Help me pick the right trailer

[kevinj]

Had my 7000 lb tandem axle landscaping trailer officially weighed at the station. It has brakes on all four wheels and tipped the scales at 1,760 lbs.

Maybe for the trailer weight discussion we need to be clear on trailer types. Mine is a flat auto type which weighs more than the landscaper type. I do not know what the H&H trailers being discussed are. I find the auto haulers a bit better for tractors as they have stow away ramps and a flat deck without the side rail supports.

 

[Highbeam]

Holy smokes, nearly 5000$ US for a 7000# car hauler? There is a huge amount of money to be saved, like 3000$, by taking a nice vacation and driving down to the south central US where these cheap trailers come from. I really like my trailer and it was about 3000$ after all the license and tax here in the NW corner of the US. Most 7000 lb haulers were about 2000$. Excellent opportunity for a road trip!

My 10k rated trailer is built a good bit stouter than a 7000 lb model but tips the scales at 2500 lbs including the 250 lbs of tongue weight.

 

[jayhaitch]

The Canuck buck rose from ~63cents to 90 cents US over the last few years. I was hoping to see Canadian prices get closer to US prices, but this has only happened for some merchandise. I know we have a smaller population in a big country, so economies of scale are less. I don't expect our prices to be only 10% more than US prices based on 90 cent dollars. But $3000?!!!!!!

How are prices in the northern US? We go to North Dakota and Minnesota every year or two, so this would be closer and convenient. I've travelled around Arizona and Texas a bit, and spent some time in Charlottesville Virginia, besides big city conferences, so it would be a good excuse to travel some more and save $ on the trailer.

I'll call some US H&H dealers and get some prices. Any recommendations?

 

[Highbeam]

"I don't expect our prices to be only 10% more than US prices based on 90 cent dollars. But $3000?!!!!!!"

I do. I expect that to buy a bottle of beer will cost 10% more in canuck dollars. I don't understand why I should get more or less than a dollars worth of beer for a dollar nomatter where I am (after the current conversion to the right country's dollar). The only reason this shouldn't hold true is if the value of one of our dollars is volatile and changes a lot so the sellers can't adjust their beer prices in time. That being said, if for some reason you can stretch your dollar here in the US then take advantage of the situation.

Most of the big trailer manufacturers have websites with a "find a dealer" feature. I really really like my PJ trailer made in Oklahoma and sold here through a local dealer that buys them by the truckload. The pictured trailer that I own was only about 3000$ and is substantially more robust than a 7000# model. Heck, I would be willing to drive a trailer to a meeting place in the US and meet you there for an appropriate cut of the proceeds.

 

[roxynoodle]

I would definitely consider a road trip. $5000 is too much for that kind of trailer.

 

[jayhaitch]

Another local dealer sells PJ trailers. I looked at them before, but each one was made in Mexico. Better than China, but I prefer to buy Canadian/US made stuff while I can, before all our manufacturing goes elsewhere

On the PJ website, their utility trailers all have open framed sides, and I'm looking for a solid side one to haul soil, sand, etc. I don't really need a car carrier type trailer, but the slide under loading ramps are a nice idea. The Mrs. doesn't want a huge trailer either, so I'm trying to find the middle ground between very useful but huge, vs really tiny and useless. I hope I find it, without a huge pricetag......

I'll definitely call some North Dakota/Minnesota H&H dealers and get prices from them. Might even give me leverage with my local dealer.

Thanks for all your tips.

 

[roxynoodle]

I put sides on my utility trailer for the same reasons you want them. It cost me about $120 in lumber and hardware.

 

[roxynoodle]

Sorry, didn't mean to put that giant picture in there. Somehow I did the link to the attachment before.

 

[Jarrett]

RayH: Tell me more about Prodigy brake controllers. You mean I don't have to have a hard wired permanently mounted ugly knee whacking box sticking under the dash? How do these get wired? You mean wires from the electrical connector get run under the car, or inside the car? How does the Prodigy controller mount to be removable? It's not so much the cost but more the hassle factor, and the ugly/knee whacking/drilling holes in the new car reasons I was wanting surge brakes.

