Trailering your Skidsteer Mulcher... What are you using?

[PLMLLC]

So I just ordered a Bobcat t770 with the mulching head... Total weight coming in at 13k lbs roughly. What is everyone using to move their skidsteer mulchers? I have a 2010 F350 crew cab dually. I have to have a 20k trailer and it looks like the combined weight is 18k. Which is technically over the rated capacity of the truck.... Thoughts on that? What are you using?

 

[lumberjack1986]

My CTL and dirt bucket weigh 13klbs, as does my mini ex. They get moved without issue on a ~8klb empty/24k gvw flatbed gooseneck trailer and an F250 without issue. Even 1100 miles from MN to MS.

Don't over think it...

 

[Marek]

your truck will be fine . Its DOt you need to worry about

 

[APSmulching]

Not sure what the law says in your state but I would think that as long as your registered with enough gross combined weight and you don't exceed any over axle weight you should be within the law. Check your axle rating sticker on the truck and make sure the rear axle is rated for more than your loading on it. Also check your tire weight ratings, make sure your not exceeding those limits. You also have to use common sense if I doesn't feel safe don't risk it. Make sure your truck and trailer brakes are working well, stopping is the most important thing. I pull a Fecon FTX 140 with a Dodge 3500 dually on a gooseneck deck over trailer and it has worked well with no problems. Make sure you have break away emergency brakes and they work. You also need all the things to drive a CDL commercial truck, like a triangle kit, DOT number, proper signage, fire extinguisher and log book if you go further than 100 miles (as the crow flies) from home base.Gooseneck trailers distribute the load well, they require more tongue weight than a tag trailer. I think your tongue weight should be about 20% of the weight of the trailer loaded. Check with your trailer manufacturer on that.

 

[PLMLLC]

Thank you for the responses. I am honestly not good at figuring the weight stuff out and trying my best to stay legal. The truck has the 13k lbs gvwr package and weighs roughly 9k. The trailer which is brand new is rated for 20k lbs and weights 6k roughly. Not sure on axle rating for truck. Truck isn't here at the house. According to ford spec sheet online the GCWR is 23,500. 3.73 gear ratio. Bobcat with mulching head is 13k. Tires are brand new toyo open country MT's. E rating and max load of 3415. I have a log book anyway for the business. This truck is new to me and isn't even registered yet. 30 day plate still. I know the trailer can handle the load and I am certain the truck can but just trying to figure out legally if the truck can.

 

[yellowdogsvc]

Any way you look at it, 13+9+6 is 28k lbs actual weight. That's before tools, extra fuel, etc. That's CDL class A territory. You cannot legally haul this setup even empty without a class A cdl. The GVWR of your truck (13k) and trailer (20k) alone put you at 33k GVWR. Even with nothing on the truck or trailer, the "what it's rated for" will get you ticketed if you don't have a Class A.
I apologize if that's not what you were asking about. Your truck can haul that weight just fine but whether you are technically overloading it's GCWR of 23,500 lbs.

 

[PLMLLC]

Thanks yellowdog. I just got my Class A so I am not worried about that. I have just been trying to figure out if I would be legal towing the set up and this has helped me with the numbers. Like you said I think being over the GCWR kills it on the spot.

 

[APSmulching]

The gross combined weight is a Ford factory rating. I don't believe that number is a factor with DOT. They add up all your axle weight ratings to get a gross combined weight. But if DOT puts scales under any axle and you have too much weight, you get an over axle ticket. You need to know what your rear axle is rated at. It should be on a sticker in the door jam. The only problem you may have is that with single rear tires you only have about 7000 lbs of capacity. If DOT puts scales under your rear axle you may be ok as far as the axle capacity but over in tire capacity.
When your hauling under CDL class A you are treated the same in every way as the big rigs.

 

[DIRTROAD]

What Yellowdog and APS both said are correct. Don't make it more complicated than it already is by over analyzing the figures. Simply purchase enough weight on the tag to cover truck, trailer, and load. 33k would be a good place to start. Keep the weight under 54k and you can avoid HVUT.

In addition to what has been mentioned, you might also need a USDOT # and Federal Annual Inspection of both truck and trailer.

Aside from the legalities of how much your truck can haul, make sure your insurance is a commercial policy just like a larger truck would have. Without the commercial policy, you are a lawsuit waiting to happen if something should go wrong out on the road!

If it were me, I would sale the F-350 and go ahead and upgrade to a larger class 7 truck. In think in the long run you would be money ahead to do this now and save some headache and be safer at the same time.

Just my experienced opinion.

 

[t320pilot]

Dodge 5500 4x4 with 10 ton g/n, class "a" cdl and all the dot bs.