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What is your opinion of the ultimate trailer?????

27K views 85 replies 60 participants last post by  silveradoreb 
#1 · (Edited)
I read up and found a lot of posts about trailers but what I wanna know is, if you were getting a trailer built (for a reasonable price of course:D) tow two one jeep/ toyota/ whatever and at times a fourwheele, what would it be like?

I have the truck (02' Dodge Cummins HO 6 speed 4x4) and now its time for the trailer...

Im most likely gonna get one built custom so any reasonable features are open...

Keep in mind the most Ill be towing (1 rig, 1 quad as you call them) and that I want saftey and stability!

NOT ENCLOSED though.

Muchos Gracias!



(FLAME ON!:D:D:D)
 
#54 ·
Here's my budget trailer. Rated to 12000 lbs., weighs in at 2200 lbs. Brakes on all wheels. Winch receiver. 18'x6'10" (my full width rear fits just perfect). Cost $1800 direct from manufacturer. It went on it's maiden voyage last weekend.

 
#57 ·
nvrenuf said:


Excellent suggestion!
BAHAHAHAHAHAHA
there is one!!!!
hahahaha


BTW.... i like my trailer.. ;)
 

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#58 ·
The nicest trailer I have seen for towing rigs is Shannon Campbell's custom built gooseneck. It has nice lines, is lightweight and he said it tows great all over the country. There are some pics of it on his website.

www.campbellent.com
 
#59 ·
Gooseneck, is the safest and best way to go IMHO the loading characteristics and trailing make it safer than a tag along. instead of the 60/40 weight split of tha tag along, it is more like 2500-3000 lbs loaded on your truck front and rear since it is a distributing system and the balance on the trailer axles.



my goose neck and i drove 300k+ miles Safe miles. I was licensed for 37200lbs. Though i never got close to that.

By Federal transportation law manufaturer ratings do not me shit, it is all based on vehicle rated weight capacity GVW+ trailer rated weight capacity and your Licensed GCV. So my truck is rated 9200 my trailer is rated to brake 16000 therefore i am legal to 24200. In my case it was 9200+16000+12000

My 24' deck gooseneck had sliding 8000lbs axles, my second 12' deck trailer with tandemn axles also had trailer brakes. My brake circut was wired with a break away switch and my break controler had a completed circut sensor. As long as you dont exceed the per axle load rating you are legal to pull.

As to safety Check your wiring, test your system before passes. Like i said 300k miles in MT, Idaho, California, Canada, Colorado with this setup safely no lost brakes no problems stopping No problems on ice, though i seldomn pulled doubles on ice if i could help it.

You can debate the ethics and worst case senarios, but he fact remains these larger trailers especially like mine fall under federal inspection guidelines once the trailer weight exceeds 10k, though they are leanient up to 26k if they dont think it is being used for commercial purposes. My point is though that doing inspections and proper maintence when using a trialer prevents the worst case scenario "Bottom of the canyon" Take it from one of many who did this for a living and NEVER once lost my brakes even on 29 dropping in to calistoga ca at 12% grade.

Rule of thumb i ussually left about 20% aditional braking on the trailer without load.
 
#61 ·
Great info so far.

My quest is to find out how much trailers weigh, not how much it can carry.

Looking specifically for info on trailer weight for trailers designed to carry 5,000 lbs or less. Not interested in 5th wheels, or goosenecks. I cannot tow either with a SUV. However others might be, so post that info up as well. Also would help to know #axles, and decking material.
 
#62 ·
Panzer said:
If your running over 80 MPH with over 12,000 pounds of of 1/2 ton rig your just one hell of a wreck looking for a good place to occur. Stopping distance increases exponentially with speed and at that weight you ain't stoppin til you get to the front of the wreck. Also when your towed load weight exceeds your tow rig weight then you have all the makings of a jack knife if you try to stop hard and you not lined up straight. Basic physics. That's why semis jack knife.
Can't wait to see the post-accident pics you post.
Jack knifes happen cause the trailer brakes lock up and the trailer slides around cause it can't stop as fast as the truck you jack ass. I can haul a 1-,--- lb trailer on my YJ and not have a Jack Knife if I don't have trailer brakes and I just keep going straight. Anyhow here's my solution to a trailer to haul a couple rigs, I love it.

 

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#63 ·
BigDan said:
WE REALLY NEED A TOW RIG FORUM!!!!!!
I agree with this, but I could see it being like asking about the best wheelin rig. There's gonna be opinions out the ass with very very little tech to back them up. Maybe a tow rig tech, no brand slamming allowed, would be good. That way we could all learn about different setups, 5'th wheel, Gooseneck, Regular Hitch, or whatever else there is. But no brand bashing or truck hammering unless someone is obviously wanting to try something unsafe and I'm sure noone on this board wants unsafe behavior that could affect innocent people to go on.
 
