Upgrading trailer axle? (for the truck)

[OhioBurner©]

Well my current setup has been working ok but I think I am pushing the limits of my truck and trailer and would like to haul more. I really like my trailer, I bought it from the fellow who built it and its pretty heavy duty even though its only 6x10. He said it had a 3500# axle. Thing is the trailer weighs in at 1400# so it really only has about a ton of capacity left. I Generally load up my truck bed with a full cord and then put my tractor and all my gear in the trailer and then pack rounds across the front and back, along the sides, etc. If my trailer were more heavy duty with taller sides I'd like to put most of the wood in the trailer, and put my little tractor and all the equipment in the truck. I know my truck is overweight... judging by how low the springs are riding I'm probably at ~5k in the back on most trips. And its a 2hr drive back home with the family in the truck. I'd like to drop that weight in half for the truck, and increase what the trailer hauls.

I have never swapped axles but do a lot of automotive wrenching. Is this what I need? http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200330501_200330501 add on $100 shipping and this upgrade is getting pricey fast. Not to mention I'll need 2 new wheels and tires rated for that so were probably talking several hundred more. I'll have to buy a new round plug and re-wire it for brakes too. I do want the extra brakes, I bet fully loaded right now I am hauling 7-9k... Last trip I had to get on the brakes a few times and was smelling that burnt plastic smell. I think the dimensions are all right, I'll have to double check though. I'd also get some matching 3x3 angle and build the sides up atleast twice as high. At 2' high and 6x10 thats 120cuft so about a cord. With 6,000# axle minus curb weight thats probably around 4500 or a little less capacity, guess I shouldnt go much over a cord. I could still put a couple rows of wood in the truck too but I guess I'm really not able to haul much more, as I figure I am hauling about a cord and a quarter as it is now. Bummer. I think I might need to just get a lot bigger trailer, IDK.

As always I keep an eye out on craigslist for trailers, but dont usually see anything much better than mine until I get over $1k. And they are all pretty much car haulers/landscape trailers that dont have any or just really low sides, and sit a lot closer to the ground that I'd like to be pulling through the field.

Opinions?

I'll atach a few pics of my current trailer to give you guys and idea what I'm dealing with...

 

[JeffRey30747]

It is really easy to spend other people's money but I think you need to be saving up for a tandem axle trailer with brakes. If you get a flat trailer with stake pockets you can make some sideboards and have the best of both worlds.

 

[lukem]

^^ what he said.

A used 16' 7k tandem with gate ramp can be had around here for $1k pretty easily. Sell you current trailer and put those funds toward a new one. I would be shocked if that wasn't cheaper retrofitting the current.

Do you have a TBC in your truck? Not sure what year the f-tree-fitty is...may have an integrated one already.

 

[OhioBurner©]

I think you guys are right. And yeah I got the integrated brake controller. One thing I am concerned with a lot of the landscape/car haulers in the 16ft range is they ride pretty low, and of course the maneuverability. Just getting in the field with my truck and trailer requires 4x4, the entrance goes up maybe 2 foot and you cant swing wide its a very narrow dirt road with ditches right there. A 16 footer with a dove tail might have a heck of a time making the turn, and bottom out too. I just barely hit the dirt now, especially when the trailer is full.

I do try and watch craigslist from time to time. Usually the $1000 or less big trailers are junk but every once and I while I do see some decent ones, just never jump on em. Maybe I should just watch for a while and keep using what I got until I find a good deal.

For example I looked today and found this (broken link removed to http://columbus.craigslist.org/grd/2329276219.html) but looks like it needs fenders at least, who knows about the brakes, and cant quite tell if it has stake pockets. Are stake pockets sold that you can just weld on like at tsc or somewhere? That trailer is a little shorter at 14' which would be good for me but looks like it rides as low as my 10' does now.

 

[lukem]

Based on what you describe, a small dump trailer or military surplus trailer may be a good idea too. They generally have good clearance, high load ratings, and are pretty maneuverable. I have no idea what they go in terms of $$ though.

 

[MarkinNC]

Since I have a tandem axle landscape trailer (I put 2 foot sides on), I suspect you would be more that happy with one. Mine is 14 feet long and I can carry almost a cord in a trip. I bet a 16 foot would carry a cord. I would actually recommend keeping your existing trailer since it is small and handy though. The tongue weight of a tandem axle trailer is more than your little tractor could handle. I ended up buying a new one because finding a used one is tough. I would jump on one if you find it in good shape used.

