GVWR With vs. Without Tongue Weight

[Dougster]

Dougster, Before you spend money to uprate it, make sure the trailer has enough volume in the bed to actaully hold it. Let's say your bed is 3 yards to the top edges. 3 yards of 3/4" gravel or sand would weigh ~4 tons or 8,000lbs. If the trailer weighs 1,900 lbs, then all you would need is a 9,900lb trailer. You don't want to waste your hard earned money building a trailer with a higher GVWR (12K) than it could ever handle. You also have to watch your hitch rating. if you hook a 12K trailer to a 10K hitch and the man pulls you over and you decided that day to really "heap" a load of wet sand on there, you could lighten your wallet even further.

I don't think my wallet could not get any lighter than it is right now!

First, this tire upgrade would not happen anytime soon. I think we are talking next year at the earliest.

Second, it is all about the 235 (E-rated) tires. I'd go even wider if I could. I just don't like those skinny 225 trailer tires... the same ones as on my 10K equipment trailer right now. I always regretted not buying the 12K option for the equipment trailer and I kinda feel the same about the dump trailer... albeit for different reasons.

My hitch is good for 12K and 1,500 lbs tongue weight. Ball & ball mount are even higher rated (14K). It's the dang 6.0L engine that limits me to 10K.

My new trailer's payload limit is 7,470 lbs exactly. That's what I bought and that's what I'll live with. In the end, unless I bought a longer combo (dump/equipment) trailer and sold my current equipment trailer... or seriously rearranged my remaining budget items... or bought used (if I could have found one!)... or could turn back time for that unique, leftover Cargo Express one that I found and then lost... this was really the very best I could do and still own a dump trailer this week.

Dougster

 

[Builder]

If you're gonna do the tires, do them now, or wait till they're worn-out. I'm thinking that you could find a tire dealer who will swap tires with you while the tires are brand spankin new, but once they get a couple hundred on them, their value cuts to about 1/2 of a new tire.

Or wait till they're worn out then replace with 235 E's.

 

[Dougster]

If you're gonna do the tires, do them now, or wait till they're worn-out. I'm thinking that you could find a tire dealer who will swap tires with you while the tires are brand spankin new, but once they get a couple hundred on them, their value cuts to about 1/2 of a new tire. Or wait till they're worn out then replace with 235 E's.

Believe it or not, it is only a $200 upgrade from the manufacturer. Or at least that's what I was told by a different DownEaster dealer a couple weeks back. Mind you... Some of these stories are just stories. Sometimes not very accurate I've found! My particular dealer had no larger tires to swap... and I'm sure would not have been inclined to swap anyway for the rather low price I paid.

The fact is that I will likely keep these 225 tires anyway even if/after I upgrade. I am funny that way. At least two will become mounted spares (one for each trailer)... and two will just hang out in the garage until I need them. Remember that I have identical wheels and tires on both of my trailers now.

There are also some other very interesting possibilities for these extra wheels and tires! And if all else fails, I'm sure Craigslist will come to my rescue.

Dougster