Trailer size for L2501

[bgriffi]

Just bought 4x4 HST L2501 with FEL, boxblade and filled tires. I figured all the weights and came up with 4740lbs total. With A 7000# 18' trailer isn't this right at the max for trailer. I will pull with GMC sierra with 9000 lb tow capacity.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[BigG]

Are you planning on any other implements? There will be no extra room for anything else. A rotary cutter will be hanging off the back end.

My gooseneck trailer was full so we loaded a L2501 on a 16 foot car carrier yesterday. It covered the entire deck of the trailer. It was no problem to carry it. 18 feet would be better but it will not be long enough to carry anything extra.

 

[Weasel1]

My L2501 with rotary cutter and bucket on my 18 foot trailer.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

up here the' math' is
trailer capacity 7000# ( 2 -3500# axles, 5 bolt)
Acoupler cap 500# (2 5/16" ball)
so max is really 7500#
subtract 5000# for tractor (4740, but I'll fudge up to be safe)
subtract weight of trailer( maybe 1500 ?) [either read sticker or run the scales...]
7500-5000-1500= 1000 , so below the max.
You should have brakes on BOTH axles on the trailer,often they only 'cheap out', only put 1 set on.
There is a huge range of weight for tandem axle trailers,most are overbuilt, weighing more than needed to carry their design loads.Also none seem to have backup lights on them,so I figure whoever designed them have NEVER tried to backup a loaded trailer up 400' of narrow ,tree lined gravel road at 2AM.....

 

[UpNorthMI]

Based on the information you supplied I would recommend a 20’ long 10,000 Lbs rated trailer, like a 5” channel car hauler by PJ trailers, trailer weight is 2,500. Brakes on both axles.

I believe in a little bit of safety factor. Remember the tire load rating will be at the minimum required for trailer load capacity. If you buy 7,000 lbs rating which weighs 1,800 lbs you will be running at max capacity, not good for tires on a hot day!

The other consideration is how often, how far and at what speed you plan to tow, if the answer is not often, not far and slow then 7,000 lbs trailer may be a good option, it will certainly be less cost.

Remember a set of chains and chain binders, you can get away with 2 x 20’ chains and 2 chain binders for a L2501 and attachment.

 

[Sammy3700]

20” trailer and two 5200 axles with braces on both. You will have enough trailer for the future. I started with a 7,000 gross 16” now have a 24 flat 3” dove tail goose neck with two 7,000 axles 14,000 gross that I built. I know it is over kill for a L3800 but you will be surprised what you will want to haul.

 

[bx tractorjoe]

Whats your budget comes to mind.. sure you can buy a 10,000 pound trailer.. but can you?

How far and how often are you going to tow it.. and with or without the mower?

My 7000 pound 20 footer works just fine for me. i really bought the trailer for towing cars, small tractors etc.. or to bring my l2501 to the dealer if needed.. if i needed a 10k trailer my tundra would need to be replaced with a 3/4 ton diesel or larger truck.. or I could just hire a tow truck

 

[Cathy Liebchen]

Whats your budget comes to mind.. sure you can buy a 10,000 pound trailer.. but can you?

How far and how often are you going to tow it.. and with or without the mower?

My 7000 pound 20 footer works just fine for me. i really bought the trailer for towing cars, small tractors etc.. or to bring my l2501 to the dealer if needed.. if i needed a 10k trailer my tundra would need to be replaced with a 3/4 ton diesel or larger truck.. or I could just hire a tow truck

Our Tundra will tow a 10000 #
trailer no problem

 

[greg86z28]

Figure out how much your truck can tow. Tow ratings are only half the story you need to know payload capacity as well. New half ton trucks use dishonest advertising in my opinion when they talk about tow capacities of 10,000+ lbs. It's possible your truck can do that, but few of these 1/2 tons are ready to support 1,000+ lbs of tongue weight.

The issue with short trailers is it will limit your ability to balance out the load. You see that image above with the L2501 on the 18' trailer with the rotary cutter? No way to try to move the load around to get the tongue weight right. Might be ok for that guy as you can see in that photo it's hooked up to a 3/4 or 1 ton. But with a dinky half ton you might be overloading the payload capacity on the truck.

 

[ki4dog]

20ft minimum. I have the same tractor. The extra two feet allowed me to mount a tool box to carry straps, chains, binders etc. I set the bucket on the tool box and still have the wheel of the rotary cutter hanging off the back. You'll need room to balance out the load to keep the tongue weight down. My trailer is 14k lb rated which to me is a bit much. The trailer empty is not a fun pull due to the heavy suspension not flexing. Could just be my trailer, but I hate towing it, and I'm towing with a 3/4 ton diesel. Loaded it's not bad. On the up side I never feel over loaded regardless of what I have on it.

