Towing capacity

[Torvy]

Just my two cents and actual experience. I have a Kubota B3300SU with an LA504 front loader with a JBar 5' bush hog. That setup is around 3000 lbs. I use a 16ft tandem axle trailer that I estimate weighs 1200 lbs. When I bought the setup I was using a 2009 Nissan Titan, pulled it with no problem. I have since changed trucks and now pull with a Toyota Tacoma Limited and it pulls it just fine as well. The Toyota is rated for 6500 lbs. I also pull a travel trailer with the Toyota and it weighs in around 4500 lbs. I use a weight distribution hitch for the camper but not it with the tractor. The camper is like pulling a brick, tractor not so much. Only adjustment I made when changing trucks is I set the tractor a few feet back on the trailer to reduce the toungue weight given the smaller truck. Hope this helps.

Thanks. I've owned a lot of Toyotas over the years..2 right now. I'd like a Tundra, but I worry about the lower tow limits. Tacoma is nice, and about the same size as the old Tundra. Problem is the B-series is much too small for our needs. More likely an L4701.

 

[Torvy]

OP,

In my case, my cabbed tractor weighs 4200 lbs (that's bare chassis weight) dry weight (according to manufacturer listed weight). The FEL with standard bucket weighs 1200 lbs. When I bought mine, I had the dealer fill the rear tires with Rimgaurd. At the first opportunity I brought it to the CAT scale and weighed it. According to the actual scale, my tractor with FEL + bucket, filled rear tires, and a box blade (it's what I had on at the time) weighs 7100 lbs. Rimguard is the heaviest liquid you can fill your tires with, but it's not available in all areas. My tires are size 420/70x24, and they are filled up to the top of the rim on the high side, to give you an idea of how much weight to add for filling rear tires.

I have been hauling this on my 18' car trailer. It's been "working", but the load is too heavy for my rated trailer capacity. My next trailer will be a +/- 30' deckover gooseneck. The reason I want such a big jump in trailer deck length is there have been several times I've wished to have more that one set of attachments with me while on a job site. With an 18' trailer, it's not an option because there is no room to put anything else on. You get what's on the tractor and that's it. I also want the deckover for hauling pallets or IBC totes more easily that a standard deck with wheel wells in the way.

This is my 18' trailer with my 6' mower on the back:

View attachment 712484

As you can see, it hangs off the back by several feet. A 22' deck would keep it all on the deck with no overhang. But I want room for a couple of attachments as well.

With the box blade on the 3pt, it doesn't overhang at all:

View attachment 712495

Thank you. That is very helpful info. BtW, it looks like you have a serious fungus problem in your grass in the last photo. I hope you got that cleared up.

I don't have to worry about job sites. The primary use for the trailer will be bringing the tractor in for service. Having the RC on the back is a worst case scenario...if for some reason we cannot get it off of the hitch. I may even skip the whole idea. If I get a Kubota, I could just drive it into the dealership (7 miles on back roads) unless it is dead. If dead, I guess I could pay them to pick it up.

If not for the tractor use, I would get a small single-axle utility trailer with removable sides. I had a nice one 15 years ago, but had to leave it in Wisconsin.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I pull my L2550DT with a 3/4 ton Dodge with a V10 and a 7K tilt bed trailer (two 3,500K axles). It pulls fine up and down hills and being a dual axle trailer it has brakes as well.
My regret in the purchase was not getting a 9K trailer but no issues with my current package for the Kubota use.

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.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I am trying to build out parameters for a truck and trailer I will need to transport my tractor. I can get specific weights on tractors and equipment. I am trying to determine how much 'wiggle room' I need to build in to my calculations. So if I get a medium-sized CUT with ROPs, that is about 3300 lbs. 16 ft trailer with about 7000 lb capacity is 2500-3000 lbs. Cab is a maybe right now. FEL is a definite yes, so I will have to add in weight for that. Also likely to have med-hvy duty RC on 3pt. What other factors do I need to consider? Like, how heavy would loaded tires be? At this point, I don't know what I don't know. I don't want to buy too small a truck, but I also have no interest in a behemoth.

