OK...Deckover or Lowboy

[QRTRHRS]

A couple of suggestions:
There are some manufacturers that advertise low profile deckovers. I don't know what the difference is but if your intended work involves a lot of climbing up on the deck it could be worth investigating.

I sold my beavertail. It was okay but my next trailer is going to be a tiltdeck.

A 14K trailer may weigh 4500-5000 lbs empty. Even properly licensed, that does not leave all that much capacity. While your asking about you are operators license, inquire about the trailer license. Here in PA, going from 10 up means registering in combination with your pickup truck. Check with your insurance companies. Most regular policies don't cover trailers of this size.

Commercial or private, DOT securement laws must be followed. Read up on those before you purchase hold down equipment.

Finally, you sometimes get what you pay for. Ask around and do your homework.

 

[wushaw]

Ray, CDL is standard across all 50 states. NON-CDL is not. In my home state you only pulled up CDL regs. The NON-CDL is the same weight classes but NON-CDL. I have a class A NON-CDL that is primary for hauling my house around but if I need to haul something heavy and it is not for commerce then I am legal to do so.
Also a farm trailer is a little different also with weight limits, like in my home state anybody that can tag a trailer with farm plates can go up too 20,000lbs and be legal with a class C NON-CDL liscense.
The only thing anybody can do is refer to their home state regs.

Texas handbook

 

[dieselmotorhead]

I ended up getting the deckover. My first iteration was to use my car trailer 7,000Lbs GVW. My 4600 only weighs 3550 from the factory- right-- Righhhht. Add the backhoe and the loader and the tag along trailer is a little squirrly (-5 sp), gestimated aroud 1500# over its limit. then I got a Bri- Mar dump gooseneck deck over dump trailer with ramps 16' by 96 inches with welded in D rings and rub rails on top of the neck to put the bucket on. Smooth paited steel dump body was a little iffy on traction and the loading angle was dangerous- almost went backward. Then I settled on an applachian trailer ( Ohio??). Not the top of the line as far as paint and attention to detail but good for what I need. It is 20' on the deck and 4 ft on dovetail. 14,000 GVW. Self cleaning dovetail section made of angle irons. Ramps made of angle iron. No spring assist to raise the dovetail halfs( yes it is heavy). But makes a flat deck. I got the "hay hauler" option it is a small deck over the neck of the trailer. Will not go back to anything with fenders for hauling the machine. I only use it to go between properties, back and forth to the dealer to get goodies added. And ocassionaly to move various "stuff" as a favor for those inlaws and other relatives that do not have trucks and trailers. Still have the other two trailers.

 

[QRTRHRS]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( No spring assist to raise the dovetail halfs( yes it is heavy). But makes a flat deck. )</font>That sounds more like a "beavertail". A dovetail is a fixed ramp style where as the beavertail is framed like a dovetail but has slightly narrower sections (usually two) that raise up to make a flat deck. Each deck section on the deckover that I used to have had a piece of steel channel that would slide out to the rear. The channel would act like a cantilever making it somewhat easier to lift the heavy deck sections. Perhaps you could fab up something to help you out.

 

[FaC]

HunterRidgeFarm,

I will toss in my $.02 on both sides of this thread.

As far as the trailer goes, I would go for the deckover. I have a lowboy and all of the comments on loading, hay, forklifts, etc are right on the money.

As far as the license goes, in NC you need to get a Class A NON-CDL license (I am in Kernersville). It plays out in three parts:

Non-commercial
Total combined gross below 26,001
Trailer GVWR 10,001 or above

In my case, my GN is a 14K GVWR - this is what pushes you to having to have the Class A NON-CDL. I have an 18K tag on the truck and I am not commercial. You have to take a short and easy written test and also take a driving test WITH the trailer. In my case, the driving test was both city and a little bit of interstate.

The license will list Class A instead of Class C but it is not a true CDL. I found all of this out after a friend of my FIL got a ticket for red fuel, overweight on the First in Flight tag and wrong operator's license all at the same time (it was well into 4 figures). I figured that it would be a lot cheaper to get legal ;-)

FWIW - Frank

 

[tlbuser]

What type of truck are you pulling with that requires 18K on the tags? 4K GVWR on the truck + 14K GVWR on the trailer?

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I'm tempted to say "most states", but I don't know it for gospel, you tag the truck for the combined weight of truck trailer, and cargo. I'm from Kentucky. I run 22,000 lb. tags on my truck. (We aren't even required to licence trailers. In fact we don't even TITLE trailers) The trailer is rated at 14,000 lbs. GVWR. Truck is a Dodge 2500. (GWVR escapes me at this moment. The long arm of the law will require you to stay UNDER the lowest weight rating. (Tags vs. vehicle(s) GVWR) My heaviest loads will see me scaling just under 18,500 lbs. I'm well under both tagged and rated vehicle load limits.

Kentucky does make a plate available to trailer owners. It requires the payment of a (small) property tax charge when renewed each year. I don't need it when I stay "in state", but it keeps me from looking suspicious when "out of state". (I tow into Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee from time to time.)

 

[Trail_Time]

Hey diesel - Please Post a pic of your new trailer... I'd like to see the hay deck option.

thanks

 

[mbrule]

I can chime in from Mass, Truck and trailer need to be registered individually by weight. I register my 8600 lb GVW pickup for 9000 lb and my 7000 lb GVW trailer for 7000 lb. I am not sure about drivers licenses in Mass, but am pretty sure that a class D (lowest class) enables one to drive any vehicle or combination, with combined registered GVW of less than 26000 lbs. (except schoolbuses etc.)

Matt

 

[FaC]

North Carolina is the same as Kentucky. The trailer tag does not have any weight on it - all of the weight is on the truck tag.

This is one aspect that varies greatly state to state....

Frank