I'm looking at a possible trailer aquisition:

It apparently was used to haul a small dozer around

Pros:
wide and low
super heavy duty
nice 2x8 decking (at least - may be bigger)
drive-over fenders
dual axle, both electric brakes
price - $900 Cdn ($540 US)

Cons
on the short side (14' or so)
hitch seems a little close to the front (short tongue)
it looks as if it weighs a freakin' ton....Chad estimates 2000lbs or more (he's checking it out for me)

Unknowns
Pintle hook

So, how heavy is yours?
How heavy is too heavy?

Whada ya think?

Heavy duty is good, and the price is CHEAP! Will your rig fit and be able to have positive tongue weight? If it really only weighs 2,000 lbs, that isn't all that heavy. Sounds heavier than that though.

Oh by the way, if you buy it, lose the pintle hook. That thing will drive you bananas with all the banging around they do. Pintle hooks need a LOT of tongue weight, and that isn't what you want for light-duty towing.

I have an 8'x16' that started life as a farming implement. Figure the trailer weighs 3,000lbs empty. (5 2x7x.125 Ibeams run down it lengthwise)

Tounge is also short, leads to some interesting down hill, braking action. but never a big deal.

Bonus, while my deck is tall, maybe 32"? My CG is REALLY low cause the trailer weighs nearly as much as my rig. Side winds will move my truck before it even offeres to move the trailer.

Oh.. and bonus of dual trailer brakes on my 12,000lbs of axles. Loaded with that trailer and running the trailer brakes hot. I can stop faster loaded than the truck alone unloaded. go figure.

my trailer weighs AT LEAST 3000lbs, i'd guess closer to 3500. the powerstroke pulls it no problem.

-Steve

OK, you're right - it prolly weighs more like 3000-3500 lbs.

Twaldher - hmm, good point on the C of G. Since my rig is 3800, and the trailer say 3500...it should be pretty low...apparently the deck is only about 18" or so from the ground.

Christ - I know absoulotely NOTHING about this towing game! Guess I'll learn though :eek:

Thanks for the input so far

bill, you missed a "pro", it must have good brakes to stop a dozer, so it should stop your "wolf" easy........:flipoff2:

good luck......

Any idea on what the trailer is rated for?

We've got a 12,000 lb GVW trailer at work. I'll look at the numbers on it today (if I remember).

My new 16 foot trailer weighs 1500lbs. It is rated for 7500lbs gross.
How heavy is too heavy?....well depends on what your using to pull the trailer with. I went for lighter so I wouldn't lose as much power up hills and MPG.

As for 14'...if you every think you might try to fit a quad or some ATV (motorcycles included) you may be in for an unpleasant surprise. I tried to fit a quad on my 16' trailer with my cruiser and there is no way to get it on there...bummer!


Keep in mind that if you ever want to put a camper longer than 8 feet on your truck that a short tongue on a trailer will be a major pain.

You can use extended hitches but they make everything feel a little bit squirrely and necessitate longer safety chains, a longer breakaway brake cable, and a longer wire loom for the plugin.

My opinion on the trailer you are looking at:
Good price (provided the brakes work and the structural welds aren't cracking)
Too heavy
Too short overall length
Too short of a tongue
Wrong tonge connection for "light" towing purposes

(as you may have noticed I didn't try to recommend one way or another cause it really depends on your intended use of the trailer as well as other factors like campers, quads, hitches, etc.
Good luck.

Tankota - those are some great points...that's just the experience I was looking for.

Hmmmmm...

No worries with Quads - hate the damn things (local problem)
Bikes - well, the lad's only 3, and it'll only be he and i riding (if he's into it) and so we won;t be carrying the buggy and bikes ever at the same time.
Camper.....what's that?:flipoff2: camping is done in a tent :p

Good price (provided the brakes work and the structural welds aren't cracking)

This will swing it I think!

Too heavy

true - but better than too light!

Too short overall length

true

Too short of a tongue

easily modified as required

Wrong tonge connection for "light" towing purposes

Again - should be easy to change. Actually, I have no idea what the connection looks like. Chad described it as a "pintle hook thingey" (he's as much an expert as I :flipoff2: ) but at the same time, he's towing it back here with a 2" ball ???

Not sure what it's rated at - i would guess something like 10-12,000 lbs gross from the description.

I told Chad to buy it and bring it back.......perfect stuff is no fun !!

how can you hook up a pindle mount to a 2" ball(although i think chad has a 1 5/8" ball cause it fit my tow-bar perfectly and thats what ball its for) but he may have changed it............. o well, dosn't matter, but good luck bill, hope its what you really want....

Mike,

yes, it is a pintle hook (or more accurately a "loop" on the trailer)- but came with a pintle hook attached to a standard 2" receiver, so Chad just pulled his ball hitch out, slid in the pintle hook, and hooked up the trailer.

Said it towed very nicely

And he did a masterful job of backing it between the trees at my house (trying to stuff things amongst the trees so as to not piss of my family too much by making the place look like a wreckers yard!)

You still looking for YJ leafs? I have 2 packs

Bill

ok i get it now...............:flipoff2: and no, not looking anymore, i traded chad both 14 bolt axle shafts, the cover, and the complete inner gears........ for a set of 4(one had a broken main ply) but all 4 have a add-a-leaf........ not sure if thats going to make it too stiff or if it'll be just as good, but who ever put it in took the longest ply out and put in a long add-a-leaf in its place, so i can't take it out or i'll bend o snap the main ply........ so i'm going to try those springs once i get the traction bar built........ i think it should be soft enough, if not i'll take the longest ply out of the cj7 rear spring and replace the add-a-leaf with that...... well i'll make a good pack out of them........

and bill, how about taking a pic. of that trailer for me........ i seen it forsale so i called chad and told him about it and gave him the guys #, i never seen it.........

thanks......

try to keep in mind that when you go longer it makes towing a trailer a little harder due to the trailer cheating around coroners, and also wieght is a fact due to the more wieght the harder to stop, i pull a 25ft. gooseneck flatbed( 5000 lbs., GVW 14,000+) and i also pull a 20ft. gooseneck livestock trailer( 4500-5000 lbs.)
and use an 01' F-250 V-10 5spd. 4.30 limited slip rearend. just remember the bigger the load the more experience is needed.