pulling a backhoe

[Sled Dog]

CFAST

How long is your trailer?

 

[TGibbs]

CFast - did you get a class A?



I hope so because by state law in CA, if the GVWR on your vin tag on your trailer is rated for over 10,000 lbs, then you have to have a Class A commercial drivers license minus the airbrake portion.



We own a business Nort East of stockton (Lockeford) where we sell all sorts of flatbed trailers, like the one you have, and we have been hearing about DOT cops looking out for people towing over 10k without a CDL.



I am in process of getting mine and it isnt that easy but it isnt that hard. I know that there is a lot of controversey over the topic but any DOT cop you talk to will tell you exactly what I just said.



Not trying to start an argument just trying to keep you in the safe and clear! I have pulled our tractor, which weighs 12k or so around town and the truck does great but I need to add the airbags in the rear!!



Tristan

 

[MikeBeggy]

Where does one get liability insurance that will protect the vehicle owner/driver while committing a felony such as armed robbery or public endangerment when grossly exceeding the vehicle GVWR? Check some of the RV sites and see what happens when an overweight vehicle is involved in a collision their fault or not. There's a reason why your truck has a GVWR.

 

[CFast]

No I don't have a CDL, yet. I'm in the process right now. Am going to take the test next week. Yes I know it's illegal. So are all the farmers around here who pull a tractor on a trailer with a trailer behind that. And I'm pretty sure that the guy driving the truck is Illegal too. I'm pretty sure Jose, doesn't have a Class A license. Not trying to make excuses, but I'm out in farm country. I tow in and around orange trees. I'm had the CHP pass by me several times already. I know it's illegal. So is exceeding the speed limit.

As far as insurance, I hope and pray to God, nothing happens. I know this isn't safe. I've towed this thing a total of 5 times. It scares the crap out of me. I'm looking for a dump truck right now to pull this.

The trailer deck is 15' and the beaver tail is 5'.

 

[kah68]

You asked for opinions so here is mine. I own a sucessful business, a nice home, I own some nice toys, in genral I have some assets piling up. The last thing I want to do is go to court to fight and try and keep what I have built up over the years. Buy a nice used tractor that will handle the weight, it will cost less you operate, give better mileage give you piece of mind and greatly reduce the risk of an accident. I don't want to be on the same road with my family as someone who is so overloaded they cannot stop at the bottom of the hill that I am making a left turn on! No Flame Intended.

 

[CFast]

What the heck is a C&C? Never been to Central Cal have you? NO hills here. If only dump trucks grew on trees.

You'd be surprised how well these trucks stop with a good set of trailer brakes and no Exhaust brake.

 

[LandScraper]

no shots fired on this run :-laf

 

[MikeBeggy]

I don't know you CFAST and I'm sure I don't want to. As Rah pointed out, buy an inexpensive rig designed to safely pull your weight. Once you have a CDL, not only will you be felon with your proposed plan, you will risk losing everything you own and taking everything from someone innocent AND you are freely admitting to doing so. If our system works, you should be locked up and the key tossed so the rest of us can pay 50k a year to keep you with the rest of dopes that shouldn't have been born. Your photos of someone else doing it so it's OK just further illustrates your IQ and level of incompetance. I apolgize for the bluntness, but maybe you or someone else will consider their actions from reading this forum. You could just take up residence on Mars where you can tow a million pounds and not hurt someone else.

 

[Nate]

I saw a 3500 pulled a 40' GN with 2 fullsize 4x4 JD tractors on it before. He was working it hard... sounded good Oo.

 

[MMiller]

I don't know you CFAST and I'm sure I don't want to. As Rah pointed out, buy an inexpensive rig designed to safely pull your weight.

Wow, thats pretty brutal. What is your classification of safe? I've driven lots of differnt vehicles. Right now my company supplied truck is an 2003 F650, not even weighting 20,000#(rated for 26,000#), and with its factory equipped vaccumn over hydralic brakes, it stops no better then my old first gen and 32' trailer, at the same weight. I've also had the F650 since it was new, so I know the brakes aren't bad. So tell me what is safer? Every large vehicle, weather it be a Kenworth hauling 80,000# or my 3/4 ton truck hauling a backhoe, they don't stop like a empty truck. They take brains, common sense, and careful driving to operate. Chances are a CDL will not make him any safer of a driver, all a CDL is, is a classification. The "correct" tow vehicle won't prevent him from wrecking either. Kinda like taking hunter saftey course, it won't prevent you from shooting someone out in the timber.



In the short, everytime any of us get in a vehicle, no matter what it is, we are taking a chance, and could get sued in any fender bender we get into. Welcome to the USA.



I guess I live in a differnt world, here in the Midwest in farming country, we work hard, and have fun too. I'm never worried seeing a 3/4 ton farm pickup pulling a large gooseneck. I get worried seeing the soccer dads ford expidition pulling a 27' airstream at 75 mph down the interstate. Or the Jeep Grand Cherokke with V8 pulling a 20' boat.