 

[greg86z28]

For what it's worth, we run a 20' 10k trailer to haul my B2601 with loader and backhoe. We also use it to haul my dad's L3901 with loaded tires, loader and 1 attachment (tiller, brush cutter).

We are happy with the trailer - it has a far more beefy construction than the 7k trailers. We also went with a car hauler style not an equipment hauler style.

I use my 2019 F150 STX 5.0L to haul it which has a "tow capacity" of "9,000 lbs" based on the options. Since it is a stripped down model in terms of features, it has one of the higher payload capacities (2,000 lbs). I went from a 3/4 ton down to a half ton last year and did a lot of research on safely towing.

 

[rogerwh0825]

Weasel1 - What are the rear straps attached to on the tractor?

My L2501 with rotary cutter and bucket on my 18 foot trailer.

 

[FrozenOrange]

I use an 18 ft 700lb capacity trailer on my L3901. Same set up FEL, filled tires etc. It has been a perfect combo for a few years now. Stable even in nasty conditions.

 

[PA452]

When I bought my tandem axle trailer I had a Tacoma and a BX23, so I was trying to keep it light. Ended up with a 16' 7000# landscape utility. Worked great. Then I traded the Tacoma for a Tundra, and then the BX23 for a B2650 with backhoe. So my tow capacity went up and the size and weight of my tractor went up. Still using the same trailer, but I would like to upgrade it.

Not sure if I want 18' or 20'. I hate to spend the money to upgrade and only get two more feet. But that would probably do and an upgrade would get me some other perks too, including I'm thinking heavier axles. The longer the trailer, the more space needed to maneuver. I don't know, won't be this year anyway.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

friend has a 20' trailer, bought MY 16' trailer as it pulls nicer, easier to use( it is 4 feet shorter !), so maybe something to consider..
also..
both 18 and 20' trailer's will not carry as much as a 16' trailer ,providing they all have 2-3500# axles !
Mind you you can build a 20' trailer to carry more than a 16', but 'off the lot' units won't. One of those gotta READ the 'sticker' things...

 

[200mph]

The OP should state all the information about the tow vehicle if they want an answer that stays within their legal or registered requirements. Simply stating tow rating is insufficient.

Additionally some jurisdictions have different tie-down requirements (type, number, etc) than what is shown in some of the pictures.

Overhanging implements are not always given a free pass by law enforcement.

 

[PA452]

friend has a 20' trailer, bought MY 16' trailer as it pulls nicer, easier to use( it is 4 feet shorter !), so maybe something to consider..
also..
both 18 and 20' trailer's will not carry as much as a 16' trailer ,providing they all have 2-3500# axles !
Mind you you can build a 20' trailer to carry more than a 16', but 'off the lot' units won't. One of those gotta READ the 'sticker' things...

Yeah, if I upgrade my tandem axle trailer I'm thinking I'll go with 5200# axles, so either way I should be good for more weight than I am now.

But yeah, maneuverability is definitely a factor, which makes me consider the 18'. My 16' is still working for me, but I have very limited space for balancing the load. When I have the loader and backhoe attached, I have to turn the backhoe sideways to make it work.

 

[NetMagi]

I just went with an Aluma 7818 for my L2501 with backhoe. There's no room to spare lengthwise if you set the backhoe down straight, but it fits well and gives me the proper tongue weight distribution. If you set the backhoe down to the side, you have some room to go forward or back. I suppose if you had a really large (long?) very heavy or very light front or rear attachment getting to the proper weight distrib could be a problem, but with the loader and backhoe I have no issue.

My tow vehicle is a 2020 Tacoma, so lightweight was important to me. Aluma 7818 is only ~1250lbs, so I'm still well within tow limit. Brakes on both axles too. Don't want to sound like an ad for Aluma, but they're darn nice trailers.

18' is loooong. I can't imagine going longer unless I really needed to.

Edit: for anyone looking at a 7818, I just noticed they sell it with a tailgate ramp and slide-in ramps. I have the slide-in ramps. I can't see the tailgate ramp holding up to the weight of loading a tractor or car. Get the slide-in ramps.

 

[PA452]

(snip)

18' is loooong. I can't imagine going longer unless I really needed to.

It's all relative. When I first bought my 16' trailer, I was used to borrowing an 8' trailer from a friend. The 8' trailer always seemed fairly normal to me and the new 16' felt huge, like I could host a party on it.

After a couple of years, the 16' just feels like a standard length trailer, even a bit short at times, and the 8' trailer feels kind of pointless. I just recently bought a single axle trailer for smaller things and I still went 12' on that.

 

[NHSleddog]

I have a 20' for my B2650 and wish it was a 22'. I guess it all depends on what you need to bring and how often. A 24' would be perfect in all regards except length. I have a Quad cab long bed and that is already long.