Buying a good trailer

[Dok]

My opinion- go with a tandem axle with good brakes and heaviest axles you can afford. Also, I have to agree with others about not getting a 1/2 ton truck. Been there, done that with F150's and Dodge 1500's. If you tow or haul wood in the bed the axles and transmissions just don't hold up. I know, they market them like they are meant to work hard and tow hard, but in my experience they just don't hold up.
Dok

 

[John D]

If your tow truck is a 1500 pickup id go with a 7K tandem axle trailer around 16ft deck,they weigh about 2000lbs,leaving you 5000lbs of capacity.That is all you really want to pull with a 1500 truck.If you go with a 2500 truck,id go up to a 9900 GVWR tandem axle,the brakes are bigger,axles much stronger,and the price isnt much more than a 7K trailer,and you will have about 7500lbs of log hauling capacity.Eithey way you want brakes on all axles,this is esp important when towing with a 1500 series truck,as they only have enough braking to stop itself,and about 1500 additional lbs,which isnt even an empty trailer.
I have 2 9900 gvwr tandems,and a 13,200gvwr dump,one of my tandems is a Starlight,very heavily built,but crude,I also have a doolittle,it is at least 500 lbs lighter than the startlight,but not nearly as beefy,both work very well for hauling logs.

 

[046]

got the deluxe setup here.... 12v cummins turbo diesel for a tow rig... pulling a 20ft (18 w/dove) trailer with tandem 7k lb axles with 10 ply E rated truck tires. brakes on both axles.

have pulled 30k+ lb loads with this setup with no problems except not enough brakes. since getting a proportional brake controller... no problems braking.

can't overstate what a difference it makes when pulling a HUGE load having your trailer brakes come on when brakes are applied vs having to slow down vehicle enough to create enough inertia to trigger trailer brakes. I've overheated brakes to almost point of total brake fade using an inertia brake controller. not a real pleasant feeling.

 

[wdchuck]

One more detail about electric brakes, and properly wired controller on vehicle, is they will activate on an uphill stop need, activated on ice even in a slide, and in the worst case scenario, if your brakes fail for some reason on the tow vehicle, you can manually activate the full braking capability of the trailer brakes via the controller on the dash, thereby stopping/slowing the whole setup.

Many advantages as the guys have noted.


1/2 ton p/u's and suv's get better mileage in day to day driving.

3/4 ton get much less,

1ton are generally worse yet, and then there are duallies.

Picking the right setup for your needs now, what you expect, and what may come could drive a guy nuts. It's almost as bad as trying to decide on which 70cc chainsaw to buy....

 

[046]

HUGE difference between a direct proportional brake controller vs inertia controllers.

there's the hydraulic style which are ridiculously expensive ($450+) and tricky to install with ABS brake systems due to exotic bleeding procedures. in order to work, brake hydraulics has to be tapped into.

IMHO the best controller made is the Jordan 2020 Ultima
http://www.bestbrakecontroller.com/
unfortunately they were purchased by a larger mfg with no release date yet.

if you are lucky enough to find a new old stock Jordan Ultima controller ... Jump on it... found mine from a DTR forum member for $125. easy install... hooks directly to brake pedal via a small cable.. if hydraulic brakes should go out... your rear trailer brakes will still work.

what a difference proportional brake controller makes. especially if you are towing heavy... say 3 cords of green oak, 12k+ lbs + weight of trailer.

One more detail about electric brakes, and properly wired controller on vehicle, is they will activate on an uphill stop need, activated on ice even in a slide, and in the worst case scenario, if your brakes fail for some reason on the tow vehicle, you can manually activate the full braking capability of the trailer brakes via the controller on the dash, thereby stopping/slowing the whole setup.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

it's not what you can pull... worry about what you can stop!

+1000!


I hear way too many people bragging about their overloaded trailers, as if that's something to be proud of. I think it's a man thing, as I know I've been guilty of it a time or two myself.


But it's really stupid!

 

[maul ratt]

Firm Pricing on Aluminum Trailers

so how much is an aluminum landscape trailer cost?

no info on web site.. called company... not too helpful... won't give out prices

by the way... a direct proportional brake controller makes all the difference in the world in braking abilities.

most brake controllers work on inertial... this means your tow vehicles' brakes has to do the initial stopping. before rear brakes will work... this is bad! brake fade will result vs proportional brakes work from the minute you step on the brake pedal and force rear brakes to work the same strength as your front brakes are being used.

I sharpened my pencil on my earlier "ballpark quoting". I got my paperwork in front of me now and here's the firm pricing on Aluminum Trailers:

80" x 16' tandem 3,500# axle, ramp gate, 1 brake axle= $2,550 FOB Elkhart, IN.

80' x 12' single axle with ramp gate= $1,800 FOB Elkhart, IN.


:chainsawguy: The ultimate firewood trailer:
80" x 12' Professional level dump trailer=$5,150 FOB Elkhart, IN.