Utility trailer - a wish list

[Ashful]

After years of borrowing and renting utility trailers, I'm finally going to break down and buy my own. Now the question is... what type?

Hauling vehicle: Ram 1500 SLT 4x4 with electronic trailer brake controller.

Hauling needs:

6+ cords of wood per year, usually done all in one or two days.
5 - 10 yards mulch (I actually buy 30 - 40 yards, but tri-axle delivers the first 25)
Stone for various projects, although my mason usually moves for me, or I can pay delivery.
Utility Tractor: 5' W x 14' L x 3000 lb.
Mower: 60" Z-Trak
Misc. machinery (not frequent, could rent)

I was leaning toward a tandem-axle solid-side landscape trailer. That means special order, since no one stocks the solid-side trailers, around here. Something like this:

Unfortunately, I have six or eight cords sitting in a friends field he wants moved now, and these trailers are five weeks out on delivery.

If I go with what's stocked at local dealers, it would be the same with open sides. That means no moving mulch or loose material, but do I really want to shovel mulch out of a trailer, anyway???

I could pretend I'm going to make up solid sides (wood), to fit an open-side trailer, but would probably never get around to it, given my perpetual list of irons in the fire.

Final option is nice for moving material like mulch and gravel, and could haul tractor, but finding one in the footprint I need to fit the tractor means GVWR = 14,000 lb... which is way heavy for a 1/2 ton truck.

Price isn't number one consideration, but the dump trailers are also 2x the cost of the other two options. I could pay for an awful lot of mulch delivery, for the added cost of that trailer, and save myself the time of fetching it.

Thoughts?

 

[HybridFyre]

I would go for a brimar dump trailer. Take good care of it and they are good for a long long time and they are so utilitarian. I have one on my short list of pickups too.

Also...30-40 yards of mulch??? Yikes


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[Jags]

Solid sides is a requirement of mine for wood hauling, mulch, stone or dirt. I think you are on the right path with the first pic. I had one similar but it was a 20Ft superwide with a 7000# payload. Heck of a nice trailer (added a 10,000# winch to the front end), but found it was really too big for what I needed. That - and I found I was hauling more of other peoples stuff than my own. And of course there were those that wanted to borrow it, but had no way of pulling it (I also have a heavy sprung 1/2 ton Dodge).

 

[Halligan]

I vote option one or three. An open sided trailer is pretty useless for hauling anything other than lawnmowers and tractors. On my little 5x10 I have expanded steel sides which helps to contain my wood or mulch. I would love a dump trailer but the cost for me is too much for the occasional use it would see.

 

[greg13]

Dump trailers make horrible Equipment trailers. First the ramps are too steep and loading is dangerous at best. second usually the axle is too far back to get a 60/40 weight distribution. Trust me we have customers in and out of the yard all day and I have had to pick way too many machines off the ground on their sides that have either flipped or slid sideways.

I would go with a flat trailer with stake pockets so you can add sides when you need them.

Keep in mind that it is still only a half ton pickup, check the tow rating of the truck first. We have people that come in all the time with half ton trucks and think they can haul 12000 lbs. Ya you may be able to pull it, but stopping it and controlling it is another story.

 

[Ashful]

Thanks, guys. I agree, the equipment moving aspect it was turns me off the dump. Only advantage to the dump is that I can unload firewood and mulch in a hurry.

One thing I need to check on these solid side trailers (my local dealer carries Belmont) have load rings in the floor, so I have a good low spot for strapping the tractor in place. Car haulers are ideal for that, but not practical for my needs.

The trailers I'm considering are all 82" x 14' or 16' bed (102" x 20' LOA) and all 7000# GTWR. The truck is a 2005 Dodge 1500 SLT 4x4 with trailer brakes and factory tow package. I'm having a lot of trouble finding towing capacity information on this vehicle, as Dodge has removed all Ram Truck info from their site, and Ram Trucks has no info on vehicles before 2015. Owner's manual has nothing but useless generic towing advice, no specific capacities. I seem to remember this truck being rated at 10,000 lb. towing capacity, and this agrees with the 2016 Ram 1500 SLT towing capacity of 10,800, but I wish I could find something definitive on my truck.

