Truck & Trailer ideas to tow 14,000 and be under 26,000 pounds

[Rancher Ed]

Eddie,

I believe you will meet the requirements for an AG exemption which will give you a lot more truck choices. If you go this route I would recommend an F350 with the V10 engine or newer 6.2L V8, preferably with 4.10 or 4.30 gears, or a Chevy/GMC with the 6.0L or 8.1L v8, again with 4.10 or 4.30 gears preferred. I am less familiar with Dodge/Ram but believe that would also work. If you get a regular cab a 3/4 ton should give you sufficient payload but if you get an extended or crew cab I would recommend a 1 ton (SRW or DRW) for a higher GVWR and payload since your unloaded weight will be higher.

If you still want to stay under 26,000 pounds or for anyone else in this situation, most people are familiar with extended or crew cab pickups. Here are a few quick examples showing how a regular cab gas pickup could work:

• 2014 Ram 3500 SRW 4x4 with 5.7 V8 gas engine, unloaded weight is 6,350 pounds
• 2006 Dodge 2500 SRW 4x4 with 5.7 V8 gas engine, unloaded weight is 5,950 pounds
• 2014 GMC 3500 SRW 4x4 with 6.0 V8 gas engine, unloaded weight is 6,100 pounds
• 2006 GMC 3500 SRW 4x4 with 6.0 V8 gas engine, unloaded weight is 5,700 pounds
• 2014 Ford F350 SRW 4x4 with 6.2 V8 gas engine, unloaded weight is 6,350 pounds
• 2006 Ford F350 SRW 4x4 with 5.4 V8 gas engine, unloaded weight is 6,200 pounds - do not buy this - get the V10 which is 100 to 150 pounds heavier.

Trailer Examples:

• Big Tex 20' + 5' = 5,000 pounds
• Big Tex 25' + 5' = 5,450 pounds
• Texas Pride 20' = 4,700 pounds
• Diamond C 30' with a 12k winch & Battery = 5,850 pounds

To stay under 26,000 pounds you will have to be selective in what trailer you get but it is possible. Also, for example, you would not be able to have a toolbox in the bed of your truck with a few hundred pounds of tools, straps, etc. when hauling your 14k backhoe but you could have one while hauling your lighter tractors.

 

[EddieWalker]

Thank you for all the great advice. I'm months away from committing to anything, but I'm also trying to learn as much as I can before buying anything.

The only reason to buy the truck is to haul equipment and hay. Same with the trailer. Now that I've learned a little bit about Ag Exemptions for hauling stuff, I think that is my best option. Both properties are already Ag Exempt, so I have the numbers to use when buying a truck and trailer. I still might hire somebody to move the backhoe if I decide that I want to get it there before I buy anything. My biggest issue with that is that I'll want to keep it there longer and not have it here if I need it.

My plan is to start spraying Mesquite in the Spring, when the leaves are dark green, and supposedly the best time to kill them. After they die, I'll want the backhoe to take them out and get them to the burn pile. The 40 acres has been neglected for at least a decade, and the mesquite has really taken over.

Once I'm done with the mesquite, I can't think of any reason to bring the backhoe there again. Then it will be one of my tractors, depending on what I'm wanting to do there. I'm working on a five year plan, and everything I do there is secondary to what I need to do on my farm here, where I live. I'm hoping that I will be bailing hay in less then five years, but my past record of getting things done hasn't been very good so far.

When I get more serious on buying the truck, I'll start a thread on that. My current favorite is the Ram 3500 Dually from 2007 on. I'm not sure when they started using DEF, but the newer trucks definitely have a lot more power, and that's very appealing. I've always been a Ford guy, but they have so many issues with their diesels that I'm only nervous about anything older then 2015 or 2016, and I still want to avoid DEF if possible, so Ford might not be an option. I've never owned anything GM, but I'm not against them if I can find something decent.

I'm hesitant on buying a gas powered engine. I just don't see the numbers in the engines compared to diesel. For what I'm doing, I'm probably wrong on this and will keep looking at them. Diesel engines have more power, but I think that a gas engine will have less problems and be less expensive. Fuel costs seems to be the same, and for a truck that will just be going 62 miles each way, and sitting most of the time, gas might be worth considering?

