Trailer for around the mill

flyboy16101 · January 04, 2015, 07:47:07 PM

I was wondering what you guys used for trailers with your mills. I have scene many described and pictured on various threads on here but was hoping to get a common consensus about what works well and what doesn't. The biggest questions are what weight and length, and also gooseneck or bumper pull? Thank you

sealark37 · January 04, 2015, 08:28:08 PM

Since I use a 1/2 ton GMC to pull, I like a 14' flat trailer with the deck over the wheels, a 2' duck tail, with a front bar and winch. I use a bumper style hitch, but a goose would be convenient. Several pockets on each side for chains or standards, with a storage bin behind the hitch for chains and straps. A 5-ton GVW and LCD lights are really nice. My trailer is versatile, but ideal only about 5% of the time. Regards, Clark

StimW · January 04, 2015, 08:43:39 PM

I have two, a good 16'er and a POS 14'er. Both work well for the logs pictured.

drobertson · January 04, 2015, 09:24:19 PM

The flat beds with rails are most common with many folks, but if you were to fab one 14' to 16', ball hitch, goose neck being fine if you have the truck equipped for this, and it being without rails, makes for a much easier loading and unloading in my opinion. These flatbeds are just generally a bit taller giving the wheel clearance needed. but most are still very manageable to fabricate at a reasonable cost, if scrap and ingenuity are use. Rails, and fenders are just a bit of a pain at times, but everything has its place.

flyboy16101 · January 04, 2015, 09:38:50 PM

At the moment I have a low profile trailer with rails so i can par buckle but the fenders always seam to end up getting damaged no matter what I do and I feel a little cringe every a log slams down onto the deck. I have decided to upgrade to a deckover but I'm not sure how far to go on the size is 10000 gvrw and 16 ft long good enough or would you recommend bigger? Also dose anyone have a trailer with the pop up dove tail and if so is it worth having or just sick to a fixed dove tail?

drobertson · January 04, 2015, 09:45:46 PM

flyboy, unloading is just a pain with rails and fenders at times, as to loading, I use load straps with a 6x6 to pick up the load and lower it onto 4x4 cleats. this allows you to take the straps out. many of my loads are stickered so keeping it intact is a little important. Dead stacked lumber is often easier but labor intensive for the customer when unloading. Keep in mind, how they will be unloaded for the customer's sake, sometimes double handling and restacking is just part of it.

Sixacresand · January 05, 2015, 08:39:23 PM

This trailer is logs. I cut some timbers to raise my load above the rails. I secured the load with come-a-longs. I unload the trailer by rolling logs off the side. Was a real time saver. Another trailer is parked next to the mill to catch slabs, waste, etc.

YellowHammer · January 05, 2015, 11:17:23 PM

I've been through quite a few trailers trying to find the best one, such as utility, dump, and deck over, and finally ended up with a 25K lb gooseneck. I had a 10,000 lb gooseneck but since the trailer weighed about 3,000 lbs, it only could only carry 7,000 lbs of logs, which isn't very much, especially with the increased towing capacity of today's pick ups. It's also useful for hauling lumber and tractors.
I much prefer gooseneck to bumper pull in the larger trailer sizes due to better pulling and load balancing characteristics.
Also, depends on what you use for a tow vehicle.
YH

4x4American · January 05, 2015, 11:28:17 PM

I too have been trying to figure out what kinda trailer to get. I would love to have a dump trailer and a flat bed, but it won't happen quite yet. I need to move my tractor, maybe haul a pickup for a friend, logs, and lumber. almost got a 24' Kaufman gooseneck with 4' beavertail but someone got it before me.

Stephen1 · January 05, 2015, 11:39:52 PM

Because I am portable I take the trailer with me.

I can take the flat bed or the bobcat trailer with me to the job site.

hunz · January 05, 2015, 11:47:02 PM

Quote from: Stephen1 on January 05, 2015, 11:39:52 PM
Because I am portable I take the trailer with me.

I can take the flat bed or the bobcat trailer with me to the job site.

Part of me says this would land me in the backseat of a cop car in the U.S., is this pretty common in Canada?

Darrel · January 06, 2015, 12:03:34 AM

You can do that here in the states if you have a gooseneck trailer behind your truck. You will also need a class A drivers license.

backwoods sawyer · January 06, 2015, 01:24:04 AM

That reminds me of a fisherman I saw in Idaho down around hells canyon. Truck, camp trailer, boat. I had to follow him almost 20 miles, it looked like a snake on a washboard road as he bobbed up and down the whole way, and he didn't have a problem wandering back and forth across the center line :

Hope yours rides a little better ;D

scsmith42 · January 06, 2015, 02:09:26 AM

I have a 37' deck dual tandem hydraulic dovetail gooseneck trailer that I pull behind an F450. It has a winch on it for parbuckling, or I can load a skid steer on the back and use that to load logs onto the front of the trailer.

stanwelch · January 06, 2015, 06:10:48 AM

I have 20' 6 ton tilt trailer that I load with a tractor with front loader equipped with forks. I use the the tractor or a 3/4 ton Yukon to pull it.

Magicman · January 06, 2015, 08:08:50 AM

What I have is not the best, but it is what I have.

A winch on the front and ramps allow me to parbuckle logs.

