Buying new truck - Do we need trailer brakes?

[Binx]

YES!!!!

The bigger question is: How is this even a question?

I wasn't sure about the trailer controller, so I asked you guys because I know I can't trust a dealer as we'd have every option on the truck per their advice.

Based on what everyone has said, we NEED a trailer brake control in the truck, so that's what we'll do.

 

[LouNY]

I wasn't sure about the trailer controller, so I asked you guys because I know I can't trust a dealer as we'd have every option on the truck per their advice.

Based on what everyone has said, we NEED a trailer brake control in the truck, so that's what we'll do.

Good for you, enjoy your new Rebel.
I'm guessing you are getting the 5.7, E torque?
I'm using the 3.0 eco diesel and I have towed a full 8000# load on a trailer that weighs around 3600# it's rated for 12,000#

 

[crazyal]

I think the 9,000 lb is a little high for the tractor and trailer but a little low with an attachment included. Figure 4,000 for the tractor, 1000 for the tire ballast, and 1500 for the loader. Attachments like a brush hog and chipper could be transported either on a different trailer or by making two trips along with the front bucket and a grapple. So that means you could do it in two trips with the tractor total being under 7,000 lbs. So that would be 7,000 tractor + 2,000 trailer so 9,000. With attachments you will be right at the limit of the trailer (once you figure in that your truck will have some of the weight on the tongue).

It's short enough so two trips isn't out of the question. It might mean setting up a way of loading or unloading the trailer without having the tractor right there but if this is going to be only an occasional thing but something that you could be doing for a number of years I would think about it. If you are just brush hogging you don't usually need a loader so with it off you could easily do it in one trip. You are right at the limit for the tools you have but you can get buy. Let's face facts. A 2/3 ton truck would make more sense for this but probably not for everything else you will use the truck for. I would get a wight distribution hitch.

 

[Binx]

Good for you, enjoy your new Rebel.
I'm guessing you are getting the 5.7, E torque?
I'm using the 3.0 eco diesel and I have towed a full 8000# load on a trailer that weighs around 3600# it's rated for 12,000#

Thanks LouNY. That's over what we would be towing, so we should be okay. We would like the E torque, but the dealers are acting like they don't want to sell cars with the prices they're quoting.

 

[Binx]

I think the 9,000 lb is a little high for the tractor and trailer but a little low with an attachment included. Figure 4,000 for the tractor, 1000 for the tire ballast, and 1500 for the loader. Attachments like a brush hog and chipper could be transported either on a different trailer or by making two trips along with the front bucket and a grapple. So that means you could do it in two trips with the tractor total being under 7,000 lbs. So that would be 7,000 tractor + 2,000 trailer so 9,000. With attachments you will be right at the limit of the trailer (once you figure in that your truck will have some of the weight on the tongue).

It's short enough so two trips isn't out of the question. It might mean setting up a way of loading or unloading the trailer without having the tractor right there but if this is going to be only an occasional thing but something that you could be doing for a number of years I would think about it. If you are just brush hogging you don't usually need a loader so with it off you could easily do it in one trip. You are right at the limit for the tools you have but you can get buy. Let's face facts. A 2/3 ton truck would make more sense for this but probably not for everything else you will use the truck for. I would get a wight distribution hitch.

Weight distribution hitch too!

 

[Granthol]

Thank you for all the responses and advice. You guys gave us so much more information that we never thought to ask about. We will definitely get the trailer brake control added by the dealer or get an aftermarket one.

I have looked up the answers to your concerns and advice:
Per the RAM website, the truck will haul 11,400 lbs, has a 1,500 lb payload and it's a 4WD. It has a Class IV receiver-hitch, 7-pin wiring harness, and 3.92 rear axle ratio.
The trailer has 2 sets of wheels on each side (dual axle) and weighs ~2,000 lbs and will tow 10,000 lbs (per the dealer). It does have trailer brakes.
The MX5800 has loaded tires, FEL and will either have an 1,100 lb brush hog or a 900 lb chipper (hopefully an EA grapple in the future), so I think I'm close with the 9,000 lb tractor/trailer weight estimate.
The drive to the property is primarily flat with only a few curves on the back roads.

We will definitely be doing an unloaded dry run with the trailer and be sure to level out the load. Do you have any recommendation on trailer hitches besides getting a Class IV and 10,000 towing weight?

Im going to be surprised if you don稚 run out of payload. Against payload goes weight of fuel, about 160 lbs, you, any other passengers, anything that you put in the truck not from the factory. 2 passengers and that 壮tuff can easily be 500#. That means you have about 840 lbs of remaining payload. With a perfectly loaded trailer with 11% tongue weight your max trailer weight would be about 7500#.