 

[LJJunkmeister]

Being "ONEYED" prevents me from getting a CDL anywhere UNLESS I work for the county or State. I consider this wrong. 40 years ago I built my own trailer (6 Wheel/3 axle) to haul my 4500 ford hoe. Some time since then ,, I was told I can NOT have/get a GVW rating on a home built trailer. The main concern was that my tires were rated for the load I hauled. Right or wrong I can't say but Might be a legal loophole.

 

[LD1]

CAnt really add much other than its gonna be tough.

The backhoe requires MORE than a 14k trailer.......Need one with a pair of 8k axles minimum. Which usually have ~16k or 17k GVWR ratings.

That alone drops you out of a DRW truck and down to a 3/4ton or SRW 1-ton....which there isnt much difference between.

Said trailer on the light end is gonna be ~5000lb empty. add that to the 14.5k backhoe and it only leaves you with a truck weight of 6500#. And thats gonna drop you out of a diesel unless you get a stripped down 2wd version.

See its not just about the "ratings" in your case. ITs the actual weight that you are gonna have a hard time keeping under 26k

With modern trucks and GN trailers, the whole 26k thing is a crock of $hit and just a money grab. Its absolutely stupid that someone cant buy a 14k trailer and tow it behind a modern dually without being over. Yet the same trailer behind a 3/4-ton is perfectly fine.

But in your case.....I think non of this applies as others have mentioned. You are not commercial. You are personal/farm use. There fore commercial regulations do not apply.

Final note before you decide to drop coin on a trailer.....you have to decide between a deckover and an equipment trailer with the deck between the fenders. Have you ever tried to load your old ford hoe on a deckover trailer? Sometimes backhoes struggle as the swing post digs into the ground before the back tires get to the ramps. My old 5500 ford hoe would load on my GN no problems. But dads 4500 at the time would not for that reason. We had to lay out boards and block the ramps (effectively making the ramps about 2' longer) just to get it to load. It was a PITA.

So if you are considering a deckover trailer......if you know anyone that has a deckover.....ask them if they can bring it over just to see if its possible to load your machine on it and what kind of clearances you have

 

[LD1]

When I get more serious on buying the truck, I'll start a thread on that. My current favorite is the Ram 3500 Dually from 2007 on. I'm not sure when they started using DEF, but the newer trucks definitely have a lot more power, and that's very appealing. I've always been a Ford guy, but they have so many issues with their diesels that I'm only nervous about anything older then 2015 or 2016, and I still want to avoid DEF if possible, so Ford might not be an option. I've never owned anything GM, but I'm not against them if I can find something decent.

I'm hesitant on buying a gas powered engine. I just don't see the numbers in the engines compared to diesel. For what I'm doing, I'm probably wrong on this and will keep looking at them. Diesel engines have more power, but I think that a gas engine will have less problems and be less expensive. Fuel costs seems to be the same, and for a truck that will just be going 62 miles each way, and sitting most of the time, gas might be worth considering?

First year for DEF on the RAM's was 2012 in the cab'n'chassis trucks and 2013 on the p/u

If you are looking at the ram 3500's....IMO.....the single biggest thing to look for is one that has the aisin transmission

 

[EddieWalker]

First year for DEF on the RAM's was 2012 in the cab'n'chassis trucks and 2013 on the p/u

If you are looking at the ram 3500's....IMO.....the single biggest thing to look for is one that has the aisin transmission

What is the aisin transmission? Why is it better, or maybe I should ask, what are the other options to avoid?

 

[EddieWalker]

...

Final note before you decide to drop coin on a trailer.....you have to decide between a deckover and an equipment trailer with the deck between the fenders. Have you ever tried to load your old ford hoe on a deckover trailer? Sometimes backhoes struggle as the swing post digs into the ground before the back tires get to the ramps. My old 5500 ford hoe would load on my GN no problems. But dads 4500 at the time would not for that reason. We had to lay out boards and block the ramps (effectively making the ramps about 2' longer) just to get it to load. It was a PITA.

