Not sure what I want for a trailer

[Usta]

Looking for opinions from people who know more than I do on this topic.

I am looking for a trailer, preferably new, to occasially haul my Kubota. I am thinking a 4000lb 14 foot bed. Maximum load would not exceed 3000 pounds. I realize longer is better but it is also bulkier. I am thinking it should also have dual axles. Would a landscape type trailer work or should I be looking at something heavier? Not sure if they even make 2 ton landscapes. Is what I am looking for available with surge brakes? I sure liked the simple but effective surge brakes on my Ranger boat trailer.
Pulling with a 2007 1500 4WD Silverado.

 

[George2615]

A landscape trailer will be less expensive than a car trailer. A dual axle with 7000 lb rating will do just fine. I'd opt for a longer trailer (18-20') since your tractor has a loader and if you want to haul an attachment as well you'll need the extra length.

Also be advised most landscape trailers are only 76" between the fenders and should you want to haul a full size car or pickup in the future 76" width won't be wide enough. A car trailer is usually 82" between the fenders. I have an 82" x 20' tilt bed and use it for hauling my tractor, cars, trucks, or anything else I can get on it.

Being on the East Coast new trailers are not as reasonably priced as they are in other parts of the country and good used trailers are hard to find. I drove to a trailer dealer in PA (5 hours each way) to buy my trailer to save about $1100 in price.

Lastly, if your truck has the tow package it has the wiring for a trailer with electric brakes. Brakes on one axle is the minimum, both axles with brakes is better. Your truck is more than capable of hauling the 3000 lb load you state plus the trailer and tie down chains will add about another 2000.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Everything George said is right on the money. Get 82" if you ever plan to do any other hauling. I have a 82" wide by 18' long landscape type trailer. It will haul about 5,750# and has served me well. Prior to that I had a 25' GN with 19,000# load and it was nice but way more trailer than I needed.

I haul around my 5,200# tractor all the time and cars and such.

Chris

 

[timswi]

Everything said here is correct.

I would never use surge brakes on anything. I've had some horrible experiences with them. I've wiped out brakes on all four corners of the truck using one of these on a car trailer on a steep hill. Couldn't generate the shock needed to engage the surge due to the ABS set up. Besides, you have no manual control as you would have a brake controller. I'm sure some will argue with me, but there have been guys that have had serious problems towing boats on wet pavement where the surge didn't hit as expected.

 

[mrennie]

I went through the same thing last fall, as I was planning on buying a used B21 or B26 and didn't know what to get. My truck is a 2001 GMC Sierra 1/2 ton 4x4.

Initially started looking at 16'-18' deckover equipment trailers, but since I have a GTO Judge I am restoring I thought I might be better served with a car hauler since it could do double duty.

I ended up getting a 16' car hauler trailer with a beavertail, and the lower deck height of the car hauler as well as the angle of the beavertail make it very easy to load the B26 I ended up buying. This trailer has tandem 3500 lb axles, and I added brakes on the second axle as soon as I bought it. With brakes on all 4 wheels, it literally stops on a dime and is a pleasure to tow. Surge brakes are a good idea in certain applications....at work we have a few generator trailers that are used infrequently and we have a fleet of 40 vehicles, any of which might be called up to tow one of these trailers, so for that application it makes more sense to have hydraulic surge brakes on the trailer, allowing any vehicle to tow it without needing a brake controller. For your own dedicated tow vehicle and trailer, I think electric brakes are better.

The only drawback to getting a car hauler over a deckover is that if you wanted to have palletized loads like bricks loaded onto it, the fenders are in the way. For my use the car hauler was the better choice due to the car project.

Michael

 

[Diamondpilot]

I haul pallets all the time on my trailer. Just hauled 2 pallets of landscape blocks from Lowes. Just have the driver sit it on then have a 4x4 with you. Place it on the pallet and have the Fork Lift driver push the pallet forward on the trailer. Load the next one and strap it down. When I got home put the forks on the tractor and unloaded the back pallet the used a chain to pull the other one back to get it with the forks.

I will admit its more work but I have had this current trailer and only hauled pallet items 4-5 times versus barrels, wood, ect 100's of times where the rail comes in handy. If I were hauling pallets every week it would be a issue but not for me.

