Pup trailers

[Hay Dude]

Have always been curious about them and what their advantages/disadvantages are. I was looking through CL while recovering from an injury the last week or 2 at home. Found a few for sale.
They are designed to place all their GVWR on their own axles independent of the truck and only rely on the power unit (truck, in this case) to pull them, air supply for brakes and electric for turn signals and the like. Also assume you need a doubles CDL to pull (possibly not for AG).
Anyway, thought it would be a 1/2 decent discussion while recovering. Thought about the good/bad of using one versus traditional hay trailer. It would be easier to unhook and leave where you want (as opposed to jacks)

2001 Galbreath Pup Trailer - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

2001 Galbreath roll off pup trailer - $10,000.00 GVWR, Tire size 255/70R225

allentown.craigslist.org

If Im not mistaken, could be a game changer for rear axle loading for the truck, since little extra weight placed on truck axle

 

[Hay Dude]

Lime spreaders use them as they can be detatched quickly on site for field liming
Very popular in my area and my Lime spreading company uses them.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I have nothing of consequence to add. But, my father-in-law and I rebuilt an old cotton wagon, lighter version of the same thing. We never got the wag out of it. Lots of linkages to get right.

 

[oliver1555]

You just need to be careful off road with a single axle dolly. When making a tight turn, if a rear tire hits a high spot, they’re pretty easy to turn over. A tandem axle dolly is more stable. But, if you’re careful, single axle dollies are fine. I’ve pulled both behind a belly dump.

 

[Gee Ray]

They are relatively heavy and short. They require a lot of practice to back. Cumbersome to hook up. And the air brakes would make them difficult to move with your tractors. Other then that they are perfect for the hay business.

 

[Hay Dude]

They are relatively heavy and short. They require a lot of practice to back. Cumbersome to hook up. And the air brakes would make them difficult to move with your tractors. Other then that they are perfect for the hay business.

I have air brakes on my larger tractor, but was thinking more about using behind an air brake truck for short hay hauls.
Could leave trailer easily at customers place or one of my farms, take loaded truck to another?
Also could use as hay carrier behind tractor?

 

[oldnslo]

They use them a lot out west are nick named wiggle wagons for a reason. Of course in Idaho they can pull triples so adds to the wiggle factor.

Like you have speculated pros and cons like any other piece of equipment.

 

[bcp]

One farm I worked used one behind large tractors as a utility trailer. No brakes or lights. No on-road except behind a tractor. All flat land.


Bruce

 

[MasseyFerg231]

I have nothing of consequence to add. But, my father-in-law and I rebuilt an old cotton wagon, lighter version of the same thing. We never got the wag out of it. Lots of linkages to get right.

Our neighbor growing up cut the expanded metal sides off two cotton wagons and used them for hauling round bales. I’m sure that with all of the cotton modules being used now you could find a cotton wagon for cheap.

 

[BravoXray]

You'd have to check on your state laws, but I think pulling a full trailer, as that would be classified, is no different from pulling a semi trailer, or one with a ball or pintle hitch.

 

[Aquamoose]

I was fortunate to find an ex military 1953 multi-purpose trailer that was rated for 6k lbs in a small footprint of only 4x10. Definitely beneficial as I can park & unhitch regardless of weight. Of course, backing one up is a new skill set I had to learn.

 

[4570Man]

I’d like to have one. My truck doesn’t have the power to pull one and the truck bed loaded with gravel but it would be nice for hauling brush or other light stuff. It would also be less theft prone than my other dump trailer for when it’s serving as a dumpster. The other idea I was thinking about was pulling one with a medium duty flatbed with side ramps on the bed so I could haul my skid steer or mini and a load behind the truck and dump without unhooking. The biggest downside I see is I don’t imagine a truck will handle one good if the truck is empty. I don’t see why you’d need a doubles endorsement since it’s not double.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

For gravel we used them all the time, increased our gross from 56,000 to 105,500 with a four axle pup. The hay haulers usually hauled doubles, that way they could break them up to get them into tight places

 

[4570Man]

For gravel we used them all the time, increased our gross from 56,000 to 105,500 with a four axle pup. The hay haulers usually hauled doubles, that way they could break them up to get them into tight places

Is 56 all you can run on a tri axel truck? Nobody runs them here. We can run 74k on a tri axel truck and only 80k on a combo so there’s no room left to use one.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Is 56 all you can run on a tri axel truck? Nobody runs them here. We can run 74k on a tri axel truck and only 80k on a combo so there’s no room left to use one.

Washington State abides by the Federal weight laws for all roads. 56K was for a 4 axle truck but 5 axle trucks are good for 62k. This particular truck pulls a three axle transfer trailer which is probably parked nearby. With 8 axles he is good for 105,500 also. Federal max on a tandem is 34,000 and on a single axle it was 20K. The singled out drop axles are good for 9K each, the super single on the steer is 18K.

 

[redman135]

Hay dude, the longer wheel base 2 axel trailers generally track better than a short wheelbase 2 axel traler.
The shorter the drawbar the harder they are to reverse. A 5' draw bar is diabolical compared to a 12' drawbar when reversing 2 trailers of the same wheel base.
A 4 axel trailer tracks better than a 3 axel trailer tracks better than a 2 axel trailer.
When you are on multi drop deliveries being able to drop the trailer is useful.

 

[Hay Dude]

this one has a long tongue

 

[QRTRHRS]

Having run doubles myself, your post has intrigued me about the endorsement requirements for a pup so I went poking around on the FMCSA website. Under 383.93 questions, I found the following,

"Question 13: Does a driver who operates a straight truck equipped with a pintle hook towing a full trailer (a semitrailer equipped with a converter dolly) need a doubles/triples endorsement on his or her (CDL)?


Guidance:

No. This combination is a truck-tractor towing a single trailer. This configuration does not require a driver to have a doubles/triples endorsement on a CDL."

So, you may be okay but I would still look check with PA.

Here in KY, I see sawdust (ie; lighter weight) haulers that pull gooseneck tandem dually dump trailers with a grain style dump. The ball is mounted at the rear of the truck frame rather than having it just forward of the rear axle. I have never looked up close at the setup nor spoken to one of these drivers.

Given the weights involved, I don't know if this setup would be an option or not?

 

[Hay Dude]

Does the PUP trailer I posted have a converter dolly? It appears to be a permanent front axle. Probably has no bearing on the question, just thinking out loud

 

[QRTRHRS]

I cannot tell for sure but you may be right. The fifth wheel on some dollies sit real high and would be obvious. Others, the trailer rides more level.