utility trailers

[Soundguy]

My advice is to get brakes.. I think you don't have to under 5k#.. but the pucker factor relief is worth it.. plus the safety....

I don't know how many times I've been trucking down the raod hauling about 5800#'s of tractor and trailer and implimint.. and some lazy person pulls out in front of me and I have to light up the brakes like I'm doing re-entry into the atmosphere....

Soundguy

 

[Slamfire]

Ask about surge brakes. Simple sometimes gets the job done just fine. Electric brakes always depend on the wiring, and I had dogs that chewed on mine.

 

[david43a]

What are surge breaks ? thanks David

 

[Slamfire]

Brakes that are engaged when the load shifts forward on the trailer ball. Those I've seen were hydraulic. When the load shifts back on the ball the brakes release. The neat thing is that the brake comes on when you take your foot off the throttle, thereby starting the braking action before you get your foot on the brake pedal. Bad thing is the brake linings wear pretty quickly.

 

[BradK]

The surge brakes also allow you to move the trailer between vehicles with out worring about the controler. I have a enclosed lawn trailer with surge breaks and an open equipment trailer with electric brakes. I personally preffer the electric breaks over the surch. I have had two master cylinders go bad on the surge breaks waiting for the second one to come in now easy to change just a pain.

 

[chim]

The company I work for has 20-some utility trailers for our foremen to use for getting materials to jobsites (and going for mulch, moving kids to/from college, etc) Some have surge brakes, and they work very well. One thing that should be menttioned - since the brakes work by the amount of compression in the hitch, there's a small lever you need to flip to deactivate the brakes when you back up a grade. Otherwise the trailer thinks you are coming down a hill to a stop sign and applies the brakes harder and harder.......................chim

 

[Soundguy]

I never have liked surge breaks.

As for wiring being a problem in electrical brakes.. no more so than seals / master cylinders, and lines on the hyd system...

The nice feature onthe electric brakes is the manual button most controllers have that let you hit the brakes without using the vehicles brakes... besides.. in the unlikely event the towing vehicles breaks go completely out.. at leas the trailer might stop you ( eventually ! )

Soundguy

 

[zuiko]

Of course there is nothing wrong with buying a trailer that is rated much higher than your tow vehicle can handle as long as you keep the load to what your tow vehicle allows. I have a 12' horse trailer that is rated for 12,000 lbs and I tow it with a vehicle rated to tow 5,900 lbs. But I don't load it past 5,900.

I would go for the electric brakes. Trailers with surge brakes are getting kind of hard to find, I think some states have banned or restricted them. A nice thing about electric brakes is you can also engage them without using the vehicle's brakes... can be handy sometimes.

 

[david43a]

Thanks for the explaination on surge breaks. I have a couple more questions about trailers. I am kind of leaning toward a car hauler type of trailer. Do they come with stake pockets and d rings for tie down ? Should I order a bear bones trailer that add on the options later or buy one with options. I have not welded so I would have to hire someone to weld the options on to the trailer. Another question a menber shared how he figured out where to put his b7500 tractor with back hoe on his new 16 foot trailer to put the right amount of pressure on his receiver [ 500 to 100 lbs ? ] My question is doesn't the correct tie down location change every time you change impliments or load something on to your trailer how do you figure out the correct location for your tractor on your trailer when you change impliments ? Another question ,I have a van with 10,00 lb towing capasity with a 2" reciever that I bought form U haul the sales man told me that the receiver would hold 500 lbs. Is the correct way to load a trailer to put 10% of the weight on the hitch ? Do I need to get a reciever that handles more weight ? what is the solution thanks David

 

[PondKeeper]

David

I bought a 7000# car hauler and it came std. with the stake pockets. I liked that because I am fabricating removable sides so that I can pickup dirt, mulch, stone, etc and then remove any side and scoop the load off with my FEL. If the sides were fixed I couldn't use the FEL as easy. The stake pockets are also good for tie downs. However, I opted to weld six D-rings in places that I predetermind as MY balance points for my equipment. I used 1/2 inch D-rings and had them professionally welded. The rings cost me $9.?? each and the welding for all six was $87.00, that included the guy painting the rings and welds to match the trailer and he also picked up and returned the trailer when he finished.

As for the balance points changing with the changing of equipment you are correct, it does change. Just as an example of that I moved my tractor with FEL and BH about the trailer measuring the weight at the hitch and after I had made about ten location moves and had the trailer deck marked up with each weight I noticed I had left the ramps in the loading position at the tail. I then placed the ramps in the travel storage position and when I made the first measurment I couldn't believe how significant a change that made to the hitch weight. I bet it changes my weight and position by six inches. I had to redo the entire process again. I have marked up locations where I put my tractor fully loaded out, FEL and BH and where I put the tractor without the BH attached.

Sounds a bit like a project but when I drive the ride is better and safer with the balance right. It is worth the extra effort.

I posted some pictures back in June showing my tractor loaded and tied down. go look back at the post Trailer Setup. I don't know how to make you a link, sorry.

Mike