Enough Trailer for my Tractor??

   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #21  
Roustabout, I was glad to see the features you mentioned in your post. I forgot all the additions you can have on trailer. You mentioned 16" tires, slipper springs, drop axle and brakes. I wanted all that stuff when I had my trailer built. Then there is 12K set-back jack, stake pockets, rub rail, added LED lighting, removable fenders, adjustable coupler height, wrapped tongue, tilt bed, hydraulic cylinder lock, and easy lube axles. Wow, did I miss anything - oh, spare - that is another $100.. and you now have two. And ratcheting binders and chains. And toolbox. The drop axles make it seem very low. Forgot how many things could be added.
 
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   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #22  
Heavy duty trailers have more safety margins but in my experience trailers trailers below 10,000 pounds don’t like being overloaded especially for prolonged use.
you arent wrong. im a cld-a driver and fabricator. over the summer i drive any of about 18 trailers ranging from 3500lb to 40000lb and in the winter i do maintenance on them. . many 7000lb trailers are made with hot rolled angle iron and c channel that tends to flex and fatigue more than heavier trailers that are made with cold rolled tube or I beams. I used to have to fix cracks in 7000lb open deck lawncare trailers on a regular basis. The thing is, these trailers were on the road 6 days a week for years. I doubt this guy is trying to put 100k miles on his trailer. all trailer axles and suspension are built with pretty much the same safety margins but most smaller and cheaper trailers suffer from horrific welding. he's not overloading this trailer though. Thats a very appropriately sized trailer for the tractor hes hauling. I guarantee he'll have to worry about rotted tires and brakes long before he has to worry about structural failures.
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor??
  • Thread Starter
#23  
you arent wrong. im a cld-a driver and fabricator. over the summer i drive any of about 18 trailers ranging from 3500lb to 40000lb and in the winter i do maintenance on them. . many 7000lb trailers are made with hot rolled angle iron and c channel that tends to flex and fatigue more than heavier trailers that are made with cold rolled tube or I beams. I used to have to fix cracks in 7000lb open deck lawncare trailers on a regular basis. The thing is, these trailers were on the road 6 days a week for years. I doubt this guy is trying to put 100k miles on his trailer. all trailer axles and suspension are built with pretty much the same safety margins but most smaller and cheaper trailers suffer from horrific welding. he's not overloading this trailer though. Thats a very appropriately sized trailer for the tractor hes hauling. I guarantee he'll have to worry about rotted tires and brakes long before he has to worry about structural failures.
Thanks for all the replies.
I would only be using the trailer to move the tractor very infrequently, so day to day lumber from the hardware store, a pallet of stuff, logs to make lumber, or a couple atvs would be the norm.
I don't know how the trailer is set up, so I'll contact the builder to get a build sheet of options.
I'd not be getting a great deal on it, but my friend has given me more than I could ever repay, so paying what he paid is a no brainer.
I wish it were an 18 footer/#10,000, but it isn't. I have no other use for a heavy trailer, or a vehicle to pull it, so there's where I am.
My tow vehicles are a 92 toyota and 99 ford ranger pickups, so I'd be borrowing/renting a truck when needed.
Thanks again!
Patrick
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #24  
I see little use for a trailer with no truck. On the rare instance you needed to move the tractor call a towing company to bring a rollback. Or there’s other options to get it moved.
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor??
  • Thread Starter
#25  
I see little use for a trailer with no truck. On the rare instance you needed to move the tractor call a towing company to bring a rollback. Or there’s other options to get it moved.
Most people I know with a truck don't have a trailer. I see it as a barterable tool.
'Hey Pat, I've got some fresh Crab and Salmon, could I use your trailer........'
Patrick
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #26  
Most people I know with a truck don't have a trailer. I see it as a barterable tool.
'Hey Pat, I've got some fresh Crab and Salmon, could I use your trailer........'
Patrick
Now thats a great idea :)
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #27  
I’ve been looking at various options and finally realized that a 16 foot, 7K trailer would be more suited for my needs than anything bigger. I can pull it for lumber and/or other supplies behind my Colorado, and on the rare occasion I would haul my tractor it most likely would be for tires or repairs, so I can drop the loader and use my company truck. A 20 foot 12k would be nice, but that along with the truck to pull it would be an extravagance I don’t need.
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #28  
I replaced tractors too heavy to haul with my basic 16' 7k flat deck. Besides being so handy to move around/park/tow, its humble capacity can be a good reason not to loan it. I have others and it doesn't get used often. It's for my convenience, nobody else's. 20 yrs old and in great shape for its age except for paint & bent ramps.
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #29  
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.

My opinion....you are within the rating of the trailer. You have obviously figured that out and the load capacity.

But to add to the safety margin......you can "actually" put more than 5300# on that trailer and still be 100% legal and safe.

Alot of MFG's just take the weight rating of the trailer (7k in your case) and subtract the trailer weight to give you a payload. They do this because its easy, and they dont know any better. But in reality.....tongue weight "isnt" considered part of the trailer payload.

So if you put 10% of the weight rating on the hitch (700#)....that trailer is actually legal to haul 6k as long as the 700 pounds doesnt overload the truck.

Reason I mention this is because you may NOT be as close to the edge as you initially though you would be.
 
   / Enough Trailer for my Tractor?? #30  
So if you put 10% of the weight rating on the hitch (700#)....that trailer is actually legal to haul 6k as long as the 700 pounds doesnt overload the truck.
Note that this doesn't necessarily hold true in all 50 states; there are some which consider the tongue weight to be part of the trailer GVWR and enforcement can (and will) disconnect the trailer from the tow vehicle and put scales under both the tongue and the axles.

I have no idea if the OP is in one of these states, nor the likelihood that enforcement actively does this, but laws definitely do vary and you'll read anecdotes (including on TBN) about this.
 
 
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