So if you are considering a deckover trailer......if you know anyone that has a deckover.....ask them if they can bring it over just to see if its possible to load your machine on it and what kind of clearances you have

I have never used a deckover trailer, but I have to admit that I'm not excited about going up and down those ramps. My first thought was that I'd get used to it. My other concern is hauling hay with them. I'm currently using a 16 foot bumper pull trailer with rails on the sides, and I like how secure the round bales are in it. Strapping a dozen round bales onto a deckover seems like a lot of work!!!

While wasting time on Facebook the other day, I saw this trailer that caught my eye. I'm not excited about 3 axles, but for just going 62 miles each way with very few turns, I think I can live with 3 axles. I like how low it is a lot!!! At 96 inches wide, I'm wondering if I can put two round bales between the rails? It's too short to haul my tractor and batwing at the same time, but I think that making two trips would be worth the time over buying a massive deckover that could handle them. Price is also a huge bonus. I saw them going for under $10,000 brand new on another thread from another company with the same trailer. I never heard of Tiger Trailers before, and I haven't seen one in person, but I think that it's worth looking at when I'm ready to buy.

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[4570Man]

A backhoe typically won’t fit between the fenders on a equipment trailer. You don’t have a lot of choice besides a deckover.

 

[LD1]

What is the aisin transmission? Why is it better, or maybe I should ask, what are the other options to avoid?

The aisin is the heavy duty transmission. Dodge automatic and the standard trans are the other two options.

The aisin is more akin to something like the allison behind the duramax.

Everyone knows dodge is not very highly regarded in terms of their automatics. So anyone wanting a truck for towing.....the cummins/aisin is about as good as you can get.

What the "actual" details are.....I dont know. Im not that "into" it. But i am sure google can turn up all sorts of useful information

 

[LD1]

A backhoe typically won’t fit between the fenders on a equipment trailer. You don’t have a lot of choice besides a deckover.

They are tight, but alot of the midsized hoes, like ford 555, case 580, deere 310, etc are right around 81-82" wide. Dont know about the newer ones.

Usually the choice was forced because most full-sized backhoes are too much for a 14k trailer. But 8k and 10k single axle trailers seem to becoming more and more popular.

Just know that you may either need to have longer ramps specifically made, or carry around blocking to be able to load and unload.

 

[4570Man]

They are tight, but alot of the midsized hoes, like ford 555, case 580, deere 310, etc are right around 81-82" wide. Dont know about the newer ones.

Usually the choice was forced because most full-sized backhoes are too much for a 14k trailer. But 8k and 10k single axle trailers seem to becoming more and more popular.

Just know that you may either need to have longer ramps specifically made, or carry around blocking to be able to load and unload.

My M59 was pretty tight between the fenders on my equipment trailer. The John Deere hoes have gotten bigger over the years. The 2011 310j Deere I had dwarfed the old backhoes. I never measured it but there wasn’t more than a couple inches difference in it and my deckover trailer width.

 

[oliver1555]

I know you’re talking about a backhoe, but this is my Oliver, which compares in size, but not weight. The deck on the trailer is 102” and the rear tires on the tractor are set at 96”. As far as loading, it’s not bad at all - just get lined up square and use lowest gear. Same unloading - low reverse gear and let it hold itself back. We hauled backhoes a lot when I worked in the oil patch, sometimes on a lowboy and sometimes on a gooseneck. One of the best things we did was get rid of the duals on the gooseneck trailers in favor of 17.5” single tires. The tow vehicles were dual wheels.

 

[LD1]

I know you’re talking about a backhoe, but this is my Oliver, which compares in size, but not weight. The deck on the trailer is 102” and the rear tires on the tractor are set at 96”. As far as loading, it’s not bad at all - just get lined up square and use lowest gear. Same unloading - low reverse gear and let it hold itself back. We hauled backhoes a lot when I worked in the oil patch, sometimes on a lowboy and sometimes on a gooseneck. One of the best things we did was get rid of the duals on the gooseneck trailers in favor of 17.5” single tires. The tow vehicles were dual wheels.

Loading a full sized TLB on a deck over is a whole different animal.

These things are EXTREMELY heavy in the back. Then if you have to extend the hoe out some to keep it from digging in the ground, it can get VERY light in the front. Not to mention dragging the swing post on the ground because the approach/departure angle is terrible on most machines.

