Balanced Trailer

T

Tom Zahlman

New member
I have a duel axel trailer with a 500gal tank and a skid mounted unit. The tank is centered over one axel, and the unit is centered over the other axel, and both are centered between the two rails. Have not had to carry my own water as of yet, but am thinking I might have to for a new customer I'm bidding on. Is my setup balanced enough to accomplish this? Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thank you :D
 
Tom,

What type of rig are you pulling this with?

I set up tandem axle trailers with 275 gallon tanks and rarely do we ever pull them full. You are talking nearly twice that.

Let's say for instance you have a 500 gallon tank full of water. That's 500gal. x 8.34lbs per gallon = 4,170 pounds in the tank alone. Lets assume the tank weighs in at 100 pounds. This is 4270 pounds with the water tank alone.

If you have a tandem, I will assume you have 3500 lb axles. With this in mind your towing capacity or rating with the trailer itself is a maximum of 7000 lbs (2 5/16" ball). A 2" ball I think is a 5000 max. So with all this in mind and you are trying to distribute the weight correctly... you must consider the weight of the trailer. A typical 7x14 Weighs in at roughly 1800 lbs. Add that to the 4270 (payload of tank) and you have 6070 lbs.

A hot pressure washer will usually weigh about 600-800 lbs and then include the fuel on top of that and you don't have enough for hoses or hose reels. You've passed the payload limit of the trailer.

What else do you have in this trailer? Shelving, chemicals, ladders, etc. Where is all this going?

When you set a trailer up they suggest 60% of the weight towards the front and 40% on rear. There is no way for you to center the weight both loaded and empty with 500 gallons. It's simply too much for your average trailer pulling with your average truck. When it's full you'll simply be way overweight and could be very dangerous. If you are empty, you'll be too heavy in the rear.

The most logical answer for me to give you... considering that I do this for a living, would be to dump the 500 gallon tank or just use it on the job and pull it empty at all times. I set these things up for a living and have been for quite some time. I would not recommend 500 gallons to be towed down the road in a trailer behind a truck, unless you had the right equipment.

What is the towing capacity of your truck or whatever you intend on towing this with? If you cannot find that answer, look inside your door where the white sticker is and let me know what the GVWR says. Your manual will show you the towing capacity or you could give me the make, model, and year and I will get that for you.

Setting up trailers can be very tricky and very time consuming and everything must be calculated, including the hose. Everything you add to the trailer has a weight so keep this in mind.

If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to email me. One other thing. I set mine up with the tank forward and the machine towards the back, both over the axles. Still don't recommend pulling 275 gallons full.

That's my 2 cents worth.
 

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My trailer is set up with the tanks, two at 225 gallons, for 450 gallons total, set up over the axle. It is rated at 10,000 lbs. I have the pressure washer forward, so that it is biased towards the front and have a 35 gallon tank that is in the front as well. It works well for me.

Justin is right on some of the things that need to be consideed. You also need to consider trailer brakes. I have brakes on both axles. I often carry the trailer fully loaded, but I also used to drive a semi tanker for a living, so I am used to the slosh.

I personally find numerous advantages to the dual tanks, and it is worth the extra expense to me. I would not have dual tanks if one was in front of the other, but that is me. Jon does, and has not had problems with that type of setup however.

For a truck, you need a 3/4 ton minimum, and preferably a one ton. They are the only trucks that have the towing capacity for this type of weight. If you have a 1/2 ton truck, figure the tranny will go out really quick, and that you will not have the braking power that you will need, let alone the GVW to carry the weight.

Scott Stone
 
Thanks for the input. After reading all your posts I think I will hold off on carrying my own water until I get a larger truck. I'm driving a 1500 Ram, but dont think it could handle it. I'm going to push to use the customers water. Its safer and easier.

Thanks again
 
I put it in my contract that if there is onsight water that they will have to let me have acces to it.
 
I'm not sure where the problem lies. I have never had a customer tell me I couldn't use their water. It's a no brainer here in Ohio and in Michigan. Not once has a customer said to wash but don't use my water... LOL. Are you kidding. I don't include such a thing in my contract. Matter of fact, I never made them sign a contract.

Tom, you wont have to push your customers to use their water. I'm certain they expect that you will use their water... No problem. Also, with a 1500 dodge there would be no way to even consider carrying 300 gallons of water.

Good luck and if I can be of any assistance, please email me.
 
I have a lot of locations that I have washed at, and that I currently wash that do not have ready access to water, for one reason or another. Sometimes it is because I am in the middle of a field that is 3 miles from the nearest building, Sometimes it is because it is not practical to run a hose to the nearest hose bib, Sometimes it is just faster and more efficient to use the water on the trailer sometimes water pressure is really low, adn I use the tanks as a buffer.
If you do have ready access to water all of the time, a tank is a waste of money.

