leaving a trailer loaded overnight... bad?

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pyroholic

pyroholic

Member
Feb 17, 2013
219
Mid-Michigan
Is it bad to leave a trailer loaded for a day or two? And by loaded I mean a 3500lb axle with about 3500lbs on it.

I did put some solid blocks under the back and then cranked the tongue up to relieve the springs and axle of at least half, but that does nothing for the frame.
 
No worries.
 
Do you think there is any benefit from blocking the back and cranking the jack up a little? Just unsure how the springs and axle might be affected by the weight over a long period of time. With this load the angle iron that runs side to side under the 2x6 deck boards bows roughly 3/4". IMAG0024.jpg
 
no worries.
The dynamic stresses and loads are higher when moving, impacts vibrations, even a slight bounce on the trailer from jumping on it
static loads no problem. If it hasn't bent yet, it won't.
Steel is an elastic material, stress and strain are independant of time. It is not like the material oozes out or flows under stress like molasses or glass or grease or something.
I wouldn't leave the tires loaded for 6 months, but days no worries.
Number of cycles gets into fatigue, another issue entirely.
 
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I agree with Kevin. I had an enclosed job site trailer that went from job to job years ago. It was severly overloaded with tools and material for years. I did not block it up when it was parked and it held up fine. I'm sure it wasn't good for the tires but, with that much weight on them you couldn't tell.
 
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Thanks. Welcome Darren. What an honor that your first post was in response to my question. :p

Now that I think about it I also pulled a severely overloaded enclosed work trailer everyday a few years ago without issue. It sat full every night for years. That was a company trailer however, so I wasn't really all that concerned with the health of the trailer as long as it rolled along reasonably well. That guy didn't treat any of his equipment right, and I was just doing what I was told to do like a good little worker bee would.
 
pyroholic said:
Do you think there is any benefit from blocking the back and cranking the jack up a little?
Click to expand...

Probably a good way to smoke your jack, and won't help the trailer any. As long as you aren't leaving it for weeks or months in one spot where you can flat-spot the tires, you aren't going to hurt a thing.
 
More than 3500 on there IMO ;)
Noticed the block when you posted the pic yesterday, figured you were a bit worried about the weight :)
"Don't mind the mule load the wagon."

Shouldn't hurt anything
On level, solid ground. Like said, just don't leave it loaded until fall ;)
 
Done that many times, never hurt mine setting a day or two
 
Sometimes I have a tendancy to worry about trivial things, while other times I don't worry at all over things that probably should be of concern to me. Go figure.

Got a chance to get the trailer unloaded between thunderstorms today anyway. Literally unloaded the last round, looked to the west and saw a wall of rain coming across the field...quickly. Threw the tailgate up on the trailer and got inside the truck just as the downpour started.
 
pyroholic said:
Sometimes I have a tenancy to worry about trivial things, while other times I don't worry at all over things that probably should be of concern to me. Go figure.

Got a chance to get the trailer unloaded between thunderstorms today anyway. Literally unloaded the last round, looked to the west and saw a wall of rain coming across the field...quickly. Threw the tailgate up on the trailer and got inside the truck just as the downpour started.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it was short, but it rained a lot here in that short time
 
I think you'll find most of us in the North with boats have a fully loaded trailer parked for half of the year.

Matt
 
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Might be worth busting out the welder and adding some more metal to the frame. I have some plates to box the frame on my 12,000lb rated trailer even.... once boogeyDave decides to show up instead of watching the ice melt I'd have it all done. :p==c
 
Not unless you live on busy street with front driveway for easy access to wood thieves.
 
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My FIL once told me that leaving my enclosed shop trailer on my C3500 was going to stress the springs. "Oh do tell." :p

No worries on leaving it loaded. Even indefinitely. If I wouldn't trust it to sit still, darn sure I wouldn't trust it to go down the highway. ;)
 
Uhaul has a nice, open trailer you can rent for fairly cheap. It has a double axle and you can leave the whole thing loaded all night long without feeling bad.

Matt
 
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