What do you have for a Trailer?

[Handy Don 12,202]

9 minutes ago, squonk said:

I love to see "Well Enjoyed" cement mixers bee-bopping down the Thruway at 70+MPH!  

It has long made me wonder why there isn’t a license “endorsement” for pulling a trailer along with a test like the one you took to get your license in the first place. The NY Boating Safety course (required to operate any motorized watercraft in NY) includes a nice chunk on loading and launching best practices.

[Achto 27,562]

@BillD One suggestion I will make when it comes to trailer construction, buying or building. Trailers that use a steel tube construction, these may seem like a good strong construction and they are. Here is the issue with them - There is no way to properly paint the inside of the tubing. They collect moisture through condensation, rain, etc. This causes them to rust from the inside out, so you often don't notice that it is happening until your frame breaks. 

 

How do I know this?? I had a flat bed utility trailer that used square tubing for the main frame construction. One day the frame broke right in front of one the spring shackles. A few taps on the out side with a pick hammer proved that the rest of the frame was not in sound shape either. I have also seen this issue multiple times with boat trailers that use a tube construction. 

 

The trailer that I built is made with 3" C-channel that has a 5/16" wall, all of the angle iron has 1/4" wall, and the tubing and angle for the tongue has 5/16" walls. Over kill??? Maybe, and it does weight 900lbs empty but I have no worries when it comes to frame failure.  

[953 nut 55,156]

4 hours ago, Achto said:

More than likely. You can get larger home made trailers titled & register in WI but there are hoops to jump through, receipts to go through, and a state patrol inspection required

My home made trailer I built in Florida only required an annual registration, no inspection, no title, not even a VIN. ( all about the $$$$) When I moved to NC and wanted to register it I was assigned a North Carolina VIN number which I was to stamp into the trailer tongue and some paperwork that needed to be signed by a NC Highway Patrolman. My little rural county doesn't have a NCHP station so I asked how this was to be done. I was told to tow the trailer around until I saw a NCHP car and flag them down.       Spoke to a local policeman and he said just park it near the county courthouse any Monday since several NCHP officers would be there as trial witnesses. Sure enough, the first one I asked looked at the paperwork, asked if the NCVIN was on the tongue, I responded yes and he signed the paperwork without ever seeing the trailer. Got the title and lifetime registration for less than one year's FL registration.

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

2 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

Here in Maine. Easy. 

Is this why most of the semi trailers I see have Maine tags?

[ebinmaine 67,391]

6 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

Is this why most of the semi trailers I see have Maine tags?

 

Thats a different reason. 

 

Maine requires less or no inspection depending on class. 

Longer registered times. 

Average to lower initial fees.  

 

Semi trailers would be unlikely to be homemade. They'd be required to have safety inspections. At what interval I'm not sure.  

 

Trailers under 2K or maybe 3.5K registered weight and privately owned don't get inspections.  

 

 

 

[kpinnc 11,982]

My only suggestion is to stay above 5 feet on the width. My trailer is 5x10, so nothing with a 60 inch deck will fit on it. Smaller round hoods will fit side by side, but only one if something like a C series or classic. I have transported two tractors but only by turning one sideways and wedging it between the rails. No fun getting it out…

 

I wish my trailer was at least 6x12. I could trade up, but it’s hard to find another with a solid steel floor as I have now. It was home built and is much heavier built than trailers in its size range. 

[Handy Don 12,202]

1 minute ago, kpinnc said:

stay above 5 feet on the width

Depending on your tow vehicle, load capacity, total weight, and brakes also are a factor.

I have had one round hood and one 312-H with a deck together on my un-braked 5x8. It was VERY tight and approaching the max capacity.

 

[kpinnc 11,982]

19 minutes ago, Handy Don said:

Depending on your tow vehicle, load capacity, total weight, and brakes also are a factor.

I have had one round hood and one 312-H with a deck together on my un-braked 5x8. It was VERY tight and approaching the max capacity.

