# Trailer question



## Loader (Aug 26, 2010)

I have a 96 dodge 2500 Cummins and want to pull a mini excavator with it (11,000#). I was wondering if I should get a gooseneck trailer or will a class 5 hitch be ok? The only concern I have with the class 5 hitch is that the frame on the truck is fairly rusty. Also has anyone had any experiences pulling a med-small size dozer with a 3/4 ton pickup. (John Deere 450). I saw a F-250 with a gooseneck pulling a cat d-5. wondering if i will be ok doing the same with my truck. Any advice would be appreciated!


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## bhock (Feb 17, 2009)

Probably put you overweight. I have seen it done plenty of times, but don't think its a good idea.


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

What is the GCVW of your tow vehicle?
They got grocery getters pulling 5th wheels.
Just because it rolls doesn't mean it's safe to tow.
There is a reason there are big trucks on the road.


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## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

Getting something rolling isn't usually the problem, it's stopping it. Should the trailer either have no brakes or the brakes fail, your truck has to have the weight and braking capacity to bring your load to a stop.

Having said that, the type of trailer you choose will affect maneuverability and the towing capacity of the truck. Bumper towed trailers lever the load behind the tow axle, limiting both tow and tongue weights. Even with load leveling hitches, there are a lot of limitations. A goose neck will place that weight forward of the tow axle for better handling, maneuverability, weight distribution, and tow capacity.

I'd check the load/tow capacity of the truck and see if it's up to the task. An 11k excavator that sits atop a 5000 pound or greater trailer is quite the load for the average 3/4 ton truck. There's also the question of the engine size and the gear ratio for towing. I wouldn't even think of trying to move a 17,525 pound dozer with a pick-up.:shutup: It's probably about time to start looking at a tractor/trailer set up to move your equipment.


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

An 11k ex is going to overload your typical 14k equipment trailer. But not by much. You would have to put a lot of tongue weight on the truck to be legal on the trailer. And the Class IV hitch isn't going to give you a tongue weight of anything more than 1500-1700 pounds. that might do it, but you will definitely need a weight distributing setup and you want to make sure you are not over your trucks' rear axle ratings and tire ratings. with the rusty frame I wouldn't do it. You could do it with a dually and a properly rated hitch. As for the gooseneck, they run even higher tongue weights so it would probably be your trucks axle ratings that would limit you. Again, dually or bigger truck all together. think about it. You've got 15,000 to 17000 lbs on a single rear wheel truck. It is scary. Now, I have pulled a Kubota KX121 with my 96 F250 ext. cab long bed PSD. It was on my 14k trailer. I don't know what the tongue weight was, but it was probably over 1500 lbs. I had weight distribution setup. It was a short distance and only short distance. Grossed around 21K GCWR.( Figuring 7500 for truck, 3500 trailer, 10k for machine. Truck did ok, but I took it real easy.


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## Loader (Aug 26, 2010)

Thanks for the advice, I know I shouldnt be pulling a dozer with the truck but I figured a mini ex would be ok... I guess I'll go with a gooseneck instead of a bumper pull. Does anyone know of any manufacturers of a 16 or 17k trailer... the only trailers I can find a step up from 14k trailers are 20k trailers.


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## Morning Wood (Jan 12, 2008)

Kaufman trailers and Appalachian trailers will both do a heavier GVWR. Probably 8k axles is the best option. You are going to be overloaded with a 3/4 ton though. Do the simple math. Absolute minimum percentage tongue weight on a goose is 15%. So if you have a 16k trailer that is 2400 lbs of tongue weight. Weigh your truck ahead of time and make sure you have that available load capacity on your rear axle. The front axle will probably not get a lot of weight from the trailer. I'd guess 200 lbs max. You will have to have a pretty bare bones truck to have a 2400 lbs available payload for a 3/4 ton.

www.kaufmantrailers.com
www.appalachiantrailers.com

Neither of these trailer manufacturers are what I would consider top of the line.


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## Willie 2 (Feb 4, 2010)

I pull a goose neck 12,000lb trailer on a regular basis, now thru the mountains of BC Canada. I used to do it with a 3/4 ton on the prairies without too many white knuckles, but always knowing I could never stop it on a dime. I have since switched to a 1 ton diesel dually. Pulling the same trailer is a breeze, even in the mountains. I should have switched trucks years ago and saved my nerves. :thumbsup:


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## A. Spruce (Aug 6, 2010)

Loader, you may want to consider a Freightliner Cabriolet. This is what you might call a mid-sized tractor that has been licensed as an RV, so there's no special licensing on your part to drive it, unlike a big rig. These trucks are designed for towing RV trailers and have the grunt and beef to move or stop the loads you're talking about without a second thought.

Here's a good write up on the truck from a random Google search.
http://www.off-road.com/atv/review/feature-vehicle-cabriolet-custom-trucks-la-tour-20755.html


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