20' Trailer - 7000 or 10,000#?

[schmism]

10K ... looked a LONG time on craigslist for a 20' 10K (in the price range i wanted to pay) .... to many 7K

 

[dstig1]

I will be buying a 20' trailer for my Deere 2520 with loader and brush hog. Total length is 18', but weight is just under 3500#. I have a 1/2 ton Silverado rated at 7500# towing capacity. It seems like a no brainer to get the 7000# trailer, but the dealers I am talking to are recommending a 10,000# trailer at that length. The cost difference is about $500. Their reasoning is resell value and future proofing. The guy today told me I could get by with an 18', so he does not seem to be trying to sell me the more expensive model. I will be going with a 20 footer by the way.

I have no plans to buy a bigger tractor and it is doubtful that I will sell the trailer once I have it. I have family property that I need to brush hog about 70 miles away (mostly interstate) that will not be sold. It has been in the family for over 100 years, and I plan to pass it down to my son. What are your thoughts?

Please don't make generalized comments like this as they will often times prove to be wrong. My "half ton" (2011 Toyota Tundra CrewMax Platinum) is capable of towing 9800lbs with the factory tow package, and I don't need a WDH either. I understand that *many* half ton trucks can't pull this much weight, but the newer ones are being built with more towing capacity. It's always best to simply go by the manufacturer's ratings for a specific vehicle, with specific trim levels and options.
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Read the quote from the OP's first post. I think my comment was very much accurate. A 10k trailer is 2500 lbs over his stated limit. Even the Tundra you cite cannot "legally" tow that 10k trailer. Yes I realize the difference between the ratings on the Tundra and 10k trailer is pretty much non-existent, except for the situation where an accident occurs, in which case you could be in a serious legal mess. (The Tundras I have seen the last few years look much larger than typical half tons, to the point where they are probably more accurately described as 3/4 tons, though those "classifications" are pretty squishy in general.) I also don't like pushing equipment to its limit, as having some cushion is a wise move. If your truck is rated to tow 10k, then feel free to do it, no matter what "ton" it is supposedly. I stand by my opinion that there is no real point getting a 10k unless he plans to upsize the truck down the road, or has access to a bigger truck as needed. It is just that - my opinion, FWIW.

 

[hillbilly rick]

I am going with the 10k. It is almost unanimous here and with other people I have asked. I never though about the bigger brakes until that was mentioned in this thread. Thanks to everyone for their input. Now I just have to wait for it to come in...

 

[meburdick]

Read the quote from the OP's first post. I think my comment was very much accurate. A 10k trailer is 2500 lbs over his stated limit. Even the Tundra you cite cannot "legally" tow that 10k trailer. Yes I realize the difference between the ratings on the Tundra and 10k trailer is pretty much non-existent, except for the situation where an accident occurs, in which case you could be in a serious legal mess. (The Tundras I have seen the last few years look much larger than typical half tons, to the point where they are probably more accurately described as 3/4 tons, though those "classifications" are pretty squishy in general.) I also don't like pushing equipment to its limit, as having some cushion is a wise move. If your truck is rated to tow 10k, then feel free to do it, no matter what "ton" it is supposedly. I stand by my opinion that there is no real point getting a 10k unless he plans to upsize the truck down the road, or has access to a bigger truck as needed. It is just that - my opinion, FWIW.

I *believe* that I (or anyone) can legally tow anything they want to provided that:

A) The total weight of the trailer does not exceed the max towing limit (not the *rated* limit, the actual weight)
B) The combined total weight does not exceed the GCWR for the vehicle
C) The tongue weight does not exceed the max rating of the tow vehicle.

I understand what you're saying, but I believe the statement would be accurate only if it were stated as "Even the Tundra can not legally tow that trailer if it is loaded to max capacity".

I agree that the newer style of Tundra is much beefier and larger than the last, and the vehicle overall does have a slightly larger feel to it than most half tons I have owned / driven.

While I completely understand your point on not necessarily seeing any benefit by having the 10k if he maxes out at 7.5k now, your view of not pushing stuff to the max can be taken into consideration here to understand why a 10k would potentially give a longer service life carrying the exact same load that would put a 7k trailer to its max limit.