Perfect size trailer

[Larry_Davis]

Just bought a new L3830 with LA723 FEL, R4 Tires, 72" Woods BB and 72" Woods brushhog. Please tell me what size and type trailer you feel would be absolutely "perfect" for transporting this unit. The need would only be occasional (maybe once a month) and the distance no more than 15 miles.

Thanks,
Larry

 

[LeRoi]

You didn't say what you would be towing it with,but this one works well for me.
It's a 24ft 14,000 GVWR from Kaufman Trailers, and it's long enough to carry the tractor with FEL, and the bushhog attached without overhang.
What ever you get make sure it has brakes on both axles, my rig as shown weighs 10,300 lbs on the CAT scales at the truckstop and that doesn't include the F-250 pulling it. Truck and all weighs 17,500 lbs and I pull round trip to my land about 40 miles every saturday the weather will cooperate. Trailer pulls very well and I am quite satisfied with it.l
It cost $3645.00 delivered to South Mississippi.
Hope this helps
Leroy

 

[Larry_Davis]

Leroy,
Thanks for the reply. That's really a good looking trailer you've got. However, I only have a Dodge 1500 (with a class lV hitch) and after buying this tractor do not have the available dollars left to upgrade to a larger truck. I am hoping that since transporting will be infrequent and the distance short I can get by with less length and weight in a trailer. According to the dealer the combined weight of the L3830 and LA723 FEL is 4950 lbs. After looking at your photo it certainly does not appear that I would be able transport this tractor with the 72" brushhog on anything less in length than your trailer. In your opinion, what would be the shortest trailer that would easily accommodate just the tractor and FEL? I am sure a double axle, 7,000 lb capacity (obviously with electric brakes) would handle it with no problem.

 

[wushaw]

You might be able to squeek by with a 16ft 7k trailer if you don't have any rear implements. And if you do then make two trips, 30mi round trip is not that far.

My 16ft 7k Big Tex trailer weighs 1900lbs with a CCC of 5100lbs.

 

[graybeard451]

It says you live in the mountains and you have a good sized tractor with a bush hog. If you want to haul this combo, you'll need something with a 24 feet long bed. I also have a 16' but I'm hauling a BX 23 with a GVW of 7,000. The trailer weights around 1600 lbs so that leaves a cap of 5400 lbs. Which is fine for my BX. A bigger trailer will also have bigger tires, wheels and most importantly in the mountains, brakes. The up side is that the price difference between a 7,000 and a 10,000 lb trailer is not that big. The down side is the 10,000 lb trailer will weight more empty, further taxing that poor 1/2 ton pick-up. I know, my trailer and tractor combined is around 4500 lbs and I'm hauling it with a V-6 Toytota pick-up. It's rated for towing cap of 5,000 and I feel it is maxed out. No mountains in RI either. Good luck, Richard Happy New Year

 

[Dman]

Larry,
Looking at the picture of Leroy's tractor on his 24' trailer it looks he may have a foot or two to spare. Also, if yours just has a bucket and not a grapple like his you'd pick up another foot or two. I'm betting you could get away with a 20' trailer and still be able to haul the loader and bush hog with the bush hog wheel hanging off the back of the trailer.

The only problem I'd see with making two trips, one for tractor and loader and the other with bushhog only, is that at one place you wouldn't have anything to load/unload the implement (assuming you don't have another tractor).

Take a look at www.bigtextrailers.com. They have several different models of all types of trailers. It looks to me that something like their 10ET equipment trailer would do the trick. It has way more weight capacity than you need and the trailer only weighs 2,400lbs which should keep it and the tractor within your trucks tow limit.

 

[DmansPadge]

Have you measured it with the bucket curled up... sitting on the ground and with the brushhog?

LeRoi's trailer is very nice, but, I'm sure you can get away with less. I used to pull my B series with a V6 Tacoma on an 18' trailer and with the FEL and brushhog on... the hog hung off about 2-3 feet. The part that seemed most important to me was making sure the weight was centered over the axles. When I had my boxblade on I had about a foot to spare on the front and back.

 

[George2615]

Larry,
I have a 20' Tiltbed for my tractor. I don't have a brushhog but I have had my tractor with loader and snowblower mounted plus a Polaris 4 wheeler behind the blower all on the trailer at the same time. My tractor,loader,& blower measure about 16' long and weigh in about 4500Lb. Trailer is a 7K unit w/ brakes on both axles. (pics in photo section Mahindra) and was all I needed. Yours may weigh more. Measure the overall length and add the weights of yours. Your probably weighs over 5-6K so you'd need at least a 10K 20-22' trailer. Trailer will weigh about 2300-2500 Lb of the 10K rating which leaves up to 7500Lb. for your load. Most 1/2 ton truck can haul a 10K trailer without problem but check your trucks towing capacity to be legal.

George

 

[RobertN]

The first thing to do is sit down for a few minutes, and search this site for "trailer". There have been some very good discussions about sizing trailers, trucks, brakes and hooking it all together, over the last 4-6 months.

Start by getting all the data for your tractor. You have the basic weight, but get a little more info. These are some of the things I considered when getting my trailer:

- overall length with the biggest/longest implements mounted
- Weight of tractor
- Weight of implements(I often take a couple when I transport, ie tractor with the bushhog and scraper)
- Tool box
- Fuel cans
- ice chest(lunch and drinks)

Now you can start to size your trailer, and think about whether it will work with the GVWR and GCWR of your truck too...

