New "old" trailer- tri axle

[Kaliburz]

This weekend, I went and picked up an older equipment trailer that I won on auction. It is a 1972 Reid tri axle equipment trailer. The deck is 13 feet long with 4 foot long beaver and ramps. It was owned by the state Fish and Wildlife Dept. It has the 14.5 inch rimmed tires, similar to mobile home, but not. Capacity is 2780lbs each with 8-14.5 tire (2300 with 7-14.5) on a Dayton style wheel (aka California style 5 spoke). Looking at the axle and brake backing plate, they are indeed heavy axle (not mobile home axles)- it is a commercial trailer. I'm guessing based on the tire capacity, the trailer is at least 14,000 GVWR. If each axle is rated 6000lbs....

Towed it home using a friend's 2000 F250 PS diesel. It towed wonderfully down the freeway up to 75MPH, even pushing 80! (I wasn't driving). Only two hubs got 'warm' and I'll have to open them up and check the bearings. And other things.... electric brakes, but no break away safety system...

It's going to be a local haul with the occasional long haul trailer. I plan to tow it w/ a 1999 E350 extended Power Stroke van.

 

[Kaliburz]

With the trailer sitting empty, the front of the tongue doesn't even touch the ground. Enough weight on the back plus the tri-alxe set up keeps it off the ground just enough. It didn't even squat the pickup any.

But, the tongue weight may be an issue if I tow it with the van. I might change the pental hitch over to a HD 2 5/16" ball. That way, I can use a weight distributing hitch on the trailer and van. If that's not enough to keep it level, I can always put helpers on the van. But the way the trailer is set up, I'm sure I can keep most of the weight on the trailer.

Prior to purchasing this old trailer, I had to use a truck (which required a loading dock) or borrow a friends 'car' type trailer. The car type trailer had the bed between the axles, which limited the width of what could be hauled. With this trailer, a row crop tractor (w/ no duals) could be loaded.

By the time I get it transferred (tax/license), I'll prob. have $1200 into it. Not counting any repairs....

 

[DrRick]

john deere sold some equipment trailers with those axles and wheels in the 1960's. They were indeed commercial units and not trailer home axles. I have some old brochures somewhere that shows them. I have a triple axle belshe that looks similar, and I have to say I have never had a minutes trouble with it. I also have a triple low boy that is very wide w/steel bed that hauls my JD 410. It is rated for 20K.
enjoy your new find. I remember somewhwere that some tires were available with a large capacity in that size. May be wrong.
rick

 

[Gale Hawkins]

We picked up a shop built 6K tri axle trailer. On Ebay someone had 3100 pound rated 14.5 tires need for about $60. They were DOT tires but I do not think they make tires that are only MH rated. Our trailer is so heavy that with the 13,500 JD 310B backhoe we really to with new tires all around because these old trailer tires are "may pops" at best.

Not sure why you think a 6K rate axle under a mobile home are light duty axles. Your trailer is heavy built if it weights 8,000 empty.

 

[Kaliburz]

I have no idea what the 'curb' weight is on that baby. I guess I think 6K rated axles are "light" since I usually think about semi truck axles- 13K, 20K and 34K capacities....

My guess, if I have to guess, those axles are either 6 or 7K rated (each). I've seen those 3100lbs rated 14.5 you talk of on Ebay. If I had more time to do research, I would have bought some off Ebay instead of the local tire dealer! But I needed two spares to mount on there. I'll have the two we took off fixed (tube installed) and remount them. I'll keep the two 'new' 7-14.5 and one used I bought as spares. The tires that came on it are rated 2780lbs each- over 16K of capacity. If I went w/t he 3100lbs ones.....you're talking about 18K.

The I beam you see in the front goes ALL the way back. It IS the frame. I didn't measure, but it is at least a 6" I beam. Might even be an 8"....

 

[Gale Hawkins]

GVWR funtionally is more of a tire rating than an axle rating. Like with the 7x14.5 tires at 2300 pound rating at max pressure it gives you a load rating of 5600 pounds per axle.

Just as wild numbers say the trailer weighed 5600 one axle would carry the trailer weight and the other two would carry twice that in way of a load if the tires are not showing any damage or dry rot.

i have never seen a pintle hitch rated at any less than 5 ton and would expect that trailer to require a 10 ton version at least which would mean up to 4000 pounds of the payload can be carried by the rear axle of the towing vehicle so if you load it fully you will want at least a dually pulling it in order to say in control of that much trailer.

To say the least you got a lot of trailer for little money.

 

[Skyco]

The tongue looks really long and not made to the standard 50deg angle. I'm thinking the long tongue was to reach up under something like a dump truck maybe...

 

[brokenot]

Not sure why you think a 6K rate axle under a mobile home are light duty axles.

Because MH axles are specified as such by the manufacturers themselves. It's interesting that MH axle supporters find the installed tag with the 6K rating totally believable, but yet don't believe the rest of the tag with its listed limitations.

This trailer has the type of axles I was talking about in the MH axle thread. There are factory-built trailers out there that were made with these axles that take the rim-clamp MH-style wheels and tires.

They are much beefier than MH axles are, and the hubs are deeper and the bearings are larger. They are not described by either the axle manufacturer or trailer manufacturer as being "light duty" or "limited use".

You also won't find them everywhere for $50, (or free in many cases), so it's apples and oranges really....

 

[Gale Hawkins]

brokenot "assuming" you are correct why do we not see a performance difference reported by end users between a 6K and a 6K axle from these two different sources?

 

[tlbuser]

Because MH axles are specified as such by the manufacturers themselves. It's interesting that MH axle supporters find the installed tag with the 6K rating totally believable, but yet don't believe the rest of the tag with its listed limitations.

This trailer has the type of axles I was talking about in the MH axle thread. There are factory-built trailers out there that were made with these axles that take the rim-clamp MH-style wheels and tires.

They are much beefier than MH axles are, and the hubs are deeper and the bearings are larger. They are not described by either the axle manufacturer or trailer manufacturer as being "light duty" or "limited use".

You also won't find them everywhere for $50, (or free in many cases), so it's apples and oranges really....

Maybe it's because people call them MH axles or MH style, instead of using the term UTG axles and/or wheels. UTG (utility trailer grade). And, if they're Dexter brand, parts and retrofit kits are available.