L3800 bota and trailer size...

[ForPetesSakeFarm]

Hey guys, wondering if anyone has any advice. Looking at an 18 foot equipment hauler for trailering an L3800 w loader and tiller. Will 18 foot suffice? Also 10k rating. Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[deezler]

Hey, no good answer, sorry, but I have the same question. I was hoping to get a 16' trailer, with 2 3500 lb axles, and tow behind an F-150. Risky biz? Or doable for shorter, slower trips.....?

The 3800 is only, what, 2600 lbs? Still under 4000 with loader and an implement.

 

[nelsond7004]

Personally from what I know, I would opt to get the 10k trailer. It's better to error on the heavy side on trailers than too light. Always room for growth. Just like most people wish they had a bigger more powerful tractor rather than a smaller one. :laughing: A F-150 can still manage a 10K trailer depending on terrain, engine, trailer brakes, etc.

I currently have a 16ft P&T trailer that has two 3500 lb axles. Most people forget to subtract the trailer weight from the gross rating. My trailer weighs 1600 pounds empty. So to be safe I can only carry 5400 lbs. When I bought the trailer, I didn't plan on getting a tractor so soon; therefore I feel I am close to being "under-trailered."

I ended up getting a Mahindra 2816 with a FEL, backhoe, and rear loaded tires. I am well up into the 4K range. The 2816 stripped is 2305 pounds, FEL weighs in around ~750, and the backhoe is 1250 pounds. I am not sure what the loaded tires weigh, but I would say a couple hunderd pounds a piece. My trailer handles the Mahindra well and I don't see any signs of stress, but sometimes the trailer will flex slightly.

I will say that 16ft trailer with my backhoe attached is too short. I would opt for the 18 foot trailer if I was doing this again or were in your shoes. My buddy just bought a new L3800, so I know the tractor you are talking about. With the FEL attached it is much longer than my Mahindra.

In any case I would definitely recommend trailer brakes. It will save your truck brakes, not to mention your sanity when going down steep grades.

 

[ForPetesSakeFarm]

Nelsond7004,
Thanks for your input! I agree on the trailer brakes as well. My 3500 dodge with the cummins has the engine brake as well so slowing the rig down shouldn't be much a problem. I am tending to think That the 18 seems to be a very nicely compatible sized trailer for the small to mid CUTS. It will also be more than enough for my mule, 4 wheeler and zero turn mower. I think I might make the trip down to Kaufman trailers in nc here soon!

 

[s219]

See if you can work out the overall length of the tractor and implements, and make sure you can position the seat of the tractor roughly over the axles with 2 feet in either direction to spare. That will give you enough margin to get proper tongue weight. If the trailer has a dovetail, then you'll lose the back 2' of length in some cases (depends on the implements and if they can be blocked up).

For my B2920 with FEL and box blade, I needed 16 feet of flat deck to have enough room to balance the load.

 

[Tomtint]

I just got back from picking up a 20 Ft tilt 10K GVW trailer. My other trailer is a 18 ft beavertail with drop down ramps, The ramps are no good if I have the BH on because the angle is to steep and the hoe hits the ground going up forward or the trailer if I back up. 10K GVW is fine. 18 is ok as well but the 20 gives you a bit of extra space for whatever else comes along. My tractor is a L3700SU

 

[jeffsw6]

Hey, no good answer, sorry, but I have the same question. I was hoping to get a 16' trailer, with 2 3500 lb axles, and tow behind an F-150. Risky biz? Or doable for shorter, slower trips.....?

Your F150 should be fine with that as long as the load is balanced on the trailer so your tongue weight is right. A longer trailer makes this easier. Check the rating of your hitch receiver, though, and upgrade it if necessary.

Depending on what gears you have it may not be any fun to tow that on the highway across hilly terrain, but unless you need to make 65 MPH up hills in traffic, you'll be fine.

 

[unfinished]

I have L3700su (nearly same tractor). Tires are not filled. I get by with a 2000 silverado 1500 4x4 3.73 gears and a 16 ft 7k utility trailer with a gate. I tow 200 miles, once a month during brush hogging season. I leave the brush hog at the site, so 16' is just enough to position the tractor and loader. But if I take an implement then it goes in the front of the trailer under the loader bucket, not a whole lot of room to work with. I also use a weight distributing hitch that helps keep everything level. Truck could use a little more power in the hills, but really for amount of towing i do it is fine. I get 10.5-12.5mpg towing. Id like a 3/4 ton at some point for a stiffer suspension and deeper gears. 18 foot is fine, especially without a gate. 10k is nice but 7k is sufficient for me.

 

[bulldog69]

Hey, no good answer, sorry, but I have the same question. I was hoping to get a 16' trailer, with 2 3500 lb axles, and tow behind an F-150. Risky biz? Or doable for shorter, slower trips.....?

The 3800 is only, what, 2600 lbs? Still under 4000 with loader and an implement.

I'm leaning toward risky biz.

Add a loader and your around 3600 - 3800 lbs. 400 - 500 for tiller and your at 4000 - 4300 lbs. Canopy, + 100 lbs just to be safe so now at 4100 - 4400 lbs. Maybe you need to get to a job and take the above plus your box scrape and forks. now your at 4900 - 5300 lbs. Your 7k trailer weighs 2k empty which leaves 5k payload. Now you're either right to the max or just a little beyond. It's not a good feeling to be loaded to the max and watch the tires bow in and out every time you make a slow turn because your axles are bending.
Yes, I had a job for a older lady where I needed my tiller, box scrape, landscape rake, seed spreader, bucket and forks at the same location and to top it off I was almost a hr away from home. Seeder in the back of the truck, box scrape loaded on the front of the trailer, forks from the side, landscape rake strapped to the bucket, tiller hooked to the tractor, then parked the tractor with a front tire on one fork to hold them in place and away we went. I figure it was a easy 6k load. Rare, yes but it does happen from time to time.

My opinion, don't settle for a 7k, 16' trailer and be borderline of overload every time you hit the road. With a L 3800 it would be very easy to max out a 7k trailer. I have a L 3000 DT and with loader and BH it weighs 5200 lbs. Spend a few extra bucks one time and get a heavier trailer. You will thank yourself in the long run.

 

[dstig1]

A similar set up to mine. I have a 10k 16'. You need 10k to stay within the load limits, especially if you load the rear tires (which you should with a loader). But 16' is too short. I have made it work, but I don't have anything long on the 3pt - just a skidding winch that only sticks out a few inches. I have to position it perfectly to fit. 18' would be better, but 20-22' would probably be the right range, especially if you ever end up with w brush hog on the 3pt. The only downside to longer trailers is maneuverability as the cost increment is not huge.

Mine totals out at probably 8500 lbs with trailer and the tractor/loader/winch. Well over a 7k trailer limit.

I would say 10k and 18' or 20'. Longer the better, especially if you plan to use it a lot.