Trailer Advice

[Foozle]

I am looking to haul my Kubota L5740 and need some advice on the right trailer to get (and a bonus would be advice on the vehicle as well since I need a new one of those also). My tractor fully loaded with the heaviest attachment (backhoe) would be roughly 7,000 pounds. The length with the longest two attachments (forklift and backhoe) is roughly 24'. I was thinking about a 24', 10,000 lb capacity trailer, but on the length, I didn't know whether I could go a bit shorter and have the backhoe and/or forks overhang a bit and whether that was wise. I'm guessing not, but I wouldn't often be towing with both forklift and backhoe attached, so didn't want to go crazy on the length if not absolutely needed. I'm looking at PJ trailers, but am open to advice since would be my first trailer buy.

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

 

[Deere Dude]

Don't forget the weight of the trailer when estimating carrying weight. A trailer like that would weigh in at 5,000# probably. If the trailer is rated for 10,000 that is including the weight of the trailer and tractor on a scale. So a 7k tractor would be to much.

For instance, I have a 16k# PJ and love it but load capacity is probably 10K because that is what the wheels, tires and axles are rated for. The trailer weighs 6,000#. My guess for you would be a 14,000# capacity trailer.

Generally 3/4 ton diesels will pull it easy with 3.73 axles. Unless you get an old one, then I don't know.

 

[George2615]

Agree with DD not to forget the trailer weight when figuring actual load. I have a PJ 22' tilt bed rated for 14K. The trailer alone weighs just under 4K so I figure with an actual load of 10K I'll be good. I'd suspect a 10K trailer would weigh at least 3K limiting your actual load to 7K. A 24' length will probably work for you but I'd up it to a 12-14K trailer for the extra margin of safety.

 

[Foozle]

I didn't realize they included the weight of the trailer in the capacity, but I guess it makes sense. Thanks for pointing out! Sounds like a 24', 14,000# capacity would be the way to go. A friend of mine just happens to have exactly that and has agreed to bring it by tomorrow so I can't see how my equipment looks on his trailer.

Regarding the vehicle, at least for Chevy, they list the following on their web site regarding towing capacity for the Silverado 2500 (3/4 ton):

Max Conventional Trailering, 3.73 Rear Axle †9800 lbs
Max Conventional Trailering, 4.10 Rear Axle †13000 lbs

Looking at the PJ website, a 24' trailer would be in the neighborhood of 4,000-5,000 lbs, so with my equipment being around 7,000 lbs, I'm wondering if that 9,800 lb max on the 3.73 would be an issue. There are also a lot of options on the trailers: 8" pro beam, 10" pro beam, 6" channel, etc. Is there a type of trailer in the PJ line that is best suited for what I'm proposing?

Thanks for the quick responses!

 

[Scook222]

If you will be towing the trailer 50 or more miles, I would go with a goose neck trailer instead of a bumper pull. It will pull a lot smoother than a bumper pull. If you have the room to keep the trailer at your house I would look at either a tilt bed or a trailer with a dove tail. Even though it will be more for the trailer, I would look at dual tandem trailers in that size too. Tandem axle trailers that are single wheel will handle the weight of the axles are weight rated enough, but to me the dual tandems pull a lot better and seem a lot more stable when loaded. As for the truck to pull it, if you are hauling the tractor on a regular basis like company work and in hilly terrain or on the interstate, I would look at a 1 ton dually. I know a lot of people that have worked out of state with 3/4 tons that were rated for their campers that didn’t quite have the stability compared to the 1 tons they upgraded to. You want a truck that’s going to have enough weight and towing capacity that doesn’t take forever to get up to speed and you won’t be able to stop in a hurry if you need to even with trailer brakes. If you are looking for more for taking the tractor to the camp of cabin a few times a year, the 3/4 ton with either with either gear ratio would be fine but I would go for the higher gear ratio.

 

[Wolfy]

I sometimes pull a Kubota L3710 with 9ft Woods backhoe, it weighs about 7,000 lbs and use a 3,000 lb Pequea trailer, thats 10,000lbs give or take. My F350 with 3.73s will pull it but its a serious workout. At work we have 4 Chevy 2500s with 6.0L and 3.73s, they dont tow great either, trust me get 4.10 or even better 4.30. You really cant apply this to the new diesels, many come with 3.15s or 3.31s, but their torque ouput allows such a high ratio.

 

[Motorboatin]

You will need the 14k trailer and I would go with the 4.10 gearing. Im not sure about the available trans in the new chevy but it probably has 8 or 10 gears in it. Highway speeds shouldnt be an issue

 

[Seven Gables]

I'd have to agree with the 14K trailer and the 4.10 axle if you want the tranny to last unless your going to tow it very seldom. Also you might consider the drop axle for easy loading and low COG always seemed safer to me (not as top heavy and more stable). I've got one and ground clearance hasn't been much issue but I don't know your terrain. B

 

[Deere Dude]

I am looking to haul my Kubota L5740 ...

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

I wouldn't worry to much about the gearing until I found the type truck and motor you need. For instance, I have an older GMC Dmax diesel dually with an 3.73 ratio. It has no problem pulling my 16k GN loaded to the max at interstate speeds and even getting up to speed quickly. For me a 4:10 would have been unnecessary.

 

[USMC2001PSD]

I am looking to haul my Kubota L5740 and need some advice on the right trailer to get (and a bonus would be advice on the vehicle as well since I need a new one of those also). My tractor fully loaded with the heaviest attachment (backhoe) would be roughly 7,000 pounds. The length with the longest two attachments (forklift and backhoe) is roughly 24'. I was thinking about a 24', 10,000 lb capacity trailer, but on the length, I didn't know whether I could go a bit shorter and have the backhoe and/or forks overhang a bit and whether that was wise. I'm guessing not, but I wouldn't often be towing with both forklift and backhoe attached, so didn't want to go crazy on the length if not absolutely needed. I'm looking at PJ trailers, but am open to advice since would be my first trailer buy.

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

It looks like you have already received some great advice, just thought I would share how my dad and I figured out a very similar situation last year. He has a Kubota MX5200 so it is dimensionally similar to your L5740. He wanted a trailer to be able to haul the MX5200 with FEL and a 7ft LandPride rotary cutter from North AL to mid GA about 350 miles reliably and safely. He already had a 2006 F250 diesel as the tow rig so we calculated off that platform. The truck is rated for a little over 15k lbs gooseneck towing.

Originally, we started looking at what size trailers local Kubota dealers were using for their MX packages (mostly 18-20ft conventional equipment trailers so attachments hang off the rear). We quickly discovered that almost none of them were adequate for transporting a tractor of that size with attachments long distance. They were targeted more towards the buyer that needed to take their tractor locally to their dealer, not long distance highway trips.

Adding up, we calculated that the MX5200 + FEL + rotary cutter weigh in at about 7k lbs so we knew weight wasn't going to be the issue with an F250 or trailer. The length however was the deciding factor on the trailer he ended up with. A 25 + 5ft dovetail gooseneck deckover with tandem single wheels ended up being the perfect size and weighs between 5-6k lbs. While a 20+5 would have fit the tractor and implements, it did not allow for any room for adjustment to add or subtract pin weight on the truck which was key with the 3/4 ton. With a total load of almost 13k lbs, the truck sits level with stock suspension and handled the 700 mile round trip no problem. I will try and find a picture of the setup but I hope this helps with your decision.