Payload includes anything that did not come from the factory, including the fuel, they send them out empty for a reason. They want to maximize payload, but every lb added, including the weight of the add on braking device, goes against that payload.

 

[3Ts]

Im going to be surprised if you don稚 run out of payload. Against payload goes weight of fuel, about 160 lbs, you, any other passengers, anything that you put in the truck not from the factory. 2 passengers and that 壮tuff can easily be 500#. That means you have about 840 lbs of remaining payload. With a perfectly loaded trailer with 11% tongue weight your max trailer weight would be about 7500#.

Payload includes anything that did not come from the factory, including the fuel, they send them out empty for a reason. They want to maximize payload, but every lb added, including the weight of the add on braking device, goes against that payload.

It's actually a little worse than that some of the stuff from the factory eats into the payload as well. I have an F250 Lariat model. The stated weight of the truck when they do the calculations for how much it can tow is 6800#, however, the stuff that is added on from the base model to make it a Lariat has to be accounted for, plus my wife and I, an aux fuel tank & tool box all rigged out and ready to roll tips the scales at 8200#. That's 1400# of necessary stuff, I've not done the calculations to see how much the Lariat options weigh. I only have 1800# of cargo capacity left in a truck rated for 10,000 GVW and with a 10,000# RV, that leaves me with only 300# of stuff I can add.

I've weighted both my truck and trailers since I'm up there in weight and want to be sure I stay with limits. The weight of the truck actually surprised me, I expected it to be lower. I suggest you weight the truck and then the trailer, and the trailer tongue to see where your weights really are. I have found that the weights are sometimes fudged (on purpose) especially the trailers.

 

[RickB]

I think the 9,000 lb is a little high for the tractor and trailer but a little low with an attachment included. Figure 4,000 for the tractor, 1000 for the tire ballast, and 1500 for the loader. Attachments like a brush hog and chipper could be transported either on a different trailer or by making two trips along with the front bucket and a grapple. So that means you could do it in two trips with the tractor total being under 7,000 lbs. So that would be 7,000 tractor + 2,000 trailer so 9,000. With attachments you will be right at the limit of the trailer (once you figure in that your truck will have some of the weight on the tongue).

It's short enough so two trips isn't out of the question. It might mean setting up a way of loading or unloading the trailer without having the tractor right there but if this is going to be only an occasional thing but something that you could be doing for a number of years I would think about it. If you are just brush hogging you don't usually need a loader so with it off you could easily do it in one trip. You are right at the limit for the tools you have but you can get buy. Let's face facts. A 2/3 ton truck would make more sense for this but probably not for everything else you will use the truck for. I would get a wight distribution hitch.

How does one easily load a rotary cutter on a trailer when the one tractor he owns is 10 miles away?
Most CUTs will be light on the front with a cutter on the rear and no loader or front ballast.
To the OP; get set up to transport everything you need to move on one load. Anything else is needless inconvenience.

 

[wcampbell47]

Hi Everyone,

My husband is looking at a new Ram 1500 Rebel to tow our tractor to the property, but the truck he likes doesn't have the trailer brake control option. Does he need that option? We would only be towing it about 10-15 miles. Can a dealer install it easily? It costs $295 from the factory, but would it cost more installed by the dealer?

Weight for tractor and trailer/attachment would probably be about 9,000 lbs.

This does not make sense to me! I tow machines everyday. I would not use a new $30,000 truck to tow equipment. I use a heavier trailer with brakes all around and a 2001 F350 with a V10 motor. Tows anything I care to haul. Probably could get one cheap. It is a heavy enough truck to handle a 14K trailer loaded to the max. Save the wear and tear on the new truck and enjoy it for the nice ride you are buying it for. Unintended stuff happens everyday even to the most careful of drives. Way better to bend the fender on an old beater than your new ride.

Edit: Helped a neighbor attach a disk harrow to his tractor today. Found out his new ride a 4x4 Dodge is a $70,000 dollar truck - not $30,000. Whew!!

 

[Hay Dude]

After reading all the analysis and opinions, I keep coming to the same conclusion: Id be in a 3/4 ton with a class V hitch and a 12k 20’ long trailer. Otherwise you’ll be fudging some things that could cause hassle and safety issues.
Im a CDL licensed trucker, farmer and construction company owner and to this day I haul everything from a 1500lb zero turn to a 200hp farm Tractor to 25,000lb loads of hay.
That may not be practical, affordable or doable for the OP, but thats the ideal, safe and honestly the correct set up.
Right tool for the right job