20k load of hay

MikePA · Jul 16, 2003

<font color="blue"> Also, is that gooseneck a single axle? </font>
I'm not doc /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif , but you can see a bright spot in the highlighted area on the attached picture where the light is shining between the front and rear tires on the two axles.

cowboydoc · Jul 16, 2003

Like Mike said it's a dual axle trailer. The axles are each rated at 12k, 24k total. I was probably a little over. The tires are 12 ply E rated tires. The weight is also not all on the axles so it's ok.

jinman · Jul 16, 2003

I could see the light spot, but like the perspective of the front wheels on the truck, that could have been the wheel on the other side of the trailer. With part of the round bale hanging down, it was really hard to see for my old eyes. I don't think I've ever seen a gooseneck with only one axle, so that's why I was asking. As Cowboydoc stated, the trailer is probably a bit overloaded, but hey, it's being used to transport hay around the farm, and there's very little danger to short hauls at low speed. I've seen some pickups way, way overloaded with square bales getting hauled to the barn. You just hope you don't see them going down the highway if they are that overloaded. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

5030 · Jul 16, 2003

Richard:

Being the Michigan steelhauler that I am and a part-time farmer too, I can appreciate that load. I love to put a "jag" on and go around the scales. Keeps me young and gets the jucies flowing.

However, you need a rig like mine. Then you could haul 5 times that amount.

5030 · Jul 16, 2003

Richard:

Of course if you don't want to take the sides off the trailer you can do this too. I believe there are 45 or 48 on this particular load. I'm sorry. There are 37 on this load. it was a "geriatric" moment. I can say that now that I turned 54 yesterday!!

I though I had a picture of the 48 load. Maybe I accidently deleted it because it looked HEAVY

cowboydoc · Jul 16, 2003

I'd love to have a rig like that Daryl. We have a couple semi's back home. Everything I use here gets fed so it never leaves the place. This last deal I sure would have hired you if you were around. That load was from about 20 miles away. A friend and myself did a couple hundred acres of grass hay. A guy we know wasn't running cattle this year and wanted to know if we would cut it for hay. We got over 300 bales off of it. I hauled 16 loads just like that setup. Sure would have been nice to have only done 3!!!!!

CountryBoy · Jul 18, 2003

How does that truck handle a load like that on the hills?

Looks like a nice truck and trailer.

Thanks for posting the picture.

cowboydoc · Jul 18, 2003

Absolutely zero problems countryboy. The new transmissions have that engine brake built into them. Now you start out at the top of the hill and you won't gain speed like the old automatics. It will downshift to control the load and use more engine braking as needed. I really was amazed at how well it worked. That 325 hp with 560 lbs. of torque makes short work of hills. On the older transmissions you were constantly hunting gears and because it was just a four speed it was ramming in and out of gears. This five speed is smooth as silk.

OkeeDon · Jul 18, 2003

It sure isn't a haulin' truck, but my '99 Windstar minivan has that engine-braking transmission. When I was looking at reviews for minivans, one said that the Dodge Caravan had almost no engine braking, but the Ford was "good". My gosh, it's so good it's almost unbelieveable. I started out at the fire tower on top of Mt. Jefferson in NW North Carolina, with a steep switch-back road to the bottom. Put the thing in low range and just rode it down the hill - never touched the brake. It let the speed get up to about 30, then choked it back down to about 24, let it out, choked it down, I never touched it. Almost human. On the 7 mile grade down off the mountain at the Eastern continental divide, it does the same thing in 2nd gear, but between 40 and 45 MPH. Incredible.