Tilt Trailers - Questions

[Neophyte]

I'm thinking about purchasing a tilt trailer for my tractor and I have a few questions. Gooseneck is not an option in my case.

Question #1:
How do you determine the best length for your trailer? Do you simply measure the length of your tractor from the tip of the FEL bucket to the end of the longest implement? In my case, the longest implement would probably be the rotary cutter.

Question #2:
What makes for a better deck, wood or metal? What are the pros and cons of each? I'm leaning towards wood since it is less expensive, not as slippery when wet and can be replaced easily when it begins to fail.

Question #3:
Does anyone have input on these tilt trailers available on Ebay? I believe they are made or distributed by Sweet Rivers Farms.

eBay Motors: NEW 2006 18' Steel TILT DECK Trailer, Vettes, Mustangs (item 320026009428 end time Sep-15-06 20:25:23 PDT)

Car Trailer - Tilt Deck 1

They seem to use a manual hydraulic cylinder. I could probably live with this since I will be using the trailer pretty rarely. If I can't live with it, I imagine I could easily replace it with an electric or electric-over-hydraulic unit.

Question #4:
I believe they are selling a 16' Wood Deck Tilt Trailer for around $2200. Is this a good price for a tilt trailer?

Question #5:
I believe the trailer is rated at 7000 lbs GVW. Will this be enough for my JD 3320 with 300CX (73" Bucket) and implement? My tires are not loaded so I would guess the total weight for my setup should not exceed 5000 lbs.

Question #6:
Is there anything else I should be aware of when shopping for a trailer?

 

[StevenPaul]

My .02 cents worth,

shop around some more, I just came across this one because the couple was moving out of state and didn't want to take it with them. I did my research by calling the manufacturer direct and he said he'd pay me $4500 for it now if I brought it to Alabama, which is more than what the guy is asking for it. The manufacter rep was also super informative about this trailer. I guess my .02 cents is shop around, do the research, ask a lot of questions, then bite the bullet and get one. We are like you in a sense that we probably won't use it that much but one thing I've found out living on a farm or in the country, somebody always needs the use of a trailer. Plus we bought more than we probably needed for the simple fact of using it as a multi-purpose trailer, ya know, hauling multiple hay bales, putting my drum set on it and rockin out, carrying various vehicles on it, carrying materials and tools as needed for those specific projects on the North 40, etc...

don't know if this helps but I just think you can find a better deal on a used one.

Steve

 

[mchasal]

Personally, I don't see the advantage of a tilt deck for a tractor. For things that have low ground clearance like mowers, rollers, and sports cars they make sense, but your tractor will have no problem climbing the ramps on the back. A flat deck trailer usually tends to be lighter than a comparable tilt deck, so your giving up more of your weight to the trailer, remember the rating includes the weight of the trailer itself. If you plan to use it for other things though, a tilt deck may be a good choice.

I agree with a wood deck, less slippery and you don't scratch the paint up when you forget to raise that box blade before you move.

Length is tricky. You not only need the length to hold the implements/tractor, but a longer trailer gives you more room to adjust the weight balance of the trailer. If you just barely fit you may only have 1 place you can put the tractor and no option to adjust the toungue weight by moving it around.

The price actually sounds pretty good, that's a little lower than what I was seeing for 7k flat deck trailers, but that's at my local places here in NY, so no shipping involved. Keep in mind that 7k trailers tend to be build much less heavily than the higher rated ones. They are primarly marketed as car haulers so aren't built as well as the equipment haulers.

I ended up finding a used 10k 18' equipment trailer for my tractor, which I think is lighter than yours. I paid $1500. I feel good that I'm really not pushing the trailer at all when I load it up.

