Towing a John Deere 333g

Hello everyone,
First post but have been learning and gathering info from the forums for about a year now.

Anyways, I went ahead and reserved a JD 333g CTL to start a hobby farm in remote northern Minnesota and it will be available in about 2 months, my problem is I currently don't have a trailer that can handle the beast(12,000lb). I am not worried about pickup as I will likely pay for delivery and I don't have reason to transport it but if I can invest in a method of hauling it I could make use of it in a small business.

I have been doing my best to research trailers and most of the skid steer trailers around me seem to cap at a 14,000 gvwr which leaves far less payload capacity than desired even though I'm sure 99% of those with these machines are riding those trailers.

Maybe someone here can give me advice for what I should be looking for specifically? I know for sure it needs to be a bumper hitch trailer and probably 20 feet to have room for a spare attachment. It seems like the dove tail style would make loading easier as well. As far as payload capacity I didn't think the 14k gvwr was enough but if its what everyone else is running maybe I can settle on that?

Our current truck is a chevy 2500hd with a gas engine so it leaves much to be desired but we have ran it with a dump trailer and our JD 326e so short distances with a larger setup will likely make due and if not I will find an old dump truck.

Thanks for reading and hopefully you can provide me with good tips etc, if I left out any details let me know!

People haul 12000 skidsteers on bumper pull tilt decks around here a lot on single rear wheel trucks a lot personally it's stupid your overweight cause a good trailer is 3500 lbs at least if not 4 thousands lbs so you are substantially over weight and your tow vehicle ain't rated for nor handle it safely

I haul an 8000 lbs mini on a tilt deck it's about all I want if I had a 12000 lbs machine it's going on the lowboy

With the width you're going to need a deckover, I would say it's too much behind a 2500 gas pickup, but either 2x10k axles or 3x7k axles or could do 2x8k axles but anytime i've checked they are insanely pricey. Trailer will be around 5k, even rounding up, 17k is no problem on a bumper pull behind a 3500 diesel. One thing I would look at though is the actual weight of the skidsteer, virtually any equipment i've seen is heavier then the specs state. I pull mini ex on 3x7k trailer depending what else is on at about 18k behind 5500, pulls perfect, if I need to load it up to the trailers max of 21k for a job I wouldn't hesitate. Ram last time I checked is rated for 17k bumper pull 2k pin weight on a 3500, the newer 3500's are more then capable of pulling that weight.

Have to agree with AzIron, 12k machine, 4k trailer, that's a lot to ask from a 2500.

18-20k bumper pull is comfortable and safe behind a medium duty. We to our 21k trailer with our 19,500gvwr Hino. Anything heavier than that gets put on our tag trailer behind our tandem.

I'm not putting a 12k skid behind a 3/4 ton lol, every time I see that out here I think WTF is this hillbilly schit?

suladas said:

With the width you're going to need a deckover, I would say it's too much behind a 2500 gas pickup, but either 2x10k axles or 3x7k axles or could do 2x8k axles but anytime i've checked they are insanely pricey. Trailer will be around 5k, even rounding up, 17k is no problem on a bumper pull behind a 3500 diesel. One thing I would look at though is the actual weight of the skidsteer, virtually any equipment i've seen is heavier then the specs state. I pull mini ex on 3x7k trailer depending what else is on at about 18k behind 5500, pulls perfect, if I need to load it up to the trailers max of 21k for a job I wouldn't hesitate. Ram last time I checked is rated for 17k bumper pull 2k pin weight on a 3500, the newer 3500's are more then capable of pulling that weight.

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Thanks for the advice! A family member of ours runs a metal shop and we asked him about making us a trailer he said he would probably go for a 3 axle, I was concerned with how that handled but its reassuring that it works well for you. I will definitely keep in mind the weight of the machine especially considering attachments on the machine and the ones brought to a jobsite can add up quick.

As many of you have said, the truck isn't up for the task so I will have to keep an eye out for something that has the power. The dream would be a beefed up pickup but with the state of truck prices these days I will likely settle for an older hauler or dump truck if one comes around lol.

How well the Chevy handles the loaded trailer depends a lot on your local geography. Flat land will work fine, a climb out of a river valley may take a 1/4 tank of gas. For cheap power, buy a used two ton truck and have someone who is good weld a frame mounted hitch for the bumper pull trailer. If you put a pintle ring on the trailer no one will ask to borrow it.

