hayden
Veteran Member
I think this is the weight analysis you need to work through:
First, figure out the max load you can carry on the trailer. To do this:
Find the Trailer GVW - This is the max combined weight rating of the trailer itself plus the load you put on it (e.g. your B7500 w/ loader). It will be on the nameplate for the trailer. Do NOT go by axle ratings. You probably can't tell what the axle rating is anyway by just looking at it, and the tires have to be able to carry the load as well so go by the nameplate GVW, not a number that you or someone else makes up.
Find the weight of your trailer itself when empty - This is critical and is often very difficult to find out. I've always called the manufacturer to ask them and too often even they don't know or they say something like "oh it's probably 1600 lbs". That's a red flag. Don't rely on the dealer either unless you see him/her look it up in a book.
Calculate the trailer's Max Load Capacity: Subtract the Trailer weight from the GVW to get the max load capacity. This is the max weight you can put on your trailer without overloading the trailer. Why trailer manufacturers don't publish this number is beyond me. Your tractor, implements, and other stuff must have to weigh less than this max.
Figure out what your tractor weights: This too can take some digging. Be sure to include the tractor, loader, bucket, and other implements, and ballast if your tires are loaded. If this weight is more than the
Max Load Capacity of the trailer, then stop now and go find a larger trailer.
Now, figure out what your car/truck (I'll just refer to it as a car for simplicity) can tow. This will be specified in the car's owner's manual. It will be a max GVW for the trailer typically, but sometimes there will be both a trailer GVW number, and a combined car/trailer GVW number, and you are not allowed to exceed EITHER one. The point is that you can't load the back of your car with cement, then tow the max weight as the same time. You get to do one or the other, but not both. Anyway, if the Trailer's GVW is less than you car's towable GVW, then the trailer is the weak link and you can focus on not overloading that. If the car's towable GVW is lower then the car is the weak link and it will limit the load you can carry on your trailer. In this case the combined weigh of the trailer itself plus your trailer load cannot exceed the tow capacity of the car.
Here are some other subtleties to consider: The bigger the trailer the more it weighs. A single axle 12' trailer with a 3500 lb GVW will only have slightly less carrying capacity that a 16' tandom axle 5000lb GVW trailer since the larger trailer itself will be significanly heavier. You also need much more tow capacity in your car to pull the bigger trailer, even with the exact same load on board.
Many states have a cut off at 3000 GVW for brake requirements. 3000lbs or over and you need brakes, under and you don't. As a result, there are lots of trailers that have GVW rating of 2990 lbs to just squeek under the wire. Check you state for regulations. In some states, trailers seem to be a complete free for all.
I used to have a 12" trailer with a 2990 lb GVW and it weighed 600 lbs. This gave me a 2390 lb carrying capacity. I carried a tractor which weighed around 2200lbs. My tow car could pull 3300 lbs so all was fine, but just made it. The trailer was the weak link. I actually had to search long and hard to find the trailer that weighted only 600 lbs. Most weighed 1400 or so and consequently had a carrying capacity of only 1590 lbs which was not enough.
I now have a 16' 7000 lbs GVW trailer that weighs 1600 lbs giving 5400lbs of carrying capacity for the trailer. However, my new tow car can pull 5000 lbs trailer GVW and this limits my trailer carrying load to 3400 lbs. The car is now the weak link. I have a much bigger and heavier trailer, stronger tow car, and I only gained 1000lbs in carrying capacity.
It's well worth running the numbers to see what you really need.
First, figure out the max load you can carry on the trailer. To do this:
Find the Trailer GVW - This is the max combined weight rating of the trailer itself plus the load you put on it (e.g. your B7500 w/ loader). It will be on the nameplate for the trailer. Do NOT go by axle ratings. You probably can't tell what the axle rating is anyway by just looking at it, and the tires have to be able to carry the load as well so go by the nameplate GVW, not a number that you or someone else makes up.
Find the weight of your trailer itself when empty - This is critical and is often very difficult to find out. I've always called the manufacturer to ask them and too often even they don't know or they say something like "oh it's probably 1600 lbs". That's a red flag. Don't rely on the dealer either unless you see him/her look it up in a book.
Calculate the trailer's Max Load Capacity: Subtract the Trailer weight from the GVW to get the max load capacity. This is the max weight you can put on your trailer without overloading the trailer. Why trailer manufacturers don't publish this number is beyond me. Your tractor, implements, and other stuff must have to weigh less than this max.
Figure out what your tractor weights: This too can take some digging. Be sure to include the tractor, loader, bucket, and other implements, and ballast if your tires are loaded. If this weight is more than the
Max Load Capacity of the trailer, then stop now and go find a larger trailer.
Now, figure out what your car/truck (I'll just refer to it as a car for simplicity) can tow. This will be specified in the car's owner's manual. It will be a max GVW for the trailer typically, but sometimes there will be both a trailer GVW number, and a combined car/trailer GVW number, and you are not allowed to exceed EITHER one. The point is that you can't load the back of your car with cement, then tow the max weight as the same time. You get to do one or the other, but not both. Anyway, if the Trailer's GVW is less than you car's towable GVW, then the trailer is the weak link and you can focus on not overloading that. If the car's towable GVW is lower then the car is the weak link and it will limit the load you can carry on your trailer. In this case the combined weigh of the trailer itself plus your trailer load cannot exceed the tow capacity of the car.
Here are some other subtleties to consider: The bigger the trailer the more it weighs. A single axle 12' trailer with a 3500 lb GVW will only have slightly less carrying capacity that a 16' tandom axle 5000lb GVW trailer since the larger trailer itself will be significanly heavier. You also need much more tow capacity in your car to pull the bigger trailer, even with the exact same load on board.
Many states have a cut off at 3000 GVW for brake requirements. 3000lbs or over and you need brakes, under and you don't. As a result, there are lots of trailers that have GVW rating of 2990 lbs to just squeek under the wire. Check you state for regulations. In some states, trailers seem to be a complete free for all.
I used to have a 12" trailer with a 2990 lb GVW and it weighed 600 lbs. This gave me a 2390 lb carrying capacity. I carried a tractor which weighed around 2200lbs. My tow car could pull 3300 lbs so all was fine, but just made it. The trailer was the weak link. I actually had to search long and hard to find the trailer that weighted only 600 lbs. Most weighed 1400 or so and consequently had a carrying capacity of only 1590 lbs which was not enough.
I now have a 16' 7000 lbs GVW trailer that weighs 1600 lbs giving 5400lbs of carrying capacity for the trailer. However, my new tow car can pull 5000 lbs trailer GVW and this limits my trailer carrying load to 3400 lbs. The car is now the weak link. I have a much bigger and heavier trailer, stronger tow car, and I only gained 1000lbs in carrying capacity.
It's well worth running the numbers to see what you really need.
