Trailers

She misunderstood the friend's advice. It's not about capacities or legal requirements, it's all about being kewl.

We’ve gotta have that dually with it's accompanying back breaking monthly payment, a rope and rifle in the rear window, and of course, let's not forget the minimum of 2 bales of 2nd year grass hay up on top blowin' in the wind.

Horses are simply not required. Just drag the trailer around and obstruct traffic flow. While shopping or doing business in small towns, this trailer & pickup must be parked in the middle of the street. This is kewl. This is how it is done.

In a few years, she must graduate into the travel-trailer league. These types of trailers must be tugged up and down the hi way by the tallest Duramax, Cummins, or Powerstroke conceivable.

The little pop-up camping trailers will not do; they are just too easy for the day-to-day traffic to see around. These outfits must hinder all traffic in all directions, be parked 50 weeks out the year and the remaining two weeks be pulled from end to end of this continent burning as much fuel as is possible.

These trailers shall be parked at the Wal-Mart parking lot at night during this towing process and all sewage incurred shall be dumped along a local county road, no further than 1 mile from any given thoroughfare.

Also, the friend should have advised her that if more than 10% of her income is from ag related endeavors, she and her husband must own at least one front wheel drive assist tractor.

This is the 'monkey see, monkey do' effect in it's everyday application. It is the American way.

Well, yes of course, she needs that dually!!

Just a havin’ fun with ya, :>)

Allan

Things you should consider when buying equipment of this size. What is the GCWR of truck. (combined weight rating)
What is the weight of truck and cargo excluding trailer.
What is the weight of the loaded trailer.
How much tough weight will the trailer put on truck.

Weight is a funny thing. You can be under your gross weight and still be over weight. You can have it loaded wrong and have to much weight on the truck or to much to the trailer. It has to be spread out correctly.
To put it another way... as long as you did not pass your GCVR of your truck so the brakes and such could handle the load..... .
A single tire truck with a 3 axle trailer would need to be loaded more to the trailer where as a duel tire truck and a 2 axle trailer would need to be front heavy to transfer most of the weight off the trailer and onto the truck. But both would be about the same gross.

I am not aware of any such requirement. I am a farmer so much of the laws get ignored, but they are concerned about weight, weight, lighting, and weight. The pickup needs to be able to handle the gross weight of the trailer. If the trailer puts enough weight on the rear axle, then the axle will need to be beefed up until it becomes a dually. But not for any specific length, but for a specific weight.

I have my own trailer question - my brother in law bought a tandem dually trailer, he is guessing it's a 20,000# trailer. Can we figure out what it's liceneced at from the plate numbers? the guy he bought it from put the plates on, & want to see if he's up to code. also, what are the MN requirements for a safety chain for this thing? I see clss 1/2, 3, & 4 chains in the store, does class 4 muster it or is this something beyond?

Thabks,

--->Paul of Klossner

If you have a commerical made trailer then it should have a DOT VIN tag that states GVWR.

If homemade, then you need to look at the total tire weight rating, then axle weight rating, then spring rating, then hitch rating. The lowest rating of any single componet then is your GVWR.

Example: If you had 24000lbs of tires and 18000lbs springs, GVWR would be 18000lbs. Or if the hitch was rated 10000lbs then GVWR would be 10000lbs.

The axle should have a metal ID tag on the axle with GAWR. Looks just like a differential tag.

I've never heard of a problem with trailers under 40ft, 2003 it's now 45ft, requiring DRW unless pin weight was a limiting factor.

MH tractors here in AZ need DRW and 1-1/2 ton minimum rating. Last year AZ included GCWR in the RV DOT laws for pulling RV doubles, so anything doesn't supprise me as AZ is very easy on Rv's as thats where they make alot of money during the winter time.

T_Bone

There are no springs, it is a box beam pivot for the tandems. It is a tilt bed. Not sure I really see an 'axle' for a tag, as it looks like something I would weld from box material and 4 short stub axles with the hubs for the duals.

The hitch is a fair sized pintel bolted on the front steel, perhaps I should know what the pintel is rated at, but it's not obvious.

Minnesota outlawed multiple tows. Then farmers were allowed 2 hitch pins in most cases, but no more. And the weekend wave of folks who go camping 'up nort' were allowed to tow a small boat behind their large camper trailer. Because they have money & would have kicked the lawmakers out of office....

I just want to see if I can get my BiL close enough to be in the neighborhood of being legal with the setup he has. I believe it is actually impossible to comply with DOT laws, but i'd like to see him at least have a chance to talk his way out. ;) It doesn't so much affect me, as I do not have licence to drive anything with a trailer that big with a real licence plate. Now if I remove the plate I can go 150 miles with it as farm use if I claim I own it and as long as I'm not on the interstate no one will bother much.....

These transport laws are something, aren't they? :)

Ok, it's late, what does DRW stand for?

--->Paul

DRW= dual rear wheels

From memory as I can't find my book;
Safety chains, 2 required Class I = upto 3000lbs and requires 1/4" chain
Class II= 5000lbs, 5/16"
Class III= 10000lbs, 3/8"
Class IV= 14000lbs, 7/16"

Safety chains can NOT be heat cut or be attached by welding. I think it was grade 30 chain minimum.

Luna eye mounting plates and pintle hitchs are stamped with there GVWR. Most pintle surge brake couplers have a vertical load rating of 2000lbs. I have ran into one 3000lb vertical rating but don't remember the brand name.

You would need to do a search as theres different luna eye diameters (non-surge brake) for a given rating, 20000lb and 40000lbs (1-1/8" ring dia.) being common. I got my pintle hitch off of a semi double set-up that was rated for 40000lbs.

I doubt if you will find a axle tag being that old. Some were stamped with there weight rating but good luck finding it. A 4" sch:40 round axle is rated for 10000lbs. There's also sch:80 4" I think that are rated 12000lbs.

You can also estimate GAWR by the brake size. 3-1/4" x 12" is good for 10000lbs/pr ???

Most Dana 60 axles used on 4wd pick-ups are 20000lb alxes depending on how there componets are configured. Axle tubes are all the same. Different ratings come from the brakes and bearings. That one shocked me when I read that on the Dana website as a F350 DRW 4wd, uses a Dana60 front axle and a Dana80 rear axle with the Dana 80 axle having consideable more beef than a Dana 60. I couldn't find the Dana 80 rating.

No springs on a OTR trailer??? That should beat the he11 out of things. I would bet the frame wouldn't last long and will crack welds/material in several places with-in a short time.

You can buy new 7000lb electric brake axle for about $250, complete, no tires or wheels.

I don't know how the commerical guys keep up with all the DOT laws. I still have not put turn signals on my tractor tho :)

Ok while I got your attention, I have a local farmer that sells 1/2 beef for $1.49/lb cut and wraped. Sounds too cheap? Why?

T_Bone

Thats correct, RV doubles. Several western States allow it, AZ, Co, Nv, ID, UT that I know of.

Here in AZ DOT says the first trailer must be a 5th wheel and second trailer can't weigh more than the 1st trailer or tow vechile, combination no longer than 65ft, and be under mfg GCWR (thats the new 2003 law)

I pulled doubles from OR to AZ, with a travel trailer (TT) with a VW on a tow bar. Bad combination as the VW narrow track width kept running on the road crown thus jerking the TT at any speed above 50mph causing sway. At 45mph the load was stable.

I got stopped in OR, as private doubles are not allowed in OR. He just ask me to take the car off, no ticket. Glad I didn't get caught the first 340 miles.

The last trailer needs to have a axle track width the same as the 1st trailer to pull well.

T_Bone