In my Dad's truck we just laid the brake controller on the floorboard of the truck, on the center hump. It never went anywhere, the carpet and fairly short wire held it in place good. He didn't want to drill any holes anywhere to mount it and it worked out just fine. I plan to do the same thing when I get a controller (when I get a trailer). I won't be using it much and that way I can just disconnect it and store it away when not needed. This may not work well with the inertia controllers though (I don't really understand how those work).

 

[Lazy]

Hi
wouldn't adding all that wood decrease the weight capacity of the trailer? looks like at least a 1000#'s of wood.

Charlie.

 

[roxynoodle]

I think at most it is about 200lbs of wood. I used 1x6s with 2x6s as the supports. The trailer was 1300lbs before I put the sides on.

 

[BarryinMN]

There are a couple of trailer manufacturers in Central MN. Not the cheapest but may save travel fuel if you find something interesting.

http://www.midsotamfg.com/dump_trailers.asp interesting flat, ramp & side dump combo. (I have their indestructible rock fork grapple.)

http://www.felling.com These guys are the industrial standard with huge variety.

Both are along I-94 between Fergus Falls & Twin Cities.

 

[CajunFrog]

You have to know how the trailer is constructed and what kind of axles are used to know if it is a good deal or not. Just because a trailer has a pair of 3,500# axles does not mean it can handle 7,000 of gross weight without something breaking. Who makes the axles and are they really rated to carry 3,500# each over a road filled with potholes? You have to be suspicious when a vendor says their 16' tandem axle weights 1200# so that means it can handle a 5800# load. A well constructed 16' trailer will weight at least 1,600#. It should have a pipe or C channel frame and a pipe top rail. It should have a wraparound tongue and reinforcement in the front from the front near the hitch to the front frame channel or the top rail. I recently purchased an 18' trailer from a manufacturer 75 miles from me. He sells them to dealers for $1600 which they mark up to $2000 and to "friends" on the side for $1740....and that around here is a good price. It has all the above features plus a bulldog hitch. It includes heavy duty ramps with a slide in box carrier built into the side. It weighs 1,800# and will easily carry a 5,200#load over both good and bad roads.....the axles being the limiting factor. If you look at the picture of Roxy's $1200 trailer you can see that it does not have a wrap around tongue nor any reinforcement on the front. It has an angle iron top rail that adds almost no strength to the frame. It may even have Chinese made axles although my Chinese tractor is ok. You try to carry 5,500# of tractor on that trailer and you may be looking for something to break. Depending on how rough she plans to get it may or may not have been a good deal for her.
You sometimes get what you pay for but seldom get what you don't (pay for)!

 

[jayhaitch]

Msr. Acadien Grenouille: I agree completely. You generally get what you pay for. I'm trying to find the perfect balance most of us do, between price and quality which usually is not a linear relationship, but more of a geometric progression. Unfortunately. That's partially why I'm interested in H&H, as they appear to me to be well built.

I've done much more investigation. Went to a local trailer manufacturer to get a quote, essentially with the same specs as the H&H. This company builds very good quality trailers, mostly custom made units for industry. They would make an 18" steel sided 7000lb tandem axle trailer with steel removable tailgate and slide in loading ramps, surge brakes, 6.5x14, for Can$5200. Plus 13% sales taxes.

Another local dealer had a Canadian made 8x14 tandem electric brake trailer for $2900, but it was completely flat deck, no sides, just stake pockets. OK, this price is better, but I'd rather have real steel sides for loose material. They had one already rusty "new" trailer, 8x18 with surge brakes someone had made but then didn't take (the dealer said......), for $3300. Again, flat deck with stake pockets. But sheesh this this thing looked an aircraft carrier landing pad. Too big!

I called a Minnesota H&H dealer. Their quote converted to Can $: 3350! Now that's better. That's $1300 less than the local quote. I think a visit to my friend in the Twin Cities is in order. I still have a quote pending for another province's H&H dealer, just to see if our local dealer is the odd one out. It's bewildering, the price differences I'm finding. Good thing I didn't just whip out the Mastercard at the first dealer.

