Trailer specs for hauling a tractor

[cp1969]

ric, that sounds like a good trailer. Where did you get it?

All--what is your preference, surge or electric brakes? I have also heard (from dealers, no less) that surge brakes are soon to become or already are illegal in some states. Legalities aside, which are the best brakes?

[Bird]

I hadn't heard anything about making surge brakes illegal, but the only time I've used trailers with them were big boat trailers (electric brakes on a trailer backed into the water at a launching ramp would not be good) and U-Haul trailers (they know they may rent them to someone who has no brake controller on his/her towing vehicle). I much prefer the electric brakes with the controller on the pickup so that I have control over the adjustment to match the braking force to my load.

Bird

[gmason]

Just a reminder to all trailer hualers....check those lugnuts regularly..I lost a wheel/rim and 6 studs recently because one nut came loose. Nothing to awful, but it cost me about $75 to get it repaired. I think the brakes just heated the rims enough to loosen the nuts. Next thing I knew was my trailer fishtailing with a full load...

[boatman]

a tandem trailer with surge or electric brakes will do fine. you need a trailer with 5000 lb capacity. i have a 16 ft trailer with electric brakes on 1 axel only(texas law) and tow with a 3/4 ton chevy. my boat has surgre brakes and does great. i have some customers who have the izuzu and tow boats that are as big or bigger than your load. make shure when you by your trailer that the tonge of the trailer will attach atleast midway to the frame. i have seen trailers were the tongue is welded to the front section of the trailer frame. also have allot of tie-down hooks or pockets welded to the frame. the 2710 weight is 1741 lbs.

[jwstewar]

Just one advantage to electric brakes with a controller located in the cab of the tow vehicle. I know I pull a 32' camper and these have tendancy to sway when a semi or other large vehicle passes you. This can be a very bad situation. With the electric brakes you apply the trailer brakes (manually and so as to not apply the tow vehicle's brakes) and step on the gas of the tow vehicle. This will pull you out of the sway immediately and then you can safely slow down to a safe speed. Remember arrive a few minutes later but a least you arrive alive. Slow down when towing.

[ric]

I had my trailer built by Hill Equipment in Marengo, Ohio.
1-419-253-2991, ask for Roy Hill. All they make is trailers. It will take about 4 weeks to build one once you are in the queue. They are open M-S, 830 to 5. They build trailers for many trailer dealers in Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky and Indiana.

I prefer surge brakes over electric brakes based on my experience with both. I service all my own equipment both sets of brakes require nearly the same effort to maintenance or repair. It always seemed like I worked on the electric brake trailers between 3 and 4 times more often than the juice brake trailers. Sure was always fiddling around with the controller too. The surge brakes always, always, always worked right, the electric brakes worked right, wrong or not at all. They always seemed to not work or work wrong when I was loaded and it was raining, snowing or dark.

A comment on load management, if your trailer and load raise the front of the tow vehicle alot plan on having a problem because you just moved most of your rigs steering and braking capacity off the front where it belongs. If your rig sways excessively going down the road the trailer may be butt heavy or the suspension in the tow unit is too light. The best way to fix this is to rearrange the load and check those rear springs on the tow unit. I absolutley agree that light braking will straigthen up your trailer if it's swaying, however this is a symptom of a bigger issue that can be addressed. What happens if a rookie is running your rig for you because you are too sick or sleepy to drive and it starts swaying and they don't know to brake or how to brake. My wife can drive my rig without any special instructions....

Construction note: BE SURE the tongue on your new tandem trailer comes all the way around and under the frame of the bed at least back as far as the front tire. A lot of trailer builders take short cuts here by only extending the tongue to the first cross brace for the bed. This will create a weak spot and flex point just under the place where the second heaviest part of your tractor is setting on the bed. This practice appears to be widely used in the landscape industry where the heaviest thing on the trailer might be a walk behind or a ZTR, which is okay for these things, but not okay for a tractor. Trailer's using this construction feature tend to fold up right here after a while. My trailer has 4" channel iron in the bed and the tongue and the tongue is seam welded to the bed frame back to the front axle.

Legal note: Federal Laws supersede State Laws on the same topic, including trailering. Either law really only comes in to play if you have an accident and somebody notices you have a trailer attached and they look under it for brakes to count how many were installed and were they in working order. Neither law applies to whether you can build and sell a trailer with or without brakes they are built and sold every day both ways, it only matters when something happens.

Someone said it earlier driving slow is a great idea.

Sounds like you are headed in the right direction, good luck, ric

[kingoflenthill]

I Trailer my 7500 fairly regularly. When I went looking for a trailer I would'nt settle for less than a 7000# trailer with dual axels and 4 wheel electric brakes which I bought from a reputable dealer.

And glad I am that I did. Just recently I was trailering my tractor on the buzzway when the front left wheel of the truck came off, RIM AND TIRE...BOTH!!!! I am convinced that the only reason I can write this now is that I had a trailer with independent brakes that kept my truck from going out of control, sort of like an anchor that kept the truck strait.
If you even think of trailering some 4000#, load make sure you have the equipment to do it. buy from the professionals, and take their advice!!

Craig

[cp1969]

Thanks, Rick.

Ohio is a bit far for me to travel to get a trailer, I live in Kansas, but thanks for the info anyway.

[RPM]

Finally stopped by my local Kubota dealer. He wants $2450 for a 16 foot Pequea trailer with dual axles, 7000lb capacity, 4' ramps, electric brakes on both axles.

It looked light-weight ... so I choked. I think I'll be looking for a custom built one if they are all that much.

Patrick

[Anonymous Poster]

Patrick,

Quality Farm & Family always have 7000lbs cap., 16' dual axle/electric brake trailers in stock...

Everyday price is $1695. {once in awhile they have a 10% off everything sale...} (Two years ago, they sold this same trailer for $1495.)