Trailer Advice

[Foozle]

I am looking to haul my Kubota L5740 and need some advice on the right trailer to get (and a bonus would be advice on the vehicle as well since I need a new one of those also). My tractor fully loaded with the heaviest attachment (backhoe) would be roughly 7,000 pounds. The length with the longest two attachments (forklift and backhoe) is roughly 24'. I was thinking about a 24', 10,000 lb capacity trailer, but on the length, I didn't know whether I could go a bit shorter and have the backhoe and/or forks overhang a bit and whether that was wise. I'm guessing not, but I wouldn't often be towing with both forklift and backhoe attached, so didn't want to go crazy on the length if not absolutely needed. I'm looking at PJ trailers, but am open to advice since would be my first trailer buy.

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

 

[Deere Dude]

Don't forget the weight of the trailer when estimating carrying weight. A trailer like that would weigh in at 5,000# probably. If the trailer is rated for 10,000 that is including the weight of the trailer and tractor on a scale. So a 7k tractor would be to much.

For instance, I have a 16k# PJ and love it but load capacity is probably 10K because that is what the wheels, tires and axles are rated for. The trailer weighs 6,000#. My guess for you would be a 14,000# capacity trailer.

Generally 3/4 ton diesels will pull it easy with 3.73 axles. Unless you get an old one, then I don't know.

 

[George2615]

Agree with DD not to forget the trailer weight when figuring actual load. I have a PJ 22' tilt bed rated for 14K. The trailer alone weighs just under 4K so I figure with an actual load of 10K I'll be good. I'd suspect a 10K trailer would weigh at least 3K limiting your actual load to 7K. A 24' length will probably work for you but I'd up it to a 12-14K trailer for the extra margin of safety.

 

[Foozle]

I didn't realize they included the weight of the trailer in the capacity, but I guess it makes sense. Thanks for pointing out! Sounds like a 24', 14,000# capacity would be the way to go. A friend of mine just happens to have exactly that and has agreed to bring it by tomorrow so I can't see how my equipment looks on his trailer.

Regarding the vehicle, at least for Chevy, they list the following on their web site regarding towing capacity for the Silverado 2500 (3/4 ton):

Max Conventional Trailering, 3.73 Rear Axle †9800 lbs
Max Conventional Trailering, 4.10 Rear Axle †13000 lbs

Looking at the PJ website, a 24' trailer would be in the neighborhood of 4,000-5,000 lbs, so with my equipment being around 7,000 lbs, I'm wondering if that 9,800 lb max on the 3.73 would be an issue. There are also a lot of options on the trailers: 8" pro beam, 10" pro beam, 6" channel, etc. Is there a type of trailer in the PJ line that is best suited for what I'm proposing?

Thanks for the quick responses!

 

[Scook222]

If you will be towing the trailer 50 or more miles, I would go with a goose neck trailer instead of a bumper pull. It will pull a lot smoother than a bumper pull. If you have the room to keep the trailer at your house I would look at either a tilt bed or a trailer with a dove tail. Even though it will be more for the trailer, I would look at dual tandem trailers in that size too. Tandem axle trailers that are single wheel will handle the weight of the axles are weight rated enough, but to me the dual tandems pull a lot better and seem a lot more stable when loaded. As for the truck to pull it, if you are hauling the tractor on a regular basis like company work and in hilly terrain or on the interstate, I would look at a 1 ton dually. I know a lot of people that have worked out of state with 3/4 tons that were rated for their campers that didn’t quite have the stability compared to the 1 tons they upgraded to. You want a truck that’s going to have enough weight and towing capacity that doesn’t take forever to get up to speed and you won’t be able to stop in a hurry if you need to even with trailer brakes. If you are looking for more for taking the tractor to the camp of cabin a few times a year, the 3/4 ton with either with either gear ratio would be fine but I would go for the higher gear ratio.

 

[Wolfy]

I sometimes pull a Kubota L3710 with 9ft Woods backhoe, it weighs about 7,000 lbs and use a 3,000 lb Pequea trailer, thats 10,000lbs give or take. My F350 with 3.73s will pull it but its a serious workout. At work we have 4 Chevy 2500s with 6.0L and 3.73s, they dont tow great either, trust me get 4.10 or even better 4.30. You really cant apply this to the new diesels, many come with 3.15s or 3.31s, but their torque ouput allows such a high ratio.

