Trailer Troubles / Decisions

[hudr]

just my .02 but.... I pull my tractor (and a lot of other stuff) w/ a 3/4 ton Chevy. For my money (and piece of mind) the bigger brakes, heavier suspension are worth it. I would also seriously think about a goose neck hookup. They pull easier, back easier (IMHO), and distribute weight on the truck better. Put the ball a bit in front of the rear axle and you put weight on the front axle instead of levering it up like with a bumper hitch. More $$$ up front, but lots safer IMHO. I have had goose necks in 1/2 ton trucks as well and the sway is not near as bad. A trailer attached to a bumper has a lot of leverage on your truck and the softer suspension of a 1/2 ton can't absorb as much sway. Also, you didn't mention if either trailer had brakes. They sure do help keep the trailer behind you. If you depend on the truck to do all the stopping the trailer can push you places you do not want to go. Also, w/ trailer brakes if you start to sway, you can tap the trailer brakes a little to bring it back in line. Handy for hills also.

Also, be careful unhooking w/ the trailer loaded, most trailer jacks really aren't rated to handle the load, much less be stable enough. I have folded a couple of jacks that way.

 

[Highbeam]

A gooseneck is a superior towing and maneuvering trailer. But... more weight is put on the truck, almost twice as much by design but you can adjust with the load. More money up front and then you lose your bed for the other uses. If price was the same, this might be an attractive option.

A handy benefit is that the trailer is less likely to be stolen since most people do not have a hitch for it.

The half ton suspension can be improved, the low ratings can NOT be increased as a result. I used timbren overload "springs" to prevent sagging. The timbrens are like a solid air bag that doesn't do anything until the rear end sags a bit. Once the timbrens are in the game the rear end is very stiff and towing/hauling is much improved.

 

[NevadaSmith]

queston on your tilt bed. I need a tractor too and the tilt beds looked pretty cool. But I also need (would like) something that I can haul a yard or two of material in without having to buy two trailors. Have you had any success putting sides on your trailor and using it to haul rock/sand/etc and using the tilt to unload (with the help of the FEL)?

Thanks in advance

 

[Highbeam]

Oddly, I was thinking of this last night instead of sleeping. I concluded that you could certainly load it to the GVWR with whatever. Then unlatch the tilt mechanism, the tilt will stay flat. I would then unload material from the front until the triler was nearly balanced and then nudge the tilt up. I don't believe that there is a part of the tilt bed that is built to be lifted on with much force. You may tweak the tilt bed if you try to force the tilt to tilt.

Alternatively, if the material was loose you could push down on the rear of the trailer to teeter the front of the tilt up and let the material slide down, this would be better but you risk lifting your pickup or overloading the tail of the trailer.

Power tilt would be cool. Set up a ram underneath like a dump trailer right?

 

[GeneD14]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( queston on your tilt bed. I need a tractor too and the tilt beds looked pretty cool. But I also need (would like) something that I can haul a yard or two of material in without having to buy two trailors. Have you had any success putting sides on your trailor and using it to haul rock/sand/etc and using the tilt to unload (with the help of the FEL)?
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The tilt bed alone only tilts up 5-10 degrees just guessing. To get dirt to move you need to tilt up alot steeper. 40-50 degrees.

 

[NevadaSmith]

The tilt trailor I saw (forgot the brand) had a small ram that was battery operated to tilt the bed. Was thinking I could tilt it using this, and "some" material would slide out. What wouldn't I figured might be easy to "persuade" to come out with the FEL by driving, dragging whatever....

Funny...I'm not the only one who sits up at night thinking about my tractor and what I can do with it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

NevadaSmith
husband to a "Kioti Widow" who IS enjoying her new landscaping /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Kioti CK25 FEL, BH, BB

 

[Highbeam]

Only 5-10 degrees? That's not much. It sure felt like a lot more when I was pulling the dozer up on it. I imagine that angle varies a bit but it is a good point, the tilt probably isn't steep enough to slide material out.

 

[GeneD14]

I was guessing at 5-10 degrees it may be slightly more by it still isn't very steep. I have a 20' hydraulic tilt so the angle isn't very dramatic. See the attached picture.

 

[GeneD14]

The more I think about trailer geometry: If you used a shorter (16') trailer and it was a deck over wheel model it would increase the tilt angle a little. I don't still don't think that dirt would readily slide off without help though.

 

[RobertN]

Do you mean a dump trailer? Those can "tilt" much more than a tilt-bed trailer. I have seen them in the 12-16' range, with Bobcats and TLB's like Kubota L35's in them.