DrJim
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2011
- Messages
- 172
- Location
- Oak Ridge TN
- Occupation
- General Dentist, including Implant Restorations
My fellow Bobcat'er Bobcat753 mentioned that he was looking for an 18' trailer. That reminds me of my trailer-searching process. This discussion primarily pertains to bumper-pull trailers, though some of the principles may apply to goosenecks.
First, my friend in Corbin KY loaned me his 14' trailer, ? 9 or 10,000 GVWR trailer. That handled my Bobcat 773G, w/ tooth bucket and grapple bucket just fine. That's been 6 or more years, and I don't remember if we ever hauled the 4 in 1 with the other two and the machine.
What I do remember is the day I rented a Brushcat, attached to my 773, loaded it all on the trailer and started back towards Oak Ridge on OR Highway. The 14' was cramped, with not any room to adjust the weight balance fore and aft. I was easing along at approx 47 mph when I started down the grade on the "tunnel" side of Big Foot's hill. Uh, oh. I did not have a trailer brake controller installed on my truck yet, and as I eased on the brakes, the trailer started wagging the a-end of the my GMC K2500 from side to side, with each wag more severe than the one before. I just knew I was gonna crash head-on into one of the oncoming cars, all of course going 60mph+ hurrying towards work in Knoxville.
I reacted quickly. First, I s myself. Then, I figured out that the only thing I could do was. . . press the gas pedal and accelerate--down the hill with 10,000 lb behind me.
Somehow I made it. I shook, turned pale as a ghost and stayed that way for 2 or 3 hours. I praised the lord and promised I would be a spokesperson for trailer safety.
The first thing I did was install a trailer brake controller. For that truck, I used a Reese "timed" controller (And now, my Duramax has a Hayes Genesis).
The near-tragedy was cause by 2 or 3 factors. First and foremost, I had insufficient trailer tongue weight--the trailer was not long enough to allow me to adust the tongue weight by moving the load. Second, the loaded trailer was pushing the truck due to no trailer brakes--in some folks' case, this could be due to inadequate or malfunctioning trailer brakes.
But buying a longer trailer presented some other issues. The trailer manufacturers all told me that "by far" their most popular trailer length was the 18'. This would allow hauling more attachments and having more flexibility in arranging the load and tongue weight. But. . . 18' introduces other issues.
For every trailer manufacturer I contacted (and you've probably figured out by now that I am relentless in pursuing information), the 18' trailers' extra 2' length (compared to the 16' models) was added in front of the dual axles--the rear aspect was the same. So not only did the 18' trailers weigh more empty than the 16', all (well, not all, but a significant part) of the additional weight goes towards the tongue weight. The extra length is all at the front, so whatever extra load to carry will also be substantially on the tongue weight (tow vehicle).
So now, you have a trailer with room for more stuff--heavy stuff, steel stuff--but the GVWR is the same, and the net load capacity is reduced by the additional weight of the extra 2' trailer length. Further, the weight-balance flexibility that you were seeking is at partly negated by placing the extra 2' in front of the axles.
Mostly the trailers you see--the 18' trailers--are 10,000lb GVWR trailers. Do the math and you will find that these things are commonly overloaded.
Turning: Every try to turn an extended cab truck with an 18' "bumper pull" trailer on a residential cull-de-sac? I can turn my Duramax extended cab, 6' bed and 16 ' trailer, at the end of my street, but I would never make with an 18'.
Other considerations include axle and deck design. I've preached on tie-down points somewhere else in this forum (? "Would you haul this load?). In the 70's, all we saw skid steers hauled on here were Cronkites, with the drop-axles and drop decks. Nice, low loading and ride height.
But. . . every watch one of these turn into a job site? On uneven ground, they drag. The front frame members--main rails--are underneath the already low deck, and only extend part of the way back. Compare this design to many others, for example, Contrail and Towmaster designs. I've seen these 10,000 lb trailers overloaded, bounce at speed and drag the trailer frame. Not cool--a good way to get somebody killed.
