What size trailer for a Ck30, loader,backhoe ?

[albmn10]

Hello all, im looking to buy a trailer within the next week or two... Im also ordering the woods 80x backhoe with thumb this week. Would a 18' dove tail 10k lb trailer work with the possibilty of fitting a 5 ft brush hog or should i go with a 20'. The 20 ' just seems huge. I dont have a brush hog now but dont want to find out it wont fit on a 18' . Anyone have a similar setup? Matt

 

[KiotiJohn]

I have an 18' dove tail that I use for my CK20. With the brush mower on, the tail wheel comes right to the end of the trailer, but on it.

With your larger framed tractor, the tail wheel would hang off the end. I would go with a 20' trailer, but you could get by on the 18'.

John

 

[VictorW]

The 10k gross weight trailer would be plenty. You could get away with a 7k but it would only give you a few hundred pounds to spare depending on what the trailer itself weighs. I had measured my CK30hst before with the loader and backhoe on. You'll need the 20'. If no loader, then the 18' would work. The price difference from 18' to 20, when I was looking, wasn't much and the extra two feet will come in handy and you won't know it's back there when pulling it. It will also give you a little room to move your tractor and set the balance up right. I haven't bought mine yet because I can borrow one anytime I need it and it's a 20', 10k trailer.

 

[TomKioti]

Al,

I agree with John. The price difference is minor compared to the hassle of finding out the 18' won't do. Now you have to lose (in drive off depreciation) what you would have spent in the first place if you had just went for the 20' trailer... IMHO of course.

 

[Highbeam]

Finally, I can show and tell.

Here is my tractor just recently on my 18', 10k trailer. The hog is a 5' model and the bucket/toothbar is setting down in the level position just a couple of inches from the front of the deck.

 

[Highbeam]

Farther back is better for weight disribution with the mower deck but I don't like to hang the back of the implement too far off the back. I like to fold up the tailwheel like that.

I weighed the load on my last trip which had the boxblade instead of the mower but the weight on the pair of axles was 6600 lbs. The truck's axles totaled about 6700 with an estimated 650 of that as tongue weight so the trailer itself (tongue and axles) weighed just more than 7000 lbs. Now I'm not sure if the GVWR of a trailer is just axle weight or if it includes the tongue weight so I'll leave that to you.

A backhoe is heavy. The woods BH80x looks really heavy. I feel that I am at the top edge of what a 7000 lb trailer could do and am very glad I got the 10k model. I have not regretted the 18' length but more is always better.

My trailer weighs 2500 lbs empty including the 250 lbs of tongue weight.

Here's a detail shot of the overhang from my last photo. Be sure to treat your trailer deck, it makes it look sharp. Recessed lights are good.

 

[RedRocker]

20' minimum, I'm doing a CK30 with a bush hog on a 16' and a whole lot hangs off the back, I'd like a 22'.

 

[kentrodngun]

I second that RedRocker. I have an LK3054 with loader and haul it on a 20 foot trailer. With various implements on the back, I often have overhang. Considering that a backhoe will be attached, buying a 22 footer will eliminate a lot of regret & misery. Don't forget, total trailer length includes the hitch too, so the bed of the trailer will actually be 2 feet shorter than the "published" trailer length spec.

 

[gordon21]

Be careful of advertised trailer length. Some mfgr do not include the A frame hitch and some do. Take a tape measure with you and inspect before you buy. You will want 20' minimum on the bed itself and a 10K axle rating. Overall length should be 23'+ Make sure to pay the extra $300 and get brakes on BOTH axles. Towing that big a load is no time to find out that your only set of trailer brakes no longer works. A $3000 trailer may be built cheaper than a $2400 trailer. Prices mean nothing in comparing trailers. Prices seem to depend more on the lack of competition than build quality. I drove 2.5 hours to pick up my trailer a month ago. Saved over $600 and got a better built trailer. Make sure your brake controller box is set up to work with multiple axles.

 

[Highbeam]

My 18' trailer in the picture is 18' of deck including the 2' dove. Another 2' would help but most of the time it is prefect.