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delema on buying this trailer

Whats the width of your Blazer? That trailer is only 84" wide /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
I just measured mine too. I also have D60 w/12.5 tires and 2.5" BS and mine in 88" wide outside of tread on the front. So I guess my front tires would hang over 2" on each side of that trailer /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
it looked to be about 6 1/2 feet wide. Would only 3 inches on each side be pushing it stability wise?
 
We haul trucks on ours with the tires hanging off some, there is still as much tire on the trailer that there would be if it had stock narrow tires. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif You would smash the fenders on the trailer you picked out when driving on them. For a bunch more $$$ you could get a deck-over.
 
Branndon,

I will give you my take on this. I have done the trailer thing now for quite some time. Here is what I have experienced.

Most trailers don't allow us to drive our blazers on it without tires hanging over. It's even worse if you run offset wheels. I have hauled for a long time with part of tires hanging off the trailer. It's plenty safe if you tie down well. Hell the trailer I use not from a friend he extended the front of the trailer to allow the tires to stay on the trailer, it's cheap to do.

In order to find a trailer to allow the blazer to drive on with no tires to hang off, it's going to cost you, and cost you lots. The trailer manufactures don't like to make changes without charging you lots. The other issue is it messes with the overall witdth with DOT. I think there is a width limitation. You can reinforce the trailer fenders to allow to drive over them. That's the only way to get a full size blazer on a standard car hauler trailer. It's easy to do, and works well. It's just part of hauling a blazer on a car hauler.

Now the price that Big Tex is offering on this trailer is a great price from what I have seen. It's only one brake, but it's still not a bad price.

Make sure the tire rating is in line with what you are towing. My blazer weights way more than the tag on the door jamb. It's weighing in around 6,500K remember the trailer total GVTW is 6K, take away the weight of the trailer and you are over the "STATED" GTW. They always underate trailers for liability reasons, but it's something you need to consider.

Here is the other thing to consider. If you are towing a long distance, like over 300 miles or long trips. Pulling a rig with a trailer that working at it's limits will create issues. And one of thoese issues are blowouts. It alot of fun getting a blowout doing 65/70 mph down the road. The other thing to remember is what type of hitch and or tow rig are you using. Weight distributing hitch. Class V hitch, etc.....

Good cheap trailer are hard to find, used ones are even harder to find that are in good shape.

Towing and a trailer are a very important part of the process. Don't under/over buy, but understand that there are pitfalls on towing our blazer.

I am currenlty purchaing a 25' gooseneck and just bought a Dodge dually cummins, I have learned over the years, that towing and towing the right way is worth the extra money, up front.

Good luck on your decision.

Rob
 
Thanks for all the info. I appreciate the lengthy reply. I'm still in the air over this one, here are all the details and maybe you can help me out more.

For the time being i have a 1/2 ton 1990 burb to tow with, i have all the 3/4 ton swap parts here, and will be swapped soon.
Nearest wheeling is about 90 miles from here, other than that everything will probably be 3-5 hours max (except blazer bash if i can make it)
K5 weighs about 5500, maybe 6000 loaded and with misc stuff on the trailer.
in 2 years i will be ditching the burb for a new yukon XL, so the vehicle will no longer be an issue
as for driving over the fenders, i can re-inforce them if necessary.
i have an offroading trip next weekend i'd like to trailer too, and one at the end of june that is 4+ hours that i'd like to trailer to also, do you think this trailer could work for me? Thanks
Branndon
 
To add to rob's point on weight rating. You will need to remember that it will be a trailer. One of the first things a new trailer owner does is bolt down a tool box that adds 500+lbs. Then anything that they don't want to lug into the tow rig is strapped down next to your 500lb box. Toss all of your spares into the K5 on the trailer adding another 300lbs and you just added nearly 1000lbs in a weekend to your planned 6000lb set up. Now this may not fit your style and yes the numbers I used are a bit exagerated but so is everything anymore. Just a little more to chew on.

As for maxing out tires. Trailer tires usually blow for two reasons. Mostly dependent on each other. Heat and underinflation / overloading. I work in a tire shop and cannot emphisize how quick a trailer tire seeps air. The other problem with trailer tires that has come up in the last few years is speed. Mots ST rated tires (standard trailer) are not designed for more than 60-65MPH. Then they are underinflated and ran at 75-80mph for 4 hours. It is amazing there are not more problems with this. If you go for a new trailer pony up for the 16" wheels. They often have bigger brakes and are designed for stronger tires. A lot of customers with trailers that are used often are converting to load range E truck tires to avoid this.

Just my .02 shoved in.
 
Brandon,

The specs on the bid tex show the tire rating as a B rated tire. Not good.... The trailer is a 6K trailer, with two 3,500K axles that 7000K total weight for the trailer weight itself and the load it will carry. I am assuming that the trailer weights around 1500LBS. If you load you 6K blazer on the trailer it will weigh in around 7500 lbs, it's about 1500 lbs over the trailer rating. Now keep in mind what is posted eariler, that every trailer manuafacture under states there trailer, due to liability reasons, the don't want to push the limits of the design because it puts the responsiblity on them if a tragic accident happens, so the understate them. If you speak with the sales guy at Big Tex, and tell him how much the blazer weighs he will cry and moan and try to sell you the bigger trailer, and then he will give you the whole "I won't be responsible" talk.