The drop axle creates another problem. The commonly avalable drop axles loose a few inches (I've forgotten how many) in width compared to the straight axles. The drop axle trailers would not handle a T300 I'm not needing to do that much, but if I need that sort of power. . . my straight axle trailer will handle the width, with plenty ( a few centimeters
to spare).
Ultimately, I chose a 16' Contrail, with a raised edge/lip around it (they have some name for that) to help keep stuff from sliding off; 12,000 lb GVWR (requiring the included 16" load range E tires). To keep the loading easy, I had 'em make longer ramps than standard (spring assisted), and added a bunch of D-rings to allow an assortment of tie-down points and angles.
I have been fully pleased with my selection. The only complaint I have (had) is that the adjustable hitch mount "tower" on the front of the trailer would not let me drop the tailgate of the 98 GMC truck. But. . . I use the 2007 GMC now, and the tailgate clears the hitch mount by an inch or two. There is absolutely nothing I would do different.
The final considerations are trailer controller and hitch type--design, brand, rated capacity, etc. Most of the 10,000 lb 18' trailers topping the scales at 13-14,000 you see are being pulled with light-truck OEM hitches rated at 10,000 lb or less, and most of them are rated at 5,000-7,500 lb "weight carrying as opposed to "weight distributing". We'll need another thread on those subjects, and I won't be up to that for a while--except to say that Curt Manufacturing appears to have the best selection of bumper-pull hitch components rated to 14,000 or more.
In summary, if you want to haul equipment and attachments on an 18' trailer, get a 12,000lb GVWR trailer, many more D-rings than stock, and tow it behind a 1-ton cab& chassis or dump truck with a 14.000 lb hitch and drawbar and ball, with good working trailer brakes, safety chains, working lights, and a functional battery-powered break-away braking system. If you're planning on pulling it with a pickup, be sure that the truck is a 3/4 (9,200 GVWR or better) and stop at 16'. If the 16 is not enough, get a gooseneck with suitable tow vehicle.
(ATCO, do you want to tell 'em about the Ritchie incident as an example of what can happen. . . .?)
I'm done. Stick a fork in me. Gotta drill some teeth to buy food for the dog.:notworthy
First, my friend in Corbin KY loaned me his 14' trailer, ? 9 or 10,000 GVWR trailer. That handled my Bobcat 773G, w/ tooth bucket and grapple bucket just fine. That's been 6 or more years, and I don't remember if we ever hauled the 4 in 1 with the other two and the machine.
What I do remember is the day I rented a Brushcat, attached to my 773, loaded it all on the trailer and started back towards Oak Ridge on OR Highway. The 14' was cramped, with not any room to adjust the weight balance fore and aft. I was easing along at approx 47 mph when I started down the grade on the "tunnel" side of Big Foot's hill. Uh, oh. I did not have a trailer brake controller installed on my truck yet, and as I eased on the brakes, the trailer started wagging the a-end of the my GMC K2500 from side to side, with each wag more severe than the one before. I just knew I was gonna crash head-on into one of the oncoming cars, all of course going 60mph+ hurrying towards work in Knoxville.
I reacted quickly. First, I s myself. Then, I figured out that the only thing I could do was. . . press the gas pedal and accelerate--down the hill with 10,000 lb behind me.
Somehow I made it. I shook, turned pale as a ghost and stayed that way for 2 or 3 hours. I praised the lord and promised I would be a spokesperson for trailer safety.
The first thing I did was install a trailer brake controller. For that truck, I used a Reese "timed" controller (And now, my Duramax has a Hayes Genesis).
The near-tragedy was cause by 2 or 3 factors. First and foremost, I had insufficient trailer tongue weight--the trailer was not long enough to allow me to adust the tongue weight by moving the load. Second, the loaded trailer was pushing the truck due to no trailer brakes--in some folks' case, this could be due to inadequate or malfunctioning trailer brakes.