Based on just the weight of your tractor, you are looking at a 10k trailer. My 16' 7000lb trailer weighs 1600lbs, with a cargo capacity of 5400lbs. Guestimating that a scraper or mower for your tractor would be in the 4-500lb range, you would be pushing PAST the capacity of my trailer. Your tractor is much longer, so you would be looking at a 18' or longer trailer, which weighs at least a few hundred pounds more than mine. With that in mind, a 18' 7000lb trailer might wigh in the 1800-1900lb range, giving you barely 5000lb capacity.

When looking at a trailer, make sure you get a spare tire, and a lug wrench to fit too. You can probably use the jack from your truck, or even unload the tractor and use the FEL. But, it doesn't help if you don't have the spare tire, or a way to get those lugs off. It would really be a bummer to have to leave that tractor and trailer on the side of the road while you get your flat repaired.

Make sure you have plenty of tie points. Mine came with ok chain tie points. I have added rope hooks, as my trailer gets used to haul all sorts of things besides tractors. It's interesting all the uses you'll find for a trailer...

Get plenty of chain and binders. Chain and bind at all four corners and over implements. There is a lot of debates about the requirements, but if you chain and bind all four corners you'll be legal in 50 states... And, a couple hundred dollars of chain and binders is really cheap insurance for $20k of tractor, $2500 of trailer.

 

[InlineDieselFan]

Larry,

I would opt for a 10,000 lb GVWR trailer or more, right now you could get by with a 7,000 GVWR trailer. But as time goes by you will get more implements, you may load your tires, you may even get a back hoe. For the few extra dollars buy the most trailer that you can afford, both GVWR and length. When the weight is two much you can go buy the next new truck, but you can still use your trailer.

When I bought my 18 foot, 12,000 GVRW trailer a year before the tractor (at the time we were looking at 5 or so acres and a BX 23 size tractor). I thought I had plenty of trailer. Well lessons learned. To go buy new now I would opt for the 28'-32' gooseneck trailer. As time goes by we just keep buying more toys.

steve

 

[JonBarleycorn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Just bought a new L3830 with LA723 FEL, R4 Tires, 72" Woods BB and 72" Woods brushhog. Please tell me what size and type trailer you feel would be absolutely "perfect" for transporting this unit. The need would only be occasional (maybe once a month) and the distance no more than 15 miles.

Thanks,
Larry )</font>

Larry,
I have an 18' trailer pulling a L4330 with 853 loader & bush hog. The bush hog hangs over @ 3', but is not a problem as I take the wheel off. The trailer axles are rated at 7k, tires at 84k and the unit weighs 21k empty. Keep in mind @ 10% of the weight will be on the truck.
Personally, unless I was making a business of it and was towing every day, I would NOT buy a goose neck. Once a month is not enough to justify the expense in my book for another depreciating asset. My unit tows very well, without any problem. Another consideration is at sell time, a goose neck market is more limited. They are great trailers, and certainly more stable, only cost more.
Another thing to consider is do you anticipate an upgrade to a heavier tractor?
Check your weights from the manufacturer and not what the dealer says. My manual gives the weights and Woods has their weights on the website. Remember to add for fuel and other liquids.
Good luck!

 

[Larry_Davis]

JonBarleycorn, Steve and all the others .........

Thanks for the quick and very useful information. I did try several times before posting yesterday to "search" TBN for trailer posts but either there was a site search problem or I was doing something wrong.

Anyway .......... Steve ............. a couple of months ago I did get a BX23 to help maintain two properties we own, 6 acres on one and 5 on the other. Without checking TBN first, I took the salesman's word (I know, I know, kinda stupid, huh?) when he said I could get by with a 12', dual axle, 7,000 lbs trailer. Well, he didn't exactly lie. It's a VERY tight fit and the BH has to be moved all the way left or right. Obviously, a 14' or 16' would have been the correct size.

Now ........ after all of that, my wife falls in love with a house on 25 acres (about 10 in hilly pasture and 15 in hilly woods). She's just gotta have it! And I say, "OK, we'll buy you that house but I'll need a larger tractor!". She went to the Kubota dealer on Saturday and bought the L3830, came home and said, "Is that big enough?"

True story! and now I've got to make sure I don't make a mistake this time on the trailer size. Supposed to pick the new tractor up tomorrow. The local trailer dealer has in stock a 20', 12,000 lb, dovetail for $2900.00. I just might go with that.

Jon .......... where are you located in WNC? I'm in Franklin.

Thanks again everyone,
Larry

 

[LeRoi]

Larry,
I made a mistake on the weight, the weight ticket was with the BH90 backhoe mounted.
The picture shown is about 9000lbs including the trailer.
I also hauled the tractor on an 18ft carhauler 7000lb GVW that I bought 20 years ago. It pulled pretty good, but I was afraid of breaking an axle or blowing out a tire and dumping my shiney new tractor and truck into a ditch.
My thought process was if I was going to spend $37,000 on a tractor and implements, I could spend $3,600 on something to transport it safely.
I still don't believe that an 18 footer is a good way to transport a 3830 and implements, it leaves you with no margin for error and is still overloaded and it bent the ramps badly just loading and unloading three times.
Good Luck
Leroy

 

[rk246]

I have a 14' 14000k dump trailer that I have been using, it works well, I put the bucket up above the trailer and put the front tires tight to the front of the trailer, if I have the bush hog on it hangs out a little. I don't know if maybe on a 14' flat bed you could weld a bar to set the bucket on allowing you to pull the tractor farther forward, the bucket would be over the tongue of the trailer. I have seen several people doing this, it seems to work okay...