Mike

 

[Highbeam]

1) That's a great start. Add a couple of feet more to allow for adjustment of load.
2) Wood. But be sure the trailer maker doesn't weld the boards into place with a captive piece of steel. I saw this when I was looking, it was done so they didn't need to put in screws but made board replacement a metal working operation.
3) I do not know the brand. Be leary of the cheapest car hauler you can find. I found some bad examples of workmanship and paint. A few hundred more gets you a much better trailer. Name brands like Big Tex or PJ trailers (mine) are a good bet. I like my dovetail & ramp trailer just fine, tilt adds complexity and takes away some stiffness.
4) Is that a good price? Depends on what they are selling. A pile of junk with shiny paint or a used but high quality trailer. The price is in line with what I saw one year ago when I bought mine for cheap trailers.
5) The trailer to haul a 5000 lb tractor needs to be rated higher than 7000. My 10k rated trailer weighs 2500 lbs empty.
6) Yes. Check for paint underneath as lots of makers don't paint it all. Check for good tires with weight ratings high enough to handle the loads. Check for proper lighting. Check for an adequate ball hitch. Know you'll need to buy a spare trailer wheel and tire.

Be sure to look at the "good" brands to see what the cheap brands have skimped on. In my experience it is night and day and well worth the few hundred bucks for a quality trailer.

 

[George2615]

I believe one should buy more trailer than you need. I'll try to answer your questions since I have a tilt bed trailer. Mine is made by H&H trailer and is a 20' x 82" between the fenders. I bought it for multi use since I haul cars and trucks as well as my tractor and a narrow equipment trailer wasn't wide enough for a full size vehicle.

1) for length put your longest attachment on the tractor and take a tape measure from front of bucket to back of attachment. That will be your minimum length. Are you ever going to bring an extra attachment going to a job. If so you'll need additional trailer space to put it.

2) I prefer wood decks. I think they would be cheaper to replace than a metal deck down the road. Just my opinion.

3) Looked at trailer on E-bay but don't know if its a brand name or not not what the reserve price is so I won't comment.

4) A 16' wood deck tilt bed for $2200 may be a good price but does that price include brakes on both axles, D-rings for tie downs, spare tire and mount for same, etc. some trailers are listed as a basic trailer and you may need options that can add up.

5) Weight - You mention your JD3320 will weigh in about 5000#. For any trailer you must deduct the actual weight of the trailer from the advertised rating. for example if a 7K trailer weighs 2300# deduct that from the 7K rating only leaves you a trailer that can carry 4700#. Trailer weights vary by mfg. and type of material. You may need a 10K rated to haul 5000# or more. My 20' tiltbed weighs 2300# and very rare that I haul anything over 4700#. If I need to I use my 12K Appalachian gooseneck.

6) Check underneath for paint or undercoat on the frame. H&H undercoats all their trailer frames.

Lastly, do you really need a tilt bed? A good dovetail trailer will usually be cheaper in price than a tilt bed. See Highbeams pic.

I know H&H trailer and Appalachian trailer as well as others sell tilt beds. Check them online. My Pics attached.

 

[StevenPaul]

Neophyte,

another .02 worth,

I'd go with what mchasal & Highbeam are suggesting, they obviously know a lot more about trailers than I do. But one thing I forogt to mention is that we also bought ours as an investment where we know we can sell it and make a few dollars off of it. I've already told the wife that if she didn't like the tilt style we'd sale or trade in a heartbeat for one that she is more comfortable with. Call me weird but since moving to the country and enjoying this farm life, I've started looking at everything we buy as an investment, something that holds and/or increases in value. Farm accessories, tools, machinery, and implements aren't cheap, at least the quality ones aren't. And all the auctions, yard sales, and the just stoppin' and askin' "is that for sale" I've been doing, I find that a high quality implement (or tractor sometimes) piles of rust can still hold a lot of value. And again as Highbeam mentioned, go over the trailer with very observing eyes. For the most part, qaulity ain't what it used to be, so be careful.

Steve....I got .96 cents left...

 

[StevenPaul]

sorry George2615, just saw your post, so what George2615 says too!

 

[Neophyte]

Thanks for the help guys. Lots of good information.

There are a couple of good size trailer distributors/manufacturers in my area that I have yet to check out. I will need to get some prices from those guys.

I'm not completely sold on a tilt bed and I'm still keeping my options open. I was pondering the tilt bed for other uses besides my tractor such as snowmobiles, vehicles, skid steers and mini excavators.