Chris

 

[Corm]

I also agree with all of the above, especially the comments from 'timswi' regarding surge brakes. Avoid them like the plague. They have been the cause of many accidents.

Corm

 

[whistlepig]

I would go 16' minimum with tandem axles. You need a little more length than the equipment you are hauling so you can get the correct weight on the tongue and axles. Too much weight on the tongue is hard on the tow vehicle. Not enough weight on the tongue is dangerous. And I also agree about surge brakes. Surge brakes are not something for serious hauling.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I guess I am no the other side of the fence about surge brakes. I tow many trailers upto 25,000# and most have surge brakes or electric over hydraulic. Of the 75 or so trailers I tow only 2 have pure electric brakes. To me they seem to have more issues but it all comes down to having them properly maintained and adjusted.

Chris

 

[whistlepig]

I guess I am no the other side of the fence about surge brakes. I tow many trailers upto 25,000# and most have surge brakes or electric over hydraulic. Of the 75 or so trailers I tow only 2 have pure electric brakes. To me they seem to have more issues but it all comes down to having them properly maintained and adjusted.

Chris

I am no expert on surge brakes. I've only pulled a couple of smaller trailers with surge brakes. This is not near the weight and experience you have had with them. Perhaps on the larger trailers the surge brakes are set up a bit better. My choice of electric brakes over surge is the ability to adjust the braking force to the trailer through the brake controller while the load is traveling. Do surge brakes overcome this advantage?

 

[Diamondpilot]

If set up properly they should be proportional. The main issue with surge brakes is lack of maintenance. The actuator needs to be greased and lubed. I will tell you a 7,000# trailer with 4 disc type surge brakes will stop quicker than anything out there. I have surges on these trailers and it will stop on a dime. Boat in pic one is 15,600#. Boat in pic 2 is 7,000#. Boat in pic 3 is about 10,000# and I had some idiot pull right out in front of me. I slammed on the brakes a the boat came forward on the trailer breaking the vertical brace where the winch is that was 3"x4" 1/4" wall tube. The only thing that stopped the boat from coming in the bed of the truck was the outdrive hitting the back cross brace on the trailer.


My uncle had a small 21' boat that on the trailer was about 5,500# and the brakes on it were so good you could not back it up in 4 wheel drive with either is Ford Expedition or my F-350 Diesel. I had to install a revers lock out solenoid.

Don't get me wrong, they are not perfect. Either is the electric brakes on my car hauler but with a little annual maintenance on both types they can work really well.

Chris

 

[whistlepig]

I still think electric brakes are a bit better than surge do to the infinite ability to adjust them to the load.

 

[Sabretooth]

Looking for opinions from people who know more than I do on this topic.

I am looking for a trailer, preferably new, to occasially haul my Kubota. I am thinking a 4000lb 14 foot bed. Maximum load would not exceed 3000 pounds. I realize longer is better but it is also bulkier. I am thinking it should also have dual axles. Would a landscape type trailer work or should I be looking at something heavier? Not sure if they even make 2 ton landscapes. Is what I am looking for available with surge brakes? I sure liked the simple but effective surge brakes on my Ranger boat trailer.
Pulling with a 2007 1500 4WD Silverado.

Take a look just by your pic in avatar I would say no shorter than a 16' but I would go with at least the the 18(If not the 20') I know it is bulkier and longer but it is what sells and you always gotta think resale also Vermont anything over a registered 3k weight says it requires Brakes(some states require both axles) and a brakeaway sytem installed I use these 2 sites to determine what is required for. Not like it use to be with your dad anything,anywhere,anyway. I say your tractor with loader probally weighs in about 2800-3100 then add trailer around 1500lbs(LittlelessLittlemore) add chains and straps I say around 4500 total so a brake controller 7way trailer connector for the brakes,lights and to charge brakeaway
http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm
TRAILER ASSIST from BoatUS

this is from second site
Boating Law Administrator: 802-244-8778
Maximum Speed Limit: 65
Maximum Dimensions for trailer:53'L x 8'6"W x 13'6"H
Maximum Length with Trailer:65'
Minimum Weight requiring Separate Trailer Brakes:3000 ****Look
Trailer Equipment Requirements:
Safety Chains:Y
Brakelights:Y
Taillights:Y
Clearance Lights:Y (If over 80" wide)
License Light:Y
Turn Signals:Y
Reflectors:N/A
Flares:Y
Breakaway Brakes: Y ****Look
Tiedowns:Y
Two Trailers:N
Insurance:Y
Wide Trailer Permit Phone Number: 802-826-2064

 

[Sabretooth]

I still think electric brakes are a bit better than surge do to the infinite ability to adjust them to the load.

