7000 # trailer

I have a 7000# hooper trailer and I have a john deere A. tha A weighs in at 5740 and the trailer weighs 1400# and I need to carry 1500# to get me into the 7500# class. all said I need a bigger trailer. I figured a 10,000# trailer would do but I cant seem to find any. could I put 2 5000# axles under the one I have and beef it up...open to any suggestions. oh and I'm pulling it with an f150 rated to pull 9000#
 
If you want a 10,000 lb. trailer take a look at Johnson trailers of Colfax. Wisc. They have a 10,000 lb and 12,000 lb deckover. their web site you can add options and they have prices..
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One of the biggest advantages of heaver trailer, is the bigger the axle, the bigger the brakes.
I have a 7000#, 20ft trailer that has served me well for years,if I had to do it again it would be 12,000# or maybe 14,000# 30ft.
I can slide the tires on my 30ft camper(15,000# gross) but the flatbed brakes have never been that good. I know you do not more trailer than you can pull with a 1/2 ton, but a deck over would be best. My 656 & 504 will push the fenders out a little.
 
It will be simpler to trade trailers than to modify one. Sounds like you need a bigger trailer and will also need a bigger truck to tow the bigger trailer. Have you considered dropping down to a lighter weight class to stay within the capacity your current trailer and truck? A late JD B would weigh just over 4000 pounds.
 
I'm not able to address your concerns. Were I make home in the summer, if a TRAILER is altered and does not meet DOT engineering specs: ....if there's an accident the law weighs heavily against you.

Food for thought.
 
It is very hard to modify a trailer for less than trading anymore, and you would still be limited to the placard according to registration and DOT.

Just get a bigger trailer.
 
Changing a trailer is rarely cost effective, only if you can do the work yourself and place no value on your labor does it add up. Putting 5,6,7000lb axles under your trailer is more than just the axles. You will need to cut off the entire suspension, hangers and all, and start over. Depending on what you have, and go to, maybe you will have fender clearance issues too and may have to move a couple crossmembers. You will also need new wheels and tires. 2 axles with suspension kit will be about $700 plus wheels and tires, maybe fenders and crossmembers, and add some to beef up the frame and you get in the $1300-1500 range without labor. A welding shop is going to need another $1000 minimum so you will have $2500 into an old and under made trailer that needs paint. If you sell what you have for $1000-1500 and add the 2500 and you are right in the neighborhood of a new 10k trailer.

That said your trailer/truck combo is enough for what you want. Your trailer is 7k plus 500-1000lbs for the coupler, so figure 7500lbs. 7500 minus the 1400 of trailer leaves you at 6100, enough for your tractor with a few hundred to spare. Put your weights in the front of your truck box and you are good to go. 7500lb tractor plus 1400 trailer is 8900, just under your rated capacity for the f150. If you do that make sure you have good load range e radial tires and brakes on all your trailer wheels that are set up and working good and your set. A lot of those 7k trailers only have brakes on 1 axle, so if that is the case you will need to add drums and brakes to the one without, but those should bolt right on.
 
Federal law says any trailer over 3,000 lbs. has to have brakes on all axles and a break away system on it. Five years ago when I was looking for new trailer every trailer company (8)that I looked at a 5,000 lbs. on up had brakes on all axles and brake away system on them.
 
They are a nice looking trailer but I went with a 14,000 lb. PJ trailer because they use the angel iron on dove tail and Johnson Trailers use wood on dove tail. The two trailers are very close to same price.
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As others have said, you are better off buying a new trailer. If you want to look around, I highly recommend Stateline Trailers from Braddyville, IA. Every trailer is built to order so you can customize to suit your needs and prices are VERY reasonable! Picture is my 18' M/T from them with 10k package and a couple other options.
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Some states allow brakes on just one axle on up to 7k trailers. These adds are from tx and both are sold with brakes on one axle with 2-3500lb axles.
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Your tractor with weights weighs 7,248 lbs. and a 5 ton (10,000lbs.) car trailer usually run 2,500 lbs. or more and put at around 9,748 lbs. and that doesn't include tool box, chains, binders and jack and blocking and spare tire. I went with a PJ 14,000 low profile deck over. My pulling tractor weighs 8,000lbs. loaded with weighs. My trailer weighs 4,200 lbs. with tool box,binders,chains,jack and blocking, winch,and spare tire putting me in at 12,200 lbs.. You might want to rethink about what size trailer you want to get.
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If he goes over 10k he needs a cdl these days so he really needs to be careful about going that big unless he has a cdl.
 
Depends on state but if your under 26,000 lbs. and not placarded for and hauling Hazmat you don't need a CDL for trailer over 10,000 lbs.
 
In Indiana you won't find a dealer that sells a trailer with brakes on one axle. Our local TSC stopped sell tandem axle trailers because of that. Now In Texas you don't need brakes on a trailer 4,500 lbs.-15,000 lbs.but the catch is you can't travel over 30 MPH.
 
This is why I told him to check his carefully and make sure his has good brakes on all wheels. I don't know where he lives and even in states where it is required by law to have brakes on all wheels those trailers with brakes on just one axle show up. In Mn. where I'm from, brakes on all wheels on trailers over 3k is required, but there are some of those 7k trailers with brakes on only one axle around. If he wants to he can legally haul his load on his trailer just as I said, but for safety he should make sure his brakes are in the best shape they can be. The problem with going to a 10k trailer is that many times the trailer is so much heavier that very little actual extra capacity is available, they would have much better brakes tho. It all depends on his budget, if he can afford a 10k trailer it it his best route, and if he has a cdl then even a 12 or 14k is better. All I'm saying is, if he wants to he can legally haul his load on his current trailer.
 
