New Trailer

[twabscs]

Hi All,

Well, I've been going round and round with what to do for a trailer and tow vehicle. I bought an F150 SC two years ago and really like it. However, I really need an F250/350 or so to trailer my tractor with implements. After wrestling with the option of trading in the F150 SC for a larger truck and taking a $8K "hit" on the transaction, I just decided to get the trailer that I wanted (long-term) and do my best with the F150 for another year or two. The idea is to just use the trailer for moving my tractor/loader/box blade (5500 lbs) for now.

Initially, I was just looking for a 10K trailer but all they had were 16/18 ft ones. It was just a few hundred more for a 20 ft/14K trailer with dovetail and adjustable, spring assisted ramps.

So, today I picked up the trailer attached. It is rated for 14K and has brakes on both axles. I had them install a class IV hitch along with the brake controller. All of this for much less than the transaction costs of moving to an F250 SC. I need the SC truck, as that is currently the "family car" as my wife has a sporty two door. (Hey, I got a tractor so she had to have her sports car)

The first test will be tomorrow as I'm taking the TC40D to the dealer (~45 miles). I'm anxious to see how it does on the highway. My plan is to take it slow but so far it seems to handle the trailer fine.

Thanks,

 

[twabscs]

Here's a close up of the class IV hitch setup.

 

[twabscs]

Another picture of the trailer and tow vehicle. I'll get some better pics tomorrow, it's tough to get the full view in a subdivision...

 

[ronjhall]

Tom
Nice trailer. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Get an Equalizer hitch for your truck. Once you have used one you will never tow a heavy load without one. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Check out this thread.
Click Here

 

[johnday]

Tom; Excellent choice of trailer! It appears that you'll be grossing out around 8800# loaded with your tractor, so, PLEASE, be very careful, you might be a tad overloaded. I don't recall what the max trailer rating is for a 150, but your right, you really do need that Superduty. Sounds like a good way to sway the CFO, if you know what I mean /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif You'll never regret having more trailer capacity than you need at this time.

BTW, is that a bulldog coupler? I've thought about changing my coupler over to a bulldog, but not sure what I would gain in the way of safety.

At any rate, smart purchase, and the safe way to go /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[twabscs]

Thanks Ron, I'll check into them. I've heard about them but don't have any experience with them.

 

[Bird]

Tom, I don't think you'll have any problem if you get your weight distribution right. If it were me and I didn't have any way to weigh everything, including the tongue weight, I'd measure the height of the rear bumper, put the tractor on the trailer and measure again, move the tractor forward or backward until the tongue weight lowered the back bumper 1.5" to 2".

 

[twabscs]

Hi John,

Thanks for the encouragement! I think I made the right choice given the circumstances. The primary issue of getting a new truck isn't the CFO, she said "go ahead." I just can't "deal" with losing 3-4K on my trade in and then paying an extra 4-5K on the new (used) truck (e.g., moving from F150 to same year F250 w/V10). I'm okay with dealers making some money; it's just the principle of getting taken both ways that gets me. Yes, it's a deep seeded, philosophical issue that I have. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Probably caused by some event in my youth.

The problem, though, is that I'm close to my limit on the F150. The title says the trailer weighs 2500 lbs. That plus the 5.5K tractor puts me at 8K. The max on F150 varies with style, rear-end, engine, etc. I have the 5.4, 3.55, and 17 in tires. The max trailer weight is 7100. However, if I had 3.73 gears and 16 in tires, I can go to 8200? If my truck was 2WD, max is 8600? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Sounds like the truck can handle 8K, but my components may be stressed some. I don't plan to do very much trailering so I should be okay. I may also remove the FEL for the trip to the dealer tomorrow. That will save 1100 lbs.

Yes, that's a bulldog coupler. It seems safer as it hugs the ball very tightly with no room for movement. Trailer man said they were "better." Must be. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[gugy]

Tom,Great looking rig.I like that adjustable Bulldog coupler.
Good Luck And safe towing

 

[twabscs]

Hi Bird,

Yeah, that's what the trailer guy said, but you put it more accurately. He said, "put the majority of the tractor over the trailer wheels and make sure the trailer is still level. You don't want the back end of the truck to drop very far." I'll use your measurements tomorrow after loading.

Thanks,

 

[johnday]

Tom; Bird is definetly in the ballpark on balancing the load, thats what I do myself and I have no problems with sway or anything else. Make sure your brakes are correctly adjusted and leave a little extra room behind the guy in front of you.
And you probably have the practicing NASCAR wannabe's as we have here, so that is another end you have to watch as well as your sides. Even with all that to remember, it will still take you a little longer to stop. Just stay cool out in the free-for-all, watch your speed, and you should be fine, especially if you take the loader off to reduce the weight. Your obviously concerned about safety, and that is a good thing!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

BTW, once you get the load balanced, paint a stripe on the trailer bed for reference when you load your usual load. That way you won't have to guess about the tongue weight that much /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Jackrabbit_Slim]

Nice rig. You'll have to forgive me for not knowing how to post this link properly. Computer illiterate. At any rate, I found this link somewhere on this site, checked with a friend who's an engineer who assured me it would indeed work, tried it out, and was within 6 pounds of my tongue weight when I double checked it at a commercial scale.

http://www.roadmaster-tow-bars.com/towing_facts_step1.html

Between this and all the help I got on TBN regarding my equalizer hitch, I'm finding towing is a pup. Best of luck.

