Future Log Trailer - New WHOPPER Log PICS

[jokers]

Hi Russ
In the area I live farmers haul round bails piled sky high on old mobile home frames...........

I guess if you were affraid of DOT or state inspection it would be an issue.
fact is it isnt around here in central Illinois we can build and title anything on wheels.....
 

Hi Buzz-Sawyer,

The process to get any custom built trailer in New York legally registered is to have any unladen trailer weighing more than 1,000 pounds or a trailer that when loaded, weighs more than 3,000 pounds, inspected by a NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles inspector. If the inspection is sat, a vin # is issued and the trailer can be registered. The inspectors don`t do load and stress calcs or things of that nature. They check for contraban components and a general sense of whether the trailer was designed and built adequately. The fact of the matter is that there are a bunch of trailers on the road that have never been registered or inspected. The fines for this are petty.

The real issue is not however, whether or not the trailer can be registered, the issue is whether or not it would legally comply with the applicable laws and pass inspection. This is so important because of how someone might use a lack of compliance against you in a worst case scenario of an accident involving a fatality. Don`t forget that there are bottom feeding lawyers under every lilly pad out there just waiting for some poor victim to seek their assistance in a civil suit. It is the stock and trade of these lawyers to know every applicable angle.

Keep in mind that from what I`ve seen, most motor vehicle civil suits are settled for the value of the defendants liabilty insurance unless the defendant has minimal insurance, especially if the defendant appears to have a substantial net worth as is often the case with farmers. Every nimrod out ther has heard of the quarter million dollar tractors and the yards full of buried mason jars full of money that the farmers have, and they all want their rightful share. From reading I`ve done on the subject and from talking to many people, I`m convinced that most rural folks are under insured relative to their risk, especially the non-corporate farmers.

It`s not about whether the trailer is flimsy or whether or not the MH tires are road worthy, it`s about keeping what you`ve worked so hard for. If you are building a trailer, how much do you save by using recycled MH components? A few hundred dollars? It`s not worth it to me to not only jeopardize my standard of living, but also that of my child and the rest of my family who would no doubt suffer if I was dragged through court and lost all of my material possessions.

I know that there are probably a million old trailers out there made of MH components that are as good as anything that could be bought, but you`ve got to consider the risk of using one that could get you into a legal jam. It`s no different than assessing the risk of crossing a very busy intersection on foot. I know that I can walk against the light 999 times out of a thousand with no ramifications, but can I afford the consequences of what may happen on the 1000th crossing?

Food for thought, my friends. That`s all.

Russ

[Murf]

Up here the DOT peoiple would skin you alive. 

Backwoods and country sideroads aren't safe either anymore.

They held instruction courses for the local and Provincial Police and taught them what's allowed, and what isn't.

We wen't through a rash of tires coming off transports a couple years back, after a couple folks got killed, and a few very public, very nasty accidents on top, they got downright ugly with the truckers.

The truckers assoc. though fought right back and pressured the Police and DOT with a "If we have to comply so do the cars...." arguement.

It worked!!!

They routinely pull over anything that looks suspicious, and will stop for every trailer or older looking car or truck on the shoulder.

Under the new enforcement & safety reg's, anything with 3 safety 'faults' can be towed off the road and the plates seized. Even a burned out light bulb is a safety fault. If you have 3 burnt out lights they can (and will & have) take the plates and have a vehicle towed to the pound.

If you want new plates you have to have the vehicle re-inspected first.

It's working though, used to be that every spring & fall there was a one-wheeled, lop-sided piece of junk trailer on the shoulder every 5 minutes along any main highway. Not anymore.

Cars complain about truckers, truckers complain about cars. What's good for the one getting goosed is good for the one goosing I guess.   

[Wudman]

We had an old tri-axle mobile home frame trailer that we used on the farm.  It was decked and cross braced but still had too much flex to be of much use.  The tail end of it was drug off more than once trying to cross terraces in the field.  We couldn't keep tires on it until we finally put tubes in everything and that helped a lot.  It has been parked now for 10 or 12 years.  We also had a couple of tobacco trailers built from I-beams from a mobile home frame.  They were junked as well.  They were very easy to turn over due to the excessive flex.

Wudman

[Kirk_Allen]

Well I have to first say thanks for all the input. It's appreciated.   

Next I will have to say, the challenge is on! After reading all the negative info one might ask, Why build your own band mill?  You will have this problem or that!   Better off to just buy a new one. 

Well, why build my own trailer.  First and foremost its a challenge!  Second, I have ran the numbers and for what a GOOD trailer to do what I need it to do is going to cost its simply to much to spend. 

