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New trailer? What do y'all think?

blowedupmotor87

blowedupmotor87

1/2 ton status
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Thinking about picking one of these up to tow the Jimmy on:

http://www.kaufmantrailers.com/cata...de05fb47c847467f540b38aa3bb22585b7a38ffa1fa1a

The company is about an hour away from me so, it'd be easy for me to pick one up! They've got this one in stock too! It's deckover so the Jimmy can fit. The Jimmy is to wide tire to tire to fit on the regular on without having open fenders (they wouldn't fit folded back into place). (The Jimmy is 84" outside of tire to outside of tire). The trailer weighs 4000LBS and the max trailer weight for my Dmax is 12,000LBS so, that gives me a limit of vehicle weight of 8,000LBS for the Jimmy. Sounds about right 'cause the Jimmy'll probably weigh 6K empty. The trailer is rated to 14K but, to keep the DMV from getting on my back about overweight trailer possibilities, I can get it re-rated to 12K, which is fine as my weighted tags are rated for 20K GCWR (theoretical max: 8K truck, 12K trailer (w/1200lb tongue weight which puts the truck at the 9200lb GVWR, 20K GCWR).

Okay here's some questions:
Wood deck-is it a good idea?
PINTLE or 2&5/16" BALL, which is a better way to go? (pintle adapter for my 2" hitch ain't hard to find.)
Is deck-over too high C.O.G. for twisty roads?
Does this trailer look like a good choice overall?

Thanks for the help everybody!:D
 
Little pricey for me but nice trailer.

wood deck lighter than metal. Unless your friend uses it it catches fire like mine.
I would go ball reciever not pintle. No need for a pintle.
C.O.G. is up for you on that one not sure what type of driving your going to do.
 
Steve GMC said:
kinda tall IMO, id rather have something with fenders thats lower, then make something to drive over the fenders
Click to expand...

I agree on the lower trailer being a good idea, I'm just kinda confused though, if the Jimmy can't fit with the fenders on (I'd want 'em on!), how would one work? The drive over or fold out fenders would be fine to get it on but, how would I position it for proper weight distribution if it can't fit between 'em? Anybody got any tips? I really don't want to have take my wheels 'n tires off every time I put it on the trailer! Anybody got a good pic of a properly load distributed K5 on a fendered trailer?

Oops, I guess I shoulda posted in tow rigs and trailers, sorry 'bout that!:doah:It's just that I'm wantin to talk with a sales rep tomorrow to see if I can get financed and stuff. I figured I'd get more responses here.
 
yeah get something lower and build ramps over the wheel wells. id go 2 1/2 ball and the wood deck is fine. if you might use it for constuction (if thats what you do) that would be a great trailer.
 
blowedupmotor87 said:
The drive over or fold out fenders would be fine to get it on but, how would I position it for proper weight distribution if it can't fit between 'em? Anybody got any tips? I really don't want to have take my wheels 'n tires off every time I put it on the trailer! Anybody got a good pic of a properly load distributed K5 on a fendered trailer?
Click to expand...
just make sure about 55% of your jimmy is ahead of the axle. youd be straddling the axles to balance the load.
 
as long as it is centered it will be fine, ive seen excavators on trailers with half of each track hangin off with no problems, its more of a front to back you need to worry about, as long as it is centered side to side, should be fine
 
I guess another problem is, I can't "tst load" the Jimmy, it isn't running and is at a shop 1.5 hours away. They are fixing the floorboards then, I need to trailer it down to a friend's to swap out the non-running motor. Hence my wanting the trailer rather than paying a tow bill! (The tow bill would be like $400, sounds like a nice little down payment on the trailer to me!).
 
subscribed...lookin at trailers my self...the 82'' wide fenders would haul most any vehical, but not the k5 w/44's, anyone have any pics of the drive-over fenders?
 
Steve GMC said:
as long as it is centered it will be fine, ive seen excavators on trailers with half of each track hangin off with no problems, its more of a front to back you need to worry about, as long as it is centered side to side, should be fine
Click to expand...

Will the fenders fit between the (too wide) tires of the Jimmy though? I'm talking length-wise that is. At a wheelbase of what, 106.5" and 37" tires, will the fenders fit between them?