Thanks everyone for your advice and information. I'll post again when I finally buy one. I think I'm researching this more than when we bought my wife's Pacifica......

 

[roxynoodle]

Yes, it is true that my trailer is not as heavy duty as some. My primary use for it was hauling away junk, bringing back hay or large loads of lumber or gravel or whatever. That being said I also wanted a trailer that I could use for my tractor if or when I needed to. The dry weight of my tractor is slightly over 1400 lbs. With fluids and loader though I am sure it is at MOST 3000lbs. If I had a larger tractor and/or would be hauling it frequently I would have bought either a car hauler, heavy duty flatbed or an equipment trailer and spent a few hundred dollars more. Given that my primary use for it is not tractor hauling and that my tractor is small, a utility or landscape trailer was fine. Everyone considering buying a trailer should evaluate their needs for now and the forseeable future before making the investment. If you think you will be hauling cars, buy a car hauler. If you have a large or heavy tractor don't buy what I bought. If you are hauling your tractor frequently or using it to earn a living buy a trailer with a heavy frame. My feeling is that it is always better to be overequipped than underequipped. My trailer works for my needs. I do have to say I hate how the hitch hooks up. I like the hitch on my horse trailer a lot better; it has a lever on the side that locks it onto the ball.

 

[jayhaitch]

Ditto roxynoodle. I mostly need a utility trailer, not a tractor hauling trailer, but I want to be able to do both when needed. That's why I want steel sides, not just a flat car carrier type.

How do you find the wooden sides you built? Have you hauled loose material with it, like soil/mulch/sand? Where do you have tie down points, on the trailer floor, or on the wooden sides?

 

[roxynoodle]

I made the sides myself. I used treated 2x6s to have posts to attach to and used treated "appearance" wood that are 1x6s for the sides To hold the the wood to the utility railing I used U-bolts. In addition I used L-shaped metal braces to hold the bottoms of each post to the trailer floor. I bolted the tie downs into the trailer floor since I figured if I want additional "insurance" I could also tie off to the utility rail. I am trying to find some U-shaped metal so that I can make a gate that slides in for the back. So far, for loose materials, I have hauled some dirt and some gravel and it worked great. I got the wood from Lowes. I thought the 1x6s would hold up longer than plywood.

 

[CajunFrog]

Roxy,
Sounds like you made the best choice as far as cost vs your intended use. I am thinking about adding sides like yours to haul loose material. Those treated landscape 1x6s that Lowe's sells are nice and a true 1" thick.....I've used them to make picnic table tops & seats... plenty strong but lighter than 2x6s and surely more durable than ply. My trailer already has a U rail to use 2" lumber for a rear gate.

My tractor is a crate JM354 which I must drive 200 miles and pick up. Tractor crate is 3,500#. FEL & turf tires in second crate @1,300-1,400# and you can see that I am pushing 5,000#. Lenght of 2 crates is 17' so I needed an 18' trailer. When I install FEL & have a mower deck on back it will again weight in at around 5,000# and be over 16' long. I am often moving dead cars and trucks around and my trailer will easily load and carry any car and 1/2 ton PU truck after I install a winch up front to suck them up. Also need the utility to haul lumber, dirt, gravel, sand, bricks, ect. So for my uses I need everything my trailer will handle.
K

 

[roxynoodle]

I agree. You would be pushing it with my trailer if you were using it a lot.

 

[sylvandb]

I called a Minnesota H&H dealer. Their quote converted to Can $: 3350! Now that's better. That's $1300 less than the local quote. I think a visit to my friend in the Twin Cities is in order.

I expect you have to license trailers there in Manitoba...

Watch out buying a trailer in the States and doing the import yourself. They may get you at customs or when you try to get a license, and assess all kinds of taxes or even impound if there are specific Canadian trailer requirements. You may end up spending even more, plus the road trip, plus a possible delay in actually possessing your trailer.

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