Buying a trailer-need advice

[Bluefalcon]

Looking to buy a trailer to haul JD utility tractor plus my JD 2 cylinders. Tired of borrowing one. Utility tractor with loader, counter weight box, and box blade weighs about 5,500. Biggest 2 cylinder weighs about 8,000 I think. Thinking of a 10-12,000 pound trailer. Know how to tow, just want to make the best decision on a trailer I will keep for a long time.



I think that I have narrowed it down to 2 brands, Worthington which is aluminum and PJ Trailers which is steel and figuring on a 20 foot deck over. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? Dealers tell me I need a 4 foot beaver tail but is this really needed? Past experience is they usually drag if you start up a steep incline. I would be happy with 2 foot so I could have a longer flat deck. Both manufacturers offer air ride but the one from PJ (Trailer Flex) looks a lot better. Worthington offers a Dexter axle which is a rubber torsion with air bags. In my opinion not a true air ride plus what happens to rubber torsion after several years? Not sure if the air ride is a benefit. Should I go with a goose neck and use a turn over ball or use the factory hitch?



I would like the aluminum for weight savings, almost 1,500 pounds for a comparable size trailer. The only thing is that the aluminum (Worthington) is a bit $$$$ I am not impressed with the air ride (if I get air ride). Any advice?



Thanks in advance.

Brad

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I would have touble justifying air ride to haul equipment around. I have a Hilsboro Tandem dual leaf spring trailer and it rides great empty or loaded. I haul my 12000 pound pulling tractor with now bounce or sway. I have hauled the 12000#er and My 7000# pullers together (for a short distance) and it worked great. IMHO

 

[MAshley]

Some models of the trailers you are looking at would help, and also maybe a photo or link to what your hauling.

I assume you aren't hauling everything at once LOL



As some side note and experience over 5 years figure 50,000 miles of use as a construction contractor hauling 2 pieces of equipment around from job site to job site I used to own a non deck over trailer with a 3-4 foot beaver tail, the tail was actually pretty nice, fold the ramps down and away I went load unload, the lower deck height and tail made loading just about anything feel very safe and controlled. Your concern over dragging is there but I never had a situation where I got stuck, Yes I scratched up some asphalt ever so often but I never had an issue. Actually when I first got the trailer for some reason they installed the marker lights below the bottom of the tail, I basically hit them into the ground loading and unloading that I replaced them with ¼ steal to take the abuse of loading and unloading and they also turned into sacrificial skids. I should have built stands to assist in the loading operation and removed them all together then I would have dragged a lot less. But in all seriousness its not a big of issues as you might think.



So if you're going to go for a deck over AKA the deck is on top of the tires so no fenders to deal with I think a tail would be a great option. Answer me this . . Are you ever going to haul a car? Without a decent tail you will get stuck trying to clear the break over angle with a car. Unless you have really long ramps, and then those get really heavy. Also unless you going empty a lot of the time I would stick with spring axles, Simple easy cheap to replace if needed . . and if you do run empty let out a bunch of air 15-20 psi can really mellow out a trailer.



Personally I would go 12K or 14K trailer 10K just seems a little light with for your 8K 2 cylinder… remember you will always enjoy having too much capacity over not enough capacity.

I would also check out the wiring, breakaway, hitch, and jack situation. Trailers are notorious for crappy wiring, pathetic one time use batteries, and jacks that are worthless when your empty let alone loaded. If the jack doesn't look or operate like a semi trailer jack its junk. The silver windup on top =Junk. A real automotive battery will work in a emergency situation, and real wiring will last years of trouble free use



What kind of millage are you expecting to put on this trailer?



Also keep in mind anything over a 10K trailer may put you into a DOT and or more regulated situation with the law, like DOT #'s ETC… might be worth to check your local DOL

 

[Grizzly]

Consider a BigTex trailer. In my opinion they are better than anything else mentioned.

 

[fox]

Ride and stability are better with a gooseneck trailer. The only issues with a gooseneck are turning radius.

8,000 pounds on a trailer for it will put it over 10,000 pounds. This will shake a bumper pull truck.

 

[Bluefalcon]

MAshley,

Here are the links:

Worthington Trailers : Deckover Trailers

PJ Trailers - 8" I-Beam Deckover



No, I won't be hauling it all at once. No cars either. Most of the time it would have 5-6,000 on it. I guess the beaver tail will be OK as long as the lights are protected well, I just didn't want to lose a lot of flat deck area. Agree with you on the the ramps but I will go with the stowable since this trailer will be used a couple times a month. I think the air could be a good thing since I am experienced with it on big trucks, not sure about the extra $$$ versus how many times I will use the trailer. I will be keeping the trailer for a long time, this is not something I will sell unless I really need to. I was going to look into the over 10,000 DOT issue. Not sure what this will mean. Not using it for business, just hauling my toys.

