Trailer loading plan..

[RadarTech]

You say 16+2. is it a 18ft Trailer. If it is 16' ,you are overloaded, if it is 18' you are probably ok

Yes it is 18 ft with a 2 ft dive tail.

Mostly good advice.

I too don't understand the length effecting the weight rating of the trailer. Payload capacity less....maybe. assuming trailer is of similar build longer is heavier.

Also don't understand the haste against straps. Straps and chains are BOTH rated for a certain weight. And you can size appropriately for either, or undersize for either. I'd rather have an appropriately rated strap vs undersized chain. And the law would also agree.

The notion of loaded tires I mention. No it doesn't change a trailers rating.....but loaded tractor tires is more payload.

The OP mentioned a L3400 with loader, bushhog, and box blade.....AND loaded tires.....and making a big assumption that all of that is under 5k pounds and has a trailer with a 6k payload.

The bare tractor is 2600, the loader is 895, the bucket is 260. If the tires are r4 and filled with rimguard, that's 310 per tire.

So we are now at 4375 pounds.

A rotary cutter can be anywhere from 600-1000 pounds. And a box blade can be 500+.

Not knowing the weight of the bushhog and box blade.....I think the OP is ALOT closer to his 6000lb capacity than he realizes. And on such a small trailer....no room to adjust load for balance. Not a good combo of you ask me.

If I had to haul a 5500-6000# load regularly, I'd want a trailer that I wouldn't be maxing out on

Bushhog is 525( from its spec sheet)
Box is about 415 from its spec sheet..
Putting me about 4300 with bushhog
1700 lbs under max ~72% of the Trailer capacity at 6k

Tractor weight was 3800 with loaded tires, and box and grapple.. took it and weighed truck with empty trailer and then with tractor and box and grapple
Tires are loaded but NOT loaded to 3/4 maybe the folks that loaded them in 2007 cheated me— maybe there is a slow leak—( we checked that a few months ago as one looked low). plus these are ag tires. Not r4.. if it was R4, I could see another ~400 lbs.
Even if it was 400 more… at 4700.. I feel ok with it.. 78% of trailer…
I pull a 10k dump often… and have pulled this tractor on a 16ft trailer 4-5 times roughly the same distance.. down the same interstate.. using 10k straps-I have 2 trucker friends that have given me help in the past.. but both are on long haul trips to the west coast.
Before — I always just went slower than others never over 60..

I appreciate the advice, some of it is very contradictory, and some even is against all I learned when driving 5 Tons in the Marines.

As for the trailer, maybe I’ll post a picture later if it isn’t going to start a keyboard commando Armageddon..

We expect this will be weekly or bi-weekly trip for a while until we get the property controlled.

Thanks again.

 

[RobertN]

Be careful unloading, too, especially on hills.

View attachment 764778

I run jacks on the back of the trailer; the back of the truck doesn't get light like that.

 

[RobertN]

Yes it is 18 ft with a 2 ft dive tail.




Bushhog is 525( from its spec sheet)
Box is about 415 from its spec sheet..
Putting me about 4300 with bushhog
1700 lbs under max ~72% of the Trailer capacity at 6k

Tractor weight was 3800 with loaded tires, and box and grapple.. took it and weighed truck with empty trailer and then with tractor and box and grapple
Tires are loaded but NOT loaded to 3/4 maybe the folks that loaded them in 2007 cheated me— maybe there is a slow leak—( we checked that a few months ago as one looked low). plus these are ag tires. Not r4.. if it was R4, I could see another ~400 lbs.
Even if it was 400 more… at 4700.. I feel ok with it.. 78% of trailer…
I pull a 10k dump often… and have pulled this tractor on a 16ft trailer 4-5 times roughly the same distance.. down the same interstate.. using 10k straps-I have 2 trucker friends that have given me help in the past.. but both are on long haul trips to the west coast.
Before — I always just went slower than others never over 60..

I appreciate the advice, some of it is very contradictory, and some even is against all I learned when driving 5 Tons in the Marines.

As for the trailer, maybe I’ll post a picture later if it isn’t going to start a keyboard commando Armageddon..

We expect this will be weekly or bi-weekly trip for a while until we get the property controlled.

Thanks again.

So you're about 4300lb or 4700lb?
Is the trailer 6k minus trailer weight? So trailer is 8k GVWR trailer that weighs about 2k?

My 16' is 7000lb GVRW; trailer is 1600. So capacity is 5400.

I've done what you're talking about with the loader over the mower. It was a pain in the patootsie, but it worked. In my case, I was able to get a nice weight balance.

FWIW, I added jacks to the back of my trailer to stabilize it when loading/unloading. That has worked out really well. It only takes an extra couple of minutes to lower/raise the back jacks.

 

[David in KY]

So you're about 4300lb or 4700lb?
Is the trailer 6k minus trailer weight? So trailer is 8k GVWR trailer that weighs about 2k?

My 16' is 7000lb GVRW; trailer is 1600. So capacity is 5400.

I've done what you're talking about with the loader over the mower. It was a pain in the patootsie, but it worked. In my case, I was able to get a nice weight balance.

FWIW, I added jacks to the back of my trailer to stabilize it when loading/unloading. That has worked out really well. It only takes an extra couple of minutes to lower/raise the back jacks.

That run-away trailer video is incredible! I'm surprise more folks don't use wheel chocks for their trailers. I always use them WITH the trailer connected to the truck.