Extend a trailer?

[preach it]

I need information on an idea. Would it be feasible to add two more feet to the rear end of the loader? I have the tools and metal to do it with. The trailer/loader can easily handle it. I haul mostly brush and some tree trunks. The only part that I am concerned with is backing and turning, that it would swing wider at the rear and hit something. Tell what you think, maybe one of you has done something similar. Thanks.
http://www.arboristsite.com/attachment_13122.php

 

[TimberMcPherson]

I cant see any problems although it might affect the weight balance once its loaded which might affect what its hitched to. But if your welding is great, go for it. Perhaps make a removable frame?

 

[Koa Man]

I added 1 ft. to a 5X8 utility trailer I had and did not notice any difference in handling.

 

[pallis]

I like the removable idea. The trailer I'm building right now is a 10 footer, and I'm thinking about rigging it up to extend another four foot when needed.

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I've done this before, weld in 100mm 4mm wall box under your chassis, and then make your extension on the next size down. drill some pin holes to hold it, and you'll have anextension you can pull out any length you need...

 

[eyeinstine]

Be carefull adding more length to that trailer.. Your axles are pretty much centered right now, and if you add to the rear you will have more rear overhang beyong the axles. That is 'normally' backwards.. Usually the rear axles are a little more towards the rear than the front.. And when loaded, you 'normally' want about 10 % tongue weight. I think with your setup, and the grapple ounted up front, your idead MAT work. But without some scales and a in person look, that cant be said for sure.. One thing i do notice, it looks like 5 lug hubs on your axles.. if they are 5 lug trailer axles, then they are probably only 3500# axles. So that would give you a 7000# max weight including the trailer.. Just something to think about before adding more weight too it..

Now if you handy with a welder, and you want a good solution. The go ahead and add the rear extension, but also add a 3rd axle behind the other too... You'll add the length you want, and you'll add to your weight carrying capacity..

HTH,
Ron

 

[Newfie]

I don't know jack about fabrication so I'll abstain from offering an opinion on the feasibility of such a venture.

However, it would appear that your trailer could benefit from some extra length so that you can properly extend your grapple to travel in such a manner to offer the greatest height clearance. I would think that the weight that the grapple and power plant are adding to the tongue would more than balance out any addition to the other end of the trailer.

Have you thought about also fabricating a protective screen to protect the engine and hydraulic tank/hoses from getting damaged from loads/loading?

 

[Toddppm]

Didn't you have that grapple mounted to just a regular equipment trailer? If so , you probably have too much tongue weight right now and adding to the rear might help it out? But like eyeinstine says those axles are probably not strong enough to support a full load. Just today I saw a three axle trailer on the side of the highway LOADED about 4 logs high of some maybe 30" -40" poplar. Looked like at least 2 of the tires were just completely shredded.
If yours needs more capacity instead of adding an axle I would suggest extending the deck and then put new heavier axles mounted a little further back if needed. Not too hard a job, probably harder to add the deck.

 

[Al Smith]

It looks like you have pretty light tires/axles on that trailer.You could most likely add your 2 ft,but the one thing you don't want is a tail heavy trailer.

 

[preach it]

Right now it is very tongue heavy. Most likely over 1,500 lbs on the tongue when empty. If I load logs to the rear it will tend to make it a more reasonable weight on the tongue. The weight difference with a 2 ft extension to the rear really wouldn't be a problem with the tongue being too light.
I need to post a more current picture. It has sides, a rear gate, and protection up near the engine.
Right now I am running standard truck tires, 235-15, I have hauled some heavy loads (4,000-5,000 lbs) and haven't had any trouble. But most of what I haul is brush anyway.
It was originally a car trailer which I mounted the loader to it. So the trailer should be designed for 6,000 to 7,000 lbs.
What I am really concerned about is if I extend it 2ft. that the rear will swing around too far when I turn and hit a parked vehicle. Maybe I am being too concerned about something that won't matter.

 

[eyeinstine]

Hi Preach,

If your trailer was a car trailer, and with those 5 lug hubs, then you definitly only have 3500# axles. And if you really have 1500# of tongue weight, then anything you can do to help that is a plus! Thats alot of tongue weight! I dont know of any drawbars, even solid ones, that handle that tongue weight. The solid drawbars are good for 1000# of tongue weight.. With your 1500#, you need to be pullin that with a HD truck with a plate hitch with a pintle hook.

One good thing about all that tongue weight is, that is less weight that your trailer axles are carrying. And that i think is the biggest challenge you have there. I dont want to sound like the party pooper, but i really think you have the wrong trailer for your setup. I would love to know the empty weight of your setup. I wouldnt be surpised if its 4,000# or better. Thats not leaving you much at all for logs. One or two decent logs, and you are overloading those axles.. And the axles are one piece of gear that is not under rated by much. I've seen and replaced ALOT of trailer axles, and these 3500#-ers are the most common to get bent. It doesnt take much, i got a bent one on my own trailer! Got the new axle beam, and am gonna get it changed out next week.

Good luck, and be safe! It would be a sin to over weight that trailer and have it break loose from the truck and take out an innocent family in an on comming car. And sadly, it has happened...

Ron

 

[dave1]

Preach-it dave1 here hudsons bay makes a utility logg loading trailer dont they I would think you could get some specks on one of theirs and come pretty close. That looks like a neat rigg. what if you could put this on a hay truck / grain truck dump box and then made it a fifth wheel then you could dump with the same hydrolics you lift with and the fith wheel would give you some real advantages in turning and all the weight you could haul with a 3/4 or a 1 ton. At Johnsons Wrecking here in Bismarck they have a few burned 7000 chevy grain trucks and they have grain dumps already in place . I have a friend here that has a dump bed on his truck and it takes about 30 seconds to let the load go .. That time at the land fill , well there is no money there. I know that this is just idle talk but if i could I would try to go that way, you would have some thing with a load rating .. just a though . good luck Dave1

 

[preach it]

Dave1 - that might be a pretty good idea. We had two nasty storms come through this week and I have been so busy that I haven't pursued it.
Usually my dump times are fairly short. Although a dump bed is obviously quicker. The big plus is with the loader that I don't need any room to dump. I can unload right on top of someone else's load. This helps alot when our dump area gets packed with trees, I can just keep piling on top of everybody else's. But an extended bed would be a plus.

 

[Lumberjack]

Extending the trailer isnt hard. However the trailer is way too light duty to have that kinda money invested in the loader. The added length would be far offset by the huge tounge load from the loader. I have bent my 5k pound axles, but I have had loads of over 10 tons on 2 axles, on the same 235R15's you run in load range D.

Kinda an aside, but I say put the loader on a heavy duty trailer, a gooseneck would be great. You have the potential for a kick @$$ rig! I am still intrigued by it, and have been considering something similar for me.

What do you tow yours with?

 

[preach it]

I tow mine with a 1980 1ton dually GMC, 4 speed trans, with a 350 engine.
We have had four severe storms here in the last 7 days. I have been so busy that I haven't had time to think about extending the loader. Just work. It does work well even if it is tongue heavy. When it is empty it makes the 1 ton set down on the overload springs. I have to put some load on to help even it out.
The trailer tongue is rated for 25,000lbs, the ball and hitch are rated for 10,000lbs. The limiting factor is the tires on the loader trailer. I believe the axles are rated for 3,500lbs each. Like I said, I even my loads out with brush and tree trunk so that I am not hauling heavy loads.