Featherlite 3111

[4Mogger]

I have a new DC Tundra so I am going very light with my upcoming trailer purchase. I am seriously considering the Featherlite 3111, 14 ft. with 8.5" wide deck. It has two 3500# axles with brakes on both. I like the quick detatch fenders and the completely flat deck with no lip. Although the 17 footer would be a better choice, I am going with the 14 because I can store it in my garage under my '55 Bel Air. My garage is just over 18 ft. long. The 14 ft. Featherlite with the tongue length included is approx. 17.5 feet.
Primarily I will be towing my 4Runner on Unimog 404 axles but will also be towing the Chevy to shows and such. I have to have brakes on both axles because I will be regularly towing in the mountains. I am looking to buy in the Midwest within a 300 mile radius of St. Louis, Missouri.
Is there another trailer, aluminum with a completely flat deck, that I am missing?
Also I am looking at a six week wait for the 3111 in 14 ft. X 8.5 ft. size and would sure like to have one sooner, like tomorrow! Will be placing my order with deposit tomorrow so let me know what you think.

[pmurf1]

My old boss had an 18' Featherlite with the stone guard to tow his old Vette. I used it a couple of times to tow my 85 Runner with 38's/exo/ etc.., 5000# to Moab, Hammers, etc.. It was a hell of a nice trailer. They are pricey as I'm sure you have found out, but hold their value, don't rust (just tarnish), and tow great. You could move it his around by hand, I can't even lift the tongue of my steel one right now. The main rails were actually steel with an aluminum skin over them. It never swayed a bit at any speed and the only noise was from the ramps that slid in the back. That trailer sold me on torsion axles, no sprung ones for me from now on.

I know you're into custom stuff, why not have them build you a swing-away or removeable tongue like on boat trailers? You could gain at least two foot of deck and still put it in your garage. I had a removeable tongue on my last boat to keep it in the garage and out of the HOA's sight. I made essentially a piece of square tube go inside a bigger tube and attached it with a couple of removable hitch pins. How about a fold-up rear overhang for the section behind the wheels? Where there's a will and money, there's a way to get it into your garage. Food for thought.

[4Mogger]

I just found these guys:http://www.tntaluminumtrailer.com/index.html

and sent them an email last night but haven't heard back yet. I have never heard of a detatchable tongue but I really like that idea. I also like the storage box on the tongue, especially in aluminum.
I will give them a call tomorrow.
One dealer located a 3111 Featherlite in Oklahoma and I may end up getting that. Plus they (dealer in SE Missouri) will match a damn good price I was quoted from a dealer in Illinois. Both were about a 2 hour drive for me. Unless TNT can build a trailer, soon, that is competitively priced I will go with the Featherlite.
Here is an example of the TNT variety:

[4Mogger]

And the 3111 only this is the 17 ft.:

[offroad_joe]

I've been researching light trailers also and came up with this place.
ATC (http://www.aluminumtrailer.com/php/products/open_trailers/index.php)

[TEX]

Don't see any tie-downs at the very front of the trailer. I'd specify those if I were you.

TEX

[Brutpwr]

I'd strongly suggust upgrading the axles to 5200 or even better 6000 lb axles to get the larger 12" brakes. You would not consider driving a 7000 lb car with 4 wheel 10" drum brakes regularly in the mountains to be safe would you?

Jason :)

[4Mogger]

Finally picked up the new Featherlite. I love it. Even unloaded it pulls with absolutely no rattles or shakes. I can move it around by hand and therefore it is very easy to hook up. The really good news (because I wasn't exactly sure if it would) is that the '55 fits in the garage on the trailer. I thought for a minute that I may have to let air out of tires or something (kind of a 4Mogger theme, airing down to squeek into the garage, hence the CTIS)

[4Mogger]

Another shot. Yes the trailer came with fenders :flipoff2: but I took them off to maneauver the trailer into the garage. It takes all of about 2 seconds to quick disconnect the fenders, very cool.

[pmurf1]

I told you you'd like it. My old boss had the stone shield on the front for his 69 Vette, yours doesn't have enough room for one though. The only rattles you'll get are from the ramps in the back, they're quiet trailers. They do like to drag ass, I'm sure you've already found that out. You may want to put some wheels on the back RV style. His was higher than yours and I used to drag it a lot. It's nice being able to move it around like a jet ski trailer.

[KS Toy]

Nice trailer. Not to be to nosey but how did you justify the cost? I considered that same trailer a while back before I bought yet another trailer. I am self employed and use a trailer at least once a week but just felt like more then twice the price of a steel trailer was not worth the cost.

[reklund5]

Keep that OD off in the Tundra when you're dragging the trailer....

I see 'em blown up 2x a month due to towing in OD. I know it sucks with gas at $3/gal, but it'll save your tranny....

[TEX]

Keep that OD off in the Tundra when you're dragging the trailer....


Good advice for ANY towrig under 8,500 GVWR.

TEX

[4Mogger]

Nice trailer. Not to be to nosey but how did you justify the cost? I considered that same trailer a while back before I bought yet another trailer. I am self employed and use a trailer at least once a week but just felt like more then twice the price of a steel trailer was not worth the cost.
I looked at steel and just couldn't get past the fact that the "brand new" trailers on the lot were already rusting significantly. My dad has a steel trailer that he has already had to strip and repaint twice in 15 years.
I tend to subscibe to the "you get what you pay for" philosophy when it comes to most things. And like I said, the extra weight alone of a comparable steel trailer (with my 4Runner loaded up) would have put me over the recommended GVWR for my Tundra. And over the next decade alone with fuel at $3+ per gallon, the mileage savings will pay for the extra cost of aluminum.

