Trailer to haul tractors and farm equip ?

Went and looked at a double axle trailer .It had 4 tires on each axle 2 on inside of frame and 2 on the outside.The trailer was 25 feet long and was rated at 15,000 had eletric brakes.Is this tire arrangment a bad deal ? I what something I can pull with a 3/4 ton suburban .I think I'm going to build one the way I want it. I'd like to haul 10,000 to 12,000 pounds on it.So here is the question 2 axles or 3 and how long.Would like to be able to fit 2 of the three tractors on it at a time.J.D. A ,B or 60. What would be the best design for use with the suburban.Going to start going to tractor events and need something to transport.So what do you guys think? Trailer I looked at on Spokane ,WA craigslist farm and garden

I'd forget about hauling any combination of those two tractors with a Suburban. I have a 1 Ton Dodge Cummins and have hauled two similar tractors on my 22ft PJ bumper pull and it puts the front of the truck up in the air and a whole lot of weight on the rear end. The problem with 2 tractors is you have no room to balance the trailer properly. I'd also guess the 'burb has a hitch rated at about 10k, a trailer built to haul 10,000 lbs will weigh at least 4,000 empty....no way I would pull 7 ton behind a Suburban!

I'd agree with that. Trailer weight has to be added to the weight of what is being hauled. I think a Suburban would be good for about 10,000 pounds total. Any more than that and I think you'd be doing a lot of expensive repairs to the truck. I think you'd want at least a 1 ton dually and probably something a little bigger yet. Dave

If I was having one built, I think I would go with an extra 1000# on the axles over what I wanted it rated for (7000# axles instead of 6000# axles on a 12,000# trailer). Have the deck built full-width with it cut out around the wheels, and add a little extra axle spread so I could put my rear tires on the deck between the axles. That would keep the load lower, and most tractors balance on the trailer with the rear tires centered or just forward of centered over the axles.

I know the trailers you are talking about, they actually have four really short axles instead of two full-width axles. I would be concerned about how much an operation it would be to change a flat. And that trailer would be way too heavy for behind a Suburban because I think you will find it has 4 frame rails instead of 2.

I have owned many trucks and trailers to haul my tractors on. The very best was my Dodge one ton diesel with gooseneck trailer. 14000 gvw tandem axle (4 wheels) electric brakes on both axles 22 foot deck with 4 foot beaver and three spring loaded fold down ramps. I hauled two tractors at a time, one 3670 pound and one 4780 pound with 2400 pound of suit case weights on deck of trailer with trailer weight of 4650 pounds. With goose neck 10% to 15% of total trailer and cargo weight transfers onto truck. I never had any problems and handled great. I would not go back to anything smaller or tag along with two tractors. Been there done that, never again for me.

That axle set up is a pain to deal with. You have to crawl under the trailer to check tire pressure,change tires and so on. As part of Murphys law it will be muddy and if you look you will be laying down. Then drag the flat out and the good one back in under the trailer and try to stand it up and bolt it back up. Its a lot of fun. The way this one and I would think all like this you get a flat you have to change it then because the short axle tilts to put the load on the flat tire. On a normal duel wheel you can if not loaded too heavy go a good distance on tubless tires with one flat and not have to stop in bad area or ruin the tire. Also easier to do a tire check on a normal dual tandem. If its easier there's a better chance it eill get done.

Personally I would not think of hauling 2 Tractors on a bumper hitch trailer pulled by a "suburban".A suburban at best is a light duty 1/2 ton Truck in city clothes and the Chassis would be way overloaded.It sure is not rated at 10-12 tons anyway. At least a 3/4 ton truck and a 4 wheel Tandem axle 5th wheel type trailer would be the minimum requirements,IN MY OPINION, for hauling 2 Tractors any where. Operating brakes would be requirement.

You cannot buy a hitch for a Surban with a leagle load rating of 1# over 10,000#. You can get a gooseneck hitch with a higher rating but for those you need a class A CDL to use. Go with only one tractor at a time.

Leroy,

What you said about a Class A CDL for a trailer with a GVWR over 10,000 lbs is not correct.

As long as the combined GVRW of the tow vehicle and the GVWR of the trailer does not exceed 26,000 lbs no CDL is required.