 

[Motorboatin]

You will need the 14k trailer and I would go with the 4.10 gearing. Im not sure about the available trans in the new chevy but it probably has 8 or 10 gears in it. Highway speeds shouldnt be an issue

 

[Seven Gables]

I'd have to agree with the 14K trailer and the 4.10 axle if you want the tranny to last unless your going to tow it very seldom. Also you might consider the drop axle for easy loading and low COG always seemed safer to me (not as top heavy and more stable). I've got one and ground clearance hasn't been much issue but I don't know your terrain. B

 

[Deere Dude]

I am looking to haul my Kubota L5740 ...

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

I wouldn't worry to much about the gearing until I found the type truck and motor you need. For instance, I have an older GMC Dmax diesel dually with an 3.73 ratio. It has no problem pulling my 16k GN loaded to the max at interstate speeds and even getting up to speed quickly. For me a 4:10 would have been unnecessary.

 

[USMC2001PSD]

I am looking to haul my Kubota L5740 and need some advice on the right trailer to get (and a bonus would be advice on the vehicle as well since I need a new one of those also). My tractor fully loaded with the heaviest attachment (backhoe) would be roughly 7,000 pounds. The length with the longest two attachments (forklift and backhoe) is roughly 24'. I was thinking about a 24', 10,000 lb capacity trailer, but on the length, I didn't know whether I could go a bit shorter and have the backhoe and/or forks overhang a bit and whether that was wise. I'm guessing not, but I wouldn't often be towing with both forklift and backhoe attached, so didn't want to go crazy on the length if not absolutely needed. I'm looking at PJ trailers, but am open to advice since would be my first trailer buy.

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

It looks like you have already received some great advice, just thought I would share how my dad and I figured out a very similar situation last year. He has a Kubota MX5200 so it is dimensionally similar to your L5740. He wanted a trailer to be able to haul the MX5200 with FEL and a 7ft LandPride rotary cutter from North AL to mid GA about 350 miles reliably and safely. He already had a 2006 F250 diesel as the tow rig so we calculated off that platform. The truck is rated for a little over 15k lbs gooseneck towing.

Originally, we started looking at what size trailers local Kubota dealers were using for their MX packages (mostly 18-20ft conventional equipment trailers so attachments hang off the rear). We quickly discovered that almost none of them were adequate for transporting a tractor of that size with attachments long distance. They were targeted more towards the buyer that needed to take their tractor locally to their dealer, not long distance highway trips.

Adding up, we calculated that the MX5200 + FEL + rotary cutter weigh in at about 7k lbs so we knew weight wasn't going to be the issue with an F250 or trailer. The length however was the deciding factor on the trailer he ended up with. A 25 + 5ft dovetail gooseneck deckover with tandem single wheels ended up being the perfect size and weighs between 5-6k lbs. While a 20+5 would have fit the tractor and implements, it did not allow for any room for adjustment to add or subtract pin weight on the truck which was key with the 3/4 ton. With a total load of almost 13k lbs, the truck sits level with stock suspension and handled the 700 mile round trip no problem. I will try and find a picture of the setup but I hope this helps with your decision.

 

[ruffdog]

If the OP is staying with a gasser, GM's done with the 6.0 and they are going with an up-graded stroked 6.6L version.

 

[4570Man]

A gas truck will pull it fine. Maybe if you’re doing it everyday or frequently up grades I’d want more power but a gas truck is way cheaper. I wouldn’t worry much about gears either. Here’s to the “I need a Duramax to pull a lawnmower” crowd. Not very fast but a gas burner will in fact move nearly 40,000

 

[4570Man]

Your tractor will weigh more than 7,000 especially if the tires are loaded. A 10,000 pound axel trailer might work but it’s too light. A 14,000 trailer would be a lot better.

 

[ericm979]

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

Toyota doesn't make a 3/4 ton. The Tundra can tow up to about 10,000 lbs depending on the configuration. With ~3k lbs for a flat bed car hauler trailer and a 7k tractor you'd be right on the limit. It's a pretty conservative limit but still that's the published limit.

These days axle ratio does not mean what it did back when all transmissions had a 1:1 high gear. Now with 6, 8 or 10 speed transmissions there are multiple overdrive gears. For example the Tundra with 5.7 engine and towing package comes with a 4.3:1 axle ratio. That'd be rock crawler low back in the old days- too low for freeway use- but its' transmission has a .59:1 overdrive top gear. So it turns at a pretty relaxed rpm on the freeway.

