CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

What do you guys run and why?

I just wanted to add on another question here, can you saftley get by with a 7000 lb trailor if you only use it 3 or 4 times a year or would that not matter. TIA

Oh yea, great new forum Steve as i have a ton of questions about this /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I would definately go 10K+, depending on your tow rig. Behind a Burb, 10K should work well. 7K just isn't enough, especially if the rig you're towing weighs 5K+. I would buy more trailer than you need, if not for the fact that it will hold up better than for the piece of mind.

Just got a 14k 20 foot gooseneck.
Overkill is better than under. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I've got a 10,000 lb rated trailer, with 14,000 lb axles. Bigger is really better here, especially if you tow your blazer a lot (more than once a month). In my case, I was building the trailer anyway, and the bigger axles were only a few hundred more.

With any trailer you have to subtract the weight of the trailer from the overall weight rating to get your towing capacity. So, if your 7000 lb. rated trailer weighs 2000 lbs, then you have 5000 lbs left to safely tow. That puts you over the limit every time you tow your blazer. I say go with the 10,000 lb one, and get brakes on both axles. The added stopping power of the extra axle is nice to have in an emergency situation (if someone pulls out in front of you) and it is a big help when braking on hills.

BIGJ

I agree, get at least a 10k trailer. A typicaly 18' 7k trailer weighs between 1,500 and 2,000 lbs., so that only leaves you a true 5,000 lbs. of capacity.

Most trailer manufacturers will upgrade a standard 7k car hauler with the heavier axles for only a few hundred dollars

Steve,

Go with the 10K one, I have experience with both, and last year towed to BB02 with a 7K trailer, and this year with a 10K trailer. There is no comparison. The 10K trailer wins hands down. Now don't forget that I am towing a 6K blazer with a 1/2 Dodge Ram with a 318 motor. Not alot of power and it's just at the GVWR for the setup. Keep in mind the trailer usually is around 1K and the blazer somewere between 5K to 6K, add it up, it't right at 7K. No room for extra stuff. It's much safer to go to the bigger sized trailer. The saftey factory is better.

Some things to consider when looking at towing and trailers.

1. Trailer tires, these make all the diffrences in the world. Do not use car tires they are not rated for the weight.

2. Hitch type. Lot's of classes here. Heavy loads require IIRC Class V hitches.

3. Trailer brakes on axles. Some use on one axle only some on both, I prefer on both for heaver loads. Much safer feeling on the long downhill hauls.

4. Weight distribution bars. These things are the @hit. They are a little pricey, but are very worth it. Keep the ride and weight distributed over the front axles of the tow rig. Make the ride very safe and stable.

5. I added air bags on the rear of my Dodge, to get the ride height level, keeps the headlights in the right spot and helps with ride control and steering control

6. Transmission cooler. I added a B&M heavy duty stacked plate cooler to the trans, and during the last trip, it never heated the trans up a bit. Don't use the fin type coolers. Go the extra buck and use the stacked plate coolers, the bigger the better.

7. Saftey chains that are securly fastened to the trailer, don't use undersized chains, 10K trailer, need a chain that fits the weight.

8. Tie down points on the trailer, make sure they are welded to the trailer frame, good welds, these are very important as so you rig does not take a ride off the trailer.

9. Sway control. Keep this in mind when purchasing a good weight distribution hitch. It's a little more money but worth it on the windy downhill runs. "decreases the downhill pucker factor"

10. Width of the trailer, don't forget how wide ours are. I have to crawl over the fenders to get it on the trailer. It's lot's of fun when it's wet.

Just my .02, I don't mind towing at all, but the setup is what make the ride either a pucker factor the whole trip, or a very troublefree trip. Don't go cheap when it come to trailers or the extras for the trailer.

Good luck.

[b]I pull a 36 foot dove tail tandem trailer. The flat area is 29foot long. The axels are both 75oolbs rated with braked on each. It is built like a [darn] brick house!! 14inch I beam from head to tow. I haul my rig and a second on it. We just added the dove taile to it a couple of weaks ago trying to get ready for my haul up to Colorado mid October. I love my trailer. It is heavy, but it will haul any load I need. The dual brakes make a big BIG difference. It stops great.
UHHHHHHH,hope this helps!!! /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

