7,000# vs 10,000# trailer

[IXLR8]

Keith,
I am doing the trailer search now... thank you, and all others, for posting your thoughts, comments, concerns here... it is helping me with my decisions. My tractor with implements tips the scales just over 5000lbs, most trailer places are recommending a 7000lb trailer. Based on your research and all the comments here... it will be a 10K trailer for me.

 

[newbury]

Just to revive an old thread -
thanks for the info - I'm in the same search process, however I'm focusing on an enclosed trailer and my target machine is like a Kubota B26 at 4K lbs , to be pulled by an '88 Ford E350 7.3.L Diesel Maxivan and hope to get by with an 18 footer.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Look to the future with a enclosed trailer. If you get a backhoe or put a bush hog on it and equipped with a FEL you will need a 24' enclosed minimum.

Chirs

 

[KeithInSpace]

Just replied to your PM.

I second that emotion about 24'. I don't think 18 foot gives you ANY flexibility to equalize your tongue loading or carry anything other than your tractor. And expecially with an enclosed trailer since you can't hang the BH off the front or anything funky to help.

 

[wkpoor]

I'm probably the closest one on this forum who does what you are wanting to do. I pull a 24' deck over with a Chevy Express 3500 Van. The longer trailer does exactly what others are saying, it gives you the ability to balance the load. Plus I like the fact that empty the trailer still pulls silent. The shorter ones are always banging around empty but a 60/40 24' will pull sweet. Also no harm in getting a 12K or even 14K capacity. The larger tires and bearings are a piece of mind and I find pulls easier than my old 7K did with the same load on it.

 

[Renze]

Enclosed trailers do cause a lot of wind drag and dead weight, which both increase the fuel consumption quite a bit...

 

[Diamondpilot]

Enclosed trailers do cause a lot of wind drag and dead weight, which both increase the fuel consumption quite a bit...

Very true. My good buddy has a 5th wheel camper that weighs 14,000# My boat weighs 15,600# and we have the same trucks with the same gears and mods. I get 3 mpg better towing than he does even though I a am towing more weight.

Chris

 

[firefighter jim]

I'm probably the closest one on this forum who does what you are wanting to do. I pull a 24' deck over with a Chevy Express 3500 Van. The longer trailer does exactly what others are saying, it gives you the ability to balance the load. Plus I like the fact that empty the trailer still pulls silent. The shorter ones are always banging around empty but a 60/40 24' will pull sweet. Also no harm in getting a 12K or even 14K capacity. The larger tires and bearings are a piece of mind and I find pulls easier than my old 7K did with the same load on it.

I think some of you are missing an important issue. Light load on a high gvw trailer = little or no suspension. Load will ride alot better on a more balanced trailer choice. just my 2 cents.

 

[LBrown59]

They've been telling me here

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/trailers-transportation/137346-truck-trailer-team-3.html

that a 7000 pound trailer and a 1/2 ton pick up is more than enought for my BX23.

 

[wkpoor]

Quote:
Originally Posted by wkpoor View Post
I'm probably the closest one on this forum who does what you are wanting to do. I pull a 24' deck over with a Chevy Express 3500 Van. The longer trailer does exactly what others are saying, it gives you the ability to balance the load. Plus I like the fact that empty the trailer still pulls silent. The shorter ones are always banging around empty but a 60/40 24' will pull sweet. Also no harm in getting a 12K or even 14K capacity. The larger tires and bearings are a piece of mind and I find pulls easier than my old 7K did with the same load on it.

I think some of you are missing an important issue. Light load on a high gvw trailer = little or no suspension. Load will ride alot better on a more balanced trailer choice. just my 2 cents.

Not sure what you mean by that. If I were towing a 2500lb tractor I would rather it be on my new trailer for sure than the old one. No question which one is more secure and the new rides way better.

 

[firefighter jim]

Not sure what you mean by that. If I were towing a 2500lb tractor I would rather it be on my new trailer for sure than the old one. No question which one is more secure and the new rides way better.

