TSC or Lowes for pellet trailer

[Pellet-King]

Tonyray for all the hassle and cost's just have your pellet's delivered, you'll waste $100's on a cheap trailer , It's not worth It

 

[coaly]

Ha ha Bridgeman ! I only have a loathing for horse trailers. Seems every customer with a horse trailer skimps on everything from hitch to brake controls. Their wiring is horrible, and you're lucky to have 2 lights work somewhere on it. You would think putting their prize possession in it would warrant a no expense barred attitude, but it seems just the opposite around here.
On the subject of safety chains, make sure they are the right length and always cross them. If it becomes disconnected for any reason, the chains should catch the tongue like a cradle and keep it from digging into the ground. It's also a law in PA.

 

[Arti]

Time for me to put my Penney's worth in this discussion, Don't buy a trailer rent one from U Haul and try it out the first time you haul something then you will know more about trailers and what you really need and want.
I realize that it is money down the drain but it is very little and an education always costs something.
Anyway good luck with the project, Don't let the nay Sayers put down the Toyota they are voicing an opinion with never having the enjoyment of owning one.

 

[alternativeheat]

A trailer without operating gate would be a waste to me. Someday you may want to pick up or move a washer / dryer, fridge, kitchen range........ How would you load these items? Also getting a load of mulch, stone, top soil....... you want to be able to shovel it off the back easily. I'd be lost without one that tilts as well. Lawn tractors, stoves......... my Snow Bear (Canadian) tail gate removes and lays down flat just like the front making it a 14 foot long flat bed.
You want 10% of load weight on tongue to prevent fishtailing on a small trailer. More than that squats lightweight vehicles, (and is usually the hitch weight max. or vertical weight on hitch) less than that, the trailer won't follow straight and true behind you. Some are limited by tire capacity. The larger tire diameter the better due to bearing temperature and wheel speed.
Retired a couple years ago from my own RV business including Reese distributor / installer of weight distributing hitches since 1989.

This is why I like my split gate trailer. When I need to get my garden tractor on I use the whole ramp, pellets I leave it folded in two and drop it to the ground with the half length ramp.

 

[doghouse]

If I'm not mistaken, the trailers from both retailers are made in Texarkana, or somewhere in east Texas. Mine was.

 

[mchasal]

Time for me to put my Penney's worth in this discussion, Don't buy a trailer rent one from U Haul and try it out

Good idea there. I just checked on the pricing and the smallest that can haul a full ton is about $30 a day. That's only $3 more than the registration on my popup camper trailer costs. So if you really only need it to pick up pellets once a year and can do that in a day. It's probably cheaper to rent it when you figure in the other costs of trailer ownership. Of course, once you have a trailer around, you'll find other uses for it.

 

[Tonyray]

I need to put 5 tons in my basement this spring/summer..[acually 4 since have a ton down there]
after I have the hitch/light kit installed, I will check out U-Hauls trailer rent pricing.
either way I go, I do need at least the Hitch/lights.
Knowing lot more now about pellet quality, who knows if this spring or next I might get 4-5 tons from 4 or so different places..HD included ...
don't want to pay the going rate in my area of 65.00 4 or 5 times...
[ my stove dealer, who's prices have jumped alot this year] has his wharehouse close enough to my house that he could almost throw them to me.[ exgaerating but 1/4 mile or so].
still wants 65.00 to deliver minimum 1 ton..that's one reason I want to shop around as prob will not buy from him anymore..same with HD which 1/4 mile opposite direction.
besides, I like the hunt and like to try few different pellet brands each year.

 

[coaly]

Good idea there. I just checked on the pricing and the smallest that can haul a full ton is about $30 a day. That's only $3 more than the registration on my popup camper trailer costs.

No wonder PA roads are falling apart. Our yearly registration is only $6 per axle !

 

[TimfromMA]

Time for me to put my Penney's worth in this discussion, Don't buy a trailer rent one from U Haul and try it out the first time you haul something then you will know more about trailers and what you really need and want.
I realize that it is money down the drain but it is very little and an education always costs something.
Anyway good luck with the project, Don't let the nay Sayers put down the Toyota they are voicing an opinion with never having the enjoyment of owning one.