 

[Ashful]

A few more clues:

1. From original window sticker: Hitch - Class IV Receiver
2. From owner's manual: With a Class IV Hitch, you can tow a trailer with a GTW of up to 12,000 lbs. maximum depending on your vehicle equipment.

Well, wouldn't the company writing this Owner's Manual know my "vehicle equipment" better than me? Gotta love Dodge.

edit: This link gives some info, but it's based on knowing GCWR, which is not listed in door or owner's manual. Also, it lists ratings for 3.55 and 3.92 axles, but my bill of sale calls out a 3.31 axle. (broken link removed to http://www.dodge.com/towing/D/vehicle_2_weight_results.jsp?franchise=D&year=5&familyMarket=U&familyDivision=T&vehicleFamily=RAM_1500&model=1500+SLT&bdy_style=U%255ET%255ERAM_1500%255E5%255E1500+SLT%255EQUAD+CAB%255E4WD&bed_wheel=U%255ET%255ERAM_1500%255E5%255E1500+SLT%255EQUAD+CAB%255E4WD%255E6.25+FT+Bed&engine_trans=U%255ET%255ERAM_1500%255E5%255E1500+SLT%255EQUAD+CAB%255E4WD%255E6.25+FT+Bed%255E4.7L+Magnum%2528R%2529+V8+Engine%255E6-Speed+Manual+Transmission)

 

[Jags]

I think mine is rated for 9800# from the factory for a half ton, but mine also has 3/4 ton springs. Dunno why - they are factory. My dealer says it was spec'd for the truck but has no other explanation.

 

[greg13]

One other thing on your "wants list" is a wood deck. If you use chains to secure things a metal deck will make your ears ring when you throw chains around on it, Plus it is much easier to redeck a wood deck rather than steel. If you Have a Felling dealer near you, take a look at them. They are a rental grade trailer and they do stand behind them.
http://www.felling.com/

 

[Montanalocal]

You could look into a loadhandler. They are made for pickups, but I bet they could be adapted for a trailer. I have one and they do work, but you have to limit the load of heavy things like gravel.

http://www.loadhandler.com

 

[Ashful]

Thanks, guys. Yes, definitely wood deck.

Been looking more at the truck spec's, and while the 5.7 liter version of my truck (which is identical in every damn way but displacement) is rated over 7000#, my 4.7 liter-powered version is only rated 5000#. Not really an issue, as it's a temporary situation (I will be replacing this truck, soon), and I can just run light loads on the trailer for the time-being.

Unless someone gives me good reason to go another way, I'll be ordering a 6 x 16 with solid sides tomorrow. I'll check out Felling and Loadhandler, but will be going with what the local dealers have, which mostly seems to be Belmont and Big Tex.

 

[Jazzberry]

Thanks, guys. Yes, definitely wood deck.

Been looking more at the truck spec's, and while the 5.7 liter version of my truck (which is identical in every damn way but displacement) is rated over 7000#, my 4.7 liter-powered version is only rated 5000#. Not really an issue, as it's a temporary situation (I will be replacing this truck, soon), and I can just run light loads on the trailer for the time-being.

Unless someone gives me good reason to go another way, I'll be ordering a 6 x 16 with solid sides tomorrow. I'll check out Felling and Loadhandler, but will be going with what the local dealers have, which mostly seems to be Belmont and Big Tex.

Motors aren't what rates the gvw. Brakes and suspension first on my list. Pulling is easy. Stopping not so much.

 

[therdlesstravld]

For my money Id go with the dump trailer and modify the ramps and tie down points to fit my equipment moving needs.

ive also got a 1/2 ton (Toyota Tundra) and I plan to put airbags and some beefier brakes on it just for peace of mind.