A light load isn t going to work the suspension of the heavier rated trailer. Thus the load won t ride as smooth. Bigger isn t always better. Take a ride in a 1 ton pickup and then a 1/2 ton and see which one rides better with little or no cargo. Same applies to a trailer. The springs on that heavy trailer will hardly be useful. Now if you throw a heavy load on that same trailer, that s a different story. You put your little 2500 lb. tractor on a 10 or as you put in your comment, no harm in even going 12k or 14k trailer, you would have zero trailer suspension going down the road. Definitely overkill on your trailer of choice for that application. Why someone would buy a 12 or 14k gvw rated trailer when a 7k trailer would be fine is beyond me. Kind of like buying a sledge hammer to drive carpet tacks!! At any rate,,,to each his own........Jim

 

[wkpoor]

A light load isn t going to work the suspension of the heavier rated trailer. Thus the load won t ride as smooth. Bigger isn t always better. Take a ride in a 1 ton pickup and then a 1/2 ton and see which one rides better with little or no cargo. Same applies to a trailer. The springs on that heavy trailer will hardly be useful. Now if you throw a heavy load on that same trailer, that s a different story. You put your little 2500 lb. tractor on a 10 or as you put in your comment, no harm in even going 12k or 14k trailer, you would have zero trailer suspension going down the road. Definitely overkill on your trailer of choice for that application. Why someone would buy a 12 or 14k gvw rated trailer when a 7k trailer would be fine is beyond me. Kind of like buying a sledge hammer to drive carpet tacks!! At any rate,,,to each his own........Jim
Yesterday 11:55 PM

I can give you a perfectly good reason why I bought a 14K trailer.....because I have a 9500lb tractor to tow around. I'm not going to own 3 different trailers just because tomorrow the load my be lighter than today. Also I tow a variety of stuff and have no clue what tomorrows load might weigh. The 14K will cover 99% of what I tag onto. The old 7K was always overloaded even with a full size truck. Now if I have to go after just about any vehicle I'm covered by weight or space on the trailer. I hauled a 68 Chrylser 300 for my uncle last year that was 18' nose to tail. Completely filled the 7K trailer and rode light crap. That same car on my new one would have been a piece of cake and a whole lot safer. Sure if all I had was a little bitty CUT to haul and nothing else, but thats not the case here.

 

[garydc]

Mr Brown that setup should really work for you, I tow a 7000lb trailer with brakes at all wheels with a Dodge Dakota v8 with trailer package and haul my ck20 loader and backhoe all the time with absolutely no problems, drew the kioti home to Ontario from Tenn. this past summer . Gary

 

[KeithInSpace]

Why someone would buy a 12 or 14k gvw rated trailer when a 7k trailer would be fine is beyond me.

So when I go to the quarry, I can get 3 tons per trip instead of 1.5 tons.

Given the slight difference in cost/size/weight between a 7k and 10k trailer, I'd counter to wonder why someone would purchase a 7k capacity trailer unless that is really truly only what they would ever in their lives ever need.

My brother has a 24' enclosed 7k trailer and scaled at nearly 10k lbs in his last move. Not too tough to overload a trailer if you put some effort toward it. I'd rather have the higher capacity and not worry about it.

And we're not exactly transporting presidential china here...

All that said, 12k and 14k trailers are no joke. I probably wouldn't consider a trailer that heavy even if I had the truck to tow it. Those things are HUGE.

 

[wkpoor]

All that said, 12k and 14k trailers are no joke. I probably wouldn't consider a trailer that heavy even if I had the truck to tow it. Those things are HUGE.

Actually when its all said and done I now tow and additional 2k with any load than I used to with the 7K. I figure the rolling resistance penalty is offset by larger tires and bigger axle. If I have a car for example on my current 14K vs the same car on my old 7k I only notice the extra weight on hills. On the flat it feels the same to me except for it rides alot smoother and steadier.