Adding a log pup / equipment moving trailer

[trecher2]

I'm looking to add a trailer to my log truck, I would like to get double duty from the trailer, log hauling and equipment also. Looking at a tilt deck 17 foot that I would add bunks to. I'm concerned about the weight distribution with the axle rear of center, trailer is rated for 18 ton. This type of trailer seems to be a solid choice, but why don't I see more of them in service ? My quad Mack can handle 9.5 cord alone but it gets top heavy loaded in marginal landings, so I don't need a pup all the time but would come in handy for long hauls also with lighter pulp wood. Anybody try this with good results. I'm trying to avoid having More plates, insurance, tires, general headaches. Currently hiring out equipment moving about 2500 per year and rising not to mention pita, plus extra axels in winter on frozen roads in wi I could run 98000 I believe. Trailer cost with air brakes road ready costs around 3500. Thinking I could pay for it quick.

[MattR]

Good question. I would say that I think it has to do with the distribution of weight like you mentioned .

Also if you can get a trailer for that price , road ready and with air brakes , that's really good . I've not seen a decent one with those specs for less than $5,000.

[Gearbox]

consider tire wear those small tires will melt off fast on longer hauls . also the small brake drums the brakes won't last as long . Why don't you take that 3500 and buy a used pup ? take the money earned and buy a tag .

[trecher2]

Matt i think your right but with a stacked load heavy on the back tappered to front I think you could get a good feel pretty quick. I only need the trailer to haul about 4 cord or so. That way it will take the top off the truck and be stable on hills and heavy haul in the winter. Gear, I hear ya on the brakes and tires but think lic, ins, would offset these costs. Down the road I know you are right but right now i'm trying to GET by. I haul my skidder, dozer, and skidsteer quite a bit sometimes in a pinch with my 3500 but one slip up with the big stuff on board and i'm goona pay and i'm getting sick of sunday night trucking if you know what i mean. As of now long hauls are about 200 miles round trip, about twice a month. Most hauls are under 100 miles RT, I run about 8 to 10 a month or so all for myself. I can see the rubber runoff quick as you stated. I kinda gotta check the tire price and run some numbers. Why does it always seem the worst landings and haul roads pay the best  I do book some ugly stuff but it pays if you have the right equipment. I'm also worried about the undertrailer tires being tippy but think the low pro coupled with 4 cord I'd be fine.

[Firewoodjoe]

It would work just wouldn't be able to scale as much wood on the truck do to tounge weight. A pup won't do that. I have a 14' pup just weighting for you 😉😉😉

[MattR]

It would work just wouldn't be able to scale as much wood on the truck do to tounge weight. A pup won't do that. I have a 14' pup just weighting for you 😉😉😉

I should've thought of that , I know better . You're exactly right . The tongue weight would screw you , whereas a pup carries its own weight . I have quad axle dumps that pull tag trailers , and legally we cannot have any material    ( or at least very little, depending on the size of the machine we're pulling)    in the box of the dump truck when pulling most of the things we put on the trailer . It makes our gross overweight due to the tongue weight being applied to the truck . Good call .

[OH logger]

you cant haul equipment on  a pup can u?? I never saw that anyways

[MattR]

No, not really.

[trecher2]

looks like gear box has it spot on then, as usual cash talks. Hell just sign me up for one of everything that should do it...

[starmac]

I pull a 3 axle pintle hitch tilt trailer that one of the loggers owns hauling his equipment for him. Probably the heaviest I have hauled on it is a D6D with a ripper.

You can move the euipment around on the trailer to adjust the tongue weight to your liking, including taking weight off the truck. Infact since my pintle hitch is well behind the truck frame on the end of my stinger, I just put enough weight on the truck to get good traction and not bend my stinger. His trailer is 29 foot and 3 axle, so this is probably easier to to than with a shorter 2 axle rig.

[Firewoodjoe]

There are a few pups around here that are drop deck for hauling equipment. 5 axle though. That's what we run around here. But they are built very heavy and u can't scale as much vs a standard pup.

[killamplanes]

Here in illinois everythings different but I have a rear mount 80 barco on a tandem and a pup I got 20k pup plates 250$ year its empty 6500lbs truck with grapple plates are 1000 $ milage no more than 7k a yr gvw 55k it weighs 30.5k together 75k gw empty about 37k good truck for 40miles not a good over the road economics but works great for me and skidder can be moved with a different trailer like backhoe trailer but there to heavy to put bunks on its probly good 8k empty and that gives truck weight because of tongue weight.  I have roads here limit 76k thats why I'm set up this way....

[trecher2]

kill it looks like a nice setup light weight by my standards. My Gold cl700 Mack is a quad, double frame, 26 foot deck, serco 8000 loader, and smashes the scale down to 37000 so I need a light pup. Heck if I bought a heavy pup I couln't run in ill empty. She is a beast tho I run ties in bundles of 20 and the oak 7x9s are around 275lb each puts the stack at 5500 lbs and that loader will toss them around. With a truck that long i'm thinking a 16 ft pup would be perfect so ill try to hunt one down, then add a equipment trailer later.

[Firewoodjoe]

I like our laws. 11 axle, serco 8500, 60,000lb empty and 160,000 ish😉 loaded. Hauled 419 loads in 2014 that's approximately 21,000 ton! Good deal👍

[Autocar]

I pull a equipment trailer behind my tri axle, I also have pockets so I can put 4 x4 's four foot long to haul logs. With the skidder on the trailer I don't have any logs on the truck, but when a job is compleated I will have the last few logs on the truck with the skidder. But like some others stated you can get over loaded real quick with the tounge weight. I believe the most important thing is to have at least a 40 ton pintle hook and not the smaller ones. When hauling logs  I  will put a few on the trailer just to keep the load a little lower on the stacks of the truck.

[killamplanes]

Trecher2 ya I haul tiea on a f700 flatbed with a pintle 22ft trailer I use it for lumber and farm stuff my grapple truck gets plenty of use I like my setup but it wouldn't work for everybody