Pete

Class A CDL is for the big rigs as in 18 wheels and big weights don't remember the number right off the top of my head. Then the Class B is for things like 10 wheel dump trucks and the Class C is for things over the 26,000 rating and even then you do not need a CDL if it is farm and or private and not crossing state lines.
By the way I have a Class A CDL with one to things that I can not drive/haul. Haz mat and School bus

Not a good truck to use for that amount of weight! First time you have to make a sudden turn, or a stop, that weight would have you dodging trees in the woods, or going thru the diner, on the corner, in town.
Just remember the old adage (saying)--you can't send a boy out to do a man's work!
I towed a 16 ft. travel trailer, single axle, and when the trailer tire blew out, at 65 per, on the Turnpike, all of the money i had spent on the most expensive hitch, flashed in front of my eyes, as it kept everything straight until i got stopped.
Yeah, i know, a 16 ft travel trailer don't sound like much, but, blow a tire, and without proper equipment, you suddenly have a tiger by the tail!
Heed the advice here! Best advice you will ever get! As you will find out to be true, if you decide to go out on the hiway with "wimpy" equipment!

Pulled a JD 720 w/loader from Colorado to Idaho last summer with a Dodge 1 ton diesel dually and 22,000 lb double axel dually gooseneck. I figured the weight at least 15,000 lb (7 thousand each for tractor and trailer plus loader weight). It worked great, but rest assured wouldn’t have wanted to be using any less capable rig especially going down mountain passes. The Jeep Grand Cherokee was the first thing to go after even thinking about pulling heavy equipment. A Suburban would have gone the same route.

You need a medical card if you pull a trailer over 5 Ton across state lines. No CDL under 26000 .

I have done a lot of trailer towing also, and completely agree with the previous posters. You need to consider the weight of your tractors. I am assuming the JD A is close to 6000 lbs and the 60 weighs even a bit more. The B will be quite a bit lighter at about 3000, maybe less. I really doubt that your 'burb is rated to tow anyway near 10,000. The hitch may be rated for that, but the 'burb's brakes, tranny, cooling, springs, tires, and axle ratio will be the reason for a lower limit. You need to determine what the GM listed max trailer load for that vehicle really is...and it differs with many factors including year of Manuf. I would suspect the total towed weight is listed at about 8000. This means one tractor + weight of trailer. So now you need to decide whether you are going to get a heavier tow vehicle (1 ton minimum size of the big 3 brands) and a big gooseneck trailer, or use the 'burb and be satisfied with what you can haul.

I went with a used Ford 350 diesel because I do a lot of towing. It is rock solid steady on the highway, even pulling my 37 ft 12500 lb 5th wheel camper trailer. Years ago I had a half ton truck to pull my 6000 lb travel trailer with normal "bumper pull" hitch. I had the premium antisway hitch, but it was a white knuckle ride all the way. I'll never again pull with a half ton with squishy tire sidewalls, soft comfortable springs and small brakes.

The trailer you describe will be a nightmare. Today's laws require all wheels to have brakes, those won't. They can not hold any kind of alignment, and will scrub off tires quickly. It may be a good off road trailer to haul hay from the field to the barn, but I would not consider it for road use. It will be all over the road, sometimes in the same lane you intend to drive in, sometimes in another lane. You will soon hate it. It is now somebody else's headache.

Drive and tow safely!!

Paul in MN

I haul my MFWD loader tractor; weights in over 9k lbs on a 12k trailer with a 3/4 suburban with zero issues. The 3/4 suburban has the same drivetrain as the 1500hd pickups and normal 2500 6.0L trucks. With electric brakes the truck stops better than when its empty, and properly loaded the truck is level and tows great. Towing capacity for my year is 10k lbs so I'm a little over weight but it tows great and I don't worry one bit while towing.

That trailer looks fairly heavy and the axles are back too far to get a fair balanced load on a PU or Sub..It looks to be designed for a dump truck type towing.Plus it is ONLY 7 1/2 wide and can make interesting loading and being a tandem bogie axles,why only 15,000#.Sounds like it could be non factory made.

I had the class B CDL and for that the truck could not be over the 26,000# weight and the trailer it is pulling could not be over 10,000#. If the trailer was over the 10,000# mark then you have to have a class A CDL no mater how big the truck is. Turned in my CDL when I hit the 62 mark as I was no longer going to go thru the whole thing of getting finger printed and going 80 mile one way to do it. And then taking the test again. Was Class B with tanker and hazmat.