But buying a longer trailer presented some other issues. The trailer manufacturers all told me that "by far" their most popular trailer length was the 18'. This would allow hauling more attachments and having more flexibility in arranging the load and tongue weight. But. . . 18' introduces other issues.
For every trailer manufacturer I contacted (and you've probably figured out by now that I am relentless in pursuing information), the 18' trailers' extra 2' length (compared to the 16' models) was added in front of the dual axles--the rear aspect was the same. So not only did the 18' trailers weigh more empty than the 16', all (well, not all, but a significant part) of the additional weight goes towards the tongue weight. The extra length is all at the front, so whatever extra load to carry will also be substantially on the tongue weight (tow vehicle).
So now, you have a trailer with room for more stuff--heavy stuff, steel stuff--but the GVWR is the same, and the net load capacity is reduced by the additional weight of the extra 2' trailer length. Further, the weight-balance flexibility that you were seeking is at partly negated by placing the extra 2' in front of the axles.
Mostly the trailers you see--the 18' trailers--are 10,000lb GVWR trailers. Do the math and you will find that these things are commonly overloaded.
Turning: Every try to turn an extended cab truck with an 18' "bumper pull" trailer on a residential cull-de-sac? I can turn my Duramax extended cab, 6' bed and 16 ' trailer, at the end of my street, but I would never make with an 18'.
Other considerations include axle and deck design. I've preached on tie-down points somewhere else in this forum (? "Would you haul this load?). In the 70's, all we saw skid steers hauled on here were Cronkites, with the drop-axles and drop decks. Nice, low loading and ride height.
But. . . every watch one of these turn into a job site? On uneven ground, they drag. The front frame members--main rails--are underneath the already low deck, and only extend part of the way back. Compare this design to many others, for example, Contrail and Towmaster designs. I've seen these 10,000 lb trailers overloaded, bounce at speed and drag the trailer frame. Not cool--a good way to get somebody killed.
The drop axle creates another problem. The commonly avalable drop axles loose a few inches (I've forgotten how many) in width compared to the straight axles. The drop axle trailers would not handle a T300 I'm not needing to do that much, but if I need that sort of power. . . my straight axle trailer will handle the width, with plenty ( a few centimeters
to spare).Ultimately, I chose a 16' Contrail, with a raised edge/lip around it (they have some name for that) to help keep stuff from sliding off; 12,000 lb GVWR (requiring the included 16" load range E tires). To keep the loading easy, I had 'em make longer ramps than standard (spring assisted), and added a bunch of D-rings to allow an assortment of tie-down points and angles.
I have been fully pleased with my selection. The only complaint I have (had) is that the adjustable hitch mount "tower" on the front of the trailer would not let me drop the tailgate of the 98 GMC truck. But. . . I use the 2007 GMC now, and the tailgate clears the hitch mount by an inch or two. There is absolutely nothing I would do different.
The final considerations are trailer controller and hitch type--design, brand, rated capacity, etc. Most of the 10,000 lb 18' trailers topping the scales at 13-14,000 you see are being pulled with light-truck OEM hitches rated at 10,000 lb or less, and most of them are rated at 5,000-7,500 lb "weight carrying as opposed to "weight distributing". We'll need another thread on those subjects, and I won't be up to that for a while--except to say that Curt Manufacturing appears to have the best selection of bumper-pull hitch components rated to 14,000 or more.
In summary, if you want to haul equipment and attachments on an 18' trailer, get a 12,000lb GVWR trailer, many more D-rings than stock, and tow it behind a 1-ton cab& chassis or dump truck with a 14.000 lb hitch and drawbar and ball, with good working trailer brakes, safety chains, working lights, and a functional battery-powered break-away braking system. If you're planning on pulling it with a pickup, be sure that the truck is a 3/4 (9,200 GVWR or better) and stop at 16'. If the 16 is not enough, get a gooseneck with suitable tow vehicle.
(ATCO, do you want to tell 'em about the Ritchie incident as an example of what can happen. . . .?)
I'm done. Stick a fork in me. Gotta drill some teeth to buy food for the dog.:notworthy