I have a fair amount of 1/4" I-Beam material to use as the main support frame and with all the extra material this trailer already has I am CONFIDENT that I will be able to build a QUALITY trailer that WILL NOT have all the problems mentioned, although I appreciate them being mentioned

My goal is to do it myself, well almost (Buzzsawyer to the rescue  )  and end up with a trailer that if I want to sell it will bring me several thousand dollars because it was built right.  As far as axles, for the short term I will use what I have.  Once I get my logs home and have more time (does that ever happen?  ) I plan on putting some standard 7K lb axles under it with 8 lug 16 inch rims and quality tires. 

Any gamblers out there that want to take a bet how this is going to turn out? 

[Timburr]

No, I'll take your word on it....it sounds like you have high standards

[Furby]

Knowing you Kirk, there's no DanG way I'm gonna bet against ya!

[wiam]

My trailer has MH axles.  I bought them from a local MH dealer.  The wheels and axles were not together.  Some of the tires say "for mobile home use only"  some do not .  Guess which ones I picked out.  I have seen "for mobile home use only" tires not last.  The ones I bought have been there for over a year and been overloaded at least once per trip.  They have lasted well.

Will

[farmerdoug]

Kirk, I do not see why your trailer will not work.  If you build it to handle the load then there should be no problems.  Farmers around here use MH frame trailers all the time to haul their big round bales of hay but most haul it with their tractors(ie slow).  I assume that you are working with Buzz on this and with Buzz's tendency to build for the worst condition possible that your trailer will probably perform wonderful but you may need a semi tractor to haul it though.

Farmerdoug

[Kirk_Allen]

Plans are to haul it with my Grandfathers F600 grain truck.  Breaks should be fixed tomarrow if the creek dont rise

[sawguy21]

That old 223 six is going to be stressed pulling that trailer

[Kirk_Allen]

When I am done the trailer is going to be around 30 feet long.  I need to be able to haul about 10 of the 38 foot white oaks I have and after that the trailer will be overkill for any future hauling but thats OK!  Those power line guys seem to have some pretty long FREE poles now and then and it will work great for that. 

That 223 will do just fine!  With the two speed differential I can put her in granny gear and go where ever I want!  The main project of getting these logs home wont be a problem since I am only going 6 miles on country roads! 

[Murf]

I wasn't tryin' ta hint that it wouldn't be built (re-built?) well.......  

Especially if Buzz has his hand in it, I get the impression anything he builds is more than durable.  

I was just pointin' out dat da days of runnin' stuff that haint got a certificate that says it complies with either the FMVSS or the CMVSS and a safety cert. sticker, it haint gonna go far down the road afore sombody sezs ta pull it over whiles they have a squint at it.  

[Kirk_Allen]

Well between the Paul Bunyian show Buzz and I managed to get A LOT done on the triailer.  He took a bunch of pics so I am sure when he gets home and recoops from some LONG days and NIGHTS, he will post our progress photos. 

Best guess is that it will COMFORTABLY haul 15,000 lbs of STUFF

[jokers]

Well between the Paul Bunyian show Buzz and I managed to get A LOT done on the triailer.  He took a bunch of pics so I am sure when he gets home and recoops from some LONG days and NIGHTS, he will post our progress photos. 

Best guess is that it will COMFORTABLY haul 15,000 lbs of STUFF

Kirk,

Trailers for hauling 15k# of stuff usually have atleast tandem axles with duallies on each end, but often have three dually axles. I guess that you must have added some new axles since you took the original picture? Probably air brakes and a heavy duty pintle hitch too?

Russ

[Frank_Pender]

You had better keep that axe hidden, Kirk.

[Kirk_Allen]

Now Frank, if I didnt know better I would say you are on the war path

Just be patient.  Your axe is coming 

[Kirk_Allen]

Can anyone tell me what the advantages or disadvantages on the direction you place decking on the trailer.  I plan on decking this trailer with Red Oak and am debating running it length ways or sideways.  I know most trailers have it ran the lenght of the trailer but was just curious if there are any disadvantages doing it across.

[sawguy21]

Lengthways would add strength to the trailer. especially on a long span. It is also a lot less cutting and waste.

[Frank_Pender]

I am not an engineer, but if you had 4 or 5 major stringers running the length of the trailer, I would suspect that there could also be additional strength added by running crossways on the trailer.   The same holds true in my thinking for running lengthwise.  Usually the majority of stringers run crossways on a trailer.  Just some random thoughts on a day without my used axe.

[Gary_C]

Kirk

It depends more on the type of frame under the decking and how you load the trailer. Most trailers have two main I-beams running the length of the trailer with some type of cross beams on top of the main I-beams with an outside frame with stake pockets. The spacing of the cross beams is usually 16-20 inches for support. The deck is then laid length ways and the joints are staggered. However this construction method will give you at least a 34 inch high deck.

If you go crossways directly on top of the main I-beams, you get a lower deck, but you need more support so you still must build a braced outside frame and other supports under the decking to reduce the span between the supports. The wheels will stick up above the deck.

So length ways will add some strength on a long trailer, but the decision is usually dictated by other factors.