Trailer Weight

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jasunderland
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:59 am
Location: Wolcottville, IN

Trailer Weight

Postby jasunderland » Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:09 am

Looking for some help on a trailer I am thinking of buying:

it is a 14' Tadem Axle trailer. Looks like a car hauler.
This summer I pulled a 16' trailer that was a tadem axle and was super heavy. Does anyone have any idea from these pic what they guess this weighs?

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The seller said the capacity is 5K lbs. It has brakes on it as well. The wood sides come off so it is a flat bed. I am going go use it to haul Motorcycles and just odds and ends. I figure it is probably heavier duty then I would need, but I dont think the V8 would have any problem pulling it.

Thoughts?
Last edited by jasunderland on Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:50 am, edited 1 time in total.


skinny2
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Postby skinny2 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:18 am

Looks like a heavy trailer for sure. My 12' single-axle is about 1,100#. I'm betting that one goes 2,200-2,500#. You'll be ok with the V8 just so you load it properly. I don't care if the PF had a V12...it's still a smaller chassis than a full-size and won't tow as securely as something bigger. It does a good job though but I won't tow anywhere near the max rating with mine.

jasunderland
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:59 am
Location: Wolcottville, IN

Postby jasunderland » Mon Jan 10, 2011 6:55 am

skinny2 wrote:Looks like a heavy trailer for sure. My 12' single-axle is about 1,100#. I'm betting that one goes 2,200-2,500#. You'll be ok with the V8 just so you load it properly. I don't care if the PF had a V12...it's still a smaller chassis than a full-size and won't tow as securely as something bigger. It does a good job though but I won't tow anywhere near the max rating with mine.
Thanks for the assesment. I do not plan on hauling any cars with it or anyting. Mainly a mower, 3 or 4 motorcycles... that kind of thing.

Might be a dumb question, but if it is rated at 5K lbs, does that mean the load + the trailer weight =5000lbs or is that just the load?

The weight of all 4 bikes is about 2000 lbs.

skinny2
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Postby skinny2 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 7:39 am

Typically the weights are based on axle ratings. 5k is kind of a strange rating...that would be two 2,500# axles. Usually individual axles on a stout trailer like this would be 3,500# so a tandem will have a 7,000# rating. Some of the smaller, very light-weight trailers (like lowes carries) can have lighter axles but

My single-axle has one 3,500# axle which gives me about 2,400# capacity if I want to stay within the specs of the trailer. I also have a double-axle which is rated 7,000# but I've never weighed it empty. You should be fine regardless based on what you're hauling.

rlh2005
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Location: Fredericksburg, VA

Postby rlh2005 » Mon Jan 10, 2011 8:48 am

The trailer's tare (empty) and gross weights should be either stamped in the metal or on a label affixed to the trailer -- along with the VIN. If stamped, it's often on the A-frame near the coupler.

I would also think the axles would have their capacity labeled/stamped on them since you could change the axles. Of course, I could put two 10,000# axles on a trailer but that doesn't mean the trailer as a whole could carry 20,000#.

jasunderland
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:59 am
Location: Wolcottville, IN

Postby jasunderland » Mon Jan 10, 2011 10:50 am

skinny2 wrote:Typically the weights are based on axle ratings. 5k is kind of a strange rating...that would be two 2,500# axles. Usually individual axles on a stout trailer like this would be 3,500# so a tandem will have a 7,000# rating. Some of the smaller, very light-weight trailers (like lowes carries) can have lighter axles but
I read his e-mail wrong... the seller said "The trailer is approximatly 5K capacity. I have it plated at 7k."
I thought he ment it was rated at 5K lbs, but after what you say, the trailer weighs ~2000 lbs the axles are prolly 3500lbs or 7K which gives me a load of 5K lbs.

Makes more sense now.

driftedoffroad
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Location: NJ

Postby driftedoffroad » Thu Jan 13, 2011 1:29 pm

That thing should tow it great. I have a 16' car hauler and with my car loaded I'm at about 4500lbs. You definitely feel it but it still tows well, I would like to see how the V8 feels though :)

jasunderland
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:59 am
Location: Wolcottville, IN

Postby jasunderland » Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:47 pm

driftedoffroad wrote:That thing should tow it great. I have a 16' car hauler and with my car loaded I'm at about 4500lbs. You definitely feel it but it still tows well, I would like to see how the V8 feels though :)
We towed a 16' car hauler with 3 motorcycles and gear on it and the Pathy loved it... getting on highways from on ramps was no problem at all. And the tounge weight on that thing was something that I could not lift.

On the 14' trailer pictured, I was able to lift the tounge... that was my biggest concern.

i am picking it up tomrrow and will post more pics.

jasunderland
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:59 am
Location: Wolcottville, IN

Postby jasunderland » Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:52 am

Well I picked up the trailer last week and got it home. Looks good and doesnt need much work at all.

The one fender needs a little patching, but it pulled real nice.

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