Buying a trailer- choices

[jdrotert]

I need a trailer.

A friend has a 16' car hauler type trailer- no rails, wood floor, ramps that store under the rear, bumper hitch and brakes. It's wide enough for a pickup. I've hauled my tractor and a full-size Bronco on it and really like it. Very well made also.

One dilema- with the loader and mower attached, the mower hangs off the rear a bit. I've decided to get an 18'-er exactly like my friend's. One feature I'm having a hard time trying to decide on is a dovetail. The trailer builder has two 18'-er's built already- one with and without a 2' dovetail. The dovetail does not add length- it's still 18' long.

Now what would I use the trailer for: tractor (of course), several four-wheelers and dirt bikes and occasional car hauling. I understand the dovetail will keep the bottom of a car from dragging. I helped my friend move an old Cutlass and the bottom just barely did not scrape. My thinking though is that if I had a full load of four-wheelers, the ATV on the the dovetail would be in a precarious position. 18-wheeler car haulers have cars and trucks at all sorts of angles, so maybe that's not an issue.

Which one would you get?

John

 

[Egon]

Ramps. Gives a longer trailer bed. If loading a car you can use blocks etc. so that it will go on without dragging.

Egon

 

[daedong]

What is a dovetail? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[wroughtn_harv]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What is a dovetail?)</font>

It isn't a pigeon hole. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

A dove tail is when they take the last bit of a trailer and tilt it down so the ramps won't be so steep or have to be so long.

My equipment trailer has a five foot dovetail that drops a foot in that five feet. The trailer we're talking about in this discusssion has a four to six inch drop in the last two feet.

I'd go for the non dove tail in this situation.

If you find yourself in a situation where there might be a clearance problem you have a couple of non dove tail options.

One is to drive the rear wheels of the tow vehicle up on blocks. This will raise the tongue which lowers the back of the trailer. Keep in mind that it doesn't take much of a block to make a ton of difference. Your fulcrum is the center of the rear wheels of the tow vehicle. So driving up on a four inch block can raise the hitch six inches which will probably lower the back of the trailer at least four inches.

Another old race car trick is to jack up the tongue of the trailer with your trusty floor jack. The same thing as driving the tow vehicle up on blocks but you're jacking with it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GaryM]

A dovetail is where the trailer bed is constructed so the rearmost 2 feet or so, 75 CM, are angled down at the back. maybe about a 25-30 degree angle. This reduces the chances of anything hanging up on the back of the trailer as it's loaded.

Here's a link to a drawing: http://www.mtrailers.com/SpecSheets/12%20ton%20dual%20tandem%20dovetail.jpg

 

[rdln]

"CM" You'all talkin Country Miles? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

For the occasional low rider I have gotten away with raising the tongue jack to decrease the angle of the dangle.

having an oversized tongue jack also helps changing your rear vehicle tires too.

my ideal trailer for the equipment most people have here is a 5 to 6 ton deck over tire tandem axle which would most definitely come w/dovetail and 8 lug 16" wheels. I am always dreaming about one of these while trying to get palletized material forklifted onto mine.

 

[SageBrush]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( "CM" You'all talkin Country Miles? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

For the occasional low rider I have gotten away with raising the tongue jack to decrease the angle of the dangle.

having an oversized tongue jack also helps changing your rear vehicle tires too.

my ideal trailer for the equipment most people have here is a 5 to 6 ton deck over tire tandem axle which would most definitely come w/dovetail and 8 lug 16" wheels. I am always dreaming about one of these while trying to get palletized material forklifted onto mine.
)</font>

Me too, I prefer the deck over axle. I use one from PJ trailers.

Here is the pdf spec sheet: http://www.pj-trailers.com/brochure/pd.pdf

 

[Hambone]

Your tractor weight will have a big part in this. I am not familiar with yours. Need the weight with all implements on that you wish to carry.

Next, what are you going to pull the trailer with? Do not want to go over the rated weight of the truck.

I have hauled a lot of stuff. Having things on the Tail never has been a problem as long secured properly.

 

[Hambone]

Wow! Post number 500 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[jdrotert]

I think I've decided on the non-dovetail option per a few opinions here.

My tractor is 1600 pounds dry, loader is approximately 500 pounds, mower is approximately 400 pounds. I won't even come close to the 6000 pounds rating of the trailer.

My tow vehicle of choice is a 2001 Ford Excursion 4x4 with 7.3L diesel. Max tow rating is 10,000 pounds (if I remember right). I'll never come close to that!

John