Buying a trailer, need advice!

[plowboyswr]

Norm now I'm the one who's jealous! 
scsmith bet that hydrolic dove is handy sure would make moving equipment easier.

[scsmith42]

Darn it Scott you keep upping the anty on me!

Patty!!!!!

Norm, you owe me a keyboard.... cause I spewed ice tea all over it when I read your response!   

I'm not "upping the Ante" with you... I"m just trying to "catch up"!   

Course if you want to represent differently to Patty, I've got your back!

[PJinN.E.Texas]

Fellas,
     Thank you all for so much advice.  I can really see the pros of buying a flatbed trailer instead of one with sides.  The pictures sure helped me a lot in deciding.  I do run a 1/2 ton chevy and because of my current job situation I may just wait till I come home to buy the trailer and start looking for 1 ton truck as well.  Of course, that will be in a couple of years at least.  I am not ready to give up all this money they are giving away over here.  The money will help me pay off my house shortly as well as allow me to buy 50-60 acres, a truck and trailer and a mill.  This will all be used of course as I am not into "brand new" any more.  My buck goes a lot further in the used category.  Again, thanks for all your input fellas.  It is truly appreciated.

[MotorSeven]

Keep your dang head down over there PJ!

I was almost ready to sigh up for Kosovo before the mission ended there. I hesitated because I would have had to retire early so it all worked out for the better.

[AvT]

This is a 26 ft Load Trail tilt deck with 3 7K torsion axles.  Unfortunately I cant tell you too much about it other than it seems like a good trailer and so was the price.  I have only hauled a few loads with it so far and I like it.  I think the tilt deck may be somwhat heavier than the one with beaver tails which should be considered when buying.

 

 

[Qweaver]

Remember the 26,000 limit to avoid the CDL rule.  With a ton truck you will be limited to a 14,000 gvw trailer.  I opted for a 3/4 ton just for this reason.  I have been stopped by the DOT 2 times in the last 2 years.  No tickets because I was legal.  A gooseneck 25' 14,000 lb trailer is bearly enough for my equipment.  5ea. 2000lb logs maxes me out.  I could have bought a 16,000 gvw trailer and still been legal but then I'd have 8 wheels and tires to keep up with rather that 4.
If you are a farmer you can get by with more gvw but not if you make long hauls.
Most tag-alongs will not be rated above 10,000 gvw and may be really hard to pull with those loads anyway.

Quinton

[YellowHammer]

I have a custom built 14,000 lb dump trailer with 20,000 lb rams and undercarriage.  I added a used service crane that I rebuilt over several months (I got the idea from Redbeard) and use it to cleanly and quickly hoist up free logs from neighborhood yards where they don't want their grass messed up.  I also get a lot of free logs from farmers who don't want to spend the time removing fallen trees from their field edges but also don't want to have to dodge them with their corn crops.  So they just want the trees to disappear, and I can stay on the field roads and use the crane to drag the trees to the trailer and load them without needing help from the farmer. 
YellowHammer

[Ironwood]

YellowHammer,

 Nice rig. I call the ability to "reel" them in "fishing". This is something hard to do without a winch somewhere on your rig to at least put a pulley on the end of the boom to get ones farther away.

 Ironwood