Unloaded trailer weights

LoneCowboy · Oct 23, 2006

Ok, looking into gooseneck utility trailers.

There are double axle single tires and double axle duals.

The duals obviously haul more, but the singles (7k axles) shoudl be fine.

What I need to haul weighs about 9000 to 10,000 lbs

What does an empty 20' gooseneck with 7000lb axles weigh
and
what does a empty 20' gooseneck with duals (10k axles) weigh?

approximately

any info would be appreciated
TIA

schmism · Oct 23, 2006

you can get a 20' gooseneck with duals? i would have thought the smallest you could get with duals would be 22-25'

its hard to say.... an entry level gooseneck with 2 5000lb axles is a fairly light weight trailer... but who's to say that same gooseneck design they dont just slap 2 7500 axles under it.....

i see 16-20' car trailers that range in 'quality" all the time. quality = amount of steel = beef = weight.

my WFG an entry level gooseneck would be as lightweight as 1800lbs... vs a heavy duty dual trailer weighting in at 5K lbs.

Boomerang1 · Oct 23, 2006

20' would be without the dovetail. A 20' Big Tex with dual tires weighs 5440#s.
Their 20' single tire weighs 4825#s

Dual tire GVWR 20,000#s.
Single tire GVWR 14,000#s.

LoneCowboy · Oct 23, 2006

Boomerang1 said:
20' would be without the dovetail. A 20' Big Tex with dual tires weighs 5440#s.
Their 20' single tire weighs 4825#s

Dual tire GVWR 20,000#s.
Single tire GVWR 14,000#s.

Really?????????
Wow, the salesman at the PJ trailers dealer (where they overpriced the crap out of them) said the single wheels weighed about 5k lbs and the dual's weighed about 8k lbs.
hmmmmmmmmm

So, difference in towing with duals and such?

George2615 · Oct 23, 2006

I have an Appalachian 12K GVWR gooseneck with two 6K axles w/ single wheels. 24' overall length, 20' deck plus 4' tail. I'm unsure of the exact weight but I'm guessing my trailer itself weighs just under 4000 so that only leaves 8000 for the load. That is way more than I haul so I'm safe. I'm sure the 14K GVWR model weighs about 4000 - 4500 so a load weight of 9 - 10K would be the limit. Double check with the dealer of the trailer your interested in for an exact weight since you'll need to deduct that # from the GVWR of the trailer. I think if you go above a 14K trailer it will have dual wheels (4) per axle.

rdln · Oct 23, 2006

I see lots of single wheel 8000# axles as options on the websites and plus cant you count the extra weight that is applied to the truck via the pin?

Gooseneck pin weight should be 15-25% so a 10,000# machine could apply 2500# to truck and 7500# to trailer axles.

Boomerang1 · Oct 24, 2006

LoneCowboy said:
Really?????????
Wow, the salesman at the PJ trailers dealer (where they overpriced the crap out of them) said the single wheels weighed about 5k lbs and the dual's weighed about 8k lbs.
hmmmmmmmmm

So, difference in towing with duals and such?

Dauls are handy if you have a flat because you can limp into a repair shop or off the road. But, you have 4 more tires to maintain & replace. Also, if you have a blowout on one tire it could take out the one next to it.
If you have to replace a tire, you should replace the one next to it if the tread is worn 50% because if both tires are not the same dia., the taller tire will run hot from taking most of the load.
Single tires are better on slippery roads because they put more psi. on the road.
I would go for the single tires if I did not need the higher GAWR.(Gross axle weight rating)

mlauk · Oct 24, 2006

The only drawback with the single wheel 8000# axles is that the tires are the limiting factor.

Something to consider with the duals is that you might need a CDL.

wushaw · Oct 24, 2006

mlauk said:
The only drawback with the single wheel 8000# axles is that the tires are the limiting factor.

Something to consider with the duals is that you might need a CDL.

Not unless you use 17.5 tires like Goodyear G114. G114 US and Canada

Duals or singles does not have anything to do with CDL. Your state license requirements do.

mlauk · Oct 25, 2006

Yes, I said you might need a CDL. Usually with 10k axles and duals the trailer is rated over 20k + truck which puts it over 26k GCWR which usually requires a CDL at least in Texas. There are exeptions like for farm which allow up to 34k GCWR. It's not how much you are carrying, they base it on how much the truck and trailer are rated for.

Farmwithjunk · Oct 25, 2006

LoneCowboy said:
Ok, looking into gooseneck utility trailers.

There are double axle single tires and double axle duals.

The duals obviously haul more, but the singles (7k axles) shoudl be fine.

What I need to haul weighs about 9000 to 10,000 lbs

What does an empty 20' gooseneck with 7000lb axles weigh
and
what does a empty 20' gooseneck with duals (10k axles) weigh?

approximately

any info would be appreciated
TIA

I've got a Ridgeline 20'+5' 14,000GVWR 2-axle (w/singles) gooseneck. Tires being the limiting factor, I'm able to HAUL cargo's around 9,000 with SOME weight scaled on trucks axle(s). The trailer's title claims shipping weight of 4025lbs with ramps and spare tire/wheel installed.

My son has what is essentially the same trailer, only with a pair of 10,000lb axles sporting duals. Combined with his truck, he has a GVWR over 26,001 (Actually over 30,000) That 26,001 means CDL in every state UNLESS it's an RV. (Now there's an obscure law....Have your own water system and a toilet and haul whatever you so desire)
Duals are more stable under load. You have a built in saftey net with extra tires. You MAY get into issues with more advanced braking systems on higher GVWR trailers. More tires +more tire WEAR and/or tires to replace. Trailers are rough on tires. You literally drag them sideways in turns, breaking down sidewalls and grinding away tread.

