Please explain axle rating

[Pelicanroost]

I have a 16' utility trailer. When I purchased it the dealer said it had two 5000# axles. Does this mean the trailer is a 5000# rating or a 10000# rating?

Thanks for any advice, Pel

 

[Chaz Murray]

I have a 16' utility trailer. When I purchased it the dealer said it had two 5000# axles. Does this mean the trailer is a 5000# rating or a 10000# rating?

Thanks for any advice, Pel

It should be 10,000lb...but check the vin tag for the GVWR

 

[Pelicanroost]

Thanks for the info. I will see if I can find the plate.

There is a trencher for sale on eBay that I might bid on but it is about 550 miles away. The seller said it weighs 9k. I was wondering if my trailer would haul it.

'preciate the reply, Pel

 

[John DiMartino]

Thanks for the info. I will see if I can find the plate.

There is a trencher for sale on eBay that I might bid on but it is about 550 miles away. The seller said it weighs 9k. I was wondering if my trailer would haul it.

'preciate the reply, Pel

IMO,it will haul it,but probably not legally or safely.You really need a 6 or 7 ton minimum for that sized machine.Figure a 10,000 lb trailer to have an empty weight of 2000-2500 lbs.This leaves you around 8000 to put on the trailer,+ whatever you can get on the tongue.If its built heavy enough,maybe you could put the weight far forward on the tongue,provided you have a heavy enough tow vehicle to take the high tongue weight.
Even if you do get it on there,you will may blow out the tires,since they usually have D load range 65psi 2540lbs a tire on the 5000 lb axles.Unless the tires are pretty new,and in great shape,overloading will blow them easily.6 ton trailers usually have 16" load range E at 3042lb a tire at 80psi.The 7 tons have 3540 a tire load range Fs usually.That is what I'd want minimum to tow 550 miles.If you try it anyway,overinflate the tire to 75psi,and take it slow on the highwaythe tires will run much cooler.

 

[Pelicanroost]

Thanks

I appreciate everyone's input. Mayhaps I had better pass on it. Don't want to take a chance on (a) a DOT citation, (b) four blown tires, but mainly (c) having an accident and hurting someone.

'sides, it's just a want not a need

Later. Pel

 

[Jammar7]

Typically, key word here. If you have two 5K axles, chances are that the trailer has a 10,000 lb payload capacity and the weight of the trailer is let's say..... 2,500 lbs, Then the trailer GVWR should be 12,500 lbs (the 2,500 lbs is going to the truck via tongue)

Careful.... not all mfg's play by the same rules!

 

[John DiMartino]

Typically, key word here. If you have two 5K axles, chances are that the trailer has a 10,000 lb payload capacity and the weight of the trailer is let's say..... 2,500 lbs, Then the trailer GVWR should be 12,500 lbs (the 2,500 lbs is going to the truck via tongue)

Careful.... not all mfg's play by the same rules!

Im not following your math here.If the trailer has 2-5k axles,then its MAX GVWR is 10000.If it weighs 2500,then its payload is 7500.

 

[Jammar7]

No, no, it's not. On tag, or bumper hitch trailers the axles add up to the payload capacity of the trailer. The GVWR is the payload plus the empty weight of the trailer. But keep in mind..... there is weight transfer to the towing vehicle. Take a look at..... let's say a 10 ton tag. It will have (2) 10K axles. OK?

 

[Komatsu 150]

No, no, it's not. On tag, or bumper hitch trailers the axles add up to the payload capacity of the trailer. The GVWR is the payload plus the empty weight of the trailer. But keep in mind..... there is weight transfer to the towing vehicle. Take a look at..... let's say a 10 ton tag. It will have (2) 10K axles. OK?

Sorry Jammar, it just isn't so. From the DOT:

GVWR means the value
specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle (vehicle
weight combined with load weight). Ratings
are listed on the Federal certification label or tag generally located on the driver-side
doorpost of the power unit and on the forward half of the left side of the trailer(s).

 

[Jammar7]

Did I miss something here? You wrote "GVWR means the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle (vehicle weight combined with load weight). As I said: Empty weight (tare) of the trailer, plus the capacity (load weight) You are sying the same thing.

Load weight = capacity / the load itself / the amount of weight the trailer can carry
Vehicle weight = the empty/tare weight / what the trailer weighs itself
GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) = vehicle weight combined with load weight

 

[Komatsu 150]

max vehicle weight that is GVWR= vehicle + load

vehicle is the trailer

No way is the empty weight of the trailer not included in GVWR

 

[Steve Frazier]

What all this boils down to is if you put the trailer on a scale by itself, on a 5 ton trailer the scale can not read more than 10,000 pounds. This reading will vary if you put the trailer on by itself or if it is hitched to the tow vehicle. You can have a load that reads over 10,000 lbs on the trailer by itself read under that amount by hitching it to the tow vehicle and playing with its placement on the trailer. Moving the machine to the front will lighten the load on the trailer by transferring it to the tow vehicle. Care must be taken not to go beyond the hitch capacity, nor overload the rear axle of the tow vehicle. Plus, the proportioning of the load between the two will affect the handling of the combination.

 

[Kgmz]

You need to know what the manufacturers GVWR rating is for the trailer, it is usually more than the combined axle rating. Then you need to know the axle rating, the tire rating, and what bridge law will allow you to carry on the axle spread.

Example our TrailMax TRD50T with 17.5" tires

GVWR - 60,800 lbs
Trailer weight - 12,100 lbs
Capacity @ 65 mph - 48,700
Axle rating - 20,000 lbs each

Bridge law allows 42,000 lbs on a over 8' to 9' 3 axle spread, so that leaves 18,800 lbs that needs to move to the truck via the tongue. We have Premier Hitches on our trucks rated at 100,000 total trailer gross weight and 20,000 lbs tongue weight.

So even though the axles can support 60,000 lbs, you can't do it because of bridge law. And if you don't have bridge law, I wouldn't want to tow it at the max with 60,000 lbs on the axles and only 800 lbs of tongue weight.