I need a trailer

Clearly tongue weight is an issue. I take along an old bath room scale. Then when I get the load on I check the tongue weight and adjust as necessary. The last load I had on it was a '50 8N with a 19-8A loader.

-- Click image for full size view. --

With the rear wheels right at the back edge of the trailer and the bucket front only a foot or so over the front edge, I had about 120# on the tongue. My reciever for the hitch is very low so I don't like a lot of tongue weight lowering the rear of the wagon.

It would be nice to have an extra foot in length, may be two, IF I could get that with out adding much weight to the unloaded trailer weight. But I don't use it that much, have less that 12,000 miles on it. That is three round trips to Iowa, one to NY and PA each plus about six local trips.

For me the BIG difference between a single and a tandom axle is the tracking. There is essentially NO resistance to turning with the single. BUT a tandom wants to go straight, PERIOD! You have to skid (all be it a little at a time) the tires to turn - JUST like a skid steer loader, look at the similarities, two FIXED axles with FIXED wheels on them. My Furry wagon is a "tank" - sort of - BUT as far as fighting with a loaded tandom axle trailer, it a feather weight. Gotta' have a Pick'um Up to pull a tandom which I don't have, don't want, and mostly don't need. :-)

Like Dell, I can't say enough about tying down your load. I have multiple chains in varying lengths so I can pick the ones that fit the best. And even then I use hairpins instead of cotter pins on the pins thru the grab hooks so I can easily move a hook to the best location. Then I have screw style load binder that I use to get the chains "string plucking" tight, not one of those cheaper over center sytles. The over center style requires that you pull the load tighter than it will finally be, some thing that is not easy for me (at 5'8", 135#), and if it is too tight backing down one link sometimes will be a little too slack. Now I do have two over center binders I picked up when CT went out of business and I do use them sometimes to take the inital slack out of the chains, but the final tensioning is done with the screw binder.

I have been know to take over an hour to tie a load down, which frustrates my buddy. But my loads are usually as tight when I get there as when I started! Only when a load has a lot of "bends" in the chain as it goes over stuff, will it loosen up. Those kind of loads I check after going down the road a few miles letting the bouncing work the chains. After I retighten the load it then stays!!

It hard to be too safe!
So, BE SAFE!
Regards,
Larry

General consensus is dual axle w/electric brakes 16 foot 7000# GVW flatbed. This allows room for trailer tongue weight ballance and any mounted implements. N.B...Most of your N-Tractor weight (about 85%) is centered on rear axle and you'll beable to get your rear axle centered OVER the trailers dual axles with a 16' trailer.

Once you get your trailer and tractor mounted up and ballanced, MARK-IT!!! Use at least 3 tiedowns. Stretch the tractor fore/aft with a come-along or chain binder. And tie it DOWN to the deck with a strap OVER the tranny. I've been stuck in traffic too many times because some backhoe loader bounced off the trailer into the middle of the freeway.

While you "might be tempted" by a 5000# GVW trailer, or 10' trailer because tractor is only 115" long..... ..DON'T. Trailer's gonna weigh close to 2000# and tractor gonna be close to 3000#. And you need some jockey room to get the necessary tongue weight so the trailer doesn't wagg the truck going down the highway.

Someone once said, you can never have a trailer too big. But seriously, 16' is good size for lotta things. Howsomevers: most car haulin' trailers are 20-22' and they'll work just fine haulin' your N-Tractor too.

Your Ford 3/4T Powerstroke won't even know anything is back there. While I can't recommend any Maryland/Virginia trailer dealers, I can recommend you "go shopping" 'cuz now you know what to buy.

Sometimes you get "lucky" and can find a "used trailer", but most people never sell their trailer once they've bought it, it just sets in the backyard "cuz ya never know when ya'll need a trailer"..... ....Dell

I bought mine in Gathersburg in 1988. It is a single axle 12' electric brake rated for 5000# GVW - the trailer it's self is 1000#. I pulled my Uncle's 8N75381 back from Iowa with the double bottom plow and sickle bar mower for it on the same load. Pulled with a 1970 Plymouth station Wagon with a 318 in it. I just used the same "rig" to pull a Ford 3000 from New Market to my farm south of Front Royal.

I looked up the company, it is C & C Industries, 8255 Beachcraft Ave. Gathersburg. Phone 301/921-0014.

NOW, if you wouldn't mine a used 16' trailer. I have a buddy with one that has talked like he'd like to sell it. email me - and don't forget to modify the email address - I have "garbage" added to mess up the spamers.

Regards,
Larry