The more I think about it, I think I may want at least a 10k trailer. The skid steers I have access to are rated at around 6250 lbs. I could always borrow a larger trailer but it would be easier to use my own. One of the compact excavators weighs around 10,250 lbs, which is out of the question. The other one weighs around 6,500 or 7800 lbs, which should be OK on a 10k or 12k trailer.

 

[radman1]

Neophyte
Like others have said, get a trailer that is longer than you think you need. I have a 24' H&H electric tilt with 14,000 capacity. I have had 2 other utility trailers, one 16' 10,000# ridgecraft and one 20' 14,000# H&H both with foldable ramps. Also currently have a 32' titan gooseneck 25,000# with dovetail with pull out ramps and a 14' 14,000# titan dump tailer with pull out ramps. I definitely prefer the foldable ramps over the pull out ramps. Foldable ramps do limit you when loading by not allowing any overhang of load or implement at the end of the trailer. My favorite is the tilt bed which gets used the most.
There are a few downsides to a tilt trailer. 1. Small objects on the trailer need to be tied or tethered to the trailer when tilting trailer to load tractor because they will slide back. 2. The trailer needs to be hooked to the truck to tilt up. The front trailer jack will not keep the hitch high enough to allow the rear of the trailer to touch the ground. Thus can't load or unload without trailer on pickup. (Foldable ramps usually have a drop leg and will let you load and unload without attaching to pickup). 3. Cost more. 4. Wheels tend to be more centered on the trailer, and thus need to front load trailer more to get proper tongue weight. 5. Manual tilt may take more time to jack up than using pull out ramps or foldable ramps. (Electric tilt very fast). 6. With manual tilt, if your load is initially toward the rear, you can't lower the trailer to level. (Electric tilt does have power up and down and can pull trailer down.) 7. Cars or trucks may have a difficult time loading due to incline and not enough traction to get far enough up the trailer to lower. (unless have electric tilt).

Overall, the best bang for the buck is foldable ramps with drop leg which can be removed relatively easily if needed. For your equipment, I would recommend minimum 10,000 trailer, wood floor, 18-20' with 20' being my preference. A couple of extra feet is really cheap in the price of a trailer. Frame 6" thick and 3" channel iron (not angle iron) crossmembers every 16-18". My first 10,000# trailer had crossmembers every 24" which is way too far apart for loads like a tractor which can have a lot of weight on a small footprint. (My H&H tilt 14,000# trailer has 8" frame and crossmembers every 14".) Get plenty of stake pockets for tying down loads. In the heavier trailers, I prefer torsion axles instead of standard springs because they ride smoother with empty trailer.

 

[Neophyte]

I stopped by a trailer dealer the other day and took a look at some trailers. This particular dealer carried Hudson Bros. and Cam Superline trailers. Any opinions or comments on either of these brands?

Their 6-ton tilt trailers were around $5500-$5800. They had both the Split Deck Tilt and Full Tilt. Is there a big reason for one over the other? The sales guy said they offer the Split Deck because some people like a stationary platform. He said it also keeps the wheels set back for better loading.

CAM Superline 6-Ton 18' Split-Deck Tilt Trailer
CAM Superline 6-Ton 16' Full-Deck Tilt Trailer
Hudson HSLT18 6-Ton 18' Full-Deck Tilt Trailer

I also took a look at the Hudson Ramp Trailers. I looked at 3-1/2 to 5 ton trailers and they ranged in price from $3000-$3500. They had both the Beaver Tail type and Full Flatbed type. Again, is there a good reason to choose one over the other?

Hudson HBC10 5-Ton 16' Full Flatbed
Hudson HSL16 6-Ton 17' Beaver Tail
Hudson HSE18 4-Ton 18' Full Flatbed

In terms of ramp trailers, I'm currently leaning torwards low deck height type with full flatbed as opposed to deck-over with beaver tail. I guess these are commonly called skidsteer/tractor trailers.

I'm still not sure if it's worth the extra $2000 for the tilt trailer. At this point, I think I would only go with a tilt trailer if I could find a good deal at an auction or on a used one.