Running Snow Machines On Ice With multiple Trailer Set Up

[packhuntr]

Hey boys, I just bought 2 Otter magnum sleds with tow bars/hitches for towing behind the snow machine. I plan on additionally pulling a shack or even two behind those. Anyone on here with any experience with a snow train out on the ice? Any photos of setups, potential issues, load capacities and maybe photos of home rigged/fixed issues any of you guys had experienced while doing this?

[dragon]

make sure you take a spare belt. It is really hard on the rear suspension as well if your first sled tow bar angle is too steep.

Also like motor vehicles your trailer is technically suppose to have tail lights on it if the sled tail light/brake light is not visible.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Might be better pulling it with a Quad .

[FishingFrenzy]

If you put too much weight behind a sled your just going to burn the belt - meaning it basically wrecks the belt and after a certain point it WILL break. Depends on the amount your pulling... one or two sleds if they arent too heavy should be fine, but make sure your packing a spare belt so you dont get stranded.

[packhuntr]

Ya for sure boys. I guess my question leans more towards the trailering sleds more than anything. Even with large plates at the hitches to distribute weight well through the plastic on the sleds, has anyone had issues with breaking these otters or other tubs? If so has anyone done modification to beef them up for better load capacity capability? I would think it would be pretty easy to weld up a 1 inch aluminum square tubing frame for the inside of each sled. Might distribute the load from hitch to hitch a bit better. Just curious if anyone has done any trailering out there and what theyve been seeing. Thanks guys

[Kim473]

You could make a bar that quick connects one hitch to the other so that the hitches are all pulling at once and not going thru the plastic of the tub. Make from alluminum square tubing. That would be the easyest. You would have to mount a bar across the back of each tub, of course you have to that anyways to mount the hitch for the next tub to connect to. I would not be too worried about the belts as long as you do not ride with a very low speed. It would be wize to maybe change the springs in the clutch so that there is more presure on the belt. In my old sled I just had to move some pins to a differant hole and this did the job. It engaged at a higher rpm and gave me a sort of low gear ratio with a higher rpm. I could give lots of throtle to engage the clutch and have the belt ride high on the clutch then back off on the throtle and it felt like a first gear kind of thing. Extra belt is allways a must no matter what, just incase.

[600twin]

I haven't towed multiple sleds but i do have a similar one to the otter and i have had a 100 lb propane tank , a large rig bag stuffed with clothes and two coleman coolers full of food and i never had any problem.
Can i ask how much stuff you are carrying to need multiple sleds?

[packhuntr]

I haven't towed multiple sleds but i do have a similar one to the otter and i have had a 100 lb propane tank , a large rig bag stuffed with clothes and two coleman coolers full of food and i never had any problem.
Can i ask how much stuff you are carrying to need multiple sleds?

Hey thanks for the replys guys. 600twin, I am looking to avoid multiple trips back and forth to shore and truck for loads, kids etc. Have never liked driving trucks on ice and am getting far too old for that kind of excitement anymore. Snow machine is air cooled 99 arctic cat panther 440. Adults (2) on snow machine (overload spring), front sled for gear etc etc (all gear and for all day) excluding augger, its mounted on snow machine back rack/box compartment. Second sled for kids, more gear etc, and the tow behind (third) to skid a take down shack/shelter. This would represent a possible fully loaded situation with exception of an additional 2nd shack bringing up the rear (4th trailer). Most all these loads drag nicely on snow or ice in these tubs etc and should be doable. Just concerned about the strength of these tubs. Expensive to replace if one gets pulled apart. They can go to hell and back and are supposed to be built to handle it, just curious if anyone is rigging like this and has any knowlege of potential issues I guess.

[600twin]

I have also considered a dual setup one for kids and one for gear , what i am thinking is to run sqaure stock aluminum under the lip around so sled so it is hidden. You could probably get away with a foot or so long on the sides and full width on the back. I would use solid tow bars on the heavy sleds and rope on the lighter ones. That's just my opinion though. I have put quite a few miles on both mine , one is similar to yours it just says Arctic Cat and the other is a costco one and i haven't had a problem with either as some days i could put 30-50 miles on them.
Can you post a pic of your auger setup?

[600twin]

Have you considered making a set of Bob Sleds? I am attaching a link to a set but if you don't know about them the part with the horns sticking up turns seperate from the rest of the sled and you put a box on it about 8 ft long and 2 feet deep and about 2 or 3 feet wide, you sure can put alot of stuff in one.

http://www.nlclassifieds.com/classifieds/RecreationVehicles/Snowmobiles/Accessories/766187

[Sooner]

I have a big magnum sled and I pull it with my 800 summit or my 340 yamaha. Both do well with no belt issues. My biggest problem seems to be slushy snow. The sled opens up the mush and the sled, then the towed sled sinks in, have to really giver to get through. So you have to have some momentum at all times. I think you will be ok with the set up you plan. Worst case is you make two trips.