i make my livin running a mobile service truck working on only rvs and trailers first thing i wanna say is just cuz it fits dont make it right!!! i see more scary stuff on the highway that makes me cringe my favorites are the sand dune guys heading to glamis that have 4x4 truck 30 foot toy hauler loaded to the gills and they weld a ball mount to the back of the toy hauler to haul the 12 foot utility trailer for the stuff they just couldnt squeeze in then run 70 down i-10 anyways just had to vent on that one. anyways i would defintley go bigger once you get into the 5200 pound axles you get 12 in. x 2in. brakes vs 10x 1 3/4in.found on the 3500 pound axles one thing you have to watch is the spring rating alot of trailer co. will put a 5200 pound axle with springs rated at 2000 lbs each so it gets a smooth ride when empty see this alot.i prefer trailer bias ply tires over radials any day more plys tread and sidewall and the new bias dont go bump bump when there cold least not out here anyway in the summer heat ive seen triple axles trailers pop radials beads right off the rim in hard turns.what i look for on a well built trailer is a tounge that goes all the way back to the front axle or close to it for strength.some of the mass produced trailers only go back two or three feet ive seen these bust in overload situtations. the tounge should be between four to five feet for ease of handling from front of trailer to ball mount.and finally WHEELBEARING PACK!!!! this is a must once a year or every 10,000 miles 70% of my work is putting axles in trailers on the side of the road you do the math seals 5.00 dollars a piece tub of grease 5.00 dollars you do labor free! we do labor 70.00 dollars per axle!!! axle on side of road we take next day off cha-ching!!! just my opinion guys take it or leave it im always here for advice or questions and i get pretty smokin deals on parts and glad to pass it on to you /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gifP.S. ive bought and built several trailers from trailerplans.com good solid trailers tow great would highly recomend if you can weld with a buzz box you can build a hell of a trailer for about what you can buy a mass produced cheapy one for.

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i make my livin running a mobile service truck working on only rvs and trailers first thing i wanna say is just cuz it fits dont make it right!!! i see more scary stuff on the highway that makes me cringe my favorites are the sand dune guys heading to glamis that have 4x4 truck 30 foot toy hauler loaded to the gills and they weld a ball mount to the back of the toy hauler to haul the 12 foot utility trailer for the stuff they just couldnt squeeze in then run 70 down i-10 anyways just had to vent on that one. anyways i would defintley go bigger once you get into the 5200 pound axles you get 12 in. x 2in. brakes vs 10x 1 3/4in.found on the 3500 pound axles one thing you have to watch is the spring rating alot of trailer co. will put a 5200 pound axle with springs rated at 2000 lbs each so it gets a smooth ride when empty see this alot.i prefer trailer bias ply tires over radials any day more plys tread and sidewall and the new bias dont go bump bump when there cold least not out here anyway in the summer heat ive seen triple axles trailers pop radials beads right off the rim in hard turns.what i look for on a well built trailer is a tounge that goes all the way back to the front axle or close to it for strength.some of the mass produced trailers only go back two or three feet ive seen these bust in overload situtations. the tounge should be between four to five feet for ease of handling from front of trailer to ball mount.and finally WHEELBEARING PACK!!!! this is a must once a year or every 10,000 miles 70% of my work is putting axles in trailers on the side of the road you do the math seals 5.00 dollars a piece tub of grease 5.00 dollars you do labor free! we do labor 70.00 dollars per axle!!! axle on side of road we take next day off cha-ching!!! just my opinion guys take it or leave it im always here for advice or questions and i get pretty smokin deals on parts and glad to pass it on to you /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gifP.S. ive bought and built several trailers from trailerplans.com good solid trailers tow great would highly recomend if you can weld with a buzz box you can build a hell of a trailer for about what you can buy a mass produced cheapy one for.

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Hey man, I know you are not really next door but in CA (same Laws) and you know your stuff.
I want to build my own trailer and I want it tough, but don't want to fork over 5-6K to someone to do it.
How much do you think it would cost me in parts to make a 10k trailer and how do I licence it in CA.
I know if it has a manufacturer tag I can regiter it, I did with the boat trailer, but what if you are building your own?
Thanks.
/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

I run a 7000 pound trailer as I got a good deal on it. I have not had any issues towing my Blazer but I have considered upgrading the axles. It seems to be fine.

I run the 7500 lb trailer you saw at BB03 and BB02. 16' cargo area, open center (makes a nice grease pit and work area) and single axle brakes. No complaints from me. I'm just a little below its max "stated" weight, but there is always the margin of safety. It's crossed the country (and I do mean East to West Coast) fully loaded 3 times now with no issues other than 1 flat tire while towing my wife’s 97 Bonneville in a construction zone when I hit some debris (going faster than I probably should, but that’s another issue) and didn’t/couldn’t swerve to miss the debris without potentially loosing control. That happened on a trip from West Palm Beach FL to Phoenix. I have made a few tweaks to it, but it’s pretty much just the way I bought it.

One other thing to think about is registration classification. I have my trailer registered at (IIRC) 6499 lbs GVW because it got me a life time trailer tag. 6500 and up is something like $35 a year plus other things I didn’t want to fool with. Depends on state law.

