Trailer loading plan..

[sandman2234]

I am a professional driver (which doesn't mean squat!!). However, the "over 4 million miles" behind the steering wheel in a rig does...as it means I have seen a lot of you folks in ditches, in wrecks or with blown tires sitting on the shoulder. I have even stopped to help a few, before electronic logs became an issue. Plus in my spare time I have been known to haul a thing or two.
SOME OF YOU SCARE ME WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!
When did the length of a trailer determine its capacity?
When did straps properly installed become our worst enemy?
When did loaded tires change a trailer capacity rating?
My thoughts...NEVER buy a trailer to load it anywhere close to its rated capacity, As many people learn, tires supplied with new trailers are not rated high enough to be able to handle max loads after several years. (I just replaced 4 on a 5 year old trailer that only had 1000 miles on them. I went up to the highest weight rating I could get on that size tire (which was not enough in my thoughts!) I knew I was going to be close to max weight for 350 miles and didn't have time for blowouts!
Keep a close eye on your tire pressures, it matters!
David from jax

 

[LD1]

I am a professional driver (which doesn't mean squat!!). However, the "over 4 million miles" behind the steering wheel in a rig does...as it means I have seen a lot of you folks in ditches, in wrecks or with blown tires sitting on the shoulder. I have even stopped to help a few, before electronic logs became an issue. Plus in my spare time I have been known to haul a thing or two.
SOME OF YOU SCARE ME WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS!!!
When did the length of a trailer determine its capacity?
When did straps properly installed become our worst enemy?
When did loaded tires change a trailer capacity rating?
My thoughts...NEVER buy a trailer to load it anywhere close to its rated capacity, As many people learn, tires supplied with new trailers are not rated high enough to be able to handle max loads after several years. (I just replaced 4 on a 5 year old trailer that only had 1000 miles on them. I went up to the highest weight rating I could get on that size tire (which was not enough in my thoughts!) I knew I was going to be close to max weight for 350 miles and didn't have time for blowouts!
Keep a close eye on your tire pressures, it matters!
David from jax

Mostly good advice.

I too don't understand the length effecting the weight rating of the trailer. Payload capacity less....maybe. assuming trailer is of similar build longer is heavier.

Also don't understand the haste against straps. Straps and chains are BOTH rated for a certain weight. And you can size appropriately for either, or undersize for either. I'd rather have an appropriately rated strap vs undersized chain. And the law would also agree.

The notion of loaded tires I mention. No it doesn't change a trailers rating.....but loaded tractor tires is more payload.

The OP mentioned a L3400 with loader, bushhog, and box blade.....AND loaded tires.....and making a big assumption that all of that is under 5k pounds and has a trailer with a 6k payload.

The bare tractor is 2600, the loader is 895, the bucket is 260. If the tires are r4 and filled with rimguard, that's 310 per tire.

So we are now at 4375 pounds.

A rotary cutter can be anywhere from 600-1000 pounds. And a box blade can be 500+.

Not knowing the weight of the bushhog and box blade.....I think the OP is ALOT closer to his 6000lb capacity than he realizes. And on such a small trailer....no room to adjust load for balance. Not a good combo of you ask me.

If I had to haul a 5500-6000# load regularly, I'd want a trailer that I wouldn't be maxing out on

 

[LD1]

And every since I have replied to this thread, I am getting ads on FB for weight safe hitches

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[sandman2234]

And every since I have replied to this thread, I am getting ads on FB for weight safe...

You ought to Google something and then go check your F/B page! You will have ads about whatever you searched for!
David from jax

 

[sandman2234]

Mostly good advice.

I too don't understand the length effecting the weight rating of the trailer. Payload capacity less....maybe. assuming trailer is of similar build longer is heavier.

Also don't understand the haste against straps. Straps and chains are BOTH rated for a certain weight. And you can size appropriately for either, or undersize for either. I'd rather have an appropriately rated strap vs undersized chain. And the law would also agree.

The notion of loaded tires I mention. No it doesn't change a trailers rating.....but loaded tractor tires is more payload.

The OP mentioned a L3400 with loader, bushhog, and box blade.....AND loaded tires.....and making a big assumption that all of that is under 5k pounds and has a trailer with a 6k payload.

The bare tractor is 2600, the loader is 895, the bucket is 260. If the tires are r4 and filled with rimguard, that's 310 per tire.

So we are now at 4375 pounds.

A rotary cutter can be anywhere from 600-1000 pounds. And a box blade can be 500+.

Not knowing the weight of the bushhog and box blade.....I think the OP is ALOT closer to his 6000lb capacity than he realizes. And on such a small trailer....no room to adjust load for balance. Not a good combo of you ask me.

If I had to haul a 5500-6000# load regularly, I'd want a trailer that I wouldn't be maxing out on

I am definitely in agreement that the O/P is pushing his luck, and maybe even safety! His having space issues for parking and restrictions for hauling the load do not mean he can safely do it with less than is required.
One way to fix this issue would be to add a third axle with brakes to the short trailer, but seldom do people think this way, because it takes horsepower to turn 3 axles and the wear on tires during a turn is huge. However, extra expense to haul too much is going to be paid somehow, either in extra trips or loss of safety. Overloaded tires get a relief with a 3rd axle, brakes work better with less heat buildup, load distribution is easier to figure with more weight being able to be put further towards the re a r of the trailer.
And yet nobody suggests this...why?
David from jax

 

[JWR]

You did not read my follow up post

If you mean post #18, that did not clarify nor rescind the very bad advice. You said you "have some tongue weight" and use the straps to make sure things are well balanced. Whatever you may be using the cloth strap for, if it just touches the ground before loading, as you said, then it needs to be bent onto the ground and showing a few inches of drop of the rear of the truck/hitch once you are loaded. Otherwise you do not have an adequate amount of tongue weight. "Correct" and best tongue weight is intentional imbalance, not balance. As another poster said quite well, needs to be by about 10 to 15% of the load which is the amount of imbalance.

 

[Jchonline]

Yes. The dealer for the trailer and I are good friends… we talked at length and then measured and I think this will work…

With the bush hog sitting all the way forward, and the tractor driven up on the trailer so the loader is OVER the bushhog, with the loader down resting on a platform over the bushhog, the rear tires of the tractor will be between the axles on the trailer.. actually leaving about 2 ft to the ramps…

Are your rear tires loaded?

Do you have a spec sheet on the trailer?

 

[dullpain]

4 meters or 13 ft.

Hooey on all you naysayers / safety police
what radar tech and ptsg suggest are perfectly safe with attention given to load distribution

 

[sandman2234]

Hooey on all you naysayers / safety police
what radar tech and ptsg suggest are perfectly safe with attention given to load distribution

I am glad you think so...
O/P suggested load was about 80% of rated capacity of trailer, with an extremely small allowable room for adjustment of his weight should the trailer have a tendency to be rear heavy.
There are several factors that are not available to anyone except the O/P which would make enough difference, but his post suggested he was looking for our opinions, which is what we gave. Have you ever blown a rear tire on a short, heavily laden dual axle trailer? When the front axle becomes the only weight bearing axle, and it was already at 80% of max, there is likely to be a huge problem if he is moving over 40-50mph.
Just my opinion, as was yours.
David from jax

 

[Tractorable]

I’ve read enough of y’all’s comments over the years that I bought a 24ft 14K equipment trailer to haul my 3200lb vehicle. Overkill, but it’ll cover the bases for all my potential future hauling needs.