Stay FAR away from tri-axle trailers. UGLY tire wear issues.

LoneCowboy · Oct 25, 2006

Farmwithjunk said:
My son has what is essentially the same trailer, only with a pair of 10,000lb axles sporting duals. .

What does it weigh empty?

Thanks, good info in your post, appreciate it.
Wonder if you put a portajon on your 20k lb trailer.............

Farmwithjunk · Oct 26, 2006

LoneCowboy said:
What does it weigh empty?

Thanks, good info in your post, appreciate it.
Wonder if you put a portajon on your 20k lb trailer.............

I'd need to take a drive over to his place to look at the trailer title or I.D. plate to find out, but I'd suspect its as much as 1000 lbs heavier. It does have a beefier frame too.

A couple years back, I noticed several suppliers we buy from at work had stretched out road tractors pulling smaller gooseneck trailers when the hauled product to our jobs. The trucks had a "day cab" built on them. Some of these cabs were quite large. When I started asking questions, I found out they were licensed as RV's. They had built a one man sleeping/living quarters behind the regular cab. They carried their own fresh water system, toilet, and a bed. They were never used for living quarters, but with their presence, RV tags were permitted. That helped to circumvent the CDL requirements to an extent also.(for owner/operator) AH, loopholes in the law.....

QRTRHRS · Oct 28, 2006

Briefly, following the letter of the laws, RV plates are not for commercial operations. Anyone doing so is breaking the law period regardless of the weights involved. Lots of people do it sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes not. As long as you don't ruin my day, I could care less but it is what it is.

But, back to the question of trailer weights. You will find variation between similar makes from different manufacturers. Don't rely on what the dealer says. Make a call to the manufacturer. Once you finally have your trailer, go weigh it.

Here in PA, a 10k trailer costs what 12 bucks for a plate? Take a 14k gooseneck that weighs in at 4k or so and you can quickly use up your legal allowable weight. Above 10k you get into registering in combination which becomes pricey and as mentioned, can get into the CDL thing depending on what you are doing. I mention this because there is a lot of folks doing the 10k thing.

Remember to consider your vehicle insurance. I know in my state, a smaller trailer used to be covered automatically but only for liability. Having had a farm policy for several years that will cover things like dually trailers, I don't know about the more consumer oriented policies.

Farmwithjunk · Oct 28, 2006

QRTRHRS said:
Briefly, following the letter of the laws, RV plates are not for commercial operations. Anyone doing so is breaking the law period regardless of the weights involved. Lots of people do it sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes not. As long as you don't ruin my day, I could care less but it is what it is..

I know of a couple companies who use an old school bus modified into an "RV" and used to tow trailers hauling equipment just to get that RV exemption. They are commercial vehicles. They are operating WITHOUT CDL licensed drivers. They couldn't get a CDL if their life depended on it. It VERY illegal. It should be. In this case, it isn't out of ignorance, it's done in the name of PROFIT. It's not always the law, but the INTERPRETATION of the law. And who's BREAKING the law.

rutwad · Oct 29, 2006

sorry, i haven't read through the entire post, but my GN 20'+5' tandem duals weighs 6k

patrick_g · Oct 29, 2006

When researching heavy duty tires for my truck I found some load range G tires in 16 inch. Unfortunately (for me) in the fine print that was with a specific MFG and model of wheel (rated for the heavier load than standard wheels) that was required. When I researched it further it turned out to be a trailer wheel. If you want to maximize the load carrying capacity while sticiking with 16 inch tires and wheels, look into load range G tires. I believer they are used on some of the larger 5th wheel RV trailers.

As I couldn't use trailer wheels on my truck, I upgraded to 19.5 inch Alcoas and the Michelin X steel belted radials you see on two ton trucks. Works fine on my one ton Dodge.

Pat

Robbie Hegwood · Nov 26, 2006

If you really want singles they do make a triple axle with singles.Mine is a 28' hooper 21,000 GVWR with triple singles. It weight 5500 lbs, I tow a total GVWR of 18,040 lbs and sometimes 1000 lbs more. Pulls like a dream and with 3 7000lbs axles if I have a blowout I can simply pull the tires from that axle and limp to a shop. Yes there are draw backs like scuffing the first abd third axles a little but keep them rotated and I think the pull is worth it. Plus it's a little more forgiving as to where the load is over the axles. The dealer told me the same about you can factor 10% of the load weight on the truck via the pin, but in my case I run out of truck first. Hope this confuses you more. Robbie

patrick_g · Nov 27, 2006

Robbie, What you pullin' that thing with?

Pat

Robbie Hegwood · Nov 27, 2006

A 2004 F-350 crew cab, long bed,4x4,single rear wheel. 6.0L diesel of course. It helps it has a banks airbox and exhaust and my ford dealer did me a real favor by replacing all to plastic intercooler piping with metal while it was in for a torn turbo tube and EGR valve [under warranty]. If I really lay into it the banks gauge will hit 38lbs. boost and my turbo temp never gets above 750 degrees. I bought the truck with 60,000 miles on it and the only thing I plan to change is the gearing. Ford 4x4's come stock with 3.73's, I'm planning on installing 4.10's to help out of the hole. My plan is to go till she blows then buy something a little bigger. But believe it or not it pulls remarkable well for the weight. And yes my numbers are accurate,we have truck scales at my work. By my math that 26,000lbs thing is close if not over. Robbie