin Your welcome, you da man, Russ. Your wife has to be an angel, to put up with you, my friend.
Yea, you can borrow my trailer. It's really good for tight trails and hauling critical supplies. Please take very good care of it, it's all I have! 🤣 🤣 I'm sorry for laughing so hard. I've had days like this as well. Good luck brother.
So real. I admit to laughing but really it was just because it is so REAL. It's exactly how it would go for us! We appreciate your honesty and willingness to show us that things don't always go as smoothly as other UA-camrs make it look like they do.
And if it was us, our ATV battery would have died and we wouldn't have been able to find the correct tools and it would have started sleeting and then it would have gotten dark before we could fix anything. Ha!
Thanks Country Frau. I laugh about it too, now. But what you describe with the battery is usually how things go with me. This trail of failures leading me towards a cliff. I just slowly start working my way back on track.
I wrote that before I finished watching your video. I see it WAS dark before you got back! I have to say that you have more stick-to-it-with than I do. At some point I would have probably abandoned ship and tried to tackle it the next day. At any rate, I really appreciate you showing that to us. It is true that so often if you want something done you just have to buckle down and make it happen. Thanks again!
My dirty secret is that by that point I knew it was going to be a standalone video so I persevered in hopes my subscribers would find it interesting.
Country Frau Right?
Anything would be worth going through just to sit on that deck with a beer!! awesome stuff.
Right? That view keeps me going some times.
I`m 68 now and your video reminds me of the why I gave my daughter my skidoo and my four-wheeler and now I wait till the snow all gone before I try and make it to the camp....can`t have that much of a hard time to have a good time.....CHEERS
😂🤣😂 “...it’s a disaster, I can smell beer...” 🤣😂🤣
It was horrifying yet delightful at the same time.
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks David.
I had the same problem with a trailer I was using to bring up gravel to the top of a hill on my property. When the load is too heavy, it can overcome the hitch spring and let go. I had to crank up the tension on my hitch quite a bit to overcome this problem. It makes it more difficult to attach but once on, it never lets go.
Hey Stephen, I have mine cranked all the way and it still feels loose. That little tongue piece is warped.
Lets try for a third time its a charm love your sence of humor your awsome 😅
If you don't mind me making a suggestion. I've built a lot of trailers. If you will move the axle towards the back of the trailer about 6 inches past center it will pull much better and won't rare up with you so much.You can also have the hitch cut off and welded back on top of the tongue which will help level it out with your atv. Even with the axle more to the back you will still be able to dump it quite easily. I really enjoyed your videos.
Well I actually really enjoyed watching this!!!
I enjoy this video it was pure funny.lol
Great attitude after a rough day. Cheers Sir!
That’s some pretty bad luck. Great video.
Hi, Russell. You have infinite patience! Just wanted you to know we like you, You're a great human being. I know this is a January, 2018, video, and it's now June 11, 2019, so here's to a good tomorrow. I've been subscribed for months and the bell stays rung. See you later. :0) Donna B.
Things like that are always a kick in the...but luckily it was just a trailer.
Indeed. Could have been worse.
New sub here. "Off Grid" for me anyways has turned into just another buzz word just like "organic", but it is what it is. I simply came to this site for the cabin life which is enough all in itself. I'm not trying to put anyone down and yes, I am envious of what you've accomplished, but here is my 10 cent worth. Too many emphasis on electrical man made power to make thing a just a little more comfortable rather then just keeping things simpler by learning more basic skills. The less stuff we all have makes thing simpler. I would even go as far as pulling a sled a few miles with less supplies instead of a quad with to much stuff. Its safer, easier to interact with your dogs, quieter, more wildlife, more exercise, etc.. Just more self reliant without all of our creature comforts. Again, Im not trying to put anyone down, just something to think about... Nice set up by the way and I wish you all the best with your endeavors. Enjoy..
You're right in some ways, 40intrek, but I think that a lot of people have a romantic fantasy about what off grid life is really like. It's not until you spend hours every week washing clothes in a bucket (for example) that you realize how nice some modern amenities are. I enjoy walking my trail and we take lots of hikes for the nature aspects, but on the day of this ATV 'adventure', conditions were actually very icy. If I had tried to walk the trail with a sled I would have fallen on my ass 50 times before reaching the cabin. It was much safer to ride the ATV. Thanks for the comments, I hope you stick around for the fun.
Wow, rough trip to the cabin! I'm glad you filmed it for us, though. Easy to relate to operating with limited time and gear and trying to make the best of it. I sure would have had more choice words and would have thrown some stuff off the mountain. You showed good restraint, just trying to think it through, not wasting time but trying again. Plus, we got to see some cool scenes of the atv on the trail !
