Minimum trailer for tiny skidsteer

[vinito]

I didn't quite know where to post this but since my manual actually lists a trailer in the "attachments" category, then maybe that would work here too.
I have kinda been keeping my ear to the ground for a better-suited trailer for my little skidsteer. The thing only weighs about 2500 lb with a bucket and it recently "hit" me that maybe for this bitty thing I wouldn't necessarily need to have a tandem axle trailer to haul it.
If I found a heavy enough single axle trailer (i.e. 3000 lb not unheard of) would you guys think I was stupid or crazy to haul my machine with it? (my machine is a Hydra Mac 8A - or same as Gehl 2500). It would be less expensive, easier to find (I think) and in my state, these smaller trailers don't require licensing or taxes at all so it would be a bit less hassle to deal with. I kind of figure my machine is equivalent to a couple large mowers.
Maybe I'm fooling myself? Anyway, thanks for any advice. This stuff is all kind of new to me so I dont have much natural feel for it like yous fellers do.

 

[CraigClayton]

Your machine is about the same weight as my new holland L125 at 2150LBS. As i just purchased it I have not yet trailed it. I have a 3500 LBS single trailer 4x6 ft 6" built like a army ammo trailer and a 3500lbs single 5x11 that I did move my 2400 LBS Kubota on with an attached implement. Neither of these trailers have brakes and the law lets you pull 3000 LBS without brakes in Canada. The only problem is when you want to stop the trailer likes to push you from behind.For short moves this is what I plan on using and travelling only on 50 MPH roads. Most of my loads have been wood with a lower center of gravity. CraigClayton

 

[SkidRoe]

My 440B is in about the same weight category. While I do typically move it with a 7000 lb capacity tandem axle trailer, I have on occasion used my buddy's 5' x 10' 3500 lb single axle trailer. It handles it no problem.
Depending on what your tow vehicle is, you may want to consider a trailer with brakes. In my experience, towing it is one thing, but getting it stopped is a different animal again. The 3500 lb trailer does not have brakes, but since I am towing it behind a Dodge 3500 dually, stopping really isn't a big issue.
On the flip side of this, I have also hauled the 773 on my tandem trailer with no issues at all. It does have electric brakes. We normally trailer the 773 on a 12,000 lb capacity flat deck trailer, that we also use to move farm tractors with.
HTH - SR

 

[lesgawlik]

My 440B is in about the same weight category. While I do typically move it with a 7000 lb capacity tandem axle trailer, I have on occasion used my buddy's 5' x 10' 3500 lb single axle trailer. It handles it no problem.
Depending on what your tow vehicle is, you may want to consider a trailer with brakes. In my experience, towing it is one thing, but getting it stopped is a different animal again. The 3500 lb trailer does not have brakes, but since I am towing it behind a Dodge 3500 dually, stopping really isn't a big issue.
On the flip side of this, I have also hauled the 773 on my tandem trailer with no issues at all. It does have electric brakes. We normally trailer the 773 on a 12,000 lb capacity flat deck trailer, that we also use to move farm tractors with.
HTH - SR

I trail my Case 1816, about 2,000 lbs, with a single axle, tilt-bed Cam Superline. Works great.

 

[jerry]

I trail my Case 1816, about 2,000 lbs, with a single axle, tilt-bed Cam Superline. Works great.

Might be worth it to check your state law for trailer brake info, in MN any trailer over 3000 gross must have brakes with emergency stop provision, number of axles doesn't matter.

 

[Hotrod1830]

Might be worth it to check your state law for trailer brake info, in MN any trailer over 3000 gross must have brakes with emergency stop provision, number of axles doesn't matter.

As long as you feel comfortable with the towing vehicle being able to stop the 3K trailer safely, go for it. This is assuming the 3K trailer doesnt have brakes.

 

[vinito]

As long as you feel comfortable with the towing vehicle being able to stop the 3K trailer safely, go for it. This is assuming the 3K trailer doesnt have brakes.