Ive.got a scale receipt and a picture here. In a 75 year 3/4 ton 26, 600 lbs. I hauled that load 30 miles. I think a 3/4 ton should do what you want.

 

[ning]

In California I can't legally tow a non-RV trailer that's over 10k GVWR without a class A (commercial or non-commercial) license -- regardless of what's on it or how much it really weighs.

I've talked to contractors whose dump trailers are obviously over 10k and police have never bothered them, though.

 

[mgarner]

Great advice, so far. I shouldn't need to ever go more than about 50 miles with a load and none of it would be on an interstate highway.

I'm that guy who doesn't want more trailer than I need. Longer means that much more difficult to maneuver and more space to store when not in use.

Longer means easier, not more difficult, when it comes to backing a trailer.

 

[TractorGuy]

How do you establish the actual tongue weight?

A bathroom scale and some boards will work. I measured the tongue weight for a heavy trailer setup at work with my 4to1 setup once and then took it to a shop with certified scales. My measurement was within 3 pounds different. That particular trailer had over a 1000 lbs on the tongue.

Measuring trailer tongue weight with a bathroom scale

I have a set of 4 metal 4 to 1 scales I use to balance race car chassis. Just multiply the scale reading times 4 and you have the actual weight.

 

[putt_putt_green]

I have an 18' aluminum trailer (no dovetail), which weighs 1500 pounds. The weight reduction in the trailer lets me haul my tractor with bucket, loaded tires, and implement with a 1/2 ton truck. If I hauled all the time, I'd get a truck trailer combo exceeding the towing capacity by at least a few thousand pounds.

 

[ljjhouser]

There are several numbers that are important when deciding to tow a tractor (or most anything.) These numbers are an effort to remain legal and safe.
They are Vehicle payload (not to exceed), GCVW - Gross Combined Vehicle Weight (weight of trailer + entire load + tow vehicle weight including payload on truck, Weight capacity of trailer (weight of trailer and load)
I will use my tractor as an example. Maybe close to your numbers.
My bare tractor is 3000#. + Loader 1100# + Tire fluid at 40% about 400# + light bucket 250# + box blade 400# + Chains and binders 200#. Total about 5350. My trailer is heavy, it is a doolittle tilt bed 20' and weighs 3700# Now total trailer trailer weight 9050#. My trailer is a 14k. So the trailer is good. I also use a sway bar- equalizing hitch.

NOW, the truck. The truck GVW gross vehicle weight is 7100. But 900 pounds of the trailer weight will be on the truck through the tongue. so that 900 comes out of the truck payload, but must stay under the 7100# (this may be the hardest number to meet).

The truck must also be able to have tow capacity to tow the trailer and load. I usually tow 10000 when towing the tractor because of tool box and pallet forks. So the tongue weight is min. 1000.

My truck must have a tow capacity of 10K or more. I have a Ram Truck. But the Ram truck has a tow capacity of 8K - NO GOOD. So I had to include the premium rear end - ratio is 3.92 with the optional trans. Now the tow capacity is 11330#. Again, my trailer is a 20' - I really wish it was 22'. But then, the numbers are too close to add more weight.

One more note, Do not get a diesel engine. The added weight for the engine comes out of the truck payload capacity. Unless it is a 2500.
I think these numbers are legal. But a 2500 would be much better suited. However, I do not tow my tractor more than about two times a year. And my wife did not want the bigger truck.

One more consideration. Legal and safe are not the same thing. I have had people say - Don't worry about all those numbers. I tow much more than that with my car??? My reply to that is this. If SOMEONE causes you to be involved in an accident - which involves the highway patrol, and if you get a ticket for overweight - Will you insurance pay the bill for your truck + tractor + trailer ----50K + 30K + 6K = 86K. I always make a great attempt to be legal. And then there is the issue of brakes on the trailer - over 5k required all 4 to be legal. Best wishes Larry

 

[Chewwy]

I don't have to worry about job sites. The primary use for the trailer will be bringing the tractor in for service. Having the RC on the back is a worst case scenario...if for some reason we cannot get it off of the hitch. I may even skip the whole idea. If I get a Kubota, I could just drive it into the dealership (7 miles on back roads) unless it is dead. If dead, I guess I could pay them to pick it up.

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.