Only thing I don't like about surge is the initial bump unless you have one of these shock hitches(do not know even if that helps) but I think they use surge less nowadays just because less initial cost for the trailer builders I had them on a my boat back in New york they were nice except for the reason stated above that's why I did not have a brake controller in my pickup when I moved to Texas and brought the car hauler kinda same as OP I just need it to occasionally haul the tractor to do hogging on some property I brought out in east Texas and to haul whatever else I originally thought about the 12 or 14 but soon settled on the hauler best of both worlds

 

[MarkV]

Don't do what I did and buy too short. I bought for a B series TLB and was looking for a 16' trailer. Ran across a good deal on an 18' and thought that was fine. Then I added an L series TLB to my stuff and really need a 22 or 24' trailer. I can make it work for my limited hauling but just barely.

If you ever think you might trade up to a larger tractor or add a backhoe to yours don't buy too short.

MarkV

 

[Soundguy]

Looking for opinions from people who know more than I do on this topic.

I am looking for a trailer, preferably new, to occasially haul my Kubota. I am thinking a 4000lb 14 foot bed. Maximum load would not exceed 3000 pounds. I realize longer is better but it is also bulkier. I am thinking it should also have dual axles. Would a landscape type trailer work or should I be looking at something heavier? Not sure if they even make 2 ton landscapes. Is what I am looking for available with surge brakes? I sure liked the simple but effective surge brakes on my Ranger boat trailer.
Pulling with a 2007 1500 4WD Silverado.

I'd go 16' tandem axle, and electric brakes, minimum.. Landscape trailers usually have expanded metal floors.. that won't be suitable for a tractror.. get a car hauler style wood deck.. or metal bed ( more $$ )

soundguy

 

[wkpoor]

I would go 16' minimum with tandem axles. You need a little more length than the equipment you are hauling so you can get the correct weight on the tongue and axles. Too much weight on the tongue is hard on the tow vehicle. Not enough weight on the tongue is dangerous. And I also agree about surge brakes. Surge brakes are not something for serious hauling.

I disagree totally. Properly maintained and adjusted like Chris said and they are great. Sensitivity is adjustable just not in the cockpit.

 

[wkpoor]

My first trailer was a somewhat typical drop deck 82" between fenders 18' 7K trailer. I owned it for 5yrs and during that time I found more and more situations where it wouldn't do the job. My friends tried to tell me when I bought it to buy a deckover. I said I didn't need it. Well I now have a deckover. Trailers are like pole barns. They are never big enough.

 

[Usta]

Wow, I was not expecting so much response.

My tractor with snowblower is 14 feet. I am thinking now 16 foot deck should be the minimum. I will never get a bigger tractor. Now that the extensive landscaping is done, the tractor is mainly going to be an oversized lawn mower. I will be looking for a wooden plank deck and not the expanded metal.

I hear and understand both sides of the surge brake debate. I have the tow package on the truck and a brake controller sitting on the garage shelf from when I thought I would haul my 24 foot camper but never did. I really liked the surge brakes on my Ranger boat trailer. The boat trailer had backup lights on it. It is the power to the backup lights that disengage the trailer brakes for backing up.

I will probably be looking at electric brakes so I could also haul others trailers. Like said, with anything, maintenance is everything. I had an experience once riding with a guy hauling an excavator. The first time he really needed the brakes, he realized he had not adjusted the slider on the controller. No damage but we both sucked in some wind. Yup, it is all in the setup and maintenance.

I am assuming I will also need a weight distribution hitch on the size trailer I am thinking.

 

[Soundguy]

the reason I like electric brakes is because if you loose tow vehicle brakes, you can still use the trailer to come to a semi controlled stop.. hard to do with surge brakes..

though I'd take surge brakes over no breaks if I had no other choice..

soundguy