I bit the bullet, dropped back and punted, re-thought it all and decided what I had to pull with I really didn't like anyway, so I'm replacing it.
I've had an old beater '93 Ranger pickup I'm kinda tired of owning. At 6'1" I'm not all that tall, but the thing is cramped in leg & elbowroom as well as line-of-sight. When I first got it I had to drive 45 minutes minimum one way to get to work and back every day and after a while having to duck just to see out the dang window created a permanent painful crick in my neck after a while. So I've probably put a total of 50 miles on it over the past two years. Well that's just stupid.
Today I picked up a cheap "beater" of a new sort in the form of a '98 F150. It's not a smooth luxury truck on par with the current lovely trucks being made, but it sure isn't bad at all. It's a ton more comfortable. I fit in it ! So that solves the first broken link in the chain.
I have found a trailer manufacturer a couple hours away where I can order a new tandem 18' manual tilt bed trailer which will serve my needs well. They are built well, full 4-wheel brakes, winch mount, LED lights and plenty of strong tie points and it's only a little over $2K, which seems like a really good price for a brand new trailer like this. The length is way more than the loader alone needs, but of course I can use it for a lot more than hauling the loader. No sense having a single-purpose trailer when a much more versatile one can be out there taking up about the same amount of space.
And I can sell of the Ranger and my super HD 4'4" x 9' (yea building that was kinda dumb) flatbed trailer off to recoup some of the costs. This just makes sense, huh?
Sometimes you just have to let go of the past.
The new digs:

 

[6brnorma]

I bit the bullet, dropped back and punted, re-thought it all and decided what I had to pull with I really didn't like anyway, so I'm replacing it.
I've had an old beater '93 Ranger pickup I'm kinda tired of owning. At 6'1" I'm not all that tall, but the thing is cramped in leg & elbowroom as well as line-of-sight. When I first got it I had to drive 45 minutes minimum one way to get to work and back every day and after a while having to duck just to see out the dang window created a permanent painful crick in my neck after a while. So I've probably put a total of 50 miles on it over the past two years. Well that's just stupid.
Today I picked up a cheap "beater" of a new sort in the form of a '98 F150. It's not a smooth luxury truck on par with the current lovely trucks being made, but it sure isn't bad at all. It's a ton more comfortable. I fit in it ! So that solves the first broken link in the chain.
I have found a trailer manufacturer a couple hours away where I can order a new tandem 18' manual tilt bed trailer which will serve my needs well. They are built well, full 4-wheel brakes, winch mount, LED lights and plenty of strong tie points and it's only a little over $2K, which seems like a really good price for a brand new trailer like this. The length is way more than the loader alone needs, but of course I can use it for a lot more than hauling the loader. No sense having a single-purpose trailer when a much more versatile one can be out there taking up about the same amount of space.
And I can sell of the Ranger and my super HD 4'4" x 9' (yea building that was kinda dumb) flatbed trailer off to recoup some of the costs. This just makes sense, huh?
Sometimes you just have to let go of the past.
The new digs:

Just be sure you have good brakes……….brakes on truck…….brakes on trailer and then be sure you have good brakes again ……….brakes!!!!!!!!

 

[SkidRoe]

Just be sure you have good brakes……….brakes on truck…….brakes on trailer and then be sure you have good brakes again ……….brakes!!!!!!!!

Sounds like you made a good choice. In my experience, you can never own too big of a trailer, as long as you have something appropriate to pull it with.
Cheers - SR

 

[vinito]

Sounds like you made a good choice. In my experience, you can never own too big of a trailer, as long as you have something appropriate to pull it with.
Cheers - SR

Good advice on the brakes. Last night I ordered a brake controller to add to my "new" truck. Searching kept pointing to a Tekonsha P3 progressive controller and I think that ought to work well. Plus when I eventually change again, I can take the brake controller off to follow me to the next truck.

Since the new tandem trailer will have 4-wheel brakes, it ought to stop fine when hauling it with the F150. For hauling less than 3000 lbs most of the time, I think the F150 is sturdy enough to handle it fairly comfortably.
The only problem I see is that backing up with an 18' trailer will undoubtedly be more finicky than hauling my little nine-footer. It will take a little getting used to.

 

[SkidRoe]

Good advice on the brakes. Last night I ordered a brake controller to add to my "new" truck. Searching kept pointing to a Tekonsha P3 progressive controller and I think that ought to work well. Plus when I eventually change again, I can take the brake controller off to follow me to the next truck.

Since the new tandem trailer will have 4-wheel brakes, it ought to stop fine when hauling it with the F150. For hauling less than 3000 lbs most of the time, I think the F150 is sturdy enough to handle it fairly comfortably.
The only problem I see is that backing up with an 18' trailer will undoubtedly be more finicky than hauling my little nine-footer. It will take a little getting used to.