Michael

 

[Nate]

I saw a Ford Exploder pulled a 20' car hauler loaded about 8' tall with homemade side boards, etc. The the ball mount was rubbing on the ground

 

[TX Gooseneck]

Well I finally got my backhoe and it weighs in at just over 14,000 lbs, says the CAT dealer. Any suggestions on a trailer? I saw one gooseneck that used a triple axle rated for 9tons and had a tilt bed. It looks like a HEAVY duty car trailer, the bed sits between the tires, not over them. Any suggestions on a trailer? Thanks

I haven't read the rest of this thread, so I may have to amend this, but if you have a 14k lb Backhoe, most trailers that carry tandem duals are going to weigh right in at 6500-7500lbs, putting you very close to the limit, if no over by a bit. We rate ours with 2 10k axles at 24,999lbs (20% to the truck) giving you a capacity of ~18,500. I would avoid a triple single at all cost, and I have one. Tires get chewed up way to fast, if you have a blowout or 2 you get the pleasure of sitting, where you can continue to creep with a tandem dual.



Edit: You mentioned the steepness of the ramps, you can either have a longer ramp made or go with a pierced beam trailer. 15' is itty bitty! If you want to help your braking out, put a heavier gauge wire back to the brakes. The majority of Gooseneck builders run a 16 gauge wire to the brakes, we run a 12 gauge and you can not believe the difference in performance.



On a side note, Bombero, you need to get out of Cali, your anger is getting to you. Don't pull a gun on a white 3500 from Texas pulling 3-4 trailers, the driver WILL shoot back

 

[Berchem]

do you have air ride on frt & rear ?

 

[McCRam]

"I guess I live in a differnt world, here in the Midwest in farming country, we work hard, and have fun too. I'm never worried seeing a 3/4 ton farm pickup pulling a large gooseneck. I get worried seeing the soccer dads ford expidition pulling a 27' airstream at 75 mph down the interstate. Or the Jeep Grand Cherokke with V8 pulling a 20' boat. "





That makes me laugh, but your right. I pulled my 21 ft ski boat (3100 lbs) with my grand cherokee, about half of what the it is supposed to be able to tow. That was a much scarier drive than when I pulled 23k ( not including the trailer) of calves to the scales. We don't normally do that but our scale broke and the trucks were waiting. I forget the boat is there with the Dodge. I don't get how manufacturers can overrate a vehicle like the grand cherokee so much, and then underrate our dodges.

 

[CUMMINZ]

Pulls it great but a little hard to stop... .





That's funny I don't care who you are..... !!!!! :-laf

 

[CFast]

Well Mike Beggy, as long as you stay in AZ, and not come to Cutler, CA, we'll never have to meet. I never asked to get to know you, and I really don't care if you want to know me. I sure am glad they are saints like you out there to protect us. It seems that most things in life scare you.

What do you carry or haul with you truck, besides your purse? Have you ever been outside of the city? There's lots of roads with nobody on them. Maybe you should take up residence on Mars so you'll be safe from all those overloaded trucks down here on Earth. I'll even put up 50K for you ticket out of here. GEE, I hope that sounded blunt.

No I don't have airbags front or rear. I wanted the trailer as short as possible so it would be lighter( I know not much), and easier to turn.

 

[MDietrich]

I think some people don't realize that you have to use what you have to start out with a business.



CFast needs the backhoe and a way to move it. He's using his Ram and a decent gooseneck for now.



From what I've been reading here is that he's very aware of his situation and very carefull about what he's doing.



I agree that he's overloaded, but he knows that too. Most people won't even bat an eye or know the difference seeing him going down the road (DOT will know though!).



Getting a class A CDL and putting the max licence weight on your truck are good ideas.



A dump truck and 24k tag trailer would be a huge investment for a guy starting out small. It sounds like CFast is working towards these goals to be more safe and help grow his business.



Good luck CFast, and be careful out there!



MD

 

[CFast]

Thanks MDietrich. At least someone understands. I'm going to look at a dumptruck today. Yesterday my wife's boss saw my trailer and wants to trade me for his pintle hook trailer. He has no use for it. That would be perfect for the backhoe. I hope this works out.

 

[MDietrich]

Heck, CFast, before you know it you'll have a semi tractor, low-boy trailer, dump trailer, trackhoe, payloader, and an employee!



Hope all goes well with your plans!



MD

 

[kah68]

I've got an 89' Mack Tractor Cert and E-tested, 9 speed, 245 h. p. diff lock, I would sell for $ 5000. 00 CDN. At some point you need to ask yourself if you're in busniess or enjoying a hobby. I'm not say this to sound like I'm looking down on you, I struggled to build my business, but there are affordable alternatives to what you need to get the job done. Have you looked into hiring someone to float your machine around until you get some $ behind you to do it right ? I fear not only for you but others on the road, if you get caught short and have an accident, all in the name of saving money.