20 ton tag with electric brakes

[Rickyb1968]

I’m in Arkansas and have a 2000 Mack tandem Dump that has a 7 way trailer plug on back near the pintle hitch. I have no air brake hook ups. I only have a truck brake in cab. I don’t see a brake controller in the cab of Dump truck. I have a Cat D5M and a 30,000 excavator that I need to haul around 15 miles one way at most. I definitely understand I need a lowboy but there is no way I cant buy a truck and trailer to haul these items. I need to use what I have and Looking at buying a 20 ton tandem tag that has electric brakes. Should I have a controller in cab of truck for an electric brake trailer? Of course I’m new to this and trying to figure it all out.

 

[Jonas302]

You definitely need to add a brake controller in the cab and the proper size wire to the plug in probably a 10 gage blue wire you will want to make sure it has a hot wire also to charge the breakaway battery

 

[skyking1]

No Don't mess around with an electric brake trailer with that much weight I don't care if they make it they're just stupid.
It isn't that much money to plumb the tail of your truck and install the tractor protection valve and put in air for an air brake trailer. I know that's not what you want to hear but that's what you ought to do.
I've towed a 10 ton trailer with electric brakes and 590 backhoes on it. That's about as far as I'd want to go with electric brakes and one wire to failure. If that wire comes loose breaks or has any problems, You've got nothing but misery ahead of you. You'd be lucky not to kill yourself and some other people. With air brakes on the trailer you get the Johnson bar, you get automatic application if you lose air pressure, and you get much better brakes overall. You also get a parking brake which you don't have with electric brakes.

 

[crane operator]

Just get set up with air brakes. It isn't much more work to set up in the truck, and the trailers usually run about the same $$ to buy. You'll be much happier with air.

 

[Rickyb1968]

Thanks guys, I ain’t got no problem with going with air brakes. Got a call into a shop that will fix me up.

 

[gwhammy]

I second everything said above, no comparison electric to air brakes. You won't regret it in the long run.

 

[Rickyb1968]

Ok I purchased a 20 ton pintle trailer with air brakes. Having air and controls added to my dump truck for the trailer. Here is my pintle hitch and as you can see somebody welded a washer to the back and that’s what holds the hitch. So they ruined the threaded rod. Am I looking at having to get another hitch?

 

[skyking1]

you answered your own question there. That looks bad.
My pintle is fixed, with an air can that wedges onto the ring when you release the brakes to go. This is in addition to the safety latch.
It is similar to this, but no safety pin. It has a spring loaded safety latch.
https://www.etrailer.com/Pintle-Hit...qD9EdkO5-G1BVZom2cWXT1iSkHj-4rQhoCylgQAvD_BwE

 

[Tyler d4c]

Our hook got rusted in the hitch plate so we loosened the nut about a quarter inch thinking it would move all summer it never did finally jerked it out when the truck was loaded holding the breaks with the 953. So that one would probably do the job. Torch it off and get a new one for the sake of humanity.

 

[Rickyb1968]

It is a Holland ph760 I think. Yes sir done spent way to much money on everything to not replace an old pintle hitch. I have never dealt with pintle hitches so trying to learn.

skyking1 that blew my mind. Right when I was getting my head wrapped around pintle hitches

 

[skyking1]

they are nice, the trailer does not bang around as much over bumps.

 

[suladas]

I know I wouldn't put 20 ton on that pintle. Definitely replace with a good one, the air pod is great, i'd assume any 20 ton+ pintle would have them.

 

[gwhammy]

Looks like the plate the pintle is mounted to is a little light. If your fixing it you might want to start fresh. Remember it's someones life depending on those welds and plate.

 

[Rickyb1968]

On the plate I’m thinking it’s light also. Having a bigger plate added with new hitch. Now I’m trying to decide between an air hitch or something like the Holland that it came with.

on the air hitch do you just plumb an air hose to it and that’s all?

It looks like with the air hitch if the trailer turns over it can turn truck over also? With the style pintle that came on the truck the pintle hook would turn keeping truck from turning over. Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[skyking1]

That's a "feature" for pulling pup trailers and does work that way when you flop one over. If you are not pulling a pup, go with the fixed one.

 

[skyking1]

IF you think you ever might pull a lighter trailer behind the truck, weld on a 2.5" receiver when you do the new plate. That and an electric controller lets you pull anything. I did it on my truck and it is very handy. Much better than loading my mini on the 20 ton. Here you can see that compensator that closes with air against the side of the big pintle.

 

[Rickyb1968]

Skyking1 what does the air can attach to that goes with pintle hitch? Do you run a bar across the frame’s like a crossmember and attach it. Like the idea of adding a receiver.

also what height is going be good from ground up to install pintle hook?

 

[skyking1]

the can goes on the other side of the plate. I have not crawled in there to look at it. Those buyer brand ones have that rod in the picture so you get an idea.
Measure your new trailer to get the right height. Make a note of where that trailer pintle is set so you keep some adjustability.
My truck is down at a shop so I can't take a measurement for you.
I would use your new trailer, with the bed level, on level ground to get started. The goal is to be in the midrange of the axle travels and not be towing it nose high or low.
I don't know what your truck has for suspension, but mine is hendrickson springs and I put 6000 pounds on the pintle, and it does not squat down much.

 

[Labparamour]

Air cushioned hitches I’ve seen mount the can on inside of hitch plate using same bolt holes pintle uses.
Air plumbs to trailer parking brake side so, when brakes release (red button in) it puts air to the hitch can.

 

[Truck Shop]

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