Here is the what I reccomend. On the trailer you are lookin at, check the max tire pressure vs. the total weight the B rated tires show on the sidewall of the tires. Take that weight amount and times it by 4 if it's over 7500 lbs you will be ok. I'm almost sure it won't be over or even at 7500lbs when you add it up. If they don't add up. Then try to get the sales guy to upgrage the tires to either D or E rated tires. They will hold the load. Don't get into a pissing match with the sales guy, just tell him you want' either D or E rated tires. Don't tell him how much you are going to tow. If he tell you they are rated for the trailer, tell him you don't care you want D or E rated. The D or E rated tires will make a huge diffrence!!!!! They will also not get as hot when you are towing and help with towing a little over the trailer weight.

The other thing I am going to tell you will make all the diffrence in the world with your towing especially with a 1/2 ton rig/tow rig. By a rated weight distributing hitch!! They run around 250/300 bucks. It will be the best investment you will every purchase when you are towing with a 1/2 ton rig. It helps transfers som of the weight off the rear axle and onto the the front axle. It rides better, it does not shoot your headlights into oncomming traffic, and it helps control sway. Don't even debate this purchase, just do it. It will be the best money next to a trailer that you will ever spend. Hell I use mine with my 1 ton dually it works so nice. It's designed to make you life much easier and much SAFER.

Go down to Sams club and buy youself 3 2" wide ratchet straps, and you are set.

Make sure your tow rig has a trailer brake controler, and wire it up. And you should be set. Also make sure you hitch is rated for the weight.

If it was me and I was looking to purchase a trailer, I would get the tires upgraded to D or E, buy a weight distributing hitch, and see if the dealer will add breaks to the second axle for a small fee.

Other than that I would probable go for it. 900.00 is cheap for a trailer here in AZ.

The cheapest I have seen them for here kinda like the same you are looking at is around 1600.00.

Let me know if you have any more questions, I'm not the expert by any means, but I have done my fair share of towing in my wheeling days.

Rob
 
It sounds like a good price for the trailer, but I also don't think it is heavy enough for your purposes. As mentioned before the factory specs only show it rated for 6,000 lbs. Take away the weight of the empty trailer (I'm guessing 1,500 lbs.) and that only leaves 4,500 lbs. Sure, the company probably adds in a safety margin to the weight rating but an extra 1,500 lbs. is quite a bit on top of the 4,500 lbs. rating.

Other issues:
tires are probably only rated for the trailer rating, which would be my biggest concern

my guess is that it only has brakes on one axle....not good considering you will be using an older 1/2 ton tow rig with marginal brakes to begin with

Figure up how much time and money you have in the Blazer and then decide if you really want to skimp on the trailer..........
 
ok so buying this trailer as is, adding brakes to the 2nd axle, getting 16 inch d or e tires, and gas to go pick it up all add quite a bit to the price for a so so trailer. I think i'll wait till next month and maybe buy a trailer more capible for a k5. Thanks for all the help. Especially you rob! /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
The trailer deck can go to 102 inches wide and be DOT legal.

CR

[/ QUOTE ]

The trailer deck can go up to 102" if the deck is above the tires, like on most gooseneck trailers. You can not have it 102" wide and then have the tires outside of that. 102" is the maximum vehicle width including tires.
 
Check with the dealer if he has a "removable fender" option. The place I bought my trailer at in Sikeston, Mo had a removable fender option where you could pull just one pin on each side, remove the fenders, and then drive on the tires of the trailer for loading. I didn't actually get this option on my trailer because I don't haul vehicles on it.
 
Or, just make the fenders strong enough to drive over. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
I know you have already decided to leave this one but make sure you are looking for a channel frame instead of angle. That trailer is basically a glorified landscaping trailer. You really would not want to run anything like that at its GVWR.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The trailer deck can go to 102 inches wide and be DOT legal.

CR

[/ QUOTE ]

The trailer deck can go up to 102" if the deck is above the tires, like on most gooseneck trailers. You can not have it 102" wide and then have the tires outside of that. 102" is the maximum vehicle width including tires.

[/ QUOTE ]


Precisely why I said the deck can be 102 inches wide. Let's go one further then, the deck can be 102 inches wide but the outside faces of the tires can not exceed 96 inches OAW to be legal on most secondary roads...

John
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The trailer deck can go to 102 inches wide and be DOT legal.

CR

[/ QUOTE ]

The trailer deck can go up to 102" if the deck is above the tires, like on most gooseneck trailers. You can not have it 102" wide and then have the tires outside of that. 102" is the maximum vehicle width including tires.

[/ QUOTE ]


Precisely why I said the deck can be 102 inches wide. Let's go one further then, the deck can be 102 inches wide but the outside faces of the tires can not exceed 96 inches OAW to be legal on most secondary roads...

John

[/ QUOTE ]

I knew what you meant, and you are correct. I was just making sure that someone doesn't build a trailer with a deck 102" wide and then have fenders and tires outside of that and then get mad because it is illegal.
 
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