 

[HBarlow]

I agree with the comments above.

I would start with an internet search. PJ, Big Tex, and many other trailer brands are built across the south and southwest and have dealers all over the US as well. Lots of the manufacturers have websites. Big Tex is, I think, the highest volume or largest trailer manufacturer in the US. It should be worth the trip to buy a good trailer at a fair price wherever it is located.

As others suggested, any trailer capable of safely and durably hauling an 8,000 lb. load will weigh more than 2,000 lbs. so a trailer with a GVWR of 10,000 lb. will not be adequate. You will need a 12,000 trailer.

I consider air ride a completely unnecessary additional expense and maintenance headache. An ordinary leaf spring trailer will ride very nicely when loaded and any empty trailer is going to bounce over rough patches in the road because of the physics involved.

Goosenecks tow better than conventionals, particularly when you get into that weight category. I have never owned or used a beaver tail trailer. Storable ramps work very well for occasional use.

Dexter or Al-Ko axles are preferable. Both are very good and very common. Bull dog couplers on conventional trailers are best. Make sure you order a trailer from the factory assembled with treated wood decking. If not, your wood deck will be rotted and weak within five years.

If you will be towing the trailer and hauling equipment for your business, such as landscaping or building driveways or septic tanks, your truck and trailer will be commercial and require DOT numbers. If you will only be hauling "toys" for recreational use DOT rules except for tire and axle weights, lights, registration, etc. will not apply.

 

[LBARTLETT]

I have a Big Tex tandem dual 20'+5' and am very happy with it



PJ is also a respected name



I personally wouldn't spend the $$$'s on aluminum

 

[Mark31]

I have a 2002 23 ft 16k McElrath with 8k torqflex axles, big 3 3/8 x 12 1/4 brake drums 3 ft beaver tail, 1 ft longer ramps that stand straight up (made of tubing rather than I beam so they won't bend---I loathe a warped ramp). The "yaller" paint is still ok, the chrome hub caps still shine, the wiring is enclosed, havn't even replaced a bulb. The only "break" was spring assist for a ramp. I updated the Carlisle electric over hydraulic box around '04-'05. The treated-pine deck is still good, but could use painting with a diesel/burnt oil 50/50 mix again (treated once). 14k trailers are the most common deckovers around here. I can get my 88 S15 GMC extended cab on without much trouble. If I had it to do over again, I wouldn't change a nickel's worth. Rick Conner is the owner. mcelrathtrailers.com Look at his site: you may see something that will help you make your decision. Mark

 

[BSeyler]

There are a lot of well built trailers around. I'd look at as many as possible before making my choice. After pulling many different configurations in the oil patch, construction, and for personal use, here's what I'd recommend. Bumper whippers are fine for hauling cars, snowmobiles, and other little stuff. A gooseneck is the only way to go for larger loads because of the flexibility it can offer.

If you will be loading tractors pickups, etc. , a 5' dovetail with flip over ramps is great. 4' ramps make a steeper angle. Tractors handle the angle fine, but if you want to haul a car at some point, you'll be glad of the lesser angle. Removable ramps that are stout enough to handle a tractor are heavy to lug around. Plus, they rattle when you drive down the road. Spring assisted flip over ramps are quick and easy to use. They also are shorter and heavier, thus minimizing the chance of bending. My wife can handle the flip over ramps on my trailer and she's not very big. The ramps on my trailer have a leg that flips down to put the weight on the ground as the load rolls up the ramp. That will keep your tow vehicle on the ground. Loading a backhoe and having the rear tires on the truck come off the ground multiplies the pucker factor many times over. Don't ask how I know - I was only 18 at the time. I've had a dovetail drag on the ground a few times, but can usually avoid it by planning my route - lots of off road driving in the oil patch.

Another thing to consider is length. Personally, I wouldn't consider anything less than 23' plus the 5' dove tail. That will allow you to move your load around to put the weight where it needs to be. I see short trailers quite a bit with the load slammed all the to the front because the trailer is so short. You may decide to haul a couple of implements with your tractor at some point, so it's nice to have the space. I can load my old Oliver with the brush hog attached, run it to the front, flip the ramps up, then back it up so the mower sits on the ramps. It gives me a pretty good ride that way. I couldn't do that with a 20' trailer.

Get a trailer with enough suspension to carry your load and place it where it will put the proper amount on the tow vehicle and let the trailer do the rest. A couple of feet either direction can mean the difference between a good ride and being beaten to death. It doesn't cost any more to pull 3 or 4 extra feet of trailer. Just my take based on my experience. Good luck with whatever you get!

Oh, and Dexter axles, too.

Bud