The only thing I’ve ever wanted was the ability to haul 2 rigs at once. Especially going to Moab when my caravan partners can’t keep up on the grades! /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif I’ve threatened to put a tow strap from my trailer to them so they wouldn’t fall behind. It’s sad when a truck loaded to over 16k GVW has to stop and wait on top of the hills for the driven trucks/jeeps to catch up. And yeah, I’m razing you about the Duramax/Alli 2500HD. After talking to you in Moab, I know you want one, and IMO the payments are well worth it if you tow…

Well I've been hauling my rig on a 7000# trailer since 1998. Haven't had any problems and it tows like a dream.It is a 20' with two 3500# brake axles and is made by H&H trailer in Iowa. There is 18' of flat surface and 2' dovetail. It also has set back axles. This trailer tows like a dream. I use Goodyear trailer tires on it. I don't use the weight distribution bars but did have a specially built hitch built to class V specs for my dually.

I agree with most of the other guys that the 10,000# trailer would be best and you should have 2 brake axles if you are using anything other than a dually to pull it with.





David

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Well I've been hauling my rig on a 7000# trailer since 1998. Haven't had any problems and it tows like a dream.It is a 20' with two 3500# brake axles and is made by H&H trailer in Iowa. There is 18' of flat surface and 2' dovetail. It also has set back axles. This trailer tows like a dream. I use Goodyear trailer tires on it. I don't use the weight distribution bars but did have a specially built hitch built to class V specs for my dually.

I agree with most of the other guys that the 10,000# trailer would be best and you should have 2 brake axles if you are using anything other than a dually to pull it with.





David

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The set back axles make the difference in the ride and control, and then you do have 2 braked axles so you are not marginal on the capacity of your trailer.

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I went w/ the 7k. 16' w/ 2' dove, 5' ramps slide out on the pass. side.("they have never been used"). 83" deck between fenders.Fenders are removable w/ 2 bolts & unplug lights. (2 min. tops). Brakes both axles w/ break away. Tows nice. Will do the speed limit PLUS. Bought new this year $1675 in Erie, Co. Dunlop Trailers. Ed /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif Another reason was the price difference $2500 for the 10k.

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I went w/ the 7k. 16' w/ 2' dove, 5' ramps slide out on the pass. side.("they have never been used"). 83" deck between fenders.Fenders are removable w/ 2 bolts & unplug lights. (2 min. tops). Brakes both axles w/ break away. Tows nice. Will do the speed limit PLUS. Bought new this year $1675 in Erie, Co. Dunlop Trailers. Ed /forums/images/graemlins/usaflag.gif Another reason was the price difference $2500 for the 10k.

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Can I still get a 10K for $2500?

I will drive up to Colorado if I can .
Here it costs $2500 for the setup you got, and more like $3800 for a single brake 10k trailer.
/forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif

Have you tried several different places regarding prices?

Around here an 18' car hauler upgraded to around 10k typically goes for between $2,600-$2,800. Once place even has a really nice 12k (16" tires w/ 8-lug rims) 18' trailer for under $3k.

I'm on the verge of driving out of state this weekend to buy a 9k 18' car hauler for under $2k......just can't make up my mind.

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Have you tried several different places regarding prices?

Around here an 18' car hauler upgraded to around 10k typically goes for between $2,600-$2,800. Once place even has a really nice 12k (16" tires w/ 8-lug rims) 18' trailer for under $3k.

I'm on the verge of driving out of state this weekend to buy a 9k 18' car hauler for under $2k......just can't make up my mind.

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Well I have asked all the ones in my area.
I didn't try further south but I am sure it will be worse.
I think I will end up driving out of state to get a better deal.
/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I agree with most everyone else on here. Get as big as you can afford (capacity-wise). The way I look at it is you plan to only be towing your rig. But what happens when a buddy breaks down and hollers for some help? And he has a heavier rig? Are you going to turn down a chance to tow something?!? Probably not!

I decided to go with a 23+5 gooseneck dovetail with dual single-wheel 7k brake axles. If I went with dual wheels, it would require a special DL not to mention the added tire wear. The tires are actually the same lugs and size as my tow rig (2500HD), so that reduces the number of spares. In addition, with the extra capacity, if I were forced to, I could pull the trailer loaded with my Jimmy using only 3 tires for short distances.

Of course, the trailer weighs in at 3k empty, which diminishes its carrying capacity a little.

All things to keep in mind.

I just looked at a 10,000# 18' for $2,100 plus it has the nice jack and coupler ($100 for brakes on the other axle, $150 for 3/16" fenders that you can drive on). That's about $400 more than their 7,000# model and you get 6" channel instead of 5".

http://www.dfcanyon.com/images/misc/trailer/whole.JPG

http://www.dfcanyon.com/images/misc/trailer/under.JPG

http://www.dfcanyon.com/images/misc/trailer/under1.JPG

Hey Fubeca
Is that in Utah?
and would that be total $2500 with the extras you mentionned?

Yep, they are made in Ogden UT I think, the company is called Big Bubba's Trailers. They weren't painted underneath but they seemed to have a pretty high quality trailer. I was a little concerned with the way the ramps are stored since it cuts through the tongue channel under the front of the trailer but I bet they could move it to the back.
Big Bubba's Trailer Sales & Manufacturing
123 West 12th St Ogden 801-395-2312
Out Of Area 800-360-5565