Posted 2007-05-17 8:11 AM (#60896 - in reply to #60856) Subject: RE: Really Big horse trailers
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas
I know two people with triaxle deckover trailers. Both of them say that they just don't look in the mirror when making sharp turns or driving in and out of roadway ditches. The axles, wheels, and tires just don't look real pretty.
Posted 2007-05-17 9:55 AM (#60905 - in reply to #60856) Subject: RE: Really Big horse trailers
Regular
Posts: 77
Location: Burleson, TX
Don't think you COULD make a sharp turn with that first BIG trailer, unless you start with the truck at 90 degrees. Not unless you were in a parking lot and just trying to turn a completer circle or something else. Like the converted moving van much better, too.
Posted 2007-05-17 10:24 AM (#60908 - in reply to #60905) Subject: RE: Really Big horse trailers
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 455
Location: Texas
With those long trailers, the tires start turning "sharp" a lot faster than you would think. Around a certain curve, the trailer has a lot smaller turning radius than the truck.
I like the van trailer, too. I think you would need a stick to reach high enough to open the drop-down windows, though. The price is a lot better than that trailer I first posted, too.
Posted 2007-05-17 12:07 PM (#60917 - in reply to #60856) Subject: RE: Really Big horse trailers
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
Location: Texas
Wow, I thought mine was long but that one is ridiculous. Mine is 32' floor length, the axles are set way at the back so it turns like it's really long (around 32' from the hitch). 102" wide and 11'8" tall at the highest point. It's really not that hard to pull once you learn what it does when turning, sometimes in a small town when making a turn you have to take an extra lane so you can make the turn. You have to watch out for places that it will drag, never had a problem so far but some places I have come 3-4 inches from scraping the holding tanks. I do pull with a medium duty truck, hopefully a heavy duty in the next year or two... mediums are underpowered when you get real heavy. I would guess the one in the above link is too heavy for one of the smaller Kodiaks, I know mine is and I bet that trailer is heavier yet.
Anyhow, the real key to pulling a big trailer is to pay attention to what you're doing, you can't forget it's back there and be ok like you can with a small trailer.
Posted 2007-05-21 12:50 AM (#61054 - in reply to #60856) Subject: RE: Really Big horse trailers
Regular
Posts: 57
Location: Casa Grande Arizona
I've got a trailer that is 34 on the floor and 42 tip to tip. I've pulled it with my 2500 chevy D/A and it is a bit much for the truck considering the trailer weighs in around 20K. I ended up buying a F550 and am a TON happier. Personally I won't pull the longer/heavier trailers with anything less. It SCARED the crap out of me.
My buddy has a trailer that he just weighed in at 18900lbs and it is 37 on the floor. He just bought a F450 to pull it yesterday. He got sick of wondering when something bad was going to happen.
These big trialers will dominated the smaller trucks. It is kind of scary.
As far as pulling them......I really enjoy it. The only bummer is the tight turns. Just wait as long as you can before you turn. It won't be tight enough but you will take out less of the curb.
When going down the freeway it is very comfortable pulling a long rig. I also have to agree with one of the previous post about how the medium duty trucks are underpowered for the trialers.