[aedavis]

Can you tell me what that 14' Featherlite weighs? I am considering something similar since I'll be towing an 85 4Runner (4200 lbs) with either an FJ80 or UZJ100 Landcruiser and I want to keep the weight to a minimum.

Thanks,

Allan

[4Mogger]

Can you tell me what that 14' Featherlite weighs? I am considering something similar since I'll be towing an 85 4Runner (4200 lbs) with either an FJ80 or UZJ100 Landcruiser and I want to keep the weight to a minimum.

Thanks,

Allan
I don't know and never ran across the figure on their website. I am anxious to weigh it but also because I want to find out what my 4Runner weighs. All I can say is you are not going to find anything much lighter that is rated for 7K#s' with brakes on both axles and a great warranty. It is the only 14'X8.5' wide deck aluminum that I could find that was not a custom order for even more money.

[4Mogger]

Keep that OD off in the Tundra when you're dragging the trailer....

I see 'em blown up 2x a month due to towing in OD. I know it sucks with gas at $3/gal, but it'll save your tranny....

Even though I only have 3K miles on the new truck, I was thinking of changing the ATF to Amsoil synthetic. I knew about the OD needing to be turned off but figured the synthetic would be good for a healthy decrease in operating temps. These failures are on fairly new transmissions?

[Cap'n Ron]

Can you tell me what that 14' Featherlite weighs? I am considering something similar since I'll be towing an 85 4Runner (4200 lbs) with either an FJ80 or UZJ100 Landcruiser and I want to keep the weight to a minimum.

Thanks,

Allan

When I bought my Big Tex trailer (70CH-12), I was looking at the Featherlite 14 for the weight savings. It came in at 950lbs best I can recall. The 12' Big Tex is 1350lbs. For 1/2 the price, I figured the extra 400lbs was no more than having a really fat guy sitting on the trailer. :D That and the fact I can weld stuff to it easily...

[reklund5]

4Mogger-

So you know, that tranny takes a Toyota specific Type T-IV trans fluid...not your standard DexronIII ATF. The plain old ATF will make it slip and shift like poo in the morning. If it were MY truck, I'd add another big trans cooler to the system and a trans temp guage. Theres one in the radiator and one mounted externally in front of the radiator. I'd add a third big B&M or the like to the front if you plan on towing.

That fluid is semi-synthetic from the factory from my understanding, so it should'nt be a problem. I know you can buy it over the counter at the dealership for the usual drain-and-fill ( it takes around 4 quarts) but I have no idea if the aftermarket offers an equivalent fully synthetic.... The service manual says to run the Type T-IV 100k under normal useage, but it seems to turn dark around 30k if used hard. I'd reccomend drain and refill's every 15k, and maybe pay the dealer to flush the system every 30k if you can afford it. Here in NM a trans flush at the dealer where I work runs around $170 with 12 quarts of type T-IV.

The failures I see are usually on 2-3 year old 40-50K mile trannies, but I've seen them fail sooner. It's not really a design flaw with the tranny as much as it's guys trying to use their 1/2ton Tundra like a 3/4ton superduty...
As usual, it's all in how you take care of them and how you use them. With any auto tranny, the big enemy is heat. Take care of it, keep it cool, and you'll be fine.

HTH,

Ryan

[4Mogger]

4Mogger-

So you know, that tranny takes a Toyota specific Type T-IV trans fluid...not your standard DexronIII ATF. The plain old ATF will make it slip and shift like poo in the morning. If it were MY truck, I'd add another big trans cooler to the system and a trans temp guage. Theres one in the radiator and one mounted externally in front of the radiator. I'd add a third big B&M or the like to the front if you plan on towing.

That fluid is semi-synthetic from the factory from my understanding, so it should'nt be a problem. I know you can buy it over the counter at the dealership for the usual drain-and-fill ( it takes around 4 quarts) but I have no idea if the aftermarket offers an equivalent fully synthetic.... The service manual says to run the Type T-IV 100k under normal useage, but it seems to turn dark around 30k if used hard. I'd reccomend drain and refill's every 15k, and maybe pay the dealer to flush the system every 30k if you can afford it. Here in NM a trans flush at the dealer where I work runs around $170 with 12 quarts of type T-IV.

The failures I see are usually on 2-3 year old 40-50K mile trannies, but I've seen them fail sooner. It's not really a design flaw with the tranny as much as it's guys trying to use their 1/2ton Tundra like a 3/4ton superduty...
As usual, it's all in how you take care of them and how you use them. With any auto tranny, the big enemy is heat. Take care of it, keep it cool, and you'll be fine.

HTH,

Ryan
Thanks for the info.

[70~K5]

4Mogger-

If it were MY truck, I'd add another big trans cooler to the system and a trans temp guage. Theres one in the radiator and one mounted externally in front of the radiator. I'd add a third big B&M or the like to the front if you plan on towing.

Ryan

Why not just change the external cooler to the largest one that would fit the mounting area instead?

[reklund5]

Why not just change the external cooler to the largest one that would fit the mounting area instead?

Thats another fine option...I've just seen a few at work with an additional cooler added and it works fine. Nothing wrong with stuffing a huge cooler in there tho...as I said- Heat is the enemy of most any Automatic... :beer:

Ryan

[70~K5]

Thats another fine option...I've just seen a few at work with an additional cooler added and it works fine. Nothing wrong with stuffing a huge cooler in there tho...as I said- Heat is the enemy of most any Automatic... :beer:

Ryan

Its just every extra conection is one more place to leak and every extra hyd line is another one that could burst/ leak.

[KS Toy]

Thanks for the reasoning. Makes good sence. Maybe someday I will own one.