Trailer questions
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yelbike
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Normally the car hauler will have two 5200 lbs axles and the equipment trailer will have 7000 lbs axles. The equipment trailers are usually built more heavily. Keep in mind that they are relative terms so some car haulers can have heavier axles.
You answered correctly to your own second question.
You answered correctly to your own second question.
I have seen some car trailers with 7k axles.
gumshu
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Car haulers are lighter duty. I had a 7k that I sold to move up to a 14k. With Tilting decks you don't have to mess around with ramps. If I had to do it over again (and I'm sure I will) I'd get nothing less than a 14k 20' flat deck or deck over.
I was considering an equipment trailer for my tractor until I saw dump trailers on the dealer's lot. I was sold! Might be worth checking out for you. Mine is a 7x16 with 10k of carrying capacity (14 gvwr). They are definitely built tough. Plus, it's nice to have the dump feature.
HCJtractor
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My opinion is the length is extremely important. 16' would just not work for me. A 25' deckover
Gooseneck is about perfect and cheaper than a nice dump trailer. Also loading angle is not a factor with a tractor. Who cares if it is steep?
Gooseneck is about perfect and cheaper than a nice dump trailer. Also loading angle is not a factor with a tractor. Who cares if it is steep?
LD1
Epic Contributor
In general, regardless of axles, equipment trailers are built heavier. Heavier frame, deck, and tongue. But that is not in all cases.
s219
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When I was shopping around, the local place had both types of trailers available in 7K or 10K. They called it a car hauler if it had slide-out ramps, or an equipment hauler if it had flip-down ramps. Either one could be spec'd with wood, diamond-plate, or open frame deck. Their descriptions were kind of arbitrary, since the trailers could be customized in any sort of combination.
Diamondpilot
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Car haulers usually have a further spaced cross members to make them a tad lighter where as a equipment trailer can take more #'s per sq ft per say.
Just realize on any trailer you must subtract the empty weight from the axle carry capacity to get the payload. A good example is my 32' tri axle trailer weighs 2,800# empty but has 3 5,200# axles so you take the 15,600# worth of axles minus the 2,800# empty weight to get a payload capacity of 12,800#.
Chris
Just realize on any trailer you must subtract the empty weight from the axle carry capacity to get the payload. A good example is my 32' tri axle trailer weighs 2,800# empty but has 3 5,200# axles so you take the 15,600# worth of axles minus the 2,800# empty weight to get a payload capacity of 12,800#.
Chris
meburdick
Platinum Member
My search for a trailer yielded more car haulers with 7K versus 10k ratings.
The main difference between car haulers and equipment trailers seems to be in the design and materials for the deck. Equipment trailers seem to have full-width, heavy wooden decks. Car haulers have decks with no center and just deck material where the wheels would roll. This helps to keep the trailer lighter overall and reduce the need for heavier axles underneath.
Tilt trailers can provide a smoother approach to load equipment and will also have no "rollover clearance" once the front wheels are on the trailer deck. Additionally, tilt trailers have zero need to a beavertail. If you need to have the shortest possible trailer with the longest possible flat surface, a tilt is the answer.
HOWEVER: Loading a towing a 15' piece of gear on wheels is seldom done well / safely on a 16' trailer (because of load distribution). If you're going to get up with an 18' trailer anyway, the beavertail provides no detriment.
mikehaugen
Elite Member
the biggest disadvantage of a tilt deck that I see is that they are only practical for 1 larger vehicle. What if you wanted to put 2 utvs on one, or a tractor and riding mower, or a tractor with an extra implement in front of it? They may be fast and convenient, but don't appeal to me. I know some of this can be eliminated with the ones that have a fixed section in front, but that is going to be worse in a way sometimes- at least with a single tilt bed you could still get 2 utv's or similar on if you had 2 people driving that knew what they were doing. Tilts are great if they have a defined purpose- i.e. you only need it to tow your car, but for multi-purpose, all around use I don't like them.
I had a 16' 10k imperial tilt deck for a short time and sold it. I now have a 7k 20' beavertail car trailer to get me by until I find a deckover. I definitely will not go smaller than 20'.
I had a 16' 10k imperial tilt deck for a short time and sold it. I now have a 7k 20' beavertail car trailer to get me by until I find a deckover. I definitely will not go smaller than 20'.
I now noticed like several of you have said a 10k car trailer may be built out of 4" channel were a 10k equipment trailer is made out of 5."
That seem to be the case with these bri mar trailers.
Bri-Mar EH18-10LE
Bri-Mar CH18-7-FULL(they do make them in a 10k)
That seem to be the case with these bri mar trailers.
Bri-Mar EH18-10LE
Bri-Mar CH18-7-FULL(they do make them in a 10k)
meburdick
Platinum Member
Big Tex is similar. They also appear to put brakes on only one axle on the car haulers where the equipment trailers have brakes on both axles. "Brakes on all wheels" for larger trailers is becoming a more common requirement in many states. I'll never own a larger trailer WITHOUT brakes on all wheels.
That's the only way to have them. You can't ever have enough brakes.
kneedeep
Veteran Member
My experience has been the slide out ramps will bend with a 30+ HP tractor . Car haulers are light as possible and will flex and bend with a tractor and / or equipment. Equipment trailers are built bigger and stouter
Just my :2cents:
Just my :2cents:
meburdick
Platinum Member
Personally, I wouldn't want a trailer like that because you have to drive completely "uphill" to load. When you're dealing with a wet surface, even on a wooden deck (as opposed to steel), it can be slippery. You have to drive up, "park", get out / off, then lower the deck. Just too risky for me - especially if your wheels have any mud / snow on them. With a fixed deck (with or without beavertail), there's a point where you're not fighting gravity any more and can continue to drive further onto the deck.
The other type tilt trailer where only part of the deck tilts has many of the potential limitations like mikehaugen listed. What happens when you're at the remote site and the pump fails and you can't unload and work? What about being able load and get home?
How sturdy is the front of that deck to take unevenly distributed weight near the lift point and not twist and warp or break the lift rod?
Again, personally, tilt decks are not for me.
meburdick
Platinum Member
That's my view, too. Fold-down ramps all the way for me. And, if I *really* need them removed, they come off by removing a pin and sliding them off of the support rod.
Its no worse than a rollback.
meburdick
Platinum Member
True, but I wouldn't want one of those either. I like the stability of my 18' trailer withe the 2' beavertail. I can take the tractor with ALL of the attachments, 16' logs of firewood, or even the wife's van if it dies somewhere. Very versatile.
