lightest tandem

What's the lightest you can get a tandem? Say 8.3 cummins and maybe a single axle with an air tag. Maybe even an gas tandem chevy. Just wondering if I can get down to a legal weight without buying over weight permits. My trailer is around 12,000. Pipe dream I'm sure.

It will be a hard push to get under 12,000 with anything that has power. Maybe a C12.

Not sure how you could get it that light and have it be durable. My Volvo with a light weight dump box weighs 23,000. My old International single axle was just over 12k empty, and it was a super short single frame.

my 73 gmc 7500 ten wheel is 21200 with full tank 60 gallon 6v53n 5x4 trans 6.17 rear I have seen heavier gas ones

Truck Shop said:

It will be a hard push to get under 12,000 with anything that has power. Maybe a C12.

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That's bare bones no frills no box no nothing.

I am missing the goal of the question, do we need to haul it on a 12k trailer? Are we looking to haul a 12k trailer under cdl? Is there a truck in mind you need to go get somewhere?

Just a dream scaling a 973 loader under 80,000 lbs. I just need to suck it up and get the right equipment since I have a couple of them now. Looks like to do it right I need a triple axle lowboy and maybe four axle truck.

973 55,000lbs ?

My RT grove crane is right around 67-68,000 and 10' wide. I haul it on a 3 axle truck and 3 axle double drop detach trailer. I have a 25' well. At my length, the extra axle of a 4 axle tractor, only gets you another 1,600lbs gross allowable on a permit. The extra axle weighs more than that- so a 4 axle tractor doesn't give you any advantage. I'm 41' axle spacing, so could get up to 118,000 on a permit, and I think I'm under 105,000 gross.

I looked up a 973 and they show between 60-70,000 lbs for a 973, there's no way you are getting under 80,000lbs gross. Truck is going to weigh 18-22,000 and trailer 15-18,000 so you're going to be 100,000 or so.

Three axle truck gets you a lot shorter truck which really helps making corners and driveways. A local dirt contractor has a 4 axle sleeper truck and its a huge pain, and doesn't haul any more legally than mine, unless they put the rear stinger axle on 8' behind the trailer axles.

Your trailer must be a single drop tandem to only be 12,000lbs? Aren't you overheight? Are you really short on the trailer? I was going to suggest a single drop tri axle but I didn't think you would be under height.

I just had a lowbed leave here, 20 foot well, schwitzer maybe, 10 wheeler Mack, he swung in here without leaving the pavement, nothing pretty but I could see where that setup would be super handy. 35 ton trailer I would guess.

Sounds like nailing down the weight of the loader would be helpful.

crane operator said:

contractor has a 4 axle sleeper truck and its a huge pain

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Wonder what the distance from center of drop axle to center of rear axle is.

crane operator said:

Your trailer must be a single drop tandem to only be 12,000lbs? Aren't you overheight? Are you really short on the trailer? I was going to suggest a single drop tri axle but I didn't think you would be under height.

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To get under 14' with a 973C, deck height would have to be less than 30". 963 is just under 14' with a 36" deck height, so they can go on just about anything.

Truck Shop said:

Wonder what the distance from center of drop axle to center of rear axle is.

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I'll try to get a picture of it sometime when I see it next. Its a nice truck, its just not real handy for moving equipment all the time to tight jobsites.

They have a single drop lowboy with a three axle truck, they try to take the small truck to the bad jobsites if the equipment fits on it.

Drop Neck 3 axle Low bed we use at work sports a 28" deck height, so can haul about anything for height, width and weight get to be the issue.