The only thing that you may want to consider for your truck is an auxiliary transmission cooler, if it does not already have one. Just one of those better safe than sorry things.
I used to pull our 18' foot 12,000lb float with my old GMC 1500, once with 2 tractors on it, with no issues.
FWIW - SR

 

[jon_schram]

The only thing that you may want to consider for your truck is an auxiliary transmission cooler, if it does not already have one. Just one of those better safe than sorry things.
I used to pull our 18' foot 12,000lb float with my old GMC 1500, once with 2 tractors on it, with no issues.
FWIW - SR

Good choice on the trailer...much better than any single axle trailer. My dad has a single axle trailer that he hauls skids on, but its tough to get the tongue weight right on a 1/2 ton pickup and not having brakes can be scary on gravel. Plus, backing up a longer trailer is sooooo much easier.

 

[vinito]

Good choice on the trailer...much better than any single axle trailer. My dad has a single axle trailer that he hauls skids on, but its tough to get the tongue weight right on a 1/2 ton pickup and not having brakes can be scary on gravel. Plus, backing up a longer trailer is sooooo much easier.

I had funds earmarked to buy a new tilt trailer but I kept checking out craigslist for local deals. Yesterday this one came up and I just picked it up this morning:

It's a hacked 2-horse trailer and it looks a little better in person than the picture shows for some reason. It has electric brakes which have to be re-wired and checked out, but he bought a new harness for it which came with it. It's a nice heavy-duty one. So is may just be a little time wiring it back up and at worst it could be a bit of brake work which should be easy. It also has very few tie-down points and I always liked having a bunch of those, so I'll just add some. Both of these fixes should be very easy and quick. I liked the idea of just buying a new trailer with all the details I wanted made-to-order, but this one was 6 times cheaper. Plus since the cost of the loader was actually less than the new trailer would have been, it seemed out of balance or something. This isn't the tilt trailer I desired, but it sits very low so I think the ramps will be just fine. It will still haul over 5K and the width is a little narrower than yer "standard" tandem axle which makes it about perfect for my machine.
So for a few hundred instead of $2.5K, I was able to add another link in the chain.
I think it will be just fine. It's coming together...
Whadda ya think?

 

[mmsllc]

I had funds earmarked to buy a new tilt trailer but I kept checking out craigslist for local deals. Yesterday this one came up and I just picked it up this morning:

It's a hacked 2-horse trailer and it looks a little better in person than the picture shows for some reason. It has electric brakes which have to be re-wired and checked out, but he bought a new harness for it which came with it. It's a nice heavy-duty one. So is may just be a little time wiring it back up and at worst it could be a bit of brake work which should be easy. It also has very few tie-down points and I always liked having a bunch of those, so I'll just add some. Both of these fixes should be very easy and quick. I liked the idea of just buying a new trailer with all the details I wanted made-to-order, but this one was 6 times cheaper. Plus since the cost of the loader was actually less than the new trailer would have been, it seemed out of balance or something. This isn't the tilt trailer I desired, but it sits very low so I think the ramps will be just fine. It will still haul over 5K and the width is a little narrower than yer "standard" tandem axle which makes it about perfect for my machine.
So for a few hundred instead of $2.5K, I was able to add another link in the chain.
I think it will be just fine. It's coming together...
Whadda ya think?

I like your trailer. I think you can eventually trade that f150 up to something larger / more comfortable in the future. I think you are far safer now than using a ranger. They are too small to tow with. The guys on here are RIGHT about BRAKES. When you deal with trailer problems, there really is only three (3) things that go wrong & put you on the side of the road. (1.) TIRES = make sure they are not old, worn, under-rated, dry-rotted, worn, slick, damaged, etc.!! (2.) BRAKES = make sure they work!! repair / replace broken parts ASAP!! (3.) HUBS / BEARINGS = make sure you inspect, clean, repack / grease them often. If you can take care of those three critical areas, your towing will go far better than the guy who ignores that stuff & then acts surprised when the trailer can't make it. I will also tell you that this approach is in keeping with the idea of always getting to where you need to get to, with as few problems as possible. Your truck fits into this category, SERVICE it often. That includes the rear axle, transmission, engine oil, coolant, belts, shocks, tires & lights. Try to do your very best to keep the law man from becoming interested in what you are doing.