I will NEVER put down Toyota. My last 4 cars are / were a Toyota. Tercel, Celica, Rav4, Tundra (my currrent vehicle)

 

[Tonyray]

I need to put 5 tons in my basement this spring/summer..[acually 4 since have a ton down there]
after I have the hitch/light kit installed, I will check out U-Hauls trailer rent pricing.
either way I go, I do need at least the Hitch/lights.
Knowing lot more now about pellet quality, who knows if this spring or next I might get 4-5 tons from 4 or so different places..HD included ...
don't want to pay the going rate in my area of 65.00 4 or 5 times...
[ my stove dealer, who's prices have jumped alot this year] has his wharehouse close enough to my house that he could almost throw them to me.[ exgaerating but 1/4 mile or so].
still wants 65.00 to deliver minimum 1 ton..that's one reason I want to shop around as prob will not buy from him anymore.only carries 2 type Energex hardwoods,.same with HD which 1/4 mile opposite direction.
besides, I like the hunt and like to try few different pellet brands each year.

 

[Tonyray]

I will NEVER put down Toyota. My last 4 cars are / were a Toyota. Tercel, Celica, Rav4, Tundra (my currrent vehicle)

4 Subaru's and 1 Toyota truck in past 35 yrs.. traded all 4 Sube's in excellent running condition.

 

[TimfromMA]

I bought pellets this year from a place 1 hour away. I put 3 tons on a borrowed flatbed trailer and pulled it with my truck.

 

[TimfromMA]

I've never had a Toyota die on me. All were traded in excellet working condition.

 

[Tonyray]

I've never had a Toyota die on me. All were traded in excellet working condition.

this '92 Pickup has low 80's in ORIGINAL miles..
bought from Original owner/ older guy who garage kept and barely put 3k a year on it. .
need I mention it runs like new?
people follow me into Convenience stores Offering me at least 5K if I would sell...
lot's are Landscapers whom I guess also like the back cab seat and the History of those older trucks going 300,000 miles or more on Original engine/Tranny. late 80's early 90's..

 

[TimfromMA]

I traded my '07 Rav4 in on my '15 Tundra. The Rav had nearly 250,000 miles on it and I was the original owner.

 

[Tonyray]

Time for me to put my Penney's worth in this discussion, Don't buy a trailer rent one from U Haul and try it out the first time you haul something then you will know more about trailers and what you really need and want.
I realize that it is money down the drain but it is very little and an education always costs something.
Anyway good luck with the project, Don't let the nay Sayers put down the Toyota they are voicing an opinion with never having the enjoyment of owning one.

good Idea about " take it for a spin 1st at U Haul.." as long as I have to hitch/lights installed, that's makes sense..

 

[Tonyray]

Actually the weight should be slightly forward of the axle pivot point. You want about 100- 250 lb of tongue weight on the hitch. This affords proper tracking of the trailer. Centering the weight over the axle is generally a little shy on tongue weight .. When inspecting a trailer design you will see that the axle is rearward of center to the bed of most trailers. They are built that way for a purpose. I've built several trailers and spoke with other trailer builders.about balance as well. The first serious trailer I built was a car hauler with dual axles. You will notice as you move the weight a bit towards the tow vehicle how much more you don't even notice the trailer is behind you other than pulling hills and braking. Tracking becomes more one with the tow vehicle, less sway, less bobbing, assuming everything is in good condition and properly inflated tires.

Tony, I've found tie downs and broken down pellet pallets ( so called half or partial pallets) to be totally useless. The pellets just slide out from under the tie downs. However a whole pallet as it comes purchased from the store I would haul to California and back and it would stay together.. So if you are going to break them down anyway, just go all the way and spread them out between tow vehicle and the trailer bed to meet your GVW. Unless you have a means of re wrapping a 1/2 or 2/3 pallet of pellets ( they do make rolls of pallet wrap, the beverage industry for one industry uses that to hand wrap hand stacked pallets of soda for transport on the bulk soda trucks, which have the same issue over the road of spilling soda cases all over the bed of the truck.. The side loader trailers don't need that as the pallets are better contained on those. I was a fleet mech for 44 years in the beverage industry, fwiw, I've worked on many many trailers of all trypes and description.. Excuse me for trying to instill some credibility into my message LOL !! If you are going to split the load anyway, then the 2000lb payload capacity is irrelevant .But it's very relevant if you want them to slide a ton on and drive away..It's always nice to have a trailer that is a little too beefy for your purpose, then you don't have to think about it. Always think safety, know that thing can blow apart if too light, know that there are others on the road with you, so secure your load by the best means. Now 40 lb bags of pellets aren't blowing out of the bed of your trailer but they can fall there, not a nice scene. Not a nice mess to pick up and not nice as an obstacle course to other drivers either. It's a matter of using common sense.

very good read.. thanks.

