For those who haul your own pellets....

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MCPO

Minister of Fire
i think it would be pushing it a little, although with that rating there has to be some safety factor
 
Gio,

The trailer would handle them in short distant trips. But as DOT is the law on the weight issue. If they see tha trailer and they think its over loaded. They may have you go to the scale and give you a nice ticket.

When looking for our new pickup. I purposely opted for one that is rated for the load. Yes it was an F150 but it has the tow pack. It can handle the passengers and a comfortable 2300 lbs load. So a full ton isn't an issue.

Personnaly I would opt for a trailer that can net weight the 2000 LBS. load. Just to be on the save side. One ticket will be more than the extra cost you would pay for the trailer that will safely handle the full ton load. Otherwise you might have to remove a few bags and transfer them to the vehicle that is doing the towing(Which is another option for you).

jay
 
jtakeman said:
Gio,

The trailer would handle them in short distant trips. But as DOT is the law on the weight issue. If they see tha trailer and they think its over loaded. They may have you go to the scale and give you a nice ticket.

When looking for our new pickup. I purposely opted for one that is rated for the load. Yes it was an F150 but it has the tow pack. It can handle the passengers and a comfortable 2300 lbs load. So a full ton isn't an issue.

Personnaly I would opt for a trailer that can net weight the 2000 LBS. load. Just to be on the save side. One ticket will be more than the extra cost you would pay for the trailer that will safely handle the full ton load. Otherwise you might have to remove a few bags and transfer them to the vehicle that is doing the towing(Which is another option for you).

jay
Thanks jay, That`s the supporting opinion I was looking for.
I could easily take 6-10 bags off the top and put them into the rear of my van to make it safe and legal. I didn`t want to compromise the integrity of the secured wrapped pallet but if I`m careful cutting access to the top layer that shouldn`t hurt it. The load full or partial would have to be strapped down anyway.
My whole point in getting a small trailer would mean I would no longer be at the mercy of the local lumber yard charging $320 a ton and I could take advantage of pellet sales and lower prices in nearby communities.
 
ironpony said:
i think it would be pushing it a little, although with that rating there has to be some safety factor
Thanks for the reply. I`ll bet that Cummins you have don`t have any problem towing a ton or two.
 
My F150 with the 5.4 v8 pulls 4 ton around all over. 56,000 miles pulling pellets now. We load those trailers all the time people usually have flat tires on them to.
 
Gio,
That rating is GVWR... weight of trailer and load. Usually on a trailer withh single axle and no brakes 1000# load limit. ( actual 990#) Short easy distance you can overload, illegally. Be very careful that your tow rig can stop what you are hauling. To be sure if you are in an accident and cops think yur weight was an issue, you will get a nice ticket. What jtakeman said. I put a ton in my 1/2 ton chevy, but if I rear end someone and cop wants to he can write one for overweight. But 1/2 ton in truck and 1/2 ton in trailer, your good to go. I use the shop 1 ton and car trailer to haul 4 tons, 1 in truck and 3 on trailer (7,000# rated trailer ) all OK.

Schoondog
 
Gio said:
.....I`ll bet that Cummins you have don`t have any problem towing a ton or two.

No, that motor makes some good power & torque, but you need ear plugs to own one....I call them Cummins rattletraps.....loudest diesel I ever heard. :ahhh:
 
actually mine is an 03, they made alot of internal changes and fuel curve changes which quieted it down quite a bit.
now my 00, well you cant even think in it, it rattles so bad
but if you need to move a mountain, just hook and go
 
jtakeman said:
The trailer would handle them in short distant trips. But as DOT is the law on the weight issue. If they see tha trailer and they think its over loaded. They may have you go to the scale and give you a nice ticket.

I personally doubt you will EVER be pulled over for being ~300lbs overweight. While technical illegal, its sort of like driving 60mph in a 55mph zone in the middle of a sunny afternoon.