Hey. What I didn't film was my scream-fest after the trailer flipped over the 2nd time. LOL.
I admire your perseverance. I have seen hitches that you put on the ball and then you turn the latch to move the bottom wedge under the ball then you lock the latch down. To disconnect the hitch you do the same thing turning the latch in the opposite direction. Not sure if you have that kind of hitch but it looks like it.
Hey George. I looked at that type of hitch too, but I'm going to go with the pintle style, just need some parts and I'm rarely in the city where I can buy them.
Good choice. Pintle hitch is a sure fired way to keep the trailer connected. Good luck.
Failure videos teach us more about what not to do than those that try to teach us what to do. I learned from your video to make sure my trailer will stay attached to my side x side, that I have tools with me, plenty of rope & straps and not to worry about the eggs.
And bring beer in case they break and you need to drink them in a hurry.
For some reason, when you have beer, help is close by in most instances.
You are the never give up man. I could not laugh, I was saying to myself, oh no. I would have had a beer too. Probably two.
At about 11:00 minutes on the tape, it really gets interesting as the trailer, somehow becomes unhooked from the 4 wheeler, rolling down the incline and back onto the rickety bridge.....😂😂😂. Russell, you are definitely entertaining......Julia Johnson
I like the way you make your adventure to the cabin LOL
It wasn't supposed to be an adventure!
The trailer is too top heavy and the lack of suspension doesn't help either. You have more patients than me Russ, after the second time I would have burned it where it was..lol
That's some terrible luck bud.
Cheers till the next one.
Thanks, Chad. It got really unbalanced after I moved the water, for sure. But once that little tongue was bent it wasn't going to make much difference.
You needed some tongue weight, in front of trailer......use the water jugs....also the angle of the dangle....of the tongue.....
You need to extend the whole tongue of the trailer and move the trailer box forward. will help with the weight and the pulling.
Same here Chad, It would have been burning on the side of the trail after the second time.
one hell of a trip~~ but you made it!!!
Man, that sucks! Good times eh!! :)
An Oscar, is coming your way best overturn trailer. A real feat. I think Samson was helping you.
Always Bring Cardboard for Mud and snow :) always helps me when im stuck :)
Thanks Eve, I'll give that a try!
Brother you need an award for your effort. Please keep the videos coming. New sub over this video.
Thanks grayghost!
Yeah that sucks. You should look into a pin hitch . Or make sure that ball hitch is a little tighter than it should be.
Your trailer is very top heavy, and backwards balancing makes it even worse. It lifts your ATV wheels up and they loose the grip. I guess using a Travois to move your stuff would be better than that trailer. Slide the axle of the trailer a little bit backwards, so you will get more weight on the ATV back axle. Or at least get a longer drawbar.
I hope this helps. Very good video, though.
oh man !!!! only 13 min in....you are very brave , lucky ,unlucky and very persistent .......i just knew the trailer was going in the water when you turned it over the first time.......man what a ride !!!!!
Thanks man. I wish I could have caught that on camera. I was the one watching it roll back down the hill yelling, "NOOOOO!"
From what I could se in the video when you were jumping on the tongue after tightening the latch portion the ball socket was loose on the tongue itself, you might want to check that out before hauling another load such as that. Also the latching mechanism should be tightened to where it has a fair amount of resistance to get it all the way latched, that way the socket itself will have very little up and down movement which causes premature wear and also aids in the socket in jumping off the ball. if adjusted properly there is no way that it can come loose. That portion that actually clamps against the ball is spring loaded which means it should be tightened to where the spring is almost fully compressed when the latching lever is in the down and locked position
Hey Nortek, thanks for the comments. You're right and it needs some more adjustments. At the time I was worried about tightening it too much because I've done that before then couldn't get the handle down. But I think I'll go with other suggestions here and switch to the pin method, or the articulating method. Both are better than what I have. Cheers.
The amount of exercise I get watching your physical videos...............eg trying to shift the trailer etc........... I am exhausted mate.......
LOL
Here from imgur. Thanks for posting, I have some off-grid property that I am slowly improving as well.
That has never happened to me losing my trailer on the trail, but I have always hooked chains from my trailer to my ATV just like you would pulling a trailer with your truck on the street you have chains so if it does come unhooked it is still attached to your vehicle and you still have control and you don't lose or flip your trailer cause you never know. Good job getting her back.
