7,000# vs 10,000# trailer

[KeithInSpace]

And yes, I purchased my controller about 6 weeks ago from WHO OTHER than Southwest Wheel. Great folks.

[MrJimi]

Great !! now find and charge your camera for the great day
I know I will be doing all my shopping at Southwestwheel from now on
congrats on your purchase you got a great deal

[KeithInSpace]

Another update, if anyone cares.

Went to pick the trailer up today. Hooked it up, lights worked, but the brake controller showed an overload. Blown fuse in my truck. Replaced fuse, blew a different fuse. Replaced that fuse, but it still didn't work. Turned out that I had the controller wired incorrectly (white to white, blue to blue, but red to green (not red) and black to red (not black)...go figure).

Fixed that, but the controller still showed an overload. Hooked the trailer to the regional manager's truck and it didn't work on his either. Apparently, after sitting on the lot for 14 months with no use, the brakes got grouchy.

He drove it around the block and the brakes started getting better, but still only worked 50% of the time. So I called it off. Can't have a trailer with question marks.

So he offered a brand new, factory fresh, hot off the truck 7' x 20' 10,000# dovetail...same exact trailer...for $2,600...$100 more. I said yes. It will take about a week to get it here. I went ahead and ordered the WD hitch with it. He offered $270 + $50 installation. So the whole thing, soup to nuts, for under $3,000.

I went back and looked at the trailers at my first dealership...the place I bought my tractor and the place I looked at originally. THEIR 7' x 20' is built very differently. The steel is definitely a little heavier. Their prices are generally good and they are asking $3,395 for that trailer, plus $425 for a WD hitch with 1,200# (not 1,000#) bars for a total of $4,000 with tax. They are also asking $2,395 for a 7,000# 7' x 18' flatbed. Both have been at the dealership for about 6 months. And this place doesn't deal price since their posted prices are generally pretty good.

So I figure even IF the slightly smaller steel in the trailer amounts to any disadvantage I'm paying $200 for 2 more feet and a much heavier axle/tire set, even if the trailer steel itself isn't much heavier than the 7,000# trailer at the first place. That's still cool, right?

Money is tight, so I'm always second guessing myself. I've wanted this trailer for 2 years, but tax season has a way of taking it out of you. I'm just pulling the trigger so I stop thinking about it...

BRAND NEW (factory fresh) Leonard 7' x 20' wood deck dovetail folding ramp 10,000# trailer with 1,000# trunnion-bar style WD hitch/shank installed should arrive the end of next week for a grand total of just under $3,000.

Thanks again for all the input.

[KeithInSpace]

The drama continues. I'll start a new thread once I'm REALLY done with this purchase and take pictures of the WD hitch and such.

I picked the trailer up today. But while we were installing the WD hitch, we found that the handy little hooks for the safety chains were EXACTLY where the WD chain hooks want to be installed. They only had a Sawz-All and I didn't want to scar up the side of my new trailer, so I said I'd take it home and properly cut them off with my angle grinder.

Then we found that the shank was much too short, making the ball too high. My hitch is pretty high on my truck and I need another 4" of drop to get the ball where it should be. Ordered new shank...should be in on Wednesday.

THEN we found that the chains are too short when you're using the rather large WD setup. So I need to lengthen those, either by replacing or installing a few links. Haven't decided.

I pulled the WD hitch and brought it home on a regular bar/ball so I could fix the rest of the stuff.

On the upside, the Tekonsha P3 controller works GREAT. I'm not sure what an older controller feels like, but this one makes it feel like I don't even have a trailer mounted when braking. There's no jerk, no wierd drag, nothing. I actually had to make a quick stop on the way home and it felt wonderful. Better even than when I'm trailering my UNLOADED 5' x 10' single axle.

[FlaDon]

Some comments on this thread.
1.) Landscape trailers are not landscape trailers due to lack of dual brakes. Our 2007 6X16 has them on both axles. Only cheap trailers have singles on ones that size. And may be illegal in your state.
2.) Trailer weights listed for the steel decks seem low. Above 2007 trailer weighs 1980lbs as an example with a wood deck.
3.)Commercial vehicles 26001 or greater GCWR towing a 10001 or > GVWR trailer requires a Class A CDL.
4.) Commercial vehicle 26001 or greater GCWR towing a trailer under 10001 GVWR requires a Class B CDL.
5.) Some states define Commercial vehicle as any with a GVWR of 10001 or more and not recreational. CT is an example. Fed say 10001 or more in commerce crossing state lines requires DOT #. Once you fall in this requirement it also requires, Med Card, fire ext, warning triangles, log book if over a certain distance from home, and Comm insurance.
6.) Registering a vehicle under the manufacturer's rating is a Federal Violation. States will be getting caught on this and will themselves face loss of funding if they fail to comply. Florida and some other states require the title to register and the weights must be on there from the manufacturer. Some states won't register unless the trailer is weighed also.
7.) Towing a load over your GCWR will get you a fine if stopped. A 10000 pound trailer behind a 15000 GCWR vehicle with a 9600 GVWR will subject you to this.
8.) Intrastate Commercial in some states must comply with 5 above also if the GCWR exceeds 18001lbs.


Best thing to do is check your state laws. Mnay states changed their laws starting Jan 1, 2008 to comply with the Fed rules.