Also diesel engines do not rev as high as gas and make max torque and hp at lower rpms. So they need higher (numerically lower) gear ratios.

 

[USMC2001PSD]

I am looking to haul my Kubota L5740 and need some advice on the right trailer to get (and a bonus would be advice on the vehicle as well since I need a new one of those also). My tractor fully loaded with the heaviest attachment (backhoe) would be roughly 7,000 pounds. The length with the longest two attachments (forklift and backhoe) is roughly 24'. I was thinking about a 24', 10,000 lb capacity trailer, but on the length, I didn't know whether I could go a bit shorter and have the backhoe and/or forks overhang a bit and whether that was wise. I'm guessing not, but I wouldn't often be towing with both forklift and backhoe attached, so didn't want to go crazy on the length if not absolutely needed. I'm looking at PJ trailers, but am open to advice since would be my first trailer buy.

On the vehicle, I'm thinking a 3/4 ton would do it, but wasn't sure if would be wise to get the 4.1 axle ratio for a bit more power versus the 3.7 axle ratio. I still haven't decided on toyota, ford, chevy, dodge, etc. but plan to visit the truck forum for advice on that aspect. I'm leaning towards chevy atm.

Thanks!

Here is the trailer I mentioned in my previous post. It has dual 7000lb axles. With it only being single wheels and not duals, it matches the capacities of a 3/4 ton or 1 ton single rear wheel truck. If it had tandem dually axles, I'd probably get a 1 ton dually to maximize use out of the trailer.

A question for the OP:
Is the tow vehicle also going to be your daily driver? Are you thinking new or older?

 

[Foozle]

Here is the trailer I mentioned in my previous post. It has dual 7000lb axles. With it only being single wheels and not duals, it matches the capacities of a 3/4 ton or 1 ton single rear wheel truck. If it had tandem dually axles, I'd probably get a 1 ton dually to maximize use out of the trailer.

A question for the OP:
Is the tow vehicle also going to be your daily driver? Are you thinking new or older?

View attachment 605098

Thanks for the info. Looks like you have a nice setup. The tow vehicle will mainly be used as a farm truck and to haul stuff as needed. I have a regular car for normal driving. If I can find something that matches used, I might go that route, otherwise may do new if I have too many requirements that can't be met by something used in the area.

 

[USMC2001PSD]

Thanks for the info. Looks like you have a nice setup. The tow vehicle will mainly be used as a farm truck and to haul stuff as needed. I have a regular car for normal driving. If I can find something that matches used, I might go that route, otherwise may do new if I have too many requirements that can't be met by something used in the area.

Not mine but my dad's solution, I just wanted you to know how the process went since I helped him narrow down a trailer! I wish brand new trucks and trailers were one of those things you could test drive with your specific equipment loaded to see if it works for you.

 

[hawkeye08]

If buying a newer gas truck, they mostly have 6+ speed automatic transmissions. I would always go with 4.1 gearing with that. If an older truck, many have 4sp transmissions, and depending on usage, might go with 3.73 for gas mileage, but if only towing, likely go with 4.10 gears.

I have 2011 GMC 2500HD 4WD CCSB 6.0/6sp/3.73 and wish I had ordered it with 4.10 gears. My brother liked my truck, ask me what I had what I would change and bought a new 2013 with 4.10 gears. He gets a bit better mileage pulling with his truck since it has better gearing for the speeds we tow. I have a 20' 10,000lb car trailer that I bought so we could haul and old pickup home, but also in case I needed to haul my tractor somewhere. Trailer weighs about 2k, with (2) 5200lb axles so I have around 8k carrying capacity. Someday I will load my tractor on it and see how it looks, but keep my tractor home as my insurance doesn't cover it if I leave my property.

We tow the 10,000lb travel trailer with the truck and it works well. Of course I wish I had a duramax, but don't have an unlimited budget.

 

[mopardude318]

If I was buying a 2500 truck, id step right up to a 3500 single wheel. I won’t own another 2500 if I can help it. That little extra bit helps on the 3500 single wheel.

 

[two_bit_score]

If I was buying a 2500 truck, id step right up to a 3500 single wheel. I won’t own another 2500 if I can help it. That little extra bit helps on the 3500 single wheel.

Agreed