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Loading And Dumping
The weight and position of the cargo and passenger can
change the vehicle center of gravity and vehicle handling.
To avoid loss of control resulting in personal injury, follow
these guidelines.
Do not carry loads which exceed the load limits described
on the vehicle weight label.
The bed will lower whenever the dump lever is
pushed down, even when the engine is off. Turning
off the engine will NOT prevent the box from
lowering. Always place the safety support on
extended lift cylinder to hold box up if you are not
going to lower it right away.
Warning
When lowering the box it is possible for you or
others to get their hands or other body parts in the
wrong spot and have them crushed. Take extra
care that no one will get hurt. Also, do not dump
on anyone’s feet. It may seem funny but, it can be
dangerous.
Warning
The vehicle has several combinations of boxes, platforms,
and attachments available. These can be used in various
combinations that allow for maximum capacity and
versatility. The full sized box is 55 inches wide by 65
inches long and can hold up to 2000 pounds of evenly
distributed cargo.
Loads vary in how they are distributed. Sand spreads out
evenly and quite low. Other items, such as bricks, fertilizer
or landscape timbers, stack higher in the box.
The height and weight of the load has a significant
influence on tip overs. The higher a load is stacked, the
more likely the vehicle is to tip over. You may find that
2000 pounds stacks too high for safe operation. Reducing
the total weight is one way to reduce the risk of a tip over.
Distributing the load as low as possible is another way to
reduce the risk of a tip over.
If the load is positioned toward one of the sides, it will
make the vehicle much more likely to tip over on that side.
This is especially true when turning if the load is on the
outside of the turn.
Never position heavy loads behind the rear axle. If the load
is positioned so far to the rear that it is behind the rear axle,
it will reduce the weight on the front wheels and this will
reduce steering traction. With the load all the way to the
back, the front wheels can even come off of the ground
when going over bumps or up a hill. This will result in a
loss of steering and may lead to the vehicle tipping over.
As a general rule, position the weight of the load evenly
from front to rear and evenly from side to side.
If a load is not secured, or you are transporting a liquid in a
large container such as a sprayer, it can shift. This shifting
happens most often while turning, going up or down hills,
suddenly changing speeds or while driving over rough
surfaces. Shifting loads can lead to tip overs. Always secure
loads so that they do not shift. Never dump the load while
the vehicle is sideways on the hill.
Heavy loads increase stopping distance and reduce your
ability to turn quickly without tipping over.
The rear cargo space is intended for load carrying purposes
only, not for passengers.
Using The Differential Lock
The differential lock increases the vehicle’s traction by
locking the rear wheels so one wheel will not spin out. This
can help when you have heavy loads to haul on wet turf or
slippery areas, going up hills and on sandy surfaces. It is
important to remember however, that this extra traction is
only for temporary limited use. Its use does not replace the
safe operation, already discussed concerning steep hills and
heavy loads.
The differential lock causes the rear wheels to spin at the
same speed. When using differential lock your ability to
make sharp turns is somewhat restricted and may scuff the
turf. Use the differential lock only when needed, at slower
speeds and only in first or second gear.
Tipping or rolling the vehicle on a hill will cause
serious injury.
• The extra traction available with the differential
lock can be enough to get you into dangerous
situations such as climbing slopes that are too
steep to turn around. Be extra careful when
operating with the differential lock on,
especially on steeper slopes.
• If the differential lock is on when making a
sharp turn at a higher speed and inside rear
wheel lifts off the ground, there may be a loss of
control which could cause vehicle to skid (Refer
to section on Differential Lock Operation). Use
the differential lock only at slower speeds.
Warning
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