I am interested in purchasing a trailer that will double as both a car hauler and be able to haul a skid steer. A typical 16' car hauler (7k max weight) appears a bit light to move a descent sized skid steer. Any thoughts on a good combo trailer? Also, some of the trailers I have looked at have a pintle hitch. right now I have the typical stock receiver that comes with the 2004 D/A. Can I put a pintle adapter in the existing receiver or do I need a new receiver unit? Hope I am using the terms correctly and I apologize for asking such basic questions. I have hauled travel trailers around, but they always used ball hitches, don't know much about pintles. Thanks in advance for any info.

You can use a pintle hitch type trailer with your stock receiver hitch, just buy a different drawbar (aka the thing the ball mounts to that you can take out of the hitch). They have a variety of pintle hitch drawbars.


I don't really have much experience with pintle hitch trailers, but from what I know about them they might not be the best thing for your application. They seem to have a lot more "play" in them than the normal ball-hitch trailers and are normally reserved for heavy duty applications.


They make plenty of heavy duty trailers that use a 2 5/16" ball that would probably be better for you.


I have a 18ft 14,000lb bumper pull trailer that sounds like just what you would need, except you would probably want a dovetail to make loading cars easier and would probably not want side rails on it. It has a 2 5/16" coupler on it. I use mine to haul a 9,000lb tractor on it quite frequently and it does great. You should look for one of them in your area.

JMO but pintels dont have much "play" in em unless they are empty but then they dont seem bad. Better go bigger than 7k witch it sounds like you are so your good to go there. One thing about trailers that are made for heavier equipment is thier ramps seem to ussualy be kinda open and ussualy steeper than a car would like. Also one thing I have forgotten about when I have loaded a car on some trailers is the fenders. Ever get a car on the trailer and relize you cant open the door? http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley9.gif Dukes of hazzard style entrances and exits may not be your idea of fun. I've never owned a car hauler or a trailer that does both well. I ussualy get stuck using a HD trailer for one of the bobcats to move my or a friends vehical and it ussualy becomes an ordeal. Just some other things to think about.


I actually prefer pintle hitches. Hell of alot easier to attach too also.


Lotsa guys recomend ditching the factory reciver if your going to tow alot.

That is exactly my problem with my 18ft. It does not make a very good car hauler because it has rails and does not have a dovetail. In fact, I cannot even load an extended cab K1500 swb without dragging the frame. A car is out of the question unless I use longer ramps or a hill to load on.


The reason mine is so high is because of the 7000lb axles. I have seen some trailers with some midrange axles (above 3500lbs but below 7000lbs) and they seem to be a lot lower. They are harder to find but they might be just the ticket for your application.





I am sure Ratlover has a lot more experience with pintle hitches than I do, so I'd listen to what he had to say. In fact, Ratlover, I have a few questions of my own:


What would be the advantage of using a pintle hitch for a non-heavy duty application, other than ease of