7,000# vs 10,000# trailer

[KeithInSpace]

....now why would anybody put 8' wide garage doors in???

Ya. 2 year old house, 3 car grage. 1 double bay and 1 bay with, you guessed it...an 8' door.

As soon as I got the garage cleared out, I went to park my Expedition in there and found it WON'T FIT without folding the driver's mirror in.

Started re-thinking that $400 option for the larger garage doors REALLY quick.

But, alas, the trailer is too long to park in the garage. I'm already quite certain of it. No biggie...the other has held up just fine. I plan on building some type of low lean-to in the back somewhere to keep the big chunks off.

Spoke to my wife...joked that "the guys" were giving me grief for not pulling the trigger yet. She promised "soon".

OK by me...on my deathbed with upper repritory infection right now. Stinks. Hopefully coming back to the living by the weekend.

Thanks all,

Keith

 

[mowpower]

Since the talk here is trailers, what is the benefit of the "dovetail"? Is it just to lower the drive up angle and make it easier? I'm seeing either 3/4 tilt equipment trailer, full tilt, dovetail with ramps or flat with pull out ramps. I would also like to use the trailer as a car hauler, I think 10K 18'-20' is the better size at least for me.

 

[KeithInSpace]

First, it turned out that in addition to the infection I originally had (or instead of...not really sure), I ended up with the Flu (not the intestinal type...the big boy version) and a Strep infection all at the same time. Had to go into an urgent care place on Saturday for a new round of stuff and an IV for moderate dehydration. SWEEEET! It was one HECK of a weekend!

To Mr. Mowpower: It seems that when you get into some 7,000# trailers and nearly all 10,000# trailers, the combination of the bigger steel, larger wheels, and heavier suspension drives the deck height up. As a result, you either incoorporate a dovetail, have impossibly long ramps, or have an untenable breakover at the top of shorter ramps.

While you have your choice of flat with pullouts or ramps or whatever combination in 7,000#, my dealership only has dovetails with folding ramps for everything larger. Don't know if that's the norm, but it makes sense considering what you're probably going to be loading on it.

 

[MrJimi]

All our cars work on our 25 foot deck/over 14 K trailer with no problems and that includes two Corvettes. Pictures in one of my galleries here, take a look see.

 

[KeithInSpace]

Update: Health is better and I'm ready to purchase. Had a final dialogue with my wife and she has a very strong opinion about putting a 10,000# trailer on a truck rated 9,000#. She isn't one to tempt anything, especially in today's litiguous society. "Imagine if we hit/hurt someone and they found out that we were towing an illegal trailer?"

Unfortunately, I can't argue with the unknown. The 'smaller' trailer will easily fit my needs...we're talking about carrying a max of 2CY of stone at a time instead of 3CY. Oh well.

So, the needle has settled on a 7,000# 8' x 18' straight (no dove-tail) trailer with brakes on both axles and fold down ramps. Trailer for $2,300 and weight distributing hitch with 1,200# arms for $425 installed.

Thanks for everyone's input. Plan on picking up this week. Will post pictures.

 

[bx23barry]

Sounds like a reasonable choice that should serve you well.

 

[Racer71]

Get the bigger trailer. You have 4,000 pounds of tractor and 2,000 pounds of trailer. That is 6,000 or 85% load of the 7,000 pound trailer. You havn't even tried to load it yet.

A fold up ramp creates a lot of wind resistance. It sounds you will be pulling some distance.

 

[KeithInSpace]

That is 6,000 or 85% load of the 7,000 pound trailer.

Absolutely 100% agree. Don't know what to say, though. My wife has made her opinion quite clear. At this point, my only response is "Aw, honey, it's only illegal by 1,000#. What's the biggie?"

She'd rather I get a legal trailer now, and if I get a bigger truck and need a bigger trailer later, do so when the truck is capable.

What'cha gonna do? Get what you can get, that's what. I promise that this is 100 times safer than my single axle, no brake, 3,500# 5' x 10' landscape trailer.

 

[john_bud]

Update: Health is better

and weight distributing hitch with 1,200# arms for $425 installed.

Thanks for everyone's input. Plan on picking up this week. Will post pictures.

I don't think you want to get those 1200# arms. You need to match them to the tongue weight of the trailer. Unless you are planing on putting 1200# on the tongue? But, that would exceed your trucks capacity by far. The whole system must be made up of matched parts for it to work the best.

jb

 

[KeithInSpace]

I've been wondering about this and asked the question, perhaps the wrong way, earlier.

Basically, I was told by my dealership that they always use the 1,200# arms on nearly every application. The arms are pretty much the same cost, so they just go for the heaviest ones they can for the money.

But how does that work with an un-laden trailer? I don't ALWAYS have the same load in the trailer, distributed the exact same way. I'll carry mulch one day, stone the next. Then my tractor and ATV, then a pile of brush to the dump. I have absolutely no idea what my tongue load will be from one moment to the next.

Are there adjustments on these arms? Or do you leave them detached unless you have a load? I have no idea how they work, but they sound like a good idea, in prinipal. Matched, but matched to what load? Any assistance in the thought process would be appreciated...