How much do you think this trailer will handle?

I’m using this trailer to haul some rock, but the label is all worn off. No idea of the brand or anything. I just did the first load and only put in a half yard (1,200 lbs) and it only squated 1/2 to 3/4 inch. I’d like to haul a full yard at 2,400 lbs but don’t want to do something stupid. The tires are rated for 2,150 each. The axle is 2.4 inches all the way across then 1.8 inches coming out of the wheel bearing. Not sure what other info I can pass along.

 

Air up the tires, grease the wheel bearings and send it! Seriously, I would haul a yard of rock in that. Maybe not at freeway speeds, but between the nursery / landscaping place and me for sure.

 

These single axle utility trailers are usually rated in the area of 3,600lb.
Grease the bearings and look them over for pits and heat discoloration.
Make sure the tires are good

 

That’s pretty much what I was thinking. Going to look it over tomorrow, top off the tires and go for it. Thanks!

 

Look at your insurance, that will give you the ‘legal’ load limit for that trailer.
At least where I live the trailer is insured for GVW of ‘xxxx’ lbs.
That’s what I’d use.

 

Really? I've not seen a single axle rated that hight. They usually us a 3500 lbs axle or a 2000 lbs axle, so it's that minus the trailer weight. That's been my experience at least.

I'd guess it's a 3500 lbs axle because it's a 5 lug, so knock off the weight of the trailer after a weigh and go from there. If you want to be sure do the same but assume it's a 2k axle.

 

I concur. I have seen 5k single axle dump trailers, though. That looks like standard 3500 lb axle. I'll add that it doesn't have electric brakes, so the trailer GVW prolly says 2999 lbs instead of 3500 lbs as 3k+ requires one braked axle, not cuz the trailer wouldn't handle it. But tomato toemotto.

 

Remember a yard of rock is roughly 2k lbs

 

No brakes so these are usually rated at 2999GVWR to keep them under the brake limit. Probably has a 3500lb axle though. I have a similar 5x8 big tex i use to haul yard stuff. It's carrying capacity usually isn't the issue, it's the stoping another 3-4k lbs behind you.

 

I have a 6 lug axle, rated at max 3500 lbs without brakes. I think 5 lug have a lower weight rating, especially
without brakes.

 

Based on what I see there, it looks like a 3,500 pound axle. Very similar to my 3,500 pound axles on various trailers. Those are 15" tires that likely have plenty of capacity on them as well.
Check the rating on your tires AND confirm the age of the tires. If they are more than 5 years old don't plan on them doing much of anything They may be fine but they may not. Trailer tires die from the inside out. You typically don't see the failure coming unless you are watching the age. Nothing sucks more than being the guy on the side of the road with a blown trailer tire.

Other thing to watch. Make sure you have enough tongue weight. Too little and the trailer will drive your truck.

 

Right, I was thinking of the axle , not the trailer itself. Good clarification.

 

Put a yard in the trailer and it did just fine. Thanks for the help!

 

if u are ever curious in the future, the 2k axles have a same size inner and outer bearing, the 3500k axles have a larger inner. I had both and both were also 5lug axles.

 

Insurance on a utility trailer? Never heard of such a thing.

 

Me neither. Maybe referring to the registration

 

It is such a thing and it is well worth it for a couple of reasons.
1. It is only like $30 a year.
2. It covers you when you oops and burn your trailer to the ground. I didn't have insurance on that trailer. I do now.
3. I covers you should something happen while you or someone else is towing it.

 

There's got to be a good story behind this one!

 

I'm gonna need the story on that trailer. How did you manage to burn down a utility trailer!?

 

There sure is. A few lessons there too
We had moved to a new house in May. This was early July. That new house came with a very nice 32x48 heated barn. However, that barn had a decommissioned bathroom that needed to be removed. The walls were sheeted with 1.5" pressed board that weighed about 2 tons per sheet.
All of that material ended up in my utility trailer which I pulled out back to the burn pile. After burning a sheet or two I decided that this was not the way to go. It burned very hot and burned for a very long time. Not worth it. We will go to the dump.
I was letting the fire smolder to consume as many of the ashes as possible. Since there was not a fire any longer, I got busy with some other things. I would check the smoldering ashes from time to time.
The wind really picked up that afternoon.....
Some of the ashes must have blown either into or under the trailer. This was enough to ignite the trash that I had in the trailer which was enough to ignite the 10 or so sheets of that stuff that I was not going to burn because it burned way too hot for way too long.
I was in the house eating lunch when I heard two loud bangs. I went outside to find a HUGE fire where my trailer used to be. The bangs were the tires exploding.
There was not enough water that could be sprayed on that fire. Containment was the answer.
There was nothing left. The tires were nothing more than the cord package. Even the temper in the springs was gone.



Sad day because I had built that trailer from scratch.

I called my insurance agent and he informed me that a simple $30 policy would have covered my butt. However, since I didn't I was out the cost of a new trailer..... Only $1,500 in 2017. Not so much today.

Lesson learned: NEVER ASSUME THAT A FIRE IS AT A SAFE POINT TO WALK AWAY!

Now you can all shake your heads at how stupid I am. I understand.
For the three of you who have done the same thing I did with the fire about a hundred times..... Don't assume that you can always get away with it. Fire has a way of doing bad things....

 

Wow! Great story! Like you, I only paid about $1500 for my trailer back in 2001 or 2002. I've seen the prices for similar trailers at Lowe's and it is insane - and they are not built nearly as well! I guess I will check on trailer insurance!

 

This is the scenario where you go to U-Haul and fork over $25 bucks for a double axle utility trailer and haul your crap without giving one shit.

 

3500 pound axle. Minus about 1000 for the trailer itself. Its good for about 2500

Also, trailer tires are more likely to blow up the faster you go. Keep it under 70

 

Ya it handled 2,500lbs of 3/4 crush perfectly. Never went over 55 and that was only for about 4 miles. Thanks for all the info. Pretty happy with the little trailer for smaller jobs.