 

[tiger]

I have a few things to recommend.

Well-composed collection of caveats there. I learned about Fluid Film, until now never heard of it nor knew I needed it. Sadly, while available from Amazon, not Prime. Bummer.

 

[TimfromMA]

I would suggest trailer brakes if you plan on towing anywhere near the capacity of your vehicle.

 

[Bridgeman]

Fluid Film is great stuff. I'm in the bridge fixing business and we use it by the gallon. We use it on the bridges, all the equipment and undercoat the trucks with it. I will warn you that the smell is vile. It smells like a truckload of dead sheep to me. Others don't seem to mind it. I refuse to let them use it on my take home company truck.
It works very well as a rust preventer however. Better than anything I have ever used.
Who will be the first to use it to coat their stove interior for the summer? I'm sure it would work extremely well in that application if you don't mind the stink.

 

[MadMax31]

You want clown fodder? head over to weldingweb and check out any trailer build thread. Its hilarious at the staggering amount of Internet Engineers...

 

[alternativeheat]

I would suggest trailer brakes if you plan on towing anywhere near the capacity of your vehicle.

I doubt there is a 4x6 trailer anywhere in the US hauling over the road that has trailer brakes or even the attaching flanges to mount brakes on to. Not in the class of trailer he is looking at anyway.

Never tailgate when towing trailers, there is that added push. Same with big tractor trailer rigs and they have all wheel braking. You gotta love the people who cut them off, if they only knew they don't stop anything like your average car.

 

[Tonyray]

As the OP, got to say a lot of good info in this thread...
reminds me of the pellet debates with half loving certain pellet and other half calling the same pellets crap.
["u should not really have any problem with the 4x6 trailer" to " I would never attempt that with a 4x6 trailer"
all in all, lot of good tips in the thread.. so in response to a few as why I want a trailer:

1] if a certain pellet brand is at a good price a good distance away, I don't want to pay 65.00 delivery for that 1 ton and my truck alone will not handle 1 ton weight.

2] could easily get my 5 tons from 1 place and pay 1 delivery charge but I like the hunt...especially after I start getting some room
back in basement after ton or 2 burned....[Always will be on the lookout all year around]..
With a Harman Free standing I don't see it necessary to be limited to any pellet brand..mostly it's a matter of price and less Ash criteria.

3] do Not plan on towing a full ton in a 4x6 Trailer.... will open top of skid and pull 10 bags/400 lbs off and put in my truckbed.
better weight distribution.with pallet pushed forward to eliminate negative tongue weight...The Pallet will still be shrink-wrapped and should hold fine with ratchet straps and eliminate slip/side.

4] Have a very heavy Generac Generator among other things that I get serviced periodically... trailer will make transport easier.

5] One of the best advice posts I got here is one I plan to follow and that was to rent a 4x6 trailer from U-Haul for 1st time pellet haul to get the feel
and see how my Toyota handles the whole Trailer/pellet trip...Would be the deciding factor I;m sure.

6] should have mentioned this before but I am Retired Boomer with lot of time so gathering all my Nuts for winter in One Shot is Not a priority or necessary..
thanks all for your great input....

 

[MarkF48]

In April I ordered my pellets and coal for a late summer fall delivery. The dealer had a 1/2 price on delivery going on for an early buy, which for me was $35 to deliver 3 tons of pellets and 1.2 tons of coal (4 pallets total) placed behind my barn. The $35 is more than worth it to me to not have to go somewhere and load pellets to a trailer or truck and then unload them at home. I don't know if other dealers offer delivery like this, but I would certainly look for a dealer that did.

 

[Tonyray]

In April I ordered my pellets and coal for a late summer fall delivery. The dealer had a 1/2 price on delivery going on for an early buy, which for me was $35 to deliver 3 tons of pellets and 1.2 tons of coal (4 pallets total) placed behind my barn. The $35 is more than worth it to me to not have to go somewhere and load pellets to a trailer or truck and then unload them at home. I don't know if other dealers offer delivery like this, but I would certainly look for a dealer that did.

not in may area...
even HD is 65.00 delivery, although that covers 1 ton or more on same drop.