Towing capacity

[SaddleBronc]

Get the most trailer you can under DOT limits (Class A requirements, etc., plus state) and don't look back.

 

[newbury]

<snip>After riding down that a couple of times with my last dog she refused to even get into the truck. <snip>

ROFL!
I used to live on a dirt road like that in Northern Vermont.
When the ice went out so did the road.
Had a 196? Toyota Hilux with great springs.

<snip>FMCSA (quoted below) states that if your vehicle has a GCWR of 26,0001 AND you are hauling a trailer with a GVWR of 10,001 or more (note these are ratings, and not actual load), you need a CDL if used for commerce.

if used for commerce.
I've been active on this forum since 2009. This come up all the time. I've read of just one poster in southern Virginia that his brother got ticketed by the State troopers because his trailer rated capacity (not load) exceeded the 10,000 rating.
When I first got my 18' Hudson with a mfgr 12,000 lb GVWR the teller at the Va. DMV gave the option of having it rated at 10,000.

 

[Tony H]

Towing a Kabota 3450 with FEL and loaded tires on a 14', 7000 trailer with a Chevy 2500 diesel. I don't drive it all day long but a few times a year I do several 40 mile round trip runs a day. The FEL is lifted over the trailer but as far as driveability.....the truck and trailer are very happy. Even up some pretty serious, 5 mile, inclines.

 

[repete]

Tandem axle? Or does it have dual wheels on each axle? Tandem is two axles single wheel. Tandem dual is two axles with duals on each end of each axle.

Two axles, four tires total.

 

[Torvy]

If your primary need for the is trailer is bringing your tractor in for sevice, I suggest you just pay the dealer for pickup and delivery. It will cost much less than a moderately heavy duty trailer and an appropriate tow vehicle. Alternately, you could have it picked up and delivered back by paying a towing company and using one of their rollback wreckers with a steel bed (i.e., not Aluminum).

In 27 years of owning three different tractors, they have all been back to the dealer only once and that was to add a third function to the FEL. Routine sevice on a tractor does not require dealer participation assuming the owner has basic mechanical skills and a few tools.

Thank you! You convinced me. The more I think about it, the less I think I need a trailer for my tractor. The cost of the trailer plus the cost of a truck with enough power to tow it just doesn't make sense in my case. I can pick up attachments from Arkansas (nearest EA free ship about 80 miles from me) with a smaller trailer. I can use a small trailer for a lot of stuff around my property. I can tow anything I need with a smaller truck like a Tacoma. I also can afford to wait a year or two. Who knows, by then Toyota may have their hybrid and EV trucks available.

 

[eddieirvine]

Not to get off what he is asking about, it is good to get set up right for sure ! I have a question i to tow a 3940 with loader an usually a box scraper or mower. How do you know where to locate your load on the trailer? Say like more tongue weight, less? And if it sways what is that telling you?

 

[fried1765]

What he said 100%. I would go with a 20' trailer minimum and 2-7k axles, plenty wiggle room with how much weight you can haul and enough wiggle room to shift your load forward or back on the trailer to get it to pull to your liking.

That is exactly the trailer size/capacity I have for my 7,780 lb. Kubota L48TLB.
My trailer gross weight with L48 aboard is 11,380 lbs.over the scales.
Trailer rating is 14K + 1K for Equal-i-zer hitch tongue weight.

I trailer for my personal use only, and very infrequently.
Class A licenses are for commercial use.
Diesel pusher private busses do not require a class A license, and are longer and heavier than my rig.

 

[ljjhouser]

Not to get off what he is asking about, it is good to get set up right for sure ! I have a question i to tow a 3940 with loader an usually a box scraper or mower. How do you know where to locate your load on the trailer? Say like more tongue weight, less? And if it sways what is that telling you?

The rule of thumb for tongue weight is 10 to 15% of the load weight (that includes the trailer weight). I like to use about 10%. It keeps more weight on the trailer rather than on the truck. If you have fish tail or sway problems, most likely there is too much weight on the back. Move the load forward a little, in small increments. Also, watch truck. If you have 10% on the truck and the back end is down or front end is up, it may effect the steering. The front axle may be too light to steer properly. In that case, use an equalizing hitch. For example, Reese Stedi Flex which has equalizing and sway bars. Sway can be caused by many things. If you were towing a large RV with a side wind load, it may cause sway. If you tow an equipment trailer with low load, or tractor, sway may be caused by load too far to back. I suggest if you feel you are loaded correctly, and if you know the weight of your truck - if you are traveling pretty heavy, visit a CAT scale and find you trailer axle weight, rear truck axle weight and front axle weight. That will give you the total gross combined vehicle weight, and the axle weights. Your truck should have the axle weight rating in the driver door panel. If you drive the vehicle w trailer loaded, might cut slightly to the left or right to see how the trailer reacts. (GOING SLOWLY) Also, if your truck seems to hit bumps HARD, there probably too much tongue weight. On the other hand, if the trailer causes the truck to seem to "float" over bumps, the trailer load is too far back and somewhat controlling the truck.