These rules all change so fast and frequent and very state to state so much that debating them is a waste of time. In Mn now a cdl is required if the trailer is over 10k. So each person needs to check these rules with their state and the state's they will drive in. Anything less could get them in trouble.
 
You should check on that as many state's are now rewiring cdl at over 10k on the trailer. Do you know what state the op lives in? I didn't catch that if he said.
 
The 10K trailers are out there just not nearly as common as the 14k ones. Therefore if you want used you may have to wait a while vs a 14K trailer. If you want new you will save about 1500 bucks on 10K and have a slightly lighter trailer that is more suited for your half ton truck. Those prices were based on PJ deckovers when I was looking last summer.
 
(quoted from post at 13:05:20 01/23/17) You should check on that as many state's are now rewiring cdl at over 10k on the trailer. Do you know what state the op lives in? I didn't catch that if he said.

Hey Jon,

Do they not have the "personal" exemption?????

Just renewed the CDl and in Mich we have an exemption for personal, RV, Firefighter.

Of course haz mat is a bit different
 
Wouldn't it be nice if all the states would get on the same page but we know that will never happen in our time.
 
(quoted from post at 16:49:16 01/23/17) It varies from state to state so the only
way you know is to contact your own state.

I guess I was not clear, meant the exemptions where you live.

Here it is trailer over 10k with combo over 26k so my outfit is about 20k combined and below CDL.

I think same as the Fed here.

We have a Chauffer requirement for 10k to 26k for commercial which requires a med card.
 
(quoted from post at 16:57:32 01/23/17) Wouldn't it be nice if all the states would get on the same page but we know that will never happen in our time.

I just had that argument at the DMV, CDL is nothing but a cluster and I cannot see any benefit to the whole program.

It seems like many of us old timers have quit and the batch of drivers are a scary bunch that cannot read or write english.
 
One of the reasons the Federal government used for requiring all states to participate in the Federal mandate CDL program was "uniform standards across the country ". Guess that vanished. I still wonder if additional regulations can be enforced on out of state drivers (that are in compliance with both federal regulations and that of the state they are licensed in) or just drivers unfortunate enough to live in a state of stupidity.
 
If you are compliant in your own state your good in all 50. That doesn't mean you wont encounter an idiot cop who will try to tow you if your towing a 14k trailer in an idiot state like CA that requires a class A license for trailers over 10k.

If my state ever implemented a law requiring a CDL A for trailers over 10k regardless of the GCVWR I would downgrade to a 9999gvw trailer before Id get a CDL.
But so far, most states don't do that.
 
I pull my 14K in Iowa with super duty and 12 ton plates, should be right at that number.

No CDL, not sure right, but seem to pass troopers and DOT OK.
 
That trailer is realy light built. I bought a new 16' 7000# rated trailer in 15 and the trailer weighs 1500# so that means it should haul 5500#. OK that sounds good for what I want to haul, a 2N Ford at about 3000#, NO it is to flimsy, can just feel it flex trying to put the tractor. Will not try it again as I have an older guessing 30 years homemade and it is way stronger. Now I do have anouther 16' 7000# trailer steeing here that I need to repair as it got wrecked when a car did not slow for a stop sign and hit it in the left side. Now that trailer is rated the same as the new one but it is 1750# and you can tell it is way stronger with a load carrying capacity of 5250# and it would handle that Ford with no problems. You are never going to lighten up that Deere (I had a 38 A, 46 B, 49 B, 50 AR and 51 A) and none of them would be possible to get down to a weight that my trailers would handle So I do know about hauling an A John Deere. I think my homemade trailer would be heavy enough to haul an A but the trailer has what I think are 5000# axles and weighs 2250#. All trailers are tandem axles. You need a trailer that is rated for 10,000# and nothing less and you will be close to the limit even with that size. And that truck rated for a 9,000# trailer you will find can only safely pull 6,000#. My truck is rated for about 8,500 and I would not go over 5,000# with it. And I do have brakes on the trailers.
 
He is wanting to add that 1,500# to already a too heavy a tractor for a 7,000# trailer to pull in a high weight class and lightening up the tractor would just make it he would have to carry that many more weights to put on the tractor at the pull scales. So if he could get the tractor weight down then he would have to make a second trip just for the weights he would need to get to the pulling weight he wants. So lightening up the tractor would be just the opposite of what he is trying to do.
 
10,000# no, 10,001# yes and it makes no difference as to the weight of the truck pulling it. This is a class B CDL as I remember it and total truck and trailer weight of 26,001# requires a class A CDL. I had a class B CDL and I could only drive a straight job truck if it did not hit that majic number of 26,001#, 26,000 yes, 26,001# NO. And with the trailer over 10,001# the outfit could not be over 26'000# on my class B CDL.
 
Indiana requires brakes on both axles while just across the state line Ohio only requires them on one axle but as I am from Ohio and trailers are taged in Ohio I guess that I am legal to go across state line as I do all the time.
 
Wow, this seems to be an outspoken thread. *LOL*

After reading everything, makes me thankful that all went well years ago when I hauled a Ferguson TO-30 on a new 16' tandem axle lowboy from Dallas to Houston. Trailers that size back then had no trailer brakes, and the truck I was driving was a small Ram 50 built by Mitsubishi. Have to say though, it WAS an interesting trip!! Couldn't get the little truck over 45MPH.
 

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