trailer Question

[Noodlearm]

Forgive me for my ignorance on this subject. I was wondering if there is any place on a trailer that I can find what the axles are rated at. Their is a used trailer sitting for sale at a local gas station and I am trying to find out the GVRW. The person who owns it told me the axles are rated at 6500#'s each but I have a hard time believing that as the trailer does not look that heavy duty. I hope I am wrong and it is because for the price, I would by it in an instant. If I look under the wheel well or any other place, will it tell me this information? Thx in advance

 

[bczoom]

Brian

There should be a sticker/plate on the tongue that gives both the GVWR and GAWR.
If homemade or not there, the seller should have a registration card that provides the info.

Brian

 

[wushaw]

Check to see how many lugs and tire size it has and you can get atleast a ballpark on the axle size.
For example a five lug 15" tire axle will be up to 3500lbs, six lug 16" tire 7000lbs.
Dexters website can give you a good starting point.
Dexter axle

 

[JD4610]

If it looks like a regular car-hauler type trailer, it's probably got tandem 3,500lb axles but could have 5,200s. As stated above, look for the five-lug hubs. You can also check the axle tubes as some manufacturers weld or rivet an ID tag to them.

Also keep in mind that if the trailer looks modified or home-made, putting heavier axles under a light frame doesn't mean you have increased load capacity. You are always limited by the weakest link, whether it be the frame, axles, tires, or hitch.

Michigan doesn't register trailers by GVWR, so getting the registration won't help in this case.

Is there any other info you can give us?

Jay

 

[FL_Cracker]

As bczoom said there should be a tag on the tongue or front crossmember. It should show the GVWR. Given that it not there then we can move on to a few other test.

Tire size, 13",14" or 15" with a 5 bolt lug pattern should 3500#'s per axle.
14 or 15" on a 6 bolt lug pattern should be 5200#'s per axle.
16" or 16.5" on 8 bolt lug pattern should be 6000-7000#'s per axle.

Brakes, If you measure the brake backing plate you will find them to be approx. 10 or 12"
10" will be 3500# axles
12" will be 5200, 6000, 7000 # axles

Axle tube size, You will find two popular sizes. 2 3/8" and 3"
2 3/8" will be 3500# axles
3" will be 5200, 6000 & 7000 # axles

Tire load rating, you can also get a good idea of the GVWR by taking all the MAX Loads from the tires and adding them together. Then you can add about 10-15% for tongue weight and that's the GVWR. ie. Four tire at 2350 lbs. each max load would be 9400 lbs. If you add 10-15% for tongue weight the trailer GVWR is about 10,000 lbs.

As far as the steel structure goes I can't give you an easy way to tell. If you take a few pictures, one total shot and several close-ups of tongue, frame, axles, and wheels I could offer a better opinion.

Hope I didn't give you too much info but I just put 25 years in the trailer business in one short thread paragraph.

 

[Noodlearm]

I appreciate all the tips. I will try to go and tke a better look at it on Wednesday. It is a landscape type trailer with a large cage around it, but the bed is 16' long and its over 6' wide so it should hold my ck30.

 

[Noodlearm]

Weel, after taking a longer look at it today, I have found out the following information. On the tongue, is says to not exceed 10,000 lbs gross weight. The tires are 15 with 5 lugs and are rated at a maximum capacity of 1620lbs each. So I believe that my initial assumption was correct in that this was not a 13,000lb trailer. Still, given this information, as long as my tractor can feet into it, do you think it would be adeqaute to haul my ck30. The listed weight for my tractor is 3055 lbs. The loader weighs 770 lbs and I don't know how much the rotary cutter would add but I would guess another 1000 lbs? or so. I think my weight would be fine, I think I am most worried now about the total length, since it is caged around I would have no extra room for anything to hang off the end slightly as the door obviously would not close. Any thoughts?

 

[FL_Cracker]

Looks like you're looking at a 7,000 lb. landscape trailer. We sell several brands and most are 16' long. First you need to check the length of you tractor and attachments to be sure they fit. Then there is one more thing to be concerned about. Most landscape trailers are rated to hold 7,000 lbs. but not one large tractor. You may find that the ramp is not heavy enough to hold your 5500 lb. tractor. Check the ramp. If it's made from angle iron and has only 3-5 angle braces in it, running front to rear, and then covered in screen mesh (3/4 #9 Expanded Metal) then you may find the ramp will bend or at least the screen will start to sag....

Just remember a landscape trailer is built much different that a equipment trailer....

Attached is a typical landscape trailer.

Thanks

 

[FL_Cracker]

Now here's a typical equipment type trailer....

 

[Charlie_in_TX]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ... as the door obviously would not close. Any thoughts? )</font>
Don't worry about the door, it should brake off the first time you put 2 tons on it. I am not saying don't do it but go in with your eyes open. I have never used a landscape type full cage trailer, it sure looks hard to bind the tractor down and get your other stuff on. It sounds like a lot lighter trailer than 10,000 lbs.

I have a JD750 at work. It is about 2200 lbs plus FEL and brush hog. It does not fit ON a 16ft trailer. To get the mower on the bucket would be up over the tonge. That would put way more weight on the truck than a 1/2 ton can take. Your ck30 would be worse. In order to get the weight distributed right (10-15% tonge weight) the mower hanges a few feet off the back.