guys
this coming monday i am going to be purchasing a landscape trailer for some personal hauling needs. Im a newbie at all of this and i want some honest opinions. I would believe you folks before some darn salesman because, sad to say this, its all about the $$$ to them and they prob care lil about safety!
with this is mind, I have a 70 F250 4x4 and i am looking into buying a 6x12 or 6x14 single axle trailer. I dont think it has electric brakes. do i need them on a trailer of this length? is this too much trailer for this style truck?? i sometimes see trailers with 2 axles; what determines whether a trailer has 1 or 2 axles? I have a frame mounted hitch--i think its class 3.
the last time i used a trailer, it was a 6x10 landscape loaded with firewood. It didnt have brakes and what scared the heck out of me was when i came up to a stop. I felt the weight of the trailer 'pushing me'. Turns were also fun because i felt the trailer kind of 'whipping around on me' the topper of it all, i smelled my brakes burning; you know that infamous smell! so my question is, if i experienced this stuff with a 6x10, will it be a lot worse with a 6x14?? safety is paramount to me although i could use that longer trailer! What about these weight distribution hitches? I never saw one nor so i know what they really do...i just saw em mentioned here! any help would be sincerely appreciated! sorry for the long post!
regards
~~~NUT~~~

 

I have a 6x16 car hauler trailer. It's a tandem with no brakes. I have had 4500 lbs. and went x-country (Ohio to Texas) with no problems. I think that many states require brakes if over a certain weight (4000 lbs. in Texas, I think) but I am not sure that the cops would stop you just to check for brakes. Plenty of drunks and idiots going 80-85 mph around me to keep the cops busy.

I recommend a tandem axle over a single, especially if you are looking for something 14' long. A tandem is much more stable behind you, tracks truer. A single will wander around. If you have any weight on the trailer, your tow vehicle will wander too.

If safety is your biggest concern, get a tandem with brakes. My 22' enclosed trailer has brakes and it stops me!

 

Definately get a trailer with brakes if you are going to be hauling heavy loads like firewood. A single axle without brakes might be fine for landscapers that only carry lawnmowers and some hand tools. But for loads like you described, tandem axles with brakes is much safer for both you and your truck.

Look for the gross trailer weight rating stamped somewhere on the trailer. The number of axles usually corresponds with the trailer gross weight. A single axle trailer may only have a 2500# or 3500# gross weight rating depending on what the axle is rated for. A tandem axle trailer with 2500# or 3500# axles will give you a 5000# or 7000# gross weight rating.

From what you've told us about your truck, I would say to look for a tandem axle trailer with brakes and 5,000# gross weight.

Scott

 

I am going to throw in my 2 cents....
I would say that 2 axles would be prefered on the the 14+ foot trailer for stability and weight distribution. If you only have one axle it is easy to get too much tounge weight. I would also say brakes are needed. I have towed a car on a trailer without brakes and it is pretty scarry. (with my F150) My brother and I recently purchased a 20x7 tiltbed for hauling cars. It has brakes on both axles and stops wonderfully even when loaded. (about 6k total). One other thing is you may want to go with a 16 or 18 so you can haul cars.

 

Guys
I just got back from the local trailer place. I took the advice here and bought a tandem axle trailer 6x12 with 3500# axles. it has electric brakes on all 4 wheels. it also have a safety breakaway? on it. the guys there told me that i have to wire up some kind of brake controller in the cab. rather than do this myself, they are willing to do it for 189.00 plus tax. sooooo the trailer cost 1400.00 and the hookup controller for 189.00 you folks think that this is a good deal?
regards
Ben

 

ditto on all the above posts. you need to know what could be the heaviest load ever carried with the trailer to help decide your question with logical answers. and remember al;ways lean towars safety in your answers and you will never be sorry----- lean towards saving a couple bucks and ytou could end up sorry! good luck!

 

>Guys
>I just got back from the local trailer place. I took the
>advice here and bought a tandem axle trailer 6x12 with 3500#
>axles. it has electric brakes on all 4 wheels. it also have
>a safety breakaway? on it. the guys there told me that i
>have to wire up some kind of brake controller in the cab.
>rather than do this myself, they are willing to do it for
>189.00 plus tax. sooooo the trailer cost 1400.00 and the
>hookup controller for 189.00 you folks think that this is a
>good deal?
>regards
>Ben


With the cost of most decent double axel controllers pushing the $100 neighborhood, and approx 20-30 dollars for misclaneous wiring, fuses, circut breaker, and connections, I'd say that having them do it for you would be the smart route for a 1st time DIY'er (especially for $189).

Unless you've installed many controllers like I have, a first timer will probably take the better part of the day if done right using the proper connectors.

my .02

good luck!

 

There are 3 kinds of controllers:

Electronic "timing" types. The apply more braking force the longer you hold the pedal down. Mine old one (Draw-Tite) worked reasonably well. They only cost $40-$60.

Inertial types. Tekonosha makes most of these. Older versions ("Voyager" model) use a pendulum to sense deceleration and must be mounted level. New model ("Prodigy) uses an electronic decelerometer (defense missile technology) to sense deceleration and adjust braking power based on rate of deceleration. These run $80-$130. Many people swear by these. I just installed a Prodigy in my '03 X.

Jordan "Ultima" which uses a cable attached to the brake pedal to sense how hard you are braking. The Jordan type has many true believers who will not use anything else. These run $130. I decided against a Jordan because I have adjustable pedals and at least one person reported difficulty is attaching the cable to his adjustable pedals.

I suspect for $189 that you are getting one of the less expensive timing type. Like I said, my old unit worked pretty good, but many people say that the Jordan or Prodigy are head and shoulders above the timing types.

One problem that I have seen with electrical installs is that the shops all love to use those "Scotch-Lock" crimp connectors. My experience with those is that they can work loose or not give a good connection. They are cheap and fast, that is why the pros use them. The instructions for my Prodigy recommends soldered connections, and that is what I always do. No way a properly soldered connection is coming loose. I also insulate using heat shrink tubings. Takes a little longer, but only ever needs to be done once. I use lots of zip ties to bundle up the wire and make sure nothing is dangling loose or rubs against anything. Lots of sharp edges behind that dash.

 

ford nut, sounds like 'ya done good.
Ask 'em how much extra it would cost to wire up a Prodigy.
IMHO, it's worth the extra cost.
It is like missle technology. But instead of 'fire and forget', it's 'set and forget'.

Also, whichever controller you get, make sure that they install a circut breaker between the controller and pos terminal on the battery. Will probably be 15 amp for two braking axles.