Even this 42" Water oak. (note to self: discarded tires in the trailer bed will cushion the log dropping. ;D )

Joe Hillmann · January 06, 2015, 09:53:57 AM

Quote from: Darrel on January 06, 2015, 12:03:34 AM
You can do that here in the states if you have a gooseneck trailer behind your truck. You will also need a class A drivers license.

I just want to point out that it depends on what state you are in as to whether that is legal or not.

In Wisconsin pulling two trailers is only legal for farm or recreation use. And for recreation use the first trailer must be a camper and the second one must be open with them being any combination of goose neck or bumperpull. The northern part of our state is a common vacation destination and people wanted to be able to bring their camper and boat along so about three years ago the law was changed to allow it. The only other exception in the law is for tow trucks towing broken down vehicles with trailers. For any type of commercial use pulling two trailers is illegal here.

4x4American · January 06, 2015, 08:19:25 PM

Ever seen a video of a road train? I think they do that in Australia. Lots of trailers behind a road tractor, they call it a road train.

I found a pretty cool trailer on the CL today, it's and old frame from a Deuce and a half, wheels and all, and the guy welded up a hitch and log bunks. It's pretty narrow, and only 12ft long, but it might work, especially for $300. Problem is it don't have electric brakes, don't have lights, needs tires, and it's an hour away.

Stephen1 · January 07, 2015, 01:09:17 PM

Quote from: hunz on January 05, 2015, 11:47:02 PM
Quote from: Stephen1 on January 05, 2015, 11:39:52 PM
Because I am portable I take the trailer with me.

I can take the flat bed or the bobcat trailer with me to the job site.

Part of me says this would land me in the backseat of a cop car in the U.S., is this pretty common in Canada?

I see it all the time with boats, marinas do when pulling boats, and campers and just tried it out last month. Next I have to find out about legalities
I have just experimented on the local back roads. I will also have to have each unit safety inspected each year, means 4 safety inspections each year, sawmill, 2 trailers, and the truck.

Chuck White · January 07, 2015, 05:03:42 PM

Quote from: Joe Hillmann on January 06, 2015, 09:53:57 AM
Quote from: Darrel on January 06, 2015, 12:03:34 AM
You can do that here in the states if you have a gooseneck trailer behind your truck. You will also need a class A drivers license.

I just want to point out that it depends on what state you are in as to whether that is legal or not.

In Wisconsin pulling two trailers is only legal for farm or recreation use. And for recreation use the first trailer must be a camper and the second one must be open with them being any combination of goose neck or bumperpull. The northern part of our state is a common vacation destination and people wanted to be able to bring their camper and boat along so about three years ago the law was changed to allow it. The only other exception in the law is for tow trucks towing broken down vehicles with trailers. For any type of commercial use pulling two trailers is illegal here.

Here in New York, the sawmill doesn't count as a "trailer"!

Just sayin'!

flyboy16101 · January 07, 2015, 05:12:55 PM

Quote from: hunz on January 05, 2015, 11:47:02 PM
Quote from: Stephen1 on January 05, 2015, 11:39:52 PM
Because I am portable I take the trailer with me.

I can take the flat bed or the bobcat trailer with me to the job site.

Part of me says this would land me in the backseat of a cop car in the U.S., is this pretty common in Canada?

I'm not sure if it would be legal in pa or not but I'm sure DOT would hassle you even if it was

Warped · January 07, 2015, 05:38:43 PM

Quote from: Chuck White on January 07, 2015, 05:03:42 PM
Quote from: Joe Hillmann on January 06, 2015, 09:53:57 AM
Quote from: Darrel on January 06, 2015, 12:03:34 AM
You can do that here in the states if you have a gooseneck trailer behind your truck. You will also need a class A drivers license.

I just want to point out that it depends on what state you are in as to whether that is legal or not.

In Wisconsin pulling two trailers is only legal for farm or recreation use. And for recreation use the first trailer must be a camper and the second one must be open with them being any combination of goose neck or bumperpull. The northern part of our state is a common vacation destination and people wanted to be able to bring their camper and boat along so about three years ago the law was changed to allow it. The only other exception in the law is for tow trucks towing broken down vehicles with trailers. For any type of commercial use pulling two trailers is illegal here.

Here in New York, the sawmill doesn't count as a "trailer"!

Just sayin'!

I would be sure to that the tow vehicles tail lights are clearly visible, just another reason.....if ya know what I mean.

YellowHammer · January 07, 2015, 08:24:31 PM

Don't forget to make sure you have the proper license plate to cover the loaded weight of your vehicle and trailer combination, be it an "F" tag, "X1, X2" etc.
YH

Stephen1 · January 16, 2015, 09:44:03 PM

Here in Ontario, A WM mill is a piece of machinery, No plates required, but you still have to have proper lighting. The definition is if the saw head is pulled off of the mill, do you have a trailer. I am not sure but a Norwood and such would require plates as it can be used as trailer when the saw head is off.
We have the big Vacuum trucks up here and no plates are required on them, an interesting quirk in the law.

Brad_S. · January 16, 2015, 10:04:15 PM

I am no longer in the sawing business but when I was, I had a flatbed dump on a Ford F350 for lumber deliveries and a Metavic loader trailer for logs and equipment hauling. I think a dump of some sort is mandatory.

If I were to get back into sawing, I would get a trailer much like this one only as a complete deckover without the fenders so it can be loaded with a forklift. I would also opt for a gooseneck and equipment loading ramps.