Q: Am I overloading my trailer?

[Haywire Haywood]

This has been in the back of my mind for some time now and I finally did something to settle it. I took the empty trailer across the scales at the local scrap yard the other day and it weighed out to 860lbs. Today I got a full thrown load of Red Oak and took it back across the scales.. Total weight including the trailer: 3060lbs. It is a 5x8 with 25" sides and has a 3500lb axle. No problem. Next time out I'll get a full load on the truck too instead of the half load I got today.

Here's the load in question. Might help you east coast fellas guesstimate what you're hauling. The log weight calcs had me thinking this load should be closer to 4k. --Ian

 

[FJH]

This has been in the back of my mind for some time now and I finally did something to settle it. I took the empty trailer across the scales at the local scrap yard the other day and it weighed out to 860lbs. Today I got a full thrown load of Red Oak and took it back across the scales.. 3060lbs. It is a 5x8 with 25" sides and has a 3500lb axle. No problem. Next time out I'll get a full load on the truck too instead of the half load I got today.

Here's the load in question. Might help you east coast fellas guesstimate what you're hauling. The log weight calcs had me thinking this load should be closer to 4k. --Ian

As long as The Tires arent Flat shes good to go! :greenchainsaw:

 

[ASEMASTER]

IF YOU STACK THE WOOD IN THE TRAILOR (oops) you may come close to the weight that you had figured . you can hall it stacked full and the truck also to the top of the sides just watch your breaking.

 

[grampakev]

I dont know what it weighed, but check out the flat tire.

 

[beerman6]

:monkey: It's only flat on the bottom...

 

[Haywire Haywood]

IF YOU STACK THE WOOD IN THE TRAILOR (oops) you may come close to the weight that you had figured . you can hall it stacked full and the truck also to the top of the sides just watch your breaking.

I think I saw a figure someplace that said you gain 20% by stacking. I might oval the load a little or stack half and throw the rest but I don't want to over do it. I installed brakes on the trailer so braking isn't a problem. I rarely turn the controller up over 45% even on full loads.

Ian

 

[Rookie1]

Id put sideboards on that thing and fill it up til the truck wont pull it or something breaks.

 

[fourfivefour]

Looks like it will take more. The tires aren't even squatting yet.

You should see what I do my S10 that's lowered 2". I'll take a pic some time this week. I drive 25 miles with the axle banging the frame. ......454

 

[Haywire Haywood]

I don't have a beater for firewood hauling, I have to use my daily driver F150 with the small 4.6L v8. Can't afford to shorten it's life any more than necessary. That load was a 140 mile round trip, mostly interstate. I normally only drive about half that but I knew where there was a 36" oak blowdown and wanted to exercise my new to me 066. The wood was a by-product, the main reason for the trip was the fun of the big wood meeting the new saw. :greenchainsaw: :greenchainsaw:

and for the record, as strong as my ported 372xpw is, it can't hold a candle to a DP 066 in big wood. The grin factor is significant. This thing is going to be a monster once Ed has his way with it.

Ian

 

[thejdman04]

No you arent overloading it with that particular load. You got to remember(depending on the placement of your load and placement on your axle in relation to front and back on the trailer) your gonna get some tongue weight thats not putting weight on the axle.

 

[dawzie]

I dont know what it weighed, but check out the flat tire.

opcorn: I sure hope there aren't any hills around opcorn:

 

[Haywire Haywood]

No, you aren't overloading it with that particular load. You got to remember(depending on the placement of your load and placement on your axle in relation to front and back on the trailer) your gonna get some tongue weight that's not putting weight on the axle.

Since the trailer was attached to the truck when I was on the scale (I pulled off the far side of the pad and just left the trailer on the scale), the tongue weight isn't reflected in the numbers I posted. 3060lbs is the actual axle weight plus the weight of axle and tires themselves.

