Trailer Advice

[Shawn T. W]

My cabbed Grand L is about 4300 Lbs, tires are NOT loaded ... It doesn't max out my truck or trailer, I really have not much reason to take it with anything anywhere, but could legally ...

Rear jacks are handy for loading and preventing the "run-away" scene in the video above, also is easier on your rear axle.

Proper tongue weight is important ... This is on a 20' 7,000 Lb rated trailer, which has an empty weight of just over 2,000 Lbs ... I use a weight distribution hitch. (Recommended by manufacturer on my RAM 1500 on loads over 5K gross)

By eyeball adjustment while loading it, inching it forward until it looked fairly level on both the truck and trailer, I got the following weights ...

It pulled good, too light on the tongue will/would cause swaying ... I made a mental note of where I had placed it ...

 

[Flintknapper]

I don't know about you guys.. but in the video situation I would have simply backed the tractors back wheels off of the trailer as soon as the truck & trailer started moving!

^^^^

I would have immediately done the same (recognizing what was happening).

But the guy in the video either didn't understand 'what' was causing the issue or just simply panicked.

 

[trikepilot]

Perfect timing on this post - I'm bookmarking it for future reference. I just picked up a used trailer for my B2620 two weeks ago but have not used it yet short of trailering it home empty. I opted for a 16ft 7k wood decked car hauler so that I would have the ability to actually haul a car later on if I needed. I have chains already and just picked up some load binders. I am in the market for some drop leg jacks to weld to the back for loading support. Will continue to educate myself on the use of it at places like this. Thanks to that video, I did learn the importance of securing the tow vehicle (and also chocking the wheels!) before loading the tractor.

 

[D2Cat]

My cabbed Grand L is about 4300 Lbs, tires are NOT loaded ... It doesn't max out my truck or trailer, I really have not much reason to take it with anything anywhere, but could legally ...

Rear jacks are handy for loading and preventing the "run-away" scene in the video above, also is easier on your rear axle.

Proper tongue weight is important ... This is on a 20' 7,000 Lb rated trailer, which has an empty weight of just over 2,000 Lbs ... I use a weight distribution hitch. (Recommended by manufacturer on my RAM 1500 on loads over 5K gross)

View attachment 160443

View attachment 160444

By eyeball adjustment while loading it, inching it forward until it looked fairly level on both the truck and trailer, I got the following weights ...

View attachment 160445

It pulled good, too light on the tongue will/would cause swaying ... I made a mental note of where I had placed it ...

View attachment 160446

I'd put a mark on the top of the rail so I'd be able to see from the seat of the tractor where I need to land next time! Centerline of front or rear axle.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Lots of good advice above.....

For comparison.................

My 2501 is about the same size as yours I believe.

I have a 2500 with air bag helpers, and it also has a 1 ton rear axle 11.5 AAM (from the factory, it was automatically given a 1 ton axle when you ordered the diesel back then).

Here is my "standard towing configuration" for my 16 foot 7K trailer with brakes.

L2501 with grapple on, loaded tires, BH-77 installed (but turned sideways) and trailer forks in the "side pocket".

I usually carry the bucket in the bed of the truck as well.

I go back an forth, 4 hours each way, on the freeway, but try to keep it at 65mph, and have done it "lots of times".





Trailer was purchased "pre-tractor", but I wish I had a 20 foot+ and 10-12 K trailer....but it gets me by......

 

[DONLI]

One thing that is a must have if you get a trailer with ramps is stabbleizer jacks onthe back (been there don that ).
If I was in the market for another trailer would be a tilt bed trailer!
Just my 2c.

Don

 

[trikepilot]

One thing that is a must have if you get a trailer with ramps is stabbleizer jacks onthe back (been there don that ).
If I was in the market for another trailer would be a tilt bed trailer!
Just my 2c.

Don

I agree. I have found these as, so far, my best option online.

https://www.etrailer.com/Camper-Jacks/Fulton/FSJ1-SJ2.html

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

One thing that is a must have if you get a trailer with ramps is stabbleizer jacks onthe back (been there don that ).
If I was in the market for another trailer would be a tilt bed trailer!
Just my 2c.

Don

No tilt beds for me anymore. I need hauling cabability without a teeter totter.
My trailer has jacks built into the ramps... no issues. 22' 14K dovetail.

Big boys get big toys. If you have a truck to pull it. It is s heavy beast. No doubt.