[hemiguy]

I have to admit I did not read this whole (long) thread, but will add my 2 cents. Just my opinion, but I personally think you are going way overkill on this trailer thing. I really don't think you need a 10k trailer and certainly not A WD hitch. Those guys with 5000 to 7000 lb tractors need a 10K and a 3/4t or 1 ton tow vehicle too. But you have a subcompact kubota, not a JD3520, MF 1540, or NH TC45D

I have a JD2520 TLB that weighs 4000lbs and it rides just fine on my 16', 7k, wood deck Topbrand trailer that cost $2200 new. It has 4 wheel brakes, weighs about 2k empty and I tow with a 1/2 ton Dodge PU with factory tow package. I could use another 2' in the length department but otherwise, no issues at all. This all seems pretty comparable to what you are trying to do. Most of what you "feel" when towing your tractor is really going to depend more on how you have the load positioned over the axles and how your brake controller is adjusted than what type of trailer you have.

If you plan on upgrading your equipment and/or tow vehicle soon then go ahead and spend more money, but I really don't think you need to. And by the way most 10k trailers are really 9990lb since 10k and up you technically need a CDL. And yes you can get a ticket if your trailer GVW rating exceeds your tow vehicle rating.

Again, just my opinions. Good luck .

[KeithInSpace]

The trailer has a registered capacity of 10,400# (shipping weight of 1,540#)vs. my truck's maximum tow capacity of 9,000#. This puts me at a small amount of risk should I get stopped, but the trailer does not present itself as a huge trailer. It really looks like a 7,000# trailer in nearly every regard except for 6 lugs vs. 5 lugs on the wheels and the sticker on the side.

Regarding the WD hitch, it is required by ford (according to the literature that came with my truck as well as current towing recommendations on their web site) to increase my towing capacity beyond 6,000#. Whether it is "necessary" or not, it is the safest way to maximize my towing capacity as required by the manufacturer.

I am not a commercial user and only see myself crossing state lines with my trailer in tow once every 3 years, if that.

Regarding the weight rating vs. price, I'll put it this way: I could have SPECIAL ORDERED a 7,000# 20' long trailer from Dealer A for $2,550. As it is, I BOUGHT a 10,000# 20' long trailer from Dealer B for $2,600.

Under this scenario, I paid NOTHING (well, $50) to get heavier brakes and axles if everything else stays equal. In my opinion, that equates to a safer trailer since my anticipated load stays the same...
Load A: my tractor and implements for a max of 4,000#
Load B: yard waste
Load C: sand, gravel, stone, or mulch...2 CY of sand/gravel is max 8,000#...2 pallats of stone is 6,000#.

Under any scenario, I was starting to tax a 7,000# trailer or taking twice as many trips.

Early in this thread, a 20' trailer was recommended to me over a 16' trailer. After putting my tractor on the rig for the first time this weekend, I agree. I would have been fairly limited by a 16' trailer...especially a dovetail...after the tractor with FEL and BH, box blade, and PHD are thrown on there.

All that said, I think I arrived at the only decision available to me to maximize cost, length, and safety. I bought two over-center binders and two 16' long Class 70 chains for starters. I'll probably get two more chains and two ratchet binders for my implements and call it a day. I'm mounting several 11,000# loops to the web of the side rail in the next few weeks and building stakesides somewhere in between.

The other bummer is I need to get a few more links in my safety chains, so I'm looking at a few options to ensure the weight rating is conformed with.

[Blk88GT]

Keith, it sounds like you're doing your homework and listening to those who have done it before. You will have many safe trailering miles ahead.

Sure you may not "need" all the stuff you got right now. But who's to say you won't, and how will you know? When something fails?

I'd sooner be prepared.

[KeithInSpace]

Update:

Added stakesides and tie-downs to trailer...see other thread.

Thought it more appropriate to discuss my DISSATISFACTION with certain elements of this trailer on this thread.

The place I bought from turned out to be a real DUD. Delivered without inspection and with a grouchy jack. Went back and complained about jack and told to "work with it for another month or two...It'll loosen up...". Ya, RIGHT. I'm going to TSC to buy another jack this afternoon.

When I picked it up, I got a pretty good shimmy at 60 MPH when un-loaded...wasn't as bad when loaded. I got it inspected today and told my place to balance all the tires.

Turns out that 3 of the 4 rims are BENT (not pretzels, but not true). I talked to Leonard, where I bought it, and they have to TALK TO CORPORATE because I've had the trailer for a month or so and I could have run it up on a bunch of curbs and potholes. If they were stand up about ANYTHING to this point, I'd feel differently. But based on everything that has happened to date, this is just another evasion tactic so they don't have to stand by their product.

My mechanic balanced the tires and thinks it will ride much better since they took a LOT of weight.

I talked to an RV rim guy and he says there is very little risk in the bent rims. It is just a comfort thing and since it is a trailer, most folks don't notice bent rims until the tires start wearing funny. And he said steel is much stronger than alloy.

So, I'm living with the rims and tires since I can't spring for a new set just for the heck of it right now. But by the end of the summer, I'll probably get a new set of rims and have radial tires installed (instead of the no-name bias ply tires that came with the trailer). It will run about $600 to do that, but I'll have a better trailer for it.

Went back and looked at the 'more expensive' trailer that I DIDN'T get in the first place...radial tires. In the end, the REAL price between the two are similar...I just got a bunch of cheap junk mounted to mine that, once replaced, will end up much like the more expensive trailer I should/would/could have gotten in the first place.

Oh well. I'm still happy with my trailer and can't question my decision. It could have gone well. Hindsight can be a real bear, though.