If you get a 3 axle, don't plan on making any sharp turns with the trailer. Not so much of a problem with a pickup, but with a 2 ton you can drag the trailer around hard enough to shorten tire life considerably.

We tow a Kubota 95-2 with a mulcher all the time with a F250 diesel. I have a 3 axle over the tire flatbed pintle hitch I use most of the time. Up hills down hills whatever it rows like a dream and stops very well. I’m very cautious when it comes to towing. It’s not the going it’s the wooing that’s more of a concern. Locally I tow a D31P dozer on the same rig get the load centered correctly and it goes and stops vey well. We don’t have much traffic in our area and I’m never concerned when towing. I wouldn’t want to be on an interstate packed with traffic towing the dozer but would tow the skid steer anywhere. The 3 axle trailer make a a difference. I don’t like 3 axle trailers for their turning woes but it tows like a dream. I also have a tandem dual wheel gooseneck with hydraulic ramp. It also does a very good job but it’s quite a bit heavier. We also have a tandem axle single tire tilt trailer that will tow the skid steer but if it isn’t loaded absolutely perfect it’s terrible for towing. It’ll become the classic tail wagging the dog in a heartbeat. But I think mostly because it’s short. It’ll handle the weight just needs to be about 5’ longer.

Some of the low trailers are 83 inches between fenders. With 8000 lb. axles and good brakes I wouldn't be afraid to pull it with a 3/4 ton. If you go gooseneck it would be a lot better as the load distribution is better. I have a 24 foot gooseneck with three 7000 lb. axles and 17.5 tires that works great for my 95 kubota. The problem you have with trailers is weight. My three axle weighs around 4000 lbs. The tandem gooseneck weighs 8000 lbs. So technically the three axle will gross more weight. Three 7000 lb verses 2 12,000 axles.

That’s correct the tandem wheel tandem axle set up is heavier fosho. The triple axle trailer is a gem and hard to beat in many ways but I don’t like 3 axles it’s hard in tires in tight turns. But as I said it pulls like a dream and has brakes on alll 3 axles

The 215-70-17.5 16 ply tires at 110 psi don't flex to bad. I was running 10 ply 16's and they were terrible. A 16 ply 215 is rated at around 4800 ea. up to a 235 18 ply rated at 6000 ea.

Sounds like a good tire. Yes we have so many blown tires. Wow. I get tired of replacing them and super premature wear. Mostly we don’t tow to far though. Usually less tun 50 mile one way

Small update.

We got a x3 7k axle between fender bumper pull equipment trailer, haven't used it yet but I think we will like it.

Still haven't got a truck for it yet though, talk about buggy before the horse. I have been shopping but all of the dealers have empty lots around here right now for used and cheap. I have seen a few possible good deals on older f550 dually's from the 2000's but the older ones like this don't seem marked for the weight so I still have research to do, I seen a dirt cheap 93 c6500 that ran but I was late to the game there, not sure that is legal either and I believe that is for sure cdl territory(not that one of us can't get one). Dream would be to trade for a "newer" chevy dually but they are actually impossible to find affordable right now.

Again appreciate the help that the community on this forum provides!

Not to sound mean, but here you go. I'm in the same boat as I just bought a bigger trailer to haul my Takeuchi TB153FR, 12,500 mini.
In Minnesota, any trailer with a GVWR over 10,000 lbs you need a CDL (Class A — Any vehicle towing a unit of more than 10,000 pounds GVWR with a gross combination weight rating (truck plus trailer) over 26,000 pounds). To Tow your machine, plus weight of the trailer, you are easily at 18,000 lb. I would look for trailers with min 10,000lb duel axles and 25,900 GVWR and you need chain binders. For bumper pull you need a pintle and a hitch set up to hold the tongue weight which is hard to get on a Pick Up Truck. Moreover, a trailer this size normally has air brakes, but some are electric. You need at minimum a one ton diesel dually with 5th wheel. You will also need a DOT number on the side of the truck and a CDL Class A. To do all that, might as well get a 26,000 -38,000 GVW truck dump truck, and best with air brakes and Pintle hitch.

Don't get to worried about your pickup as a tow vehicle until you give it a try. I have a 10,000# skidder I haul on a 4,000# tilt bed deck over. How it tows depends a lot on which truck it is behind. The 2500HD regular cab long bed tows poorly. Either of my seat and a half long bed 2500HD tows the skidder very well. Yes, they burn a lot of gas, but not enough to put up with the lack of reliability and high cost of a diesel.