[packhuntr]

Thanks boys, hey that is a nice rig 600twin! You just wouldnt wanna get her bogged down somewhere. I will stick to the flotation tubs/sleds! I was reading that earlier about the belt and spring adjustments by Kim473, interesting stuff and I was thinking about talking to the local sled mechanic, the idea seems sound, but you say you have no problem with large loads Sooner and you havent personally experienced issues?

[600twin]

I have towed that load with my old Pantera 800 and that wasn't a machine that was setup for towing, i could notice it behind it but i never burned the belt or anything. Now i have a Yamaha VK Pro widetrak and i could probably tow my truck with it if i wanted so i don't even notice it there.
Sleds like yours with a 440 are usually pretty decent for towing as they are , it would out tow my Pantera 800 any day at slow speeds. You can check the color of your primary spring and if you were to change it go with a spring from a bearcat as they are made to tow heavy loads. There are also diferent settings on your clutchs which require no parts at all. Sorry i ain't closer i could show you how to do it yourself.
I really like the wide sleds as they really tow nice and they will float as well. The Bobsleds are more for going slow with full length logs and are a pain when you have slush.

[packhuntr]

Thanks for the heads up on that 600 thats awesome man. If I do find I run into trouble on the machine end clutch and spring will be the first place I go I appreciate it!

[Daceminnow]

hey pack,

i've been pulling this set-up for a number of years now. i use both my snowmachine and my quad depending on conditions. no issues what so ever. i have a tow bar not pictured here that hooks onto my front gear sled and the frabill shelters follow behind. i have reinforced where i've mounted the eye hooks with plywood on the shelters and 1x2 on the rear of the sled. aluminum would work sweet here for sure. the whole rig trail nicely behind either machine. as far as weight goes, it's never been an issue. i pulled the sled and one shelter today by hand with ease. machines are never working hard pulling on ice and snow. breaking trail in deep powder to some extent yes, but still no concerns. it's not fancy or elaborate, but this system works very well for me.


Dace


eye bolts in front of shelter


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3289.jpg


plywood reinforcement


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3287.jpg


eye bolts in rear of gear sled


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3296.jpg


1/2" poly rope leads


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3294.jpg


two in tandem


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3297.jpg


the second shelter hooks onto the first with the same rigging


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3298.jpg


pulls like nothing


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3301.jpg

[javlin101]

hey pack,

i've been pulling this set-up for a number of years now. i use both my snowmachine and my quad depending on conditions. no issues what so ever. i have a tow bar not pictured here that hooks onto my front gear sled and the frabill shelters follow behind. i have reinforced where i've mounted the eye hooks with plywood on the shelters and 1x2 on the rear of the sled. aluminum would work sweet here for sure. the whole rig trail nicely behind either machine. as far as weight goes, it's never been an issue. i pulled the sled and one shelter today by hand with ease. machines are never working hard pulling on ice and snow. breaking trail in deep powder to some extent yes, but still no concerns. it's not fancy or elaborate, but this system works very well for me.


Dace

eye bolts in front of shelter


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3289.jpg


plywood reinforcement


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3287.jpg


eye bolts in rear of gear sled


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3296.jpg


1/2" poly rope leads


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3294.jpg


two in tandem


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3297.jpg


the second shelter hooks onto the first with the same rigging


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3298.jpg


pulls like nothing


http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd450/daceminnow/IMG_3301.jpg

I have the same configuration, Otter sled in front & Frabil behind. I bought a kit out of the states that is made for the Otter sleds to tandem. I pull mine with my Polaris 700 or My Skandic 550f WT. Both machines have low gear so never worried about weight. Pulls very well & is nice to have all the gear in one sled. I also put a auger rack on my quad which is very handy.

Jim

[packhuntr]

Thats great Dace thanks. Your doin it in style with a dangerous looking rig man boy it feels good to get after those big sows hey! In the end I guess I will just have to see how it pulls and take er from there. I may have to beef up a backing like yours with the ply wood. I like it, economical, fast & easy to do, light and does the job, might need to go more elaborate, guess we will see. I appreciate the insight boys thanks and good luck out there!

[bradvtown]

I think the only thing I might be concerned with is the Otter hitch with the shock on it. Not sure if its a regular problem but I had the weld on mine come apart right by the shock absorbing spring the other day. As for the sled I'd think itd be fine. Ive hauled my magnum loaded through lots of flood water with my quad and its always stayed on top.