Ordered a Lamar equipment trailer yesterday

[RyeThomas]

Yep, you have to pay a fortune for the Aisin transmission to get the high ratings (odd the frame, brakes, are identical, interesting!?!). I don’t have that kind of cash just to bang on my chest and say 30k. Next issue is if your dragging 25-30k, I personally think you should have a much larger, heavier, commercial truck. But that’s my opinion

 

[Reb954]

Ok so I want to make sure we are all on the same page, I truly appreciate everyones opinion, thoughts and in-site. That said my truck is way overkill for what I haul (that is why I purchased it) , so for me and my set up alone it is all about being able to get some tongue weight. I think we all can agree tractors (especially with loaded tires) are heaviest over the rear tire area of the machine, add 6 foot Cutter and you have a lot of the weight out back. Now the issues is do I have a long enough trailer where I can have the loader up front and still have the tractor pulled forward enough to put a decent amount of pin weight on the truck vs having it on the trailer and it swaying.
I致e estimated my trailer at 3600lbs, tractor and loader at 5k, cutter at 1k, lets round up to 10k.
Ok well my toing rating on my truck per a dealer/Ram print out by my vin is 17.7k.
I think it痴 safe to say I have plenty of room for error.
My truck is fat, I see the Ew on my registration and I致e rolled her across the scale at the local dump and she痴 at 9600lbs with me, full fuel and tool box. Lol. So I get how off EW of vehicles can be.

First, you know the center of tractor weight will be in front of the center of the tractors rear axle, even with the implement on. How much in front is unknown at this point so do the following,

Measure from the front of the bucket to the center of the tractor back axle. Then measure from the front of the trailer deck to the center of the axles. If the trailer measurement is longer than the tractor measurement you are fine.

If the trailer measurement is a foot or two shorter than the tractor measurement, try rolling up the bucket to shorten the length of the tractor, like you were hauling with just the tip of the bucket blade touching the trailer, to see how short you can get it. If that measurement is less than the trailer measurement you are fine.

If the length of the tractor from the front of the rolled up bucket to the center of the rear axle is still longer than the previously taken trailer measurement then you need to determine where the tractors center of weight is. That can be done by measuring from the ground to the trailer tongue, then load the tractor onto the trailer. Move it forward until the tongue height is the same as it was before. Roughly, the center of tractor weight will be straight above the center of the trailer tires.

Clear as mud?

 

[RyeThomas]

Sounds like a plan, I’ll check it out and report back. Well once I get the trailer.
I never thought to measure the tongue before then after, that is absolutely a simple smart way to make sure it’s loaded right.

 

[fried1765]

Ok so I want to make sure we are all on the same page, I truly appreciate everyones opinion, thoughts and in-site. That said my truck is way overkill for what I haul (that is why I purchased it) , so for me and my set up alone it is all about being able to get some tongue weight. I think we all can agree tractors (especially with loaded tires) are heaviest over the rear tire area of the machine, add 6 foot Cutter and you have a lot of the weight out back. Now the issues is do I have a long enough trailer where I can have the loader up front and still have the tractor pulled forward enough to put a decent amount of pin weight on the truck vs having it on the trailer and it swaying.
I致e estimated my trailer at 3600lbs, tractor and loader at 5k, cutter at 1k, lets round up to 10k.
Ok well my toing rating on my truck per a dealer/Ram print out by my vin is 17.7k.
I think it痴 safe to say I have plenty of room for error.
My truck is fat, I see the Ew on my registration and I致e rolled her across the scale at the local dump and she痴 at 9600lbs with me, full fuel and tool box. Lol. So I get how off EW of vehicles can be.

You certainly should not have a weight distribution issue.
I have a trailer GVW of 12,000 lbs. using a 20' trailer. My hoe alone weighs 2500 lbs. and hangs over the trailer tail by 2'. You only have a 1000 lb. implement on the rear.
I have 1200 lbs tongue weight.
You should have enough tongue weight, even though your tractor is much lighter.
Rather than guessing about tongue weight though,..... there is a way to find out.

 

[RyeThomas]

Thanks Gents. Lots of food for thought.

 

[4570Man]

Yep, you have to pay a fortune for the Aisin transmission to get the high ratings (odd the frame, brakes, are identical, interesting!?!). I don’t have that kind of cash just to bang on my chest and say 30k. Next issue is if your dragging 25-30k, I personally think you should have a much larger, heavier, commercial truck. But that’s my opinion

I'd rather see 25k behind a 3500 DRW than 12k behind a new F-150.

 

[fried1765]

I'd rather see 25k behind a 3500 DRW than 12k behind a new F-150.

Interesting!
My son has an F-150- Ecoboost with an 11,000 lb. tow rating.
My 20' trailer weighs exactly 12,000 lbs., with my old Ford 3400 TLB aboard.
I would not even THINK about towing 11 or 12,000 lbs. with his F-150.

My 1997 K2500 Suburban 4x4, with 454-V8, tows the 12,000 lbs. nicely, though the loaded trailer weight does exceed the recommended towing weight for the old Suburban.
I use a 12,000 lb. Curt hitch (using 14,000 lb. Equal-i-zer weight distribution system), and 15,000 lb. ball.
I also have AirLift air bags (they are wonderful).
Sure: I would rather have a 1 ton dually, but it ain't gonna happen!
I only trailer my Ford 3400 TLB a couple times each year at most.
I am too old to change horses now. The 20 year old K2500 Suburban (cherry condition) is what I have....and it works for me!

 

[RyeThomas]

Those old Suburban K2500 are sweet, a bit thirsty but nice. Same goes for the old 7.3L Expedition. Really cool vehicles.

 

[RyeThomas]

Yeah I’m not sure how some of these 150/1500 are getting such high ratings. There is something to be said for just having a heavy tow vehicle, being pushed by a heavy trailer has to be a concern at some point.

 

[fried1765]

I tend to keep it simple. I measure the tongue height before loading the tractor. Drive the tractor on until the tongue is 1 to 2 inches lower. Chain down the load and drive.

The trailer should NOT be "1 to 2 inches lower" at the tongue.
The trailer should be LEVEL, and THEN it should also have a tongue weight of 9-15% of the gross load.
It is impossible to properly assess the tongue weight, by just measuring the tongue height above ground.