 

[OhioBurner©]

Maybe next time I am up there, and have a camera, I'll try to grab a few pics of the entrance to the field and you guys can see if you think I could even fit a 16 footer in there...

Based on what you describe, a small dump trailer or military surplus trailer may be a good idea too. They generally have good clearance, high load ratings, and are pretty maneuverable. I have no idea what they go in terms of $$ though.

Yeah they often come up locally, sometimes you can get em with the canvas cover and all. I dont think they are rated very high and are much less volume compared to the trailers I am looking at though. One of my friends thought they were available in half ton or one ton? IDK if thats right but its not as much as I have now even. When I fix up my old 78 bronco though I think one of those would look sharp with it.

Since I have a tandem axle landscape trailer (I put 2 foot sides on), I suspect you would be more that happy with one. Mine is 14 feet long and I can carry almost a cord in a trip. I bet a 16 foot would carry a cord. I would actually recommend keeping your existing trailer since it is small and handy though. The tongue weight of a tandem axle trailer is more than your little tractor could handle. I ended up buying a new one because finding a used one is tough. I would jump on one if you find it in good shape used.

Well thats one of the problems I really dont want to give up my 6x10 so I'd be eating the cost of another one. Its a nice convenient size, and nice for when I need to haul around stuff with the garden tractor bigger than what a dump cart will hold. Although that 6x10 fully loaded with wood is just over the limit of the tractor, the front ends starts bouncing off the ground. But I'm already fabricated a front weight bracket for it. I guess the more I think about it though I already haul that much now, just in the truck bed, I hate to spend a grand or more just to change things up without really increasing my capacity if that makes sense.

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I am using a 5x10 with 33" sides on it. And I guess I am getting a 1 1/4 cords on it. I do need to get a bigger axle w/brakes. But it is handling it with with the 3500 lb axle w/ 6000lb springs. What usually bends the axle is the springs bottoming out and having a sharp impact on the axle when it does. While I do have and use a 18' car hauler the added weight of the trailer keeps me from hauling much more than with the 5x10 but part of that is my truck is a F 150 with a V6.

I added bush bars to the trailer that acts as a running board/ step. And keeps me from smashing the fenders in the woods. It also stiffened up the frame some. I am also going to box the tongue to strengthen it, hold the spare tire and straps and misc. Even with running 5000 lbs or more the bearing don't get warm.


(broken image removed)

Billy

 

[OhioBurner©]

See them small trailer can hold alot with tall enough sides! But man that would make me nervous. I assume your tires are matched for the 3500# axle... do they get real warm? I've noticed my 6x10's tires get pretty hot.

I really think my 6x10 would be a great setup to beef up, I just dont know if its worth putting all the money into. I wonder if a trailer place would give me any credit on my old axle or something?

 

[Cowboy Billy]

I changed out the tires with the ones on my permitly parked travel trailer. So it has new load range C tires on it. It could use load range D tires but these are doing ok until I can find a bigger axle. One of these days I will run into one at a auction.

Billy

 

[moosetrek]

Best size trailer I had was 14', I could fit a truck on it if necessary (and did - a diesel ext cab long bed!), but short enough to get around in the woods. It had pretty stout construction, and I upgraded brakes to 5200# 6-lugs - that way I could swap rims and tires from a junkyard/toyota/gm/isuzu/etc. if I needed spares. I'd recommend, if you're gonna go for a trailer, check the construction carefully. I had a 16' car hauler, 2 and 5/16 ball, heavy frame, but the cross braces were 2X square tubing. When hauling a car, most of the weight was on the outside under the tires - so no problem. When hauling wood, more weight was on the center so it actually started to bow a bit. Just check for channel or something heavy across the frame. You can always flip the axles (mount them under the springs instead of over them) to gain height at the expense having to lift logs a bit higher, or you can run a spacer of 2x4 or 4x4 under the frame rails and mount the axles to that for some clearance. Sounds harder than it is if you've never done it, I flipped my stock trailer in about 2-3 hrs including all new Ubolts and hardware, pretty simple with a jack, welder, and cutting wheels.