You might get caught by a cop having a bad day who knows what a ton of pellets on a pallet weighs AND looks up your registered weight on his in car computer while following you. If you are towing a pallet of pellets 15 miles 5 times per year, I suspect this will happen on average once every 173 years. ;-)

Next, if you load pallet on the trailer right you'll have 200-250lbs of the weight on the tongue. If they weigh the trailer while its connected to the vehicle... you'll only be be 50-100lbs overweight.

Finally, if you are ticketed it will be a ticket for exceeding REGISTERED weight. The RMV charges $20 per 1000lbs of registered weight on trailers. If you are willing to pay $60 per year instead of $40 per year, you can get it registered for 2999 lbs instead of 2000lbs and you are legal. The fines for being overweight are $30 per 1000lbs or fraction thereof on the Masspike and $40 per 1000lbs or fraction thereof on roads other than the Masspike. If you get caught every year its going to be cheaper to pay the higher registration weight. If you get caught every other year you break even.

To me the only real risk is you MIGHT get 2 points on your license for being overweight, but I'm not sure. If its 100lbs overweight, and you get a lawyer, and you get caught every 173 years as I suspect ... well only you can do that risk assessment.
 
Hey KarlP. You cannot register the trailer for more weght than what its manufacturer has it rated for. You can go less but not more. Just sayin :roll:
 
schoondog said:
Gio,
That rating is GVWR... weight of trailer and load. Usually on a trailer withh single axle and no brakes 1000# load limit. ( actual 990#) Short easy distance you can overload, illegally. Be very careful that your tow rig can stop what you are hauling. To be sure if you are in an accident and cops think yur weight was an issue, you will get a nice ticket. What jtakeman said. I put a ton in my 1/2 ton chevy, but if I rear end someone and cop wants to he can write one for overweight. But 1/2 ton in truck and 1/2 ton in trailer, your good to go. I use the shop 1 ton and car trailer to haul 4 tons, 1 in truck and 3 on trailer (7,000# rated trailer ) all OK.

Schoondog

Good point about the brakes Schoondog!
To karl P,
Thanks for the info which is good to know , just in case. But If I do get a trailer I really don`t see myself going up and down the Ma. pike for the savings of just one ton , but rather for the independency of not being held hostage to the one seller in the area who delivers.
 
Gumby1 said:
You cannot register the trailer for more weght than what its manufacturer has it rated for.

IME, if its less than 3000lbs there is no title and the registered weight is whatever you tell the RMV clerk you want. My experiences were 9 and 11 years ago though so things might have changed.
 
Oh ya. They have changed. Every Motor vehicle and trailer must be titled in Ma. If the trailer is used for business then it also has to be inspected. Not so for private use. But still must be titled
 
I use my old 97 F150 each time i need pellets, tell me does she look like she's scooching a bit???

Deer08005.jpg
 
You can get away with just about anything. John- E- Law will probably not bother you. BUT,.......................God forbid you blow a tire or somehow lose or roll the trailer, or somehow have involvement with someone else going down the road, and the investigation shows your are overloaded; trust me, the few bucks you saved are going to be pale compared to what it will cost you to fix the damage. As well, if your insurance company gets wind (likely from the accident report) that you are overloaded, you will probably find out that they are not going to pay up and it is your problem. Long and short of it, if you wanna haul a ton, then spend the $$$$and by the proper and legal equipment to do it. The choice is yours.
 
Ok here's my take on this. You should look at more than just cost and gvwr. But quality also. look at the gvw 2000# and then look at it's pay load 1700# well that says the trailer weight is 300#, not much in my book. This is a cheap trailer that is for carrying lumber home from Home Depot and not for being over loaded with pellets.

These trailers have a weak spot. The tongue will bend just in front of the bed if over loaded to much.
 
woodsman23 said:
I use my old 97 F150 each time i need pellets, tell me does she look like she's scooching a bit???