 

[SkidRoe]

I like your trailer. I think you can eventually trade that f150 up to something larger / more comfortable in the future. I think you are far safer now than using a ranger. They are too small to tow with. The guys on here are RIGHT about BRAKES. When you deal with trailer problems, there really is only three (3) things that go wrong & put you on the side of the road. (1.) TIRES = make sure they are not old, worn, under-rated, dry-rotted, worn, slick, damaged, etc.!! (2.) BRAKES = make sure they work!! repair / replace broken parts ASAP!! (3.) HUBS / BEARINGS = make sure you inspect, clean, repack / grease them often. If you can take care of those three critical areas, your towing will go far better than the guy who ignores that stuff & then acts surprised when the trailer can't make it. I will also tell you that this approach is in keeping with the idea of always getting to where you need to get to, with as few problems as possible. Your truck fits into this category, SERVICE it often. That includes the rear axle, transmission, engine oil, coolant, belts, shocks, tires & lights. Try to do your very best to keep the law man from becoming interested in what you are doing.

If I could build on mmsllc's list, I would add wiring. I don't know how many trailers that I have seen over the years where the wiring is an absolute hack job. The biggest enemy to your trailer's wiring is moisture. Keep your splice connections to a minimum, and the ones that you do have to make, solder and heat shrink tubing are your friends. If you have to use electrical tape, always put a zip tie around the end of the tape; this will keep it from beginning to unravel, which lets moisture in.
I went the extra mile when I wired my trailer. I started with a 100' heavy duty rubberized extension cord, which I cut up for wire. This gave me up to 3 wires at each termination. I ran a completely separate run of cord to each light and brake (with dedicated grounds if required), connecting them all back to a central weather proof junction box, the type used for outdoor industrial wiring. These also use fully sealed strain reliefs. Two of these boxes are used: one at the front, which is where the main connector originates from, and one at the rear for the tail and marker lights.
All grounds are made through stainless steel threaded bosses welded to the trailer frame to eliminated corrosion. All wiring is anchored to the frame at 8" intervals, using dedicated zip tie loops.
For lights, I have used all fully sealed LED units, and provided protection from impacts where ever possible.
I wired this back in 2000, and other than replacing the odd damaged light and the trailer connector once, I have not had any other trouble with it.
HTH - SR

 

[mmsllc]

If I could build on mmsllc's list, I would add wiring. I don't know how many trailers that I have seen over the years where the wiring is an absolute hack job. The biggest enemy to your trailer's wiring is moisture. Keep your splice connections to a minimum, and the ones that you do have to make, solder and heat shrink tubing are your friends. If you have to use electrical tape, always put a zip tie around the end of the tape; this will keep it from beginning to unravel, which lets moisture in.
I went the extra mile when I wired my trailer. I started with a 100' heavy duty rubberized extension cord, which I cut up for wire. This gave me up to 3 wires at each termination. I ran a completely separate run of cord to each light and brake (with dedicated grounds if required), connecting them all back to a central weather proof junction box, the type used for outdoor industrial wiring. These also use fully sealed strain reliefs. Two of these boxes are used: one at the front, which is where the main connector originates from, and one at the rear for the tail and marker lights.
All grounds are made through stainless steel threaded bosses welded to the trailer frame to eliminated corrosion. All wiring is anchored to the frame at 8" intervals, using dedicated zip tie loops.
For lights, I have used all fully sealed LED units, and provided protection from impacts where ever possible.
I wired this back in 2000, and other than replacing the odd damaged light and the trailer connector once, I have not had any other trouble with it.
HTH - SR

Sounds you like you went well above & beyond, but trailer reliability is a huge must. I was just trying to stress the most likely areas that strand or get towing guys into trouble. I just see so many trailers around here that don't have operating lights. They (SERIOUSLY) drive around with them & just turn on their emergency flashers. Such a crock of $hit!!

 

[ATK]

Good advice on the brakes. Last night I ordered a brake controller to add to my "new" truck. Searching kept pointing to a Tekonsha P3 progressive controller and I think that ought to work well. Plus when I eventually change again, I can take the brake controller off to follow me to the next truck.

Since the new tandem trailer will have 4-wheel brakes, it ought to stop fine when hauling it with the F150. For hauling less than 3000 lbs most of the time, I think the F150 is sturdy enough to handle it fairly comfortably.
The only problem I see is that backing up with an 18' trailer will undoubtedly be more finicky than hauling my little nine-footer. It will take a little getting used to.

Backing a longer will be easier if you can back a 9' trailer youll have no problem with an 18".