Scott Stone
 
I dont think it will be any real problem. My tank has been used strictly for a holding tank at the site. I just noticed the people they are looking to replace carry their own water, as well as some others Ive seen doing work other places. All had the large box trucks for their set ups though. I do know my quality of work will stand out all by itself even if my price is a little high. I'll let you all know if I get the account. Its a every saturday account that would be good steady work after being slow last year.

Thanks again:D
 
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Tom,

Please tell me what it is you are bidding on and maybe I can help you. Email me sometime.
 
Justin, hate to disagree with you but I have to. First off, I have two (totes) which you use, 275 gallons each. There are plenty of times I carry them both full, I have a Ram 1500 and it pulls the trailer with no problem. I pulled a trailer with a pick up truck on it from Florida to here in Cleveland up and down mountains and had no problem. The Ram will pull it with no problem. As for what you said about water, I have a customer right now in Ohio that doesn't want me to use their water. Guess what I do, I charge them $100.00 per day to bring water with me, the sad part is they have no problem paying it, even after I explained how much money it would save to just use their water. Some people are funny like that. By the way, know anyone who wants to buy a Large RV dealership contract near you. I don't want it anymore. They are the ones paying 100 a day for water.
 
Now granted I don't have allot of time under my belt pulling a pressure washing rig but my F150 pulls my 14 ft trailer, 275 GL holding tank full along with my hot water unit just fine. The point made about brakes is true you will wear them quicke then on a 3/4 or 1 ton just because the brakes are smaller.

An F150 Super Cab 4x4 with a 3.73 ratio limited slip rear axel and the proper class IV hitch can pull safely 8200 pounds thats with a 5.4 V8. Same truck in a 4x2 can pull 8500 pounds. BTW that is with an automatic transmission. If your truck is a manual transmission it won't perform anywhere near that.

I don't know nothing about Dodges though, it could be true they can't handle it:D :D

To preface this a little better I grew up on a cattle ranch and have spent allot of time pulling trailers full of hay, machinery, and cattle.
 
Mike (extreme)

It's ok to disagree but what is it you are disagreeing with. I'm not sure I see where the disagreement is. I wasn't saying that the truck cannot pull the weight, I was simply stating the fact that the trailer is over the weight rating for the trailer with full tanks.

If you have a 7000 lb trailer and are pulling 2 tanks at 275 gallons each, then you have 4587 pounds of water. Should your trailer be like mine (heavy Duty) then it will weigh right about 2400lbs empty (7x16) cargo Pro Steel frame trailer. Do the math.

4587
+2400
6987

This is without the machine or fuels or hose reels or anything. Being over the legal rating of the trailer just isn't the thing to do. Whether or not you choose to pull more that you should in your trailer, that's completely up to you. Would I do that... No. Do I disagree with you?... Yes, very much so. and your doing this with a half ton pick-up... glad it's you and not me.

Anyway, many of us do things differently and that's ok. Good luck with your rig anyway.
 
I was pretty much saying that a dodge 1500 can pull it with no problem, should it, maybe not. I was mainly disagreeing with the water issue. Like I said, the place that wants me to bring water is in your neck of the woods.
 
Dodge or Ford, buy the diesel 3/4 or 1 ton trucks, you will be glad you did.

The diesel has the toque to pull that load and more, why I always buy diesel over gas.

Dodge did have brake problems but they changed brake companies for the 2002 and up so should be ok now.

Jon
 
I have a 3/4 ton dodge with a cummins diesel pulling a 20' trailer and I have capacity for 900 gallons of water. 7000 lb tandem axles. Big and heavy the cummins is the only way to go I get at least 15 mpg as well . I am probably going to go to a 1 ton dually here soon with a cummins in it. I highly recommend dodge for work trucks as I believe they are the toughest. I have seen and used alot of different pickups in the bush dodge is the only one that has lasted. Just my 2 cents........
 
As I have said before Ford or Dodge but not Chevy.

LCI I will take my Ford up against your Dodge any time, I owned a Dodge Cummins and yes they are great motors, truth be told better then Ford and much better milage BUT Ford has POWER being a V8 over Cummins straight 6.

Sure the milage sucks with Ford, 13.5 mpg vs Dodge 18 to 22 mpg but both can handle the weight.

Check the GVW of the dually and you will find the 3/4 can handle more weight.
 
Jon
Your ford will with out a doubt walk all over my cummins. I am saying that in my opinion due to past experience Dodge makes a tougher all around truck. although they are not the most romantic ride in town they do hold up. I was unaware that the dually one ton had a lower gvw than the 3/4 ton . I find that the trailer sometimes throws the truck around. I will difenitley look into it a little more.

Justin
I guess you don't think that 900 g is too much weight There is obvioulsy lots of things in the trailer that are heavy as well . What do you think of the 3/4 ton pulling all that . I like the way you have your trailers set up . If its ok I might give you a call sometime and get a little advise on positioning things in my trailer.
I Really don't think that I would want to have a gas job on the front of my trailer especially a 1/2 ton. To agree with Jon, Diesel is the only way to go.
 
Mini Cooper!
 
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