Enough Trailer for my Tractor??

[ljjhouser]

It may be tongue weight, but it is still weight that has to be towed. Therefore, adds to the tow capacity AND you are right, it also adds to the payload of the truck. But it still is towed.

 

[34Willys]

JSTP nailed my developing thoughts exactly. It'll be very rare that I need to haul the entire TLB, and for all the other chores it will be super handy to have. I'm going with this trailer. After it safely hauls my tractor when we move from NorCal to Oregon, I'll be set. Looking forward to some Coos Bay Dungeness and North Umpqua Steelhead.
Thanks everyone for all your input!
Patrick

 

[scaredychicken]

ideally, a longer trailer, 20 -24 ft would be what I'd be looking for ... b/c then it could also haul vehicles.

I have a 12 ft trailer single axle, works in a pinch, but I need longer...

weigh that against frequency of use, purchase cost, convenience of length vs load ... all the best as you decide

 

[Panik]

ideally, a longer trailer, 20 -24 ft would be what I'd be looking for ... b/c then it could also haul vehicles.

Funny you mention that.... for the last 7-ish years I've owned a 20'+dovetail that I originally bought to move my BX with loader and brushog. In that time I've ended up hauling vehicles with it multiple more times than I have used to move my tractor to the dealer or MIL's property across the county. Point in fact.... I've got a car currently strapped down right now waiting for a trip to town for new tires.

With a very busy family life, and a wife that works a very rigid schedule job, it's really really handy for me to be able to load up a car for service, be able to drop it off where ever it needs to go and be able to continue on my way to work/errands, etc and then pick up the serviced vehicle later on. (as opposed to sitting and waiting on service)

Some people would have you believing that you need a 14k and Dually to haul a SCUT. But since most Duallys now are over 12k GVWR that also means CDL.

There isnt any room on this forum (according to some) for half ton trucks and 7k trailers.

Ya know the older I get the more I see things in gray, as opposed to black and white... and I'm only in my mid-40's. I'm one of those folks that pull a dual axle/dual brake 10K 20' trailer behind a 1/2 ton for occasional use. While I have previously had plenty of experience hauling stuff for previous jobs, when I first purchased my scut I was pretty much green at buying trailers and matching them to needs. I went through the costly learning process of listening to friends and worked my way through a 5K utility trailer and 7K small car hauler before I really listened to my own needs and purchased the above mentioned Kaufman I currently own.

I do lose towing/carrying capacity because of the weight of the trailer, but for the occasional trips I am still within limits for anything I might haul - including vehicles we own. (tongue-weight tested and scaled it multiple times laden and unladen). On the other hand that trailer pulls so much more smoothly and handles so much better behind my truck in traffic situations. I absolutely hated the amount of bounce, jounce, flex and general behavior of the 5k and 7k.

 

[iptman]

The problem with a 16ft trailer like that is getting the tractor's weight set properly over the 2 axles while keeping loader edge down flat and against the front rail. I borrowed a buddy's 16ft trailer to tow my CX2510 and with the loader blade flat against the rail it put the weight too far behind the centerline of the axles. To get the weight centered properly I had to set the bucket down on top of the rail. I only had to drive the tractor about 3 miles across town this way but I definitely wouldn't drive it like this any further than that. A panic stop would have been a disaster.

Will your buddy let you load your tractor on the trailer just to test it out?

 

[LD1]

To get the weight centered properly I had to set the bucket down on top of the rail. I only had to drive the tractor about 3 miles across town this way but I definitely wouldn't drive it like this any further than that. A panic stop would have been a disaster.

Are you implying it would be a disaster because the tractor would move forward? Thats what proper tie downs are for.

Loader behind the rail, on the rail, tractor loaded backwards, or hell no loader at all shouldnt make a difference in a panic stop if you properly tie it down

 

[RancherGuy]

... It'll be very rare that I need to haul the entire TLB, and for all the other chores it will be super handy to have. I'm going with this trailer. ...

Patrick,

I have a 16 footer, too. Around here a lot of people consider it a "pipe" trailer because the side rails are nice heavy 2-3/8 pipe. 7,000 in dual axles, too. BTW, my trailer is 1,000 lbs, so 6,000 payload in theory. No electric brakes. 102" wide. I have used it to haul much - some small tractors, some non-implements. Here are some important points in my 20 year experience chronology:

At around the 10 year mark, the stamped steel trailer hitch failed. This is what you have on yours. I learned that this was the weak link, in that they are limited to 5,400 lbs by design, thus your limit. The "bulldog" wrap-around type are designed for heavier situations. I replaced the stamped steel hitch with another exactly the same, simply due to $$. After more years, I felt really uneasy about that, so I replaced it with a wrap-around.

At around the 12 year mark, I bought a set (4) of electric brakes. Boy, what a difference in stopping and personal confidence. No longer required my 3500 pickup to do all of the braking work.

Around the 20 year mark, I added a "trailer electrical box" to the trailer and wired the trailer into the box and a 7-wire cable into the box that plugs directly into my pickup. I made sure that even with the trailer at a 90 degree bend, the cable does not stress or come unplugged from the tow vehicle.

Tip #1: be sure to always buy ST tires, not LT or passenger. They are designed for the side loads that your double axle design will provide. Also, ESPECIALLY when your load is more than 50% of capacity, be sure that all tires are at max pressure. This keeps them firm and ridged, especially for turns. Failure for a tire to maintain it's shape causes belt separation, then tire blow-outs, regardless of their age.

Tip #2: this was alluded to earlier: be very, very cautious about loaning the trailer. I never do. You can expect that those who don't have a trailer will not be trained, even self-trained, to pay proper attention to what they are towing. They will drag it over curbs or into ditches on right-hand turns, even with a full load, they will not notice that the right tires are off the edge of the pavement on shoulderless roads, they will backup when something is in front of them and not notice or remember the trailer is there until trailer meets their fender.

 

[Marauder]

I rented a single axle tilt bed trailer from Sunbelt and took a Kioti cx2510 from New Jersey to Cincinnati with my F150. 7000# GVW. Tracked and towed great.