Slim

 

[JD4610]

Tom,

You've gotten some excellent advice here, which can always be counted on. But, if I may, I'd like to offer some of my own observations:

Your truck only weighs about 4,500lbs which means your trailer outweighs you nearly two-to-one. Not a problem in itself, just something to consider while driving.

Your trailer wight of approx 8,000lbs will result in a hitch weight of 800-1200lbs (10-15%.) This will make the rear of the truck squat much more than 1.5-2" when loaded. You're probably looking at 4-5". Get a few friends to sit on the tailgate and see how much it sags with just 400-500lbs and you'll see what I mean.

Hitch weight not only makes the truck ride correctly, it's also what gives the trucks rear tires traction. Not enough weight increases the risk of jack-knifing. Not much of a concern during normal, thoughtful driving, but could become an issue during emergency maneuvers.

Also, don't forget to check tire pressure and lug nut torque before each trip on both the truck and trailer. I recently got my trailer back (after having been lent out) with a flat tire and bad rim. Luckily, the person who borrowed it was towing a relatively light load and no major mishap occured.

Congratulations and have fun,

Jay

 

[twabscs]

Jay,

Thanks for the comments. I agree and understand I'm pushing it a bit here. My first trip is to take the tractor to the dealer because of a hydraulic leak. I'm going to remove the FEL (and no implements) so I'll be hauling the TC40D by itself with an approxmiate weight of 3500 lbs. That plus the 2.5K trailer puts me at 6000 lbs for today's trip. We'll see how that goes before I attempt with the FEL and box blade.

Tonight I'll post a picture of the setup with the tractor loaded.

 

[johnday]

Tom; Just ran across these at another site I visit. Looks like they may be just the thing for that SD if whenever you go whole hog. Liked'em so much, I bought them!! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Go to c-btr.com I can't seem to add this url for some reason /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Let me know if you have problems getting there, these mirrors are convex type that clip onto to the trailertow mirrors Ford has on the Superduty. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Lou_B]

Your F-150 will tow your new trailer and tractor OK. You will be at a maximum load limit, but since the trailer has electric brakes, the rig will be safe.

Once you have the FEL and box blade installed, I'd find the tractor's position on the trailer that gives you the tongue weight that was suggested by Bird (800 or so). Then, measure the trailer to see if it sits level - it will probably be tilted downwards a couple of inches. On your trailer the position of the coupler is adjustable. Just remove the mounting bolts and move it up or down to get the trailer level.

My trailer has a similar coupler mounting system. I removed the ball coupler and went to a pintle ring instead. Your trailer's setup gives you this option.

Lou Braun

 

[twabscs]

John, Lou, Everyone,

Thanks for the help with the new trailer. Well, I survived the trip today. Everything went fine during the seven hour, 250 mile adventure. Took the FEL off the TC for the first time today. It only took about 10 minutes. First time driving a trailer with its own brakes - Makes a world of difference when braking!

The trip went like this: Drive 85 miles to farm with empty trailer. Load tractor and drive 45 miles to dealer. Drive back to farm with empty trailer to store in barn. Drive 85 miles back home. Here's the first pic of the tow vehicle and trailer on level ground.

 

[twabscs]

Here's a pic after I loaded the tractor. I used Bird's advice to measure the bumper and go for a ~2" drop after loading. I went with 1 3/4". As you can see from the pic, the drop in the rear end of the truck is hardly noticeable.

The trip with the tractor loaded was mostly highway. I kept the speed around 63 MPH and the truck had to fight pretty hard to make it up your average Missouri slope. Oh, and the gas mileage (not counting the trailer-free trip home) was 9 MPG. Ouch! That's an important reason to have the Diesel SD in the future.

Again, thanks everyone for your help! I wasn't satisified with my tie-down technique so I'm going to research that here at TBN so I can get that right next time, which will be soon as I'll have to trailer the tractor back from the dealer soon.

 

[Bird]

That is a fine looking rig. </font><font color="blue" class="small">( truck had to fight pretty hard to make it up your average Missouri slope )</font> Did you turn off the overdrive? I would, personally. And 9 MPG may sound bad, but how much towing are you going to do? The diesel truck would certainly be a better tow truck, but you can buy a lot of gas for what it costs to trade trucks if you aren't going to do a lot of towing.

 

[twabscs]

Bird, you're right on all counts. Won't be towing much so I shouldn't worry about the MGP. Yeah, I had the overdrive off as I remembered that from my owner's manual. I had the cruise control on (set at 63/64) and when encountering a long climb, it would downshift to 2nd (4K RPM) to keep the speed above 60. It happened maybe 5 times over 40 miles. Probably shouldn't use the cruise when towing.