#64 ·
why the hell would you guys bring back a 3 yr old post and still ask dumb things?

and we do have a tow rig forum, and have had it for over a year now :rolleyes:

hanr if you look at nearly any manufacture they typically list the weight of the empty trailer. so if you would LOOK just a little you'd find out. and just reading this, there are like 3 guys SAYING exactly what you're asking for and they all weigh withing about 300 lbs of eachother.
 
#66 ·
surveyboy said:
hanr if you look at nearly any manufacture they typically list the weight of the empty trailer. so if you would LOOK just a little you'd find out. and just reading this, there are like 3 guys SAYING exactly what you're asking for and they all weigh withing about 300 lbs of eachother.
I did LOOK at 3/4 of the manufactures webpage list in the tech section. They only list how much it can haul. Thanks to the research I DID do, I know all electric verse hydraulic brakes, single axle or tandum, steel verse wood decking, yada, yada, yada. I also did a search on this site, every f'ing thread with the word trailer came up. Most of it useless crap.

Why would you dig up a 3 year old thread?
Maybe becuase it is linked to Bill Vista's tech section about TRAILERS. :flipoff2:

Tell ya what, since your so smart, post up the weights, or post up the thread with them listed in it. I haven't been able to find it.

As for the link, duh. It takes you to the towing/trailer forum. Been there and already searched it.
 
#67 ·
here is my trailer.... i think its a superior trailer out of georgia.... weighs in at 1800lbs.... has two 3500 axles both with brakes... 16' flat deck with a 2' dovetail... i went with this so i can haul cars easily... and so i can get a slide in camper when i return from iraq this time... the best thing about it is the ramps... i am so glad i got the fold ups.. way easy to use... and the dove tail works good... i hauled a buddy's porche with it.. loaded and unloaded it without scraping it... its also got the hd fenders.. which i will make removeable...
 
#68 ·
MattS said:
Someone correct me if I am wrong, but you would rather have a gooseneck if possible because it will distribute the load closer to the center of the tow rig. (even better for a 1/2 ton) So given the choice gooseneck is the way to go if you don't mind the bed of the truck being completely useless. :D
You're wrong--but only partially.

Yes a gooseneck pulls better, but most 1/2 ton trucks don't have enough payload capacity to handle the pin weight of a loaded gooseneck trailer, even a small one. 1/2 ton + gooseneck is a shitty combo if you ask me...well 1/2 ton and any trailer is a shitty combo, but you don't want to be over your GVWR with an empty trailer and then expect to put a rig on it. :D
 
#69 ·
Tim84K10- Dude. My daily driver is a '98 Chevy Cheyenne with a 4.3/manual tranny. It's a SWB 2wd. I have pulled my uncles 19' dovetail trailer, and now my 16' flatback trailer... I know I've pulled my trailer with it's 7000# capacity maxed out with my little halfton truck. I know it's a tongue type, but still a half ton and I personally think it's not so much of a shitty combo. Plus the swb makes it awful easy to back up. Thanks
Brandon
 
#72 ·
Crazycooter, that is wild! I had to look twice to see that the "short" school bus in on top of the "trailer." Whadya do, shorten the body of a long school bus and bridge the exposed frame rails with decking? Looks like you added the end ramp extention. Too funny!:laughing: Yet practical.:D
 
#73 ·
I have a 14' car hauler for my Jeep CJ8. Fits just fine. It has a 14' x 78" (same as rr track on my Jeep) wood plank top, two 3500 lb axles, electric brakes on rear axle. Used, it was $1199. I looked for a long time to find it because I wanted:
1. Short. I've used 18'-20' trailers and behind the Dodge it's about 40-42 feet long. Too long. Storage is a problem for me. I actually store my Jeep on the trailer on a 10'x20' slab next to my garage.
2. Strong: 6x8 angle iron side beams. removable, stand-on fenders.
3. Light weight: 1185 lbs. with ramps, but I leave the ramps at home. so it's probably around 1050 lbs. I welded on a pair of 4K lb, swing down, crank down jacks on the rear. If I still have 4 wheel drive at the end of the day, I can get up on the trailer, no ramps, without breaking the back of the trailer. If I don't I can still winch it up. All the other car haulers I've used feel kind of to awfully heavy back there. I rented a U-haul 14' car hauler for Moab this year and it weighed 2000 lbs. Ugh! Mine is transparent, in fact feels like less weight than flat towing my jeep. I think it has to do with less unsprung weight.
4. No dove tail. As stated above, that dragging rear end is a drag at many 4wd trailheads. Mine is pretty low slung. I'm planning on a SOA (since it's SUA at the moment) which will raise it about 4". With square axles it's no problem with the flop.
5. spare tire, bolted to deck. Real trailer tires, all 5 new.
6. H.D. large plastic tool boxed afixed each side in front of fenders for all the straps etc.
7. Lots of tie down locations.
Feels very secure. It's a nice, tight package, not more than I need. Works for me.
regards, as always, jefe
 
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