Do this on a tilt trailer.... you can't...

 

[McMXi]

No tilt beds for me anymore. I need hauling cabability without a teeter totter.

I sold my 22ft PJ deckover with hydraulic tilt this week and don't think I'd buy another tilt trailer. I'll be using the new Kaufman 30ft gooseneck trailer with dual tandem axles (7,000 lb empty) tomorrow to haul the M6060 and RC3712 to a mowing job and it'll be the first real use of that trailer. The tractor and cutter are at least 12,000 lb and probably closer to 13,500 lb. Towing them around last year on the 22ft PJ with a home made 3ft extension was no fun at all. The '02 F-250 didn't help either.

I've now bought and sold a couple of trailers over the past few years including a MidSota 22ft equipment trailer and a PJ 22ft deck over but think I've found the right balance with the trailers that I have. Every trailer has its use and I have the road hauling stuff covered. The only other trailer I see myself buying is a dedicated tractor dump trailer that is actually designed to be used behind a tractor. I have two dump trailers, a PJ 16ft with 7k tandem axles and a PJ 10ft with a single 5k axle but they're not ideal for tractor use with their short A-frame tongues.

 

[Russell King]

@McMXi
instead of another trailer you could probably make a dolly with a long tongue to pull the trailers you already own?

Like this with a ball in the middle

 

[Hugo Habicht]

I don't know about you guys.. but in the video situation I would have simply backed the tractors back wheels off of the trailer as soon as the truck & trailer started moving!

He should have just kept driving forward to get weight on the towbar and hence the rear axle of the truck.

 

[Gaspasser]

He should have just kept driving forward to get weight on the towbar and hence the rear axle of the truck.

Was thinking the same. Pull forward and shift the weight onto the hitch. Fortunately, my drop down ramps have the built in ramp supports that contact thr ground just rearward of where they connect to trailer. In fact, sometimes depending on slope of road, they contact the ground before the ramps are all the way down.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

He should have just kept driving forward to get weight on the towbar and hence the rear axle of the truck.

But then we wouldn’t have a “funny as all hell” video to watch (and keep watching) to amuse ourselves…..What fun would that be?

I can’t stop laughing at his “dismount”……ROTFLMFAO…...

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Was thinking the same. Pull forward and shift the weight onto the hitch. Fortunately, my drop down ramps have the built in ramp supports that contact thr ground just rearward of where they connect to trailer. In fact, sometimes depending on slope of road, they contact the ground before the ramps are all the way down.

I would never drive anything onto a trailer without supports at the back.

Reversing back, as NorthwoodsLife suggested, should have been the normal reaction, but I think your man just panicked...

And yes, good video and nobody hurt. Ok, maybe the truck, but that can be fixed.

 

[McMXi]

@McMXi
instead of another trailer you could probably make a dolly with a long tongue to pull the trailers you already own?

Like this with a ball in the middle
View attachment 161520

Interesting idea. I've thought about a long section of box section with sufficient wall thickness that pins to the underside of the smaller dump trailer and has a coupler on one end. I have my eye on Berkelmans Welding trailers for a turnkey solution but they're around $10k for something I would want. Perhaps 5% of the cost of a trailer for some steel and a coupler to get 50% of the function and utility of a Berkelmans might be a much better investment. I still really like those Berkelmans though.

 

[NorthwoodsLife]

He should have just kept driving forward to get weight on the towbar and hence the rear axle of the truck.

Probably so. May be a better plan.

My knee jerk reaction would have been to backup and get the tractor back on the ground asap. At least get the rear tractor wheels grounded for braking

I learned, and we only do it once, a trailer can move when loading. I now chock the trailer wheels. I have short 10" peices of 4x4 post in my truck. Comes on handy for lots of things.

I hope the guy was alright. That batman jump looked painful. Something I couldn't do at my age without paying for it the rest of my life.

 

[Chad D.]

20’ 10K flat bed for my B2650. I regularly put an implement, like my grader-scraper, at the front, then grab another item for the tractor and load up. With the grader, tractor, and box blade I have about a foot left and still put the ramps up.

Loaded as described, my total combo is 7,600# on the trailer axles. Tows like a dream behind my Tundra. I do have brakes on both axles and everything is very well maintained. I did bump up to 235/80-16 tires when ordering the trailer, which helped with towing stability.

I would not want less trailer for my use.