Also, the distance between the fenders is 82", the Jimmy's width is 84" right now, probably gonna get wider too. So, if the trailer is 102" wide overall, approx. 9" wide (trailer) tires=only 84" between tires so, I guess drive over fenders=necessary? But, will they fit length-wise?

Sorry for all the ?s, I just don't wanna buy the wrong trailer!:eek1:
 
Nice trailer and the price seems fair. I love my trailer (18' Big Tex 12k) but I think I'd prefer a deck over if I had it to do again. One thing to think about is adding "D" rings to it, I'd put 2 or 3 across the front & back and then maybe a few along the sides.
 
Extra D-rings would be a helpful idea, thanks for the heads-up! Anybody got a deck-over that can chime in? Thanks for the info y'all, I'm trying to figure all this trailer stuff out!:D
 
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I don't have a deck over but have hauled my blazer on one a couple of times and the guy I borrowed it from hauls a much bigger truck on it.

I thought the big thing was to get the body tied down nice and solid. I used chains on the axles and straps to the body and got it really sucked down. Towed pretty nice. It will be a higher center of gravity so just slow down and bit and you will be fine
 
Just as another idea....

I made fenders and mounted them on hinges on the outside. I pull a pin, and they flip over toward the outside and lay up against the side of the tire, down by the ground, out of the way. Then I can drive over the tires of the trailer, no problem. I can also haul scrap steel to the scrap yard, and he can pick bunches of it up with the big claw, without me worrying about fenders getting bent up. It's also nice when I get vehicles from the insurance auctions, cause they always want to load them up with the forklift, and I've seen many fenders get bent up that way, but not mine. :D I like it this way a lot more than drive over fenders.
 
pvfjr said:
Just as another idea....

I made fenders and mounted them on hinges on the outside. I pull a pin, and they flip over toward the outside and lay up against the side of the tire, down by the ground, out of the way. Then I can drive over the tires of the trailer, no problem. I can also haul scrap steel to the scrap yard, and he can pick bunches of it up with the big claw, without me worrying about fenders getting bent up. It's also nice when I get vehicles from the insurance auctions, cause they always want to load them up with the forklift, and I've seen many fenders get bent up that way, but not mine. :D I like it this way a lot more than drive over fenders.
Click to expand...
You have pics??
 
If you are just gonna haul one truck, it seems kinda long. If you are hauling a bunch of other stuff, it is fine. The dovetail is really not needed unless you are trying to move a car. They can highcenter.

I have a big-tex 18' with 5200# axles. Trailer brakes on both axles. %' slide in ramps. I drive over the fender with my drivers front tire. When my rear tires hit the fenders, the truck is balanced on the trailer. Makes it easy. I have 39.5x16x16 tires and the sidewall of the front tires hangs over the edge.

Talk to a guy at the trailer shop. They may have a perfect trailer for you. I ended up getting a trailer they don't even advertise. Something about it being a trailer to compete with other companys. If you are going to be gentle to your trailer, you can get away with 3500# axles. Around here the 18' 3500# trailers can be had for $1500.00 or less.

A deck over is heavier, more expensive and wider, and the longer it is, the more hassle you have moving and storing it. Get a regular hitch (bulldog I think is what they are called)
 
I'd go with the deck-over and as said above the price seems good to me. Let's see, new trailer, no problems with used or old trailers, no fabbing of fenders, etc, etc. Just seems like an easier and safer way to go. As for COG, if you are safe about your driving then a higher COG should really make a difference. Go deck-over.
 
A lot of the guys I know that haul full size rigs have stepped up to deck overs. I'm not ready for a trailer yet but when I get one it will be a deck over.
 
Big Blzn said:
I'd go with the deck-over and as said above the price seems good to me. Let's see, new trailer, no problems with used or old trailers, no fabbing of fenders, etc, etc. Just seems like an easier and safer way to go. As for COG, if you are safe about your driving then a higher COG should really make a difference. Go deck-over.
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basically what Big Blzn said. you'll be able to use the deck over trailer for all kinds of stuff. i have a trailer with fenders and i wish i bought the deck over style. why hassle the fenders if you don't have to. i thought the price on that trailer was pretty fantastic too.
 
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