You were having a time my friend....lol...cheers be safe be kind
Thanks Rob!
That looked like a fun day! You sure have a lot of patience! Love the pups, good company for sure, I have a black Shepard just like willow he’s a male, and a little thick headed but an awesome dog, love the vids, I subbed!
Thanks!
Sitting here in the warm that was quite entertaining. You had me chuckling into my coffee quite a few times. A refreshing change to see a bit of (for my life anyway) normality afflicting someone else's life. You have an enviable attitude. I'd have invented quite a few new swear words just after the second let alone the third time the trailer came off.
I often think, when I'm filming, should I show this? Because this makes me look ridiculous. But then I think, who cares, and show it anyway. Glad you got a good chuckle.
It sure doesn't make you look ridiculous. Some of the most interesting and entertaining things in life are the unplanned ones.
Hey Russell heard that beer when I started watching I thought I was watching Laurel and Hardy movie slapstick comedy you should change that hitch on the trailer to like my friend has on his four-wheel drive camper trailer it's just the pin you put through and it swivels up down and side to side say hello to the girls look forward to your next video stay safe
Thanks David. That's a good idea.
Nightmare indeed, but you handled it like a champ! Glad you made it through ok, r.i.p. beers!
wow ....just watching the atv go over the ice-covered bridges gave me the heebee-geebees.....i could visualize you going in sideways and the trailer landing on top of you......maybe.....you might find a good tube-bender guy , who could build you a roll-over rack on your atv , and make it where you can haul stuff ( lots of stuff ) on it.....should not be that hard.....man this movie was more thrilling than die-hard................glad you made it before the beer froze.......
More thrilling than Die Hard! Well that might be the best comment I've ever had. Well, right after that other guy who called me Clueless.
one of the best parts was when you picked up one of the damaged beers , with a tiny spew of beer coming out of it.....try to catch the little trickle....too hell with this...pop open an undamaged one.........but like a lot of the other commentors have said ( you have alot of patience )..after the third turn-over , i would have just hooked a chain to it and drug it to the cabin......
we love your willpower!
you realy need to invest a few 100$ in a good winch. good video thanks for sharing real experience, not only unicorn camping stories when everything goes perfect lol.
I do have a winch! Unfortunately I broke the winch cable a few weeks back and haven't had time to replace it.
Get a pintle hitch and receiver for the trailer and atv. A standard hitch wasn't made for off-road articulation. You were lucky to make it without any problems in the past!
Jasus Russ hard goings on there but like always you prevailed. Thanks for sharin.
Thanks Ted!
You could have used your winch to pull it up the hill ( If it works) or put you straps together. I always carry a chain and a small come a long just in case the winch fails , It fits in a small tote strapped to the atv. If I were you I would get a pair of skies made that would fit over the tires, with a good runner under the skies. A wheel trailer is not good in in snow or ice. Change the trailer hitch to a swivel pin. Just a suggestion.
Still haven't gotten my winch fixed, unfortunately. I used to carry the come-along but you're not going to pull your ATV very far before you have to reset everything. Just takes too long to do anything useful.
I did not mean to use the come-along to pull your trailer up the hill, I have used it to pull the ATV out of a bad hole., but the chain tied to your ATV would have worked, it was the trailer that you were having problems with not your ATV. BUT I guess you know better. I would have got the winch fixed.
when you were at home.
I've worked with heavy equipment and off road almost everyday in full size trucks and arcs and it's always handy to pack 200 foot of heavy chain and yes I've had an arc since I was 13 and been riding in the mountains at 23 I can say that and safety chain on trailer it would remedy your problem
I admire your tenacity and how you kept your cool. I've been around some folks who would have beat the trees!! lol Sorry, it was a nightmare for you , but sure was amusing to watch.
This is one thing I've learned out here. When things go wrong, just keep thinking of new things to try and keep at it.
Thank for the laugh junebug..hug bro.bless day.hugs..
Do yourself a favor and buy a (around?) 22 cu ft Polar trailer with a wide stance. I have been there and did all that with my other 3x5 metal trailer with atv tires. Tailgate falling off going up hill, latch releasing and dumping loads while going up hill, tongue bending into a upside down V, heavier loads twisting the tongue and dumping the loads to one side while sitting on side hill, trailer bent all to heck. Your trailer is what I almost did with the remains of my metal trailer. Your trailer has the narrow stance and the weight up high. The Polar trailer is great with it's wide stance and the weight is lower. The tires are more on the side than under the load.
Cant believe your patience on that trip in? I was swearing for you. You have a new fan
Thanks, Dan!