Ian

 

[whiting-5]

in my past life before checking out of the rat race i was in the rv and trailer business ive worked at dealerships working on million dollar coaches and 500 dollar utility trailers. had my own business for ten years servicing high end coaches in the most expensive high end parks and dealerships in palm springs california. done more road calls in so. ca and nv than you could even imagine over 75% of those were trailers and most of those failures were due to overloading the biggest problem ive found is even the trailers had 3500 # axles the springs were not matched for the weight of the axle the tires were not rated for the weight of the axle most utility trailer companies will slap car or light truck tires on them.not trailer tires.almost all states require brakes on at least one axle if the load is over 1500# the trailer co. gets away with no brakes because there selling you an empty trailer when you buy it. homemade trailers are another story alltogether ive seen some really good trailers and seen some real crap.ive seen some welding jobs that the person that did it should be shot the scary part is these are out on the roads and hiways. wheel bearings are another story alltogether every axle manufacurer that ive delt with says repack and inspect every 10,000 miles or anually you guys that live in cooler country can getaway with strechin that out but in the heat of the west noway. ive hunted more tires and wheels for customers in the desert that have come off due to burned up wheelbearings. all im saying is please guys be careful dont overload its just not worth it. ive seen two bad accidents that were fatalities one was a tire and wheel that came off due to burnt bearing that crossed into oncoming traffic hit car head on killing single mother of 2 second was a cheapo tandem axle trailer one of the kind you buy for about 1200.00 trailer tounge goes back about three feet under the deck come with ramps guy was hauling a backhoe overloading the trailer the frame actually busted on the tounge under the deck causing the trailer to become seperated from truck tounge still hooked on truck trailer and backhoe hit mini truck killed the poor guy . please just be careful its just not worth it trying to get that last load.

 

[Moss Man]

A cord of green hardwood weighs roughly 4900 pounds, you don't even have half a cord in there...maybe not even a third which would only be 1600 pounds or so. Round it up and roll.

 

[grampakev]

opcorn: I sure hope there aren't any hills around opcorn:

no hills just moving it about 400' a little closer to the house

 

[Philbert]

I was thinking what whiting-5 was saying - just because the axle is rated for 3,500 pounds, doesn't mean that the springs, tires, etc. are.
Your load weight might also vary with the type of wood, how wet/green, etc.

Philbert

 

[aandabooks]

in my past life before checking out of the rat race i was in the rv and trailer business ive worked at dealerships working on million dollar coaches and 500 dollar utility trailers. had my own business for ten years servicing high end coaches in the most expensive high end parks and dealerships in palm springs california. done more road calls in so. ca and nv than you could even imagine over 75% of those were trailers and most of those failures were due to overloading the biggest problem ive found is even the trailers had 3500 # axles the springs were not matched for the weight of the axle the tires were not rated for the weight of the axle most utility trailer companies will slap car or light truck tires on them.not trailer tires.almost all states require brakes on at least one axle if the load is over 1500# the trailer co. gets away with no brakes because there selling you an empty trailer when you buy it. homemade trailers are another story alltogether ive seen some really good trailers and seen some real crap.ive seen some welding jobs that the person that did it should be shot the scary part is these are out on the roads and hiways. wheel bearings are another story alltogether every axle manufacurer that ive delt with says repack and inspect every 10,000 miles or anually you guys that live in cooler country can getaway with strechin that out but in the heat of the west noway. ive hunted more tires and wheels for customers in the desert that have come off due to burned up wheelbearings. all im saying is please guys be careful dont overload its just not worth it. ive seen two bad accidents that were fatalities one was a tire and wheel that came off due to burnt bearing that crossed into oncoming traffic hit car head on killing single mother of 2 second was a cheapo tandem axle trailer one of the kind you buy for about 1200.00 trailer tounge goes back about three feet under the deck come with ramps guy was hauling a backhoe overloading the trailer the frame actually busted on the tounge under the deck causing the trailer to become seperated from truck tounge still hooked on truck trailer and backhoe hit mini truck killed the poor guy . please just be careful its just not worth it trying to get that last load.

I managed to finish this and it was quite good but man, we need to have an AS lesson in punctuation and use of paragraphs. My brain now hurts.

 

[wkpoor]

Ian, I can tell you from much experience over loading trailers that axles are derated by at least 1/2. If you aren't going far and you have good tires you will be just fine. 3.8K on a 3.5K is just a tad over and I'm sure wouldn't be unsafe as long as the tow vehicle and all tires are in good shape.

 

[KsWoodsMan]

Speed and distance traveled makes a huge difference in how far over I will go on the load weight.

For 170 miles on the Interstate, I wouldn't go (much) past the rated capacities. Heat build-up is a major concern when traveling very far.
For a neighborhood cleanup or coming in from my closest cutting spot, I'll load heavy but never to the place the springs bottom out. Bad things happen when an axle/spindle snaps, bearings sieze, tires blowout, ball hitch shears or any unexpected failure happens at highway speeds.

There is a fine line between maximizing your load and maximizing your aggravation.

 

[hutch3912]

Ford Tractor

I dont know what it weighed, but check out the flat tire.

Nice 8N!