Confusing Trailer Specs

[Diamondpilot]

This is true 99.5% of the time but I have seen other combos so take it for what it is.

Most every 3.5K axle I have seen has 5 lugs on either a 4.5", 4.75", or 5.0" inch spacing. I have seen very few 6 lug with 5.5" spacing but they are out there.

Most every 5.2K and 6K axles have 6 lugs in a standard 6 lug on 5.5" spacing. There may be others out there but I have never seen them.

Every 7K axle I have seen is 8 lug on 6.5" spacing. Again there may be others out there but I have never seen them.

Chris

 

[FlaDon]

Optimistic? Naaahh....I think shady is a better word.

I've seen a lot of that in the trailer world, nonconforming lights as required by federal regs, tires that are under axle capacity and claimed trailer capacity etc.

I even have a 7k rated car trailer that had a 5k rated coupler on it. Called the manufacturer who stated "oh it is ok, don't worry". I asked what they would tell the jury if the coupler broke and the loose trailer killed a family. They later sent a guy to the dealer who cut off and welded new couplers on ALL their in stock trailers and mine. The same company also did not bother to put the legally required clearance lights on trailers over 80" wide...

Then my dump trailer (different manufacturer) rated at 14k gross was found to have tires totaling 12k on it...they sent me replacement wheels/tires, claimed it was an error on MY trailer. Well several months later I was at their factory and observed all the brand new 14k trailers going out with- yes- 12k worth of tires...

So I for one would be sceptical of ALL trailer specs without verifying the real deal...one just can't trust the manufacturer IMO.

Dealer bought a new Big Tex a couple years ago. Tires were underrated for the trailer.

 

[Renze]

Hmm... There seems to be a lot to do for the DOT...

At my former employer, we were once called by a DOT (dutch version of it) inspector that was doing the annual safety inspection in a trailer, he told us we sold a trailer with underrated tires. It was tagged for 2x 3500kg but the tires were rated for 3400. We copied a section of the law book that explained, that tires should be rated for the homologated axle load of the trailer, at the construction speed of the vehicle.
We explained him with a tire manufacturers list, that a 195/65R16 tire with 3400kg at 160kmh speed rating, was allowed a 5% increase of load rating at 100km/h. In Holland you're not allowed to pull trailers over 90km/h so the construction speed is 90km/h.
105% of 3400kg is 3570kg, so the tires were sufficient for the trailer rating.

Mostly the inspectors dont go that deep, they dont do their homework well enough to look into this matter. However it surprises me that especially in lawsuit USA, trailer manufacturers run the risk of a lawsuit claim by using a coupler that is only a couple of bucks cheaper....

 

[Soundguy]

Optimistic? Naaahh....I think shady is a better word.

I've seen a lot of that in the trailer world, nonconforming lights as required by federal regs, tires that are under axle capacity and claimed trailer capacity etc.

.

ditto that. I bought a new horse trailer that had lower rated tires on it that what the trailer was rated for. ( were not even trailer tires but "P" series car tires.. go figure... new trailer too...

soundguy

 

[MrMiller]

I was just reading this thread and realized that some manufacturers might also assume that the trailers hauling capacity does not include the weight of the axles and the tires. After all the axle load (you would think) does not include its own weight and the tires are sitting on the ground. This could explain how some get such higher numbers out of their trailers.

Thanks for the thread it was a good read and now I see how my 2995lb rated PJ trailer that weighs 1000lbs (measured it) could have a net capacity of 2295lbs. I scratched my head at the spec plate on the trailer until I read this post ;-)

Cheers,
S.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I was just reading this thread and realized that some manufacturers might also assume that the trailers hauling capacity does not include the weight of the axles and the tires. After all the axle load (you would think) does not include its own weight and the tires are sitting on the ground. This could explain how some get such higher numbers out of their trailers.

Thanks for the thread it was a good read and now I see how my 2995lb rated PJ trailer that weighs 1000lbs (measured it) could have a net capacity of 2295lbs. I scratched my head at the spec plate on the trailer until I read this post ;-)

Cheers,
S.

In general terms most trailer manufactures take the total load capacity of the trailers axles, say its two 3,500# axles, then subtract the empty weigh of the trailer, say its 1,700#, and that leaves you the load carrying capacity. So if it was a trailer with 7,000# total axles you would be left with 5,300# of load carrying capacity. Some play with the numbers and allow 10% to 20% for the tongue weight but thats splitting hairs.

Chris

 

[Verticaltrx]

I realize this thread is a couple months old, but I just found it so I thought I would throw in my $.02 worth.

Hudson makes top quality trailers, I don't know how many of the people posting in this thread have ever used one or even seen one, but they are quite popular around here. I won't comment on their angle iron trailers or some of their other cheaper ones, (since I have never used either) but their equipment trailers will definitely haul what they say they will. They are definitely a stout trailer, not some of this mass produced crap like you find at TSC, etc.

Also, if you will notice almost all of their equipment trailers are available with a lunette eye, so all of the worries about tongue weight go out the window in that equation. Hook one of their 5-ton equipment trailers up to a 2-ton truck with a pintle hitch and hauling 5-tons on the trailer shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Builder]

The simple fact is that the trailer construction is much more important than how the mfg. rates the GVW, and it is always up to the individual to not exceed the capacities of the trailer axles, hitch, and tow vehicle.

BTW: That goes for trucks, too.