Trailer capacity

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Bwhunter85

Feeling the Heat
Aug 21, 2010
259
Sunfield, MI
Picked up this trailer to haul my polaris Ranger. GVWR is 2990 pounds and trailer itself is 950 pounds, so that gives me a little over 2000 pounds of payload to safely haul. Curious if I'd be safe to throw a face cord of ash/soft maple and drive 5 miles? I know, hard to tell what wood would weight, but thinking I'd be good.
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Should be fine, keep an eye on the tire/fender clearance.
 
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A full cord of green hardwood is around 4000 pounds so should be ok with a face cord.
 
I have a similar trailer 4 X8 inside. 6 Ply, 13 inch tires at 75 PSI. I think it rated 1200 LBS load. I fill it level with the closed sides. I watch the tongue weight dosen't become to much. If so I load a bit more in back of the trailer tires. If your hauling splits watch those open sides. You don't want splits all over the road.
 
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Only going 5 miles I would just load as much as would fit on it. Had the frame sitting on the axle a few times, never hurt my trailer any.

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Only going 5 miles I would just load as much as would fit on it. Had the frame sitting on the axle a few times, never hurt my trailer any.

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But it WILL bend the axle!
My brother had 2 tons on my 3k trailer, the wheels now have a camber issue.
 
Just be mindful of bad weather and the fact that without trailer brakes, stopping distance will be increased in a panic or slippery condition especially.
 
Along with the above... if a trailer does get overloaded all it takes is one bump to bend that axle...

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Yea when the trailer is loaded I worry about breaking springs. I avoid every bump. But the trailer is a great solution. It's the pickup truck I don't have.
 
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Be smart. Loat it untill it looks at capacity if you only going 5 miles than its prettu easy to do a 2nd trip if needed. Is just not good practice to over load. You can bend a axle, most likely its not going to be good for the tow vehicle assuming its an SUV or small truck..
 
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Be smart. Loat it untill it looks at capacity if you only going 5 miles than its prettu easy to do a 2nd trip if needed. Is just not good practice to over load. You can bend a axle, most likely its not going to be good for the tow vehicle assuming its an SUV or small truck..
Tow vehicle is GMC k1500 5.7l vortec

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Went light with the first load. Icy roads can scare a man to death pulling a trailer!!View attachment 236968

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Not once you are used to them.
I used to feel the same way driving an 18 wheeler on ice,now a pickup and trailer dosn't even raise the heartbeat on ice.
Icy roads are a fact of life up here,you either learn to drive or you spend your winters at home watching the world go by.
 
Ya winter towing does not bother me... just need to remember not to panic.

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We used to get rides to school (35 miles) from the truckers that ran the road our highway lodge was on.
One trucker who was showing me how to drive a semi and he let me drive when i was 14 told me
"truckin is long stretches of boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror".
And that is pretty much it.
 
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