Some makes/models are a piece of cake. Others take some careful though and improvising.

 

[oliver1555]

All true. My point was to address Eddie’s concern about loading his machines on a deck over trailer. Each machine has its own unique properties. In the oil patch, we loaded and unloaded backhoes often, sometimes several times a day. Confidence grows with experience.

 

[4570Man]

Loading a full sized TLB on a deck over is a whole different animal.

These things are EXTREMELY heavy in the back. Then if you have to extend the hoe out some to keep it from digging in the ground, it can get VERY light in the front. Not to mention dragging the swing post on the ground because the approach/departure angle is terrible on most machines.

Some makes/models are a piece of cake. Others take some careful though and improvising.

I never considered loading a backhoe to be excessively dangerous. They are light on the front but as long as the trailer was level side to side it’s not bad. I’d way rather load a backhoe as my dozer or steel track trackhoe. All of the backhoes I’ve owned would drag the swing post but usually not hard enough to be concerned about.

 

[Hay Dude]

What is the aisin transmission? Why is it better, or maybe I should ask, what are the other options to avoid?

Its Rams HD automatic. I’ve thrown more towing weight at mine than I’d like to admit…like hundreds of times.
So far so good.
They all have very good transmissions for the last 5-10 years, so I wouldn’t be worried unless you’re talking over 15 years old.
I’d avoid the temptation of a SRW truck if heavy towing is the goal. Some SRW trucks have respectable towing numbers, but putting all that weight on 2 tires instead of 4?

Even better is when you get into a 4500/5500 you get bigger axles and 19.5” tires which are a big step above 3500 dually axles & tires.

I find the used 4500/5500 trucks aren’t priced much higher than 3500 duallies, but are a substantial jump higher in payload and pin weight if you plan on loading up a heavy trailer.

 

[amhicks21]

In Texas and most of the United States, the above underlined statement is not correct. I believe California and New York have such a requirement, but it is not a federal requirement and most states follow the Federal guidelines. A Medical card is likely required for commercial use, but if your GCWR is 26,000 pounds or less you do not need a CDL (with exceptions for haz-mat or >15 passengers).

I'm not saying you're wrong, but the guidelines I've always gone by are these. Can you show me a source that shows an allowable 26k GCWR with a trailer weight over 10k without a cdla? It seems counter intuitive that you'd legally be able to haul a heavier trailer if hauling it with a smaller truck.

Types of CDLs​

There are three types of CDLs, as defined below by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA):

• Class A: Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR or gross combination weight of 26,001 lbs. or more, including a towed unit(s) with a GVWR or gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 lbs.
• Class B: Any single vehicle that has a GVWR or gross vehicle rate of 26,001 lbs. or more, or a vehicle towing a vehicle with a GVWR (or gross vehicle weight) that isn’t more than 10,000 lbs.
• Class C: Any single vehicle (or combination of vehicles) that doesn’t meet the definition of Class A or Class B but is designed to transported 16 or more passengers (driver included) or is transporting material that has been designated as hazardous or material that’s been listed as a select agent or toxin

 

[stumblinhorse]

I am confused by a few statements about CDL. I don’t haul anything for money. I haul to save my money. 26k means nothing if you don’t do it commercially. If you don’t have DOT numbers the only thing you will get stopped for is failure to secure something properly. But that is even a stretch. My trailer is rated for 18k and I run a Dodge 3500 SB SRW with 3.42s and a 68rfe.

 

[oliver1555]

Rules for farmers are different than rules for commercial haulers.

 

[MTGreen]

I am confused by a few statements about CDL. I don’t haul anything for money. I haul to save my money. 26k means nothing if you don’t do it commercially. If you don’t have DOT numbers the only thing you will get stopped for is failure to secure something properly. But that is even a stretch. My trailer is rated for 18k and I run a Dodge 3500 SB SRW with 3.73s and a 68fre.

My understanding is that no matter if you're commercial or not >26k combined gross weight requires a CDL per the Feds. Certain states have farm exemptions with limitations on range/load/etc.

I've heard that some law enforcement will cite for this if the summed gvw of the truck + trailer>26k even if you're empty. (Which imo is a gross misapplication of the law)