Towing questions and suggestions

[BillBaker]

Trailer manufacturers/dealers are everywhere, some use questionable sales tactics so they can advertise a low price. Then in the fine print they add options that are/should be standard. It should be cheaper to have them install brakes than to do it yourself.

Yes, I think you nailed it on this.

 

[AH64ID]

I've looked at adding brakes to trailers before and it takes a new axle most the time, so I would not buy a trailer without brakes with plans of adding them cheaply.

On a tandem trailer that small you will likely be fine with 1 axle having brakes.

Good call on the tandem axle, they tow so much nicer.

 

[NIsaacs]

Good call on the tandem axle, they tow so much nicer.

I agree, in general two axles is better than one, however, that depends on the trailer. A two axle, short (10') trailer can be hard to load any weight forward of the axles to get hitch weight. A short trailer is also hard to backup.

 

[dieselshadow]

Brakes? Who needs brakes? Heck, who needs axles, lights, or proper safety chains?

Pics taken this morning. Typical BS trailer running around TN and the cops do nothing...

 

[NIsaacs]

I have posted this before, but here it is again....

 

[Wiredawg]

May I suggest shopping around, even used, and find a 12 or 14ft tandem with brakes? I'm in TX and there's quite a lot of competition for these trailers. Here, we're talking about $1,600 to $2,200 with brakes. Another disadvantage to the smaller trailer, they are harder to back up (at least for me), longer you can haul more things... I had a 14ft with ramps rated 7K lbs. Trucks and trailers are best a little over engineered, more capacity.

You got the hoss (your truck) up for the job, get the trailer up to it too.

Cheers, Ron

 

[GAmes]

.. one of my trailers is a 5.5ft by 10ft single axle trailer without brakes, but even though it has a 3Klb axle is rated at 2.8Klbs.

They rate them below 3000 to skirt the law. I've towed several trailers rated at 9999 lbs that allow skirting CDL-A requirements.

I agree with buying bigger than you need at present and a little time on Craig's list can sve you some $$$. I just bought a nice enclosed 20 foot car hauler for about half what they cost new.

 

[BigPapa]

For what you’re doing I’d just get a 12’ tandem with brakes on one axle. Most any trailer dealer should have it in stock. If you get a custom trailer and decided you want or need something different, you’ll have a hard time selling or trading it. There was someone that had a very short car hauler for sale on craiglist forever that was too heavy to use as a utility trailer and not big enough to put even a small car or truck on.

Also, for your use, I’d get one with solid sides in case you need to haul sand or gravel and the ramps that aren’t attached that slide underneath. A fold down ramp makes it impossible to load anything on it with a fork lift.

If I was able to afford what I want, I’d have a dump trailer big enough to load my tractor on and a tilt bed car/equipment hauler.

 

[BillBaker]

Well after all this the trailer supplier sent me this email....

 

[BillBaker]

I'm going to go with the 6.5' x 12'...

 

[Wiredawg]

For what you’re doing I’d just get a 12’ tandem with brakes on one axle. Most any trailer dealer should have it in stock. If you get a custom trailer and decided you want or need something different, you’ll have a hard time selling or trading it. There was someone that had a very short car hauler for sale on craiglist forever that was too heavy to use as a utility trailer and not big enough to put even a small car or truck on.

Also, for your use, I’d get one with solid sides in case you need to haul sand or gravel and the ramps that aren’t attached that slide underneath. A fold down ramp makes it impossible to load anything on it with a fork lift.

If I was able to afford what I want, I’d have a dump trailer big enough to load my tractor on and a tilt bed car/equipment hauler.

Yep, mine had brakes on one axle. And I sold it after I bought a 14ft dump trailer that I bought on clearance.

Cheers, Ron