The worst mistake you can make is to have the load too far back. Get used to how it handles and never take big steps loading the back of the trailer. Hope this helps some. What does you 3040 weigh with loader, bucket and any implements?
There are times that I an traveling and loaded and it does not feel quite right. I can adjust the load about an inch and it feels right.
A word about using a CAT scale. It is easy - download the CAT app. Bring up the app. When you pull on the scale (trailer axles - rear truck axle - front axle - each on a different segment of the scale. The app will ask you to verify scale location. Then the payment method you filled in the app, then let it weigh - the cost is about $12. The numbers will be sent to your phone. If you want a paper copy, go inside and they will give you a printout.
If you want to adjust you load, you can pull back on the scale and ask the app to rescale. I think that cost $3. I also think you can rescale two times if needed. Best wishes, Larry

P.S. Do the best you can to get the weight all in specs. But getting used to the feel means a lot for me. Some times I tow my tractor 300 miles. I start out checking chains and binders the first 20 miles or so. During that time, I watch to see that everything feels ok and that the trailer is tracking well. Several times I have had to scale or adjust the load one or even TWO times. If you always load the same load (maybe tractor), mark its location on the trailer when I travels well. Might save time the next time you load.

 

[fried1765]

That is exactly the trailer size/capacity I have for my 7,780 lb. Kubota L48TLB.
My trailer gross weight with L48 aboard is 11,380 lbs.over the scales.
Trailer rating is 14K + 1K for Equal-i-zer hitch tongue weight.

The rule of thumb for tongue weight is 10 to 15% of the load weight (that includes the trailer weight). I like to use about 10%. It keeps more weight on the trailer rather than on the truck. If you have fish tail or sway problems, most likely there is too much weight on the back. Move the load forward a little, in small increments. Also, watch truck. If you have 10% on the truck and the back end is down or front end is up, it may effect the steering. The front axle may be too light to steer properly. In that case, use an equalizing hitch. For example, Reese Stedi Flex which has equalizing and sway bars. Sway can be caused by many things. If you were towing a large RV with a side wind load, it may cause sway. If you tow an equipment trailer with low load, or tractor, sway may be caused by load too far to back. I suggest if you feel you are loaded correctly, and if you know the weight of your truck - if you are traveling pretty heavy, visit a CAT scale and find you trailer axle weight, rear truck axle weight and front axle weight. That will give you the total gross combined vehicle weight, and the axle weights. Your truck should have the axle weight rating in the driver door panel. If you drive the vehicle w trailer loaded, might cut slightly to the left or right to see how the trailer reacts. (GOING SLOWLY) Also, if your truck seems to hit bumps HARD, there probably too much tongue weight. On the other hand, if the trailer causes the truck to seem to "float" over bumps, the trailer load is too far back and somewhat controlling the truck.

The worst mistake you can make is to have the load too far back. Get used to how it handles and never take big steps loading the back of the trailer. Hope this helps some. What does you 3040 weigh with loader, bucket and any implements?
There are times that I an traveling and loaded and it does not feel quite right. I can adjust the load about an inch and it feels right.
A word about using a CAT scale. It is easy - download the CAT app. Bring up the app. When you pull on the scale (trailer axles - rear truck axle - front axle - each on a different segment of the scale. The app will ask you to verify scale location. Then the payment method you filled in the app, then let it weigh - the cost is about $12. The numbers will be sent to your phone. If you want a paper copy, go inside and they will give you a printout.
If you want to adjust you load, you can pull back on the scale and ask the app to rescale. I think that cost $3. I also think you can rescale two times if needed. Best wishes, Larry

P.S. Do the best you can to get the weight all in specs. But getting used to the feel means a lot for me. Some times I tow my tractor 300 miles. I start out checking chains and binders the first 20 miles or so. During that time, I watch to see that everything feels ok and that the trailer is tracking well. Several times I have had to scale or adjust the load one or even TWO times. If you always load the same load (maybe tractor), mark its location on the trailer when I travels well. Might save time the next time you load.

I have a full trailer width 2x4 screwed to the deck of my trailer to stop the front wheels of my L48TLB in the same spot every time.

 

[ljjhouser]

I have a full trailer width 2x4 screwed to the deck of my trailer to stop the front wheels of my L48TLB in the same spot every time.

That works well. I started using meta tabs screwed to the deck for different loads. Works ok, but I forget which one is for what. It's not rocket science, you would think I could remember. But sometimes I don't.