Good point. I sometimes forget plenty of people drive cars. My wife and I both have pickups so a trailer isn’t usually an issue. My truck is the smaller of the two (Tacoma V6), but still has no problem with 6000+lbs. I also have a trailer brake controller that is very helpful when it’s time to stop. 
 

The best trailer I ever pulled with my truck was a 7x14 Hudson with electric brakes. It was wide enough to see down both sides in the side mirrors, and handled very well. 

Edited 21 hours ago by kpinnc

[ri702bill 8,309]

7 hours ago, Handy Don said:

includes a nice chunk on loading and launching best practices.

Something to behold at the public Boat Ramp, for sure. If I go fishing with my SIL & Grandsons and there anything cold left to drink, we humor ourselves watching the actions (antics??) of other guys launching or loading. Some folks got it, some never will.....

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

6 hours ago, ri702bill said:

, we humor ourselves watching the actions (antics??) of other guys launching or loading

Yep, I've watched some funny, some sad and some scary scenes on the ramps.

[ML3 1,193]

I worked at a local marina when I was in middle school during summer break. I collected $5 (shows how old I am at that price!) ramp fee & had to verify passes on the prepaid unlimited customers. It was always great entertainment. Saw plenty of tow vehicles end up in the river, bumper damage from jack knifing trailer, etc. Working there & moving boats/trailers around I had mastered my trailer skills long before I had a drivers license.  

[Ed Kennell 38,113]

6 minutes ago, ML3 said:

It was always great entertainment.

A couple of my faves.

A 30 footer coming in hot, hit the trailer perfect.   But, the coupler wasn't latched and the trailer tongue lifted off the ball and punched a hole in the new F-250s tail gate.

A 24 footer came i with the anchor dangling on 4 feet of line off the pulpit roller. Yep, it hit the  winch stand and punched a hole in the bow.

A guy backed his cruiser in with his wife at the helm.  He yelled back it off.   Nothing.   He kept screaming..give it more gas.    She did and the boat and trailer swung 90 degrees to the truck.

The transom straps were still on.

[Mike'sHorseBarn 2,998]

20 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Because it's homemade?

 

Yea, you used to be able to title what they call a "special construction" trailer, but now if it didn't come from the factory with a title you can forget getting one. If it's on the road it needs a title and tags minus log splitters and things like that.

[WHX?? 48,813]

It can be like going crazy in a silo without a corner to poop in figuring out all the different trailering in different states. 

 

My size is 6x10 or 12. Not too big not too small. 10 by can easily get 4 short frames on ... 12 by 4 long frames on. Just right for hauling a single mowing tractor down the road or those quick midnight scores ...

All gets back to Richard's post on what will you be using it for. Not a fan of renting... not around when you need it. 

[Keaton 432]

we have always had a 24 foot car trailer to haul stuff we have bought, a few years back we bought a 24-foot full tiltbed trailer and we attached a winch, I got a allis Chalmers a few weeks back and it did not roll so we just hooked it up and drug it right up, but that's a real fancy setup that we just have had, we need a smaller trailer for me to get all my things, we will get one sometime 

[953 nut 55,156]

12 hours ago, kpinnc said:

My wife and I both have pickups so a trailer isn’t usually an issue. My truck is the smaller of the two (Tacoma V6), but still has no problem with 6000+lbs

         In North Carolina if the total weight of the truck, trailer, occupants and cargo exceeds 9,000 pounds you will need a "Weighted Tag" which is inexpensive compared to the fines you could be hit with.   

27 minutes ago, WHX?? said:

All gets back to Richard's post on what will you be using it for. Not a fan of renting... not around when you need it.

Agree 100%.   You can own a handy low priced trailer but if the need (Desire) arises to tow the high dollar "BIG TEX 30SV" trailer that started this whole discussion then renting it should be considered.       

[kpinnc 11,982]

52 minutes ago, 953 nut said:

In North Carolina if the total weight of the truck, trailer, occupants and cargo exceeds 9,000 pounds you will need a "Weighted Tag" which is inexpensive compared to the fines you could be hit with.   

Agreed. Of course these days I never come close to that weight anymore. Back when I cut wood for my stove? I probably exceeded that regularly.