Not sure what I want for a trailer

   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #1  

Usta

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 24, 2008
Messages
252
Location
Central Vermont
Tractor
2008 Kubota BX2660
Looking for opinions from people who know more than I do on this topic.

I am looking for a trailer, preferably new, to occasially haul my Kubota. I am thinking a 4000lb 14 foot bed. Maximum load would not exceed 3000 pounds. I realize longer is better but it is also bulkier. I am thinking it should also have dual axles. Would a landscape type trailer work or should I be looking at something heavier? Not sure if they even make 2 ton landscapes. Is what I am looking for available with surge brakes? I sure liked the simple but effective surge brakes on my Ranger boat trailer.
Pulling with a 2007 1500 4WD Silverado.
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #2  
A landscape trailer will be less expensive than a car trailer. A dual axle with 7000 lb rating will do just fine. I'd opt for a longer trailer (18-20') since your tractor has a loader and if you want to haul an attachment as well you'll need the extra length.

Also be advised most landscape trailers are only 76" between the fenders and should you want to haul a full size car or pickup in the future 76" width won't be wide enough. A car trailer is usually 82" between the fenders. I have an 82" x 20' tilt bed and use it for hauling my tractor, cars, trucks, or anything else I can get on it.

Being on the East Coast new trailers are not as reasonably priced as they are in other parts of the country and good used trailers are hard to find. I drove to a trailer dealer in PA (5 hours each way) to buy my trailer to save about $1100 in price.

Lastly, if your truck has the tow package it has the wiring for a trailer with electric brakes. Brakes on one axle is the minimum, both axles with brakes is better. Your truck is more than capable of hauling the 3000 lb load you state plus the trailer and tie down chains will add about another 2000.
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #3  
Everything George said is right on the money. Get 82" if you ever plan to do any other hauling. I have a 82" wide by 18' long landscape type trailer. It will haul about 5,750# and has served me well. Prior to that I had a 25' GN with 19,000# load and it was nice but way more trailer than I needed.

I haul around my 5,200# tractor all the time and cars and such.

Chris
 

Attachments

  • trailer.JPG
    trailer.JPG
    497.6 KB · Views: 208
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #4  
Everything said here is correct.

I would never use surge brakes on anything. I've had some horrible experiences with them. I've wiped out brakes on all four corners of the truck using one of these on a car trailer on a steep hill. Couldn't generate the shock needed to engage the surge due to the ABS set up. Besides, you have no manual control as you would have a brake controller. I'm sure some will argue with me, but there have been guys that have had serious problems towing boats on wet pavement where the surge didn't hit as expected.
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #5  
I went through the same thing last fall, as I was planning on buying a used B21 or B26 and didn't know what to get. My truck is a 2001 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton 4x4.

Initially started looking at 16'-18' deckover equipment trailers, but since I have a GTO Judge I am restoring I thought I might be better served with a car hauler since it could do double duty.

I ended up getting a 16' car hauler trailer with a beavertail, and the lower deck height of the car hauler as well as the angle of the beavertail make it very easy to load the B26 I ended up buying. This trailer has tandem 3500 lb axles, and I added brakes on the second axle as soon as I bought it. With brakes on all 4 wheels, it literally stops on a dime and is a pleasure to tow. Surge brakes are a good idea in certain applications....at work we have a few generator trailers that are used infrequently and we have a fleet of 40 vehicles, any of which might be called up to tow one of these trailers, so for that application it makes more sense to have hydraulic surge brakes on the trailer, allowing any vehicle to tow it without needing a brake controller. For your own dedicated tow vehicle and trailer, I think electric brakes are better.

The only drawback to getting a car hauler over a deckover is that if you wanted to have palletized loads like bricks loaded onto it, the fenders are in the way. For my use the car hauler was the better choice due to the car project.

Michael
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #6  
I haul pallets all the time on my trailer. Just hauled 2 pallets of landscape blocks from Lowes. Just have the driver sit it on then have a 4x4 with you. Place it on the pallet and have the Fork Lift driver push the pallet forward on the trailer. Load the next one and strap it down. When I got home put the forks on the tractor and unloaded the back pallet the used a chain to pull the other one back to get it with the forks.

I will admit its more work but I have had this current trailer and only hauled pallet items 4-5 times versus barrels, wood, ect 100's of times where the rail comes in handy. If I were hauling pallets every week it would be a issue but not for me.

Chris
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #7  
I also agree with all of the above, especially the comments from 'timswi' regarding surge brakes. Avoid them like the plague. They have been the cause of many accidents.

Corm
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #8  
I would go 16' minimum with tandem axles. You need a little more length than the equipment you are hauling so you can get the correct weight on the tongue and axles. Too much weight on the tongue is hard on the tow vehicle. Not enough weight on the tongue is dangerous. And I also agree about surge brakes. Surge brakes are not something for serious hauling.
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #9  
I guess I am no the other side of the fence about surge brakes. I tow many trailers upto 25,000# and most have surge brakes or electric over hydraulic. Of the 75 or so trailers I tow only 2 have pure electric brakes. To me they seem to have more issues but it all comes down to having them properly maintained and adjusted.

Chris
 
   / Not sure what I want for a trailer #10  
I guess I am no the other side of the fence about surge brakes. I tow many trailers upto 25,000# and most have surge brakes or electric over hydraulic. Of the 75 or so trailers I tow only 2 have pure electric brakes. To me they seem to have more issues but it all comes down to having them properly maintained and adjusted.

Chris

I am no expert on surge brakes. I've only pulled a couple of smaller trailers with surge brakes. This is not near the weight and experience you have had with them. Perhaps on the larger trailers the surge brakes are set up a bit better. My choice of electric brakes over surge is the ability to adjust the braking force to the trailer through the brake controller while the load is traveling. Do surge brakes overcome this advantage?
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2015 FREIGHTLINER CASCADIA DAY CAB (A51222)
2015 FREIGHTLINER...
2016 Ford Escape SUV (A50324)
2016 Ford Escape...
2019 Ford Explorer AWD SUV (A50324)
2019 Ford Explorer...
2015 INTERNATIONAL 4300 26FT BOX TRUCK (A51222)
2015 INTERNATIONAL...
2012 Toro Greensmaster 1600 Walk Behind Mower (A48082)
2012 Toro...
2006 Peterbilt 379 T/A Sleep Cab Truck Tractor (A49461)
2006 Peterbilt 379...
 
Top