Trailer for L-39 & other general purposes

[Md21722]

Hello everyone,

I have some land and a Kubota L-305DT. Soon I will be getting a Kubota L-39. I hope to use the same trailer for the tractors as transporting basic things associated with owning land. I am not real experienced with towing. I hope to use a 1993 Dodge W-250 (3/4 ton 4x4) w/ Cummins motor. I've got to believe it will handle the L-305DT but what about the L-39? Am I crazy to think a bumper trailer will be sufficient? The tractors won't be transported very often but when they are it will be a 325 mile trip, mostly on hilly interstate.

Thanks in advance,

Brian

 

[LarryRB]

I have an 01 Dodge Cummins with 6 sp manual trans, a Bri-Mar 12,000 GVW at 18 ft and haul a Kubota L 48. The 48 is much heavier than the 39.. Truck pulls the hills around here all day without a whimper.. Stopping the system is something I have to be real careful about.... The Dodge just doesn't have enough braking power even with dual axle brakes..

 

[KentT]

IMO, a ball-hitch trailer will work for you, towing up to 10,000 lbs -- IF you use a weight distributing hitch....

IMO, if you need to go above 10,000 then I'd be looking at a 5th wheel, if pulling with a pickup. Bigger trucks can pull more than 10,000 on bumper hitches....

 

[Md21722]

What size trailer should I get? Should I go with a construction type trailer? I think I will go for a WD bumper hitch.

Brian

 

[SkyPup]

Hey Brian - I have not trailered our L-39 yet.

But my two-axle two-horse bumper pull horse trailer loaded with horses and gear weighs right about 8,000-8,500 pounds, with electric brakes.

The weight distribuiting hitch is an absolute must, without it it would be very dangerous. This is the max that I would wish to be pulling (on mostly level ground here in North Florida) in good weather. I would not like taking this rig up into the mountains at high speeds on the interstate or rural roads for sure.

I would go for a goose neck, the stability and maneuverabilty would be much better and you will be allot safer. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Md21722]

Will the gooseneck greatly increase the overall stability on the freeway and on gravel and dirt roads?

Are there cases where the bumper hitch is better than the gooseneck?

Brian

 

[SkyPup]

The goose neck extends the center of gravity further up in front of the rear axle, the bumper pull will always have the weight down behind the rear axle. Having the weight behind the rear axle is not good for going over rough ground as it has the possibility of raising and lowering the rear end with a lever like action (as well as bottoming out easier). The goose neck will plant the weight down in the center of the bed and distribute it much better for a good ride.

The gooseneck is also better on the freeway, especially when it is windy and/or wet out. All in all, the gooseneck is almost always better for anything much over 5,000-6,000 pounds. The stability is much greater on the road and easier to turn and maneuver. around corners.

 

[Md21722]

Some people talk about "5th wheels" and "goosenecks".

As I understand it, the 5th wheel is a plate much like a semi has, and the GN is a ball. Is there a reason I'd want one or the other?

Brian

 

[Highbeam]

The other trick about going between a 5th wheel or a gooseneck and a bumper pull is that you lose your bed and the trailer is only useful to a guy with a gooseneck hitch in his truck. No brother in law borrowing it and most crooks don't have the hitch.

An L39 is pretty heavy and would be about the point where that gooseneck is becoming the right thing to do. Many people report only a minimal increase in price and higher driving pleasure.

You will have a hard time finding an equipment trailer with a 5th wheel setup, most likely it will have a gooseneck which is just fine, easy to hook up since you can visually watch the ball engage from the driver's seat.

If you decide to go bumper pull, know that the typical receiver/hitch/sway bar/ball systems are rated for 10,000 lbs of total weight. A 10,000 lb GVWR bumper pull trailer will weigh at least 2500 lbs so your L39 needs to be lighter than 7500. I attached a picture of my 10k lb bumper pull that I load with 4-4500 lbs of tractor and implement for a combined weight of less than 7000. I love that trailer and pull it with a half ton. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

The 93 cummins is the first intercooled version from dodge and was rated at 140 HP as compared to the modern 300+ HP so the comparison to the modern 6 speed isn't really too good. The cummins has always been a brute though and you'll just need to take her slow and use the immense torque.

 

[FaC]

As far as the difference between a 5th wheel and a goose from a technical point, is that you can usually get more twisting motion with a goose as opposed to a 5th wheel (although a 5th wheel 4 way hitch will come close). Depending on where you are going to take the trailer this may make a difference.

From a weight point of view, you can buy both GN and 5th wheel hitches that have much more capacity that your truck can pull. My GN hitch is rated for somewhere around 25-30K.

From a usability point of view, you can get a GN hitch that can either be easily removed from the bed or can be retracted below the bed and leave a flat bed floor. You have to deal with 200-300 pounds of weight to get a 5th wheel hitch out of the bed of the truck.

I agree that a GN is more forgiving to drive. In my case, I pull a flatbed GN, a GN horse trailer and a bumper pull TT. I went with a bumper pull TT so I could have the bed of the truck for bikes, toys and all of the other stuff that goes with kids...

FWIW - FaC