Deer08005.jpg

Imagine having to make a emergancy stop with this thing? Brilliant
 
rottiman said:
if your insurance company gets wind (likely from the accident report) that you are overloaded, you will probably find out that they are not going to pay up and it is your problem.

Urban legend. If you pay your premium and being overweight isn't specifically included in the policy, the insurance pays up. Most people know they cover the damage if you hit someone while running a red light, going the wrong way, at three times the BAC limit and three times the speed limit. Why do people think they won't pay up if you are 300lbs overweight?
 
EJW1 said:
Imagine having to make a emergancy stop with this thing? Brilliant

Easy there, EJW1.........if I remember correctly, Woodsman lives pretty close to the plant where he picked them up from.
 
EJW1 said:
woodsman23 said:
I use my old 97 F150 each time i need pellets, tell me does she look like she's scooching a bit???

Deer08005.jpg

Imagine having to make a emergancy stop with this thing? Brilliant

I do concider myself a billiant man and i thank you for noticing that. I live 12 miles from the dry creek plant and it is country back roads all the way. If i even see a car i'd be lucky. I also never go faster than 35mph with the pellets in back. AND if you notice i have the pallet slid all the way back to the gate for easy unloading, while driving it is all the way against the front of the truck bed !!!Brilliant!!! you bet.... (or and it's emergency) brilliant...... relax.... take a breath..... chill....
 
I haul a one ton pallet with my Toyota Tundra 1/2 ton without any problems. I installed a set of "Firestone Ride Rite" air bags and air them up to 90 psi to prevent the sagging you see in that F-150. They also keep the side to side sway to a minimum. Having cut hundreds of cords of green firewood, I quickly learned the advantage of keeping your center of gravity forward. They are easy to install. You can run the schrader valves to the fenders for control of the bags individually, or you can run them into a tee and through the center of the rear license plate as I did so both sides recieve equal pressure.

On another note, for those of you with automatic transmissions with overdrive, lock out your overdrive when hauling heavy loads. The overdrive clusters in your tranny are notoriously weak and should not be subjected to "lagging" in high gear when you are heavy.

Paul V
 
Gio said:
.......and more specifically those who use a trailer or their 1/2-3/4 ton pickup and therefor slightly overload them with a full ton of pellets..
In your opinion would this one below be overtaxed when you consider the weight of the trailer is included in the GVW?



http://www.tractorsupply.com/traile...y-on-4-ft-x-6-ft-trailer-2000-lb-gvwr-1011070

I don't currently have a trailer. I'm looking though. I'm looking at a little larger of a trailer though. I want a 16' utility trailer that has a GVR of ~7000#.

But... I have hauled a ton in the bed of my '09 Toyota Tundra (5.7L w/ tow package). YES, this is PUSHING the limit since the Tundra has a bed capacity of 1600# but I take it VERY easy and only have to travel 7 miles to get the load back home. I put the Tundra in Tow/Haul mode and it performs like a a champ. Hell, I was hauling a ton of pellets in my '06 Tacoma (4.0L) but I wouldn't recommend it....

The real trick (I have found) is to make sure they push the pellets as far in the bed as they can.... to close the the tailgate and the truck will shimmy--not a good feeling! Also, increasing tire PSI does help; make sure you deflate the tires afterwards or you will get some uneven tire wear and the truck will be "bouncy" while unloaded.
 
trbinrat said:
Ok here's my take on this. You should look at more than just cost and gvwr. But quality also. look at the gvw 2000# and then look at it's pay load 1700# well that says the trailer weight is 300#, not much in my book. This is a cheap trailer that is for carrying lumber home from Home Depot and not for being over loaded with pellets.

These trailers have a weak spot. The tongue will bend just in front of the bed if over loaded to much.

Yeah, it`s pretty cheap , wired for lights and all but it`s still rated at 2000 GVW. Believe me , I`m not gonna to overload it.
I have a friend who works there and has the same one. He`s been hauling his pellets 13 miles home with it 3 yrs and his isn`t bent yet.
 
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