Picking this thread back up again. I went to see the 15k gvwr power tilt at Appalachian trailers. It was way too much trailer for my truck. Also with where the tilt point was, when you raised the deck, it just came down with so much weight on my hitch. There was no way that was going to work out. I did see a bunch of their other trailers and got some different ideas about what I wanted to do.
I was talking to the guy at Appalachian and told him my thoughts were to get something with a little bit of growing room so that if my needs grew and I decided to upgrade my truck, I wouldn't necessarily need to buy another trailer. He made a good point, that the trailers are holding their value pretty well and I would do alright selling a trailer and buying a new one. So this got me to thinking I would target my current needs more closely.
I definitely want to go no higher than 10K gvwr, but still looking at 18 or 20 ft. I could even go as low as 7K but then my options get fewer. And most like this all have fold up ramps. My Kubota dealer has one orangeline 20ft 7K trailer in stock for $5800. I haven't seen it in person but it looks a little flimsy from the literature.
TH70 | Tandem-Axle Tractor Hauler Length18' | 20'Width83”GVWR Rating7,000#Empty Weight1,910# | 2,060#Payload Weight5,090# | 4,940#Frame5” x 3” x 5/16” AngleCross Members3” x 2” x 3/16” AngleFront Stop RailSquare Tubing Front Stop RailCouplerAdjustable,
www.orangelinetrailers.com
For the same price I could get a 20ft 10K Kaufman. Which definitely has nicer features
Our best 10000 GVWR Deluxe Wood Floor Equipment Trailer! Premium component upgrades over the standard model include toolbox and lid, wiring harness, LED's.
www.kaufmantrailers.com
My truck is rated to tow 10700 lbs. But as someone mentioned earlier, and I am learning, it is about the weight at the hitch. As I zero in on the right trailer my debates seem to be dovetail or not, and I am definitely thinking not. 10k vs 7K. There are better options at 10K and it does allow me to max out the truck's tow capabilities, but would I be better off at 7K and have some headroom? Then the last real debate is slide in or flip up ramps. I am leaning toward the flip up for simplicity sake even though I hate having them up flopping in the wind when I am not loading. This is kind of a complete turn around from my previous thinking, but I am learning a lot in this process and now think this is probably a better way to go.