Gravity is your friend. Tetrus says to load and secure heavy items in the front and wrapping the ratchet strap around the hitch and tongue several times would have done wonders keeping the trailer attached.
I have that coupling myself and you may not have the tang fitted under the lip which might explain why you have had to tighten the nut up so much
My advice is to loosen off the nut and check the moveable bit under the nut is fitting under the lip then tighten to adjust
Hope this saves more hassles
Man,you and your pups must really sleep well at night!!
Wow, thought you would never make it back. Thought this was going to be a 2-parter. I like how you kept your cool. Must be something about being up there. :-D
Maybe I should have made it a 2-parter. People wouldn't know if I actually made it or not!
understandably there was frustration... and anyone can be a couch quarterback....
that being said, I would of emptied the trailer, put half of it in the front (weighing down the tongue) took it to the cabin, fixed it, then went back for the other half....
kinda feel for a guy that all he wants to do is get to his destination with his beer in tact and have a couple 4....
first time viewer, working from home, found your page... will check out more. so that means, this vid didnt deture me from watching, and no, I am not looking for more failures.. just great vid content and great ATV riding.
LOL well glad you're not looking for more failures, but my vids are full of them.
Something to think about
Trailers should be loaded with 60% of the weight in front of the axle. Yours appears to have the axle dead center of the load area, Consider moving it back to a better position. Example is I have a four foot by eight foot home built trailer. The center of the axle is at five foot from the front of the box, so 5/8ths of the way down, or 62.5%. I can buy a bundle of half inch plywood, have it loaded in, strap it down and haul ass and never even feel the trailed behind me. Hope this helps
Hey J n J. I have another video where I show my trailer up close and how I had the axle replaced. I can't really move where it is on the trailer without major modifications and I'm no welder. In the start of my video I had all the water jugs at the front of the trailer and so that's why the tongue went down when the trailer popped off. It was only after I moved the water did it become back heavy. I should have spent more time distributing the load when I packed up the 2nd time. Cheers.
after the second time its like no more beer for you lol
I can't do it sober so I think I can do it drinking and driving, what a great idea!
Oh I feel you pain on this one. Was pulling my 7x14' tandem axle trailer with a worn hitch behind my truck that couldn't hold on enough anymore and discovered it on a highway when I hit a frost heave last March and it popped off, broke the safety chain links and watched it take the ditch and come to rest in a frozen field. It just sailed level as could be and didn't, by some miracle, hit any trees. Still have nightmares about that one.
Broke the safety chains! Geez that's something.
Using speed links is not recommended yet I see them used all the time!? Lesson learned.
best vid yet.
Trailer has too much weight over the back of the axle. Put the heavy stuff (water, beer, whatever) closest to the hitch and get the tongue weight down. Get enough weight on the hitch, and you might not even need to latch it, as it is always being forced down (well not really, but you get the point). I'd get someone to cut the bed off that trailer and mount it closer to the hitch, you have plenty of room to move the trailer bed forward at least 2 or 2 1/2 feet, maybe more. All that weight hanging out behind the axle is putting a lot of wear on your hitch receiver, thus you have to adjust it more. I'd also make sure you really have the right size ball for that hitch on your ATV. Just the $0.02 worth from a former trucker.
you might want to get some larger wheels for the trailer so it sits level, that and a pin lick for the tongue of the hitch. You might want to check the hitch ball size too.
Thanks Tim. I actually bought the wrong wheels for that axle cause Princess Auto was out of the correct ones. Still need to get on that.
Why don't you have a snowmobile and sled for winter?
im still watching so sorry russell but i havent laught this hard for ages thanks
i try not to give my big ideas too much but i have to tell you to go buy a dingy thththeyyyy work for a trail like yours even float if need be
maybe at army surplus on 62
they take a lot of shit kicking if you get a real tough one
I'm glad you had a good laugh, but, a dingy?
you got that tarp put every thing in it and pull this is like watching sports and trying to be in the game
ATV at the top of the hill, tied/braced to a tree - winch the trailer up? Broke up branches and sticks in the path for traction.
I would suggest you read up a little on trailer towing and perhaps redesign your trailer and/or redistribute the load. Put approx. 15 to 20% of your load weight on the hitch. Possible more for your application. Cross your safety chains under the trailer tongue so that if it comes detached from the ball it will fall into the chains and not run away from you.
You know there's just some people that don't mean to be in the Woods by themselves
22:20: dude shotguns beer out in the bush. A mans man.
Couldn't let it go to waste, eh.