 

[Boiler74]

I would not be without my dump trailer. It's only 5x10 so no equipment hauling. But dang it's handy.

 

[Jags]

Not familiar with Blemont, but Big Tex is a well respected brand and of the better built trailers I have seen.

 

[Ashful]

Not familiar with Blemont, but Big Tex is a well respected brand and of the better built trailers I have seen.

Yeah, I was bummed when my local dealer stopped carrying Big Tex. They implied they were having delivery problems, but maybe it was just the cost of freighting them fro Texas. Belmont is a local company, who seems to have good product.

 

[Ashful]

For my money Id go with the dump trailer and modify the ramps and tie down points to fit my equipment moving needs.

You're not going to pull a 16 foot dump loaded with a utility tractor with a 1/2 ton pickup. So we're not just talking about the $5k increase of dump vs landscape, in this size. I'd need a heavier truck.

 

[Montanalocal]

The loadhandler is not a brand of trailer, it is a crank off system for unloading pickups. The guys at loadhandler said that people have modified them to work on trailers by bolting the mounting brackets of their large model directly to the back of a trailer.

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[woodhog73]

Just a general thought not directed at anyone specific just in general it amazes me how many people think a 1/2 ton pickup is large for work duty and what they try to tow with them.

I know a farmer who thinks nothing of hooking up a 5th wheel flat bed trailer and towing a tractor combined weight easily 15,000 lbs or more with a 1/2 ton. Claims it's fine. It tows it. But it's also will not stop as safely, and is putting a lot of wear and tear on the truck.

Clearly a 3/4 or 1 ton is made for this type of work. There's a reason heavier duty trucks exist. A 1/2 ton is light duty better geared for home owner uses, firewood scrounging, people not using the truck to make a living with, etc

Just my opinion.

I personally would love having a dump trailer. But if I was only going to have 1 trailer I would rather have a flat utility trailer.

 

[Ashful]

Agreed, @woodhog73. I bought the 1/2 ton back when I was too young and poor to afford two vehicles, so it had to serve both as a commuter car for my day job, and weekend warrior vehicle. Now that I have a sedan for (fair weather) commuting, I'll be able to replace that 1/2 ton with something geared just toward hauling and bad weather driving. I will be shopping 2500's, when I replace it.

I did have a chance to give the Belmonts a closer look as this is what my local Big Tex dealer just switched to. They come up short of the Big Tex 70TV-16 on a lot of points, so I'm passing on them. Looks like I'm back to square one on finding a brand/dealer. I pinged a few other Big Tex dealers, to see if any might have stock, to make it worth the long drive to go get them, so I might get lucky there.

I checked the Felling site, @greg13, but couldn't find any landscape / utility trailers there.

As to dump trailers, they'd make a great third trailer, the first being occupied by my boat. I don't think I can count on a dump trailer for much of what I need it for.

 

[greg13]

It took some but I did find the small utility trailers. Not the greatest of sites.
http://www.felling.com/trailers/construction/drop-deck-lines/light-utility-drop-decks/

 

[BenTN]

come visit the mountains and bring one of these home with you. great company with good products.

http://www.hursttrailers.net/tandem-axle-utility/

 

[Ashful]

Big Tex 70TV-16 on order. Optioned brakes on both axles (req'd in PA), and mounted spare tire. They already had one in stock in TX, and a trailer load scheduled for delivery in two weeks, so I'll be getting it soon!

Now to pick a new brake controller...


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[Creekside]

I'd recommend a Prodigy P2 or P3 if you want to spend the money.

 

[Ashful]

Thanks for the recommendation, but I already bought the Big Tex 70TV-16. I don't usually debate on these decisions very long!

It was supposed to arrive this week, so I could go pick it up this Saturday, but now I'm told the truck is delayed a few days. Should have it by next weekend.