Enough Trailer for my Tractor??

[ljjhouser]

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.

 

[amhicks21]

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.

 

[34Willys]

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

 

[4570Man]

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.

 

[34Willys]

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

 

[Midniteoyl]

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

 

[Jstpssng]

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.

 

[the old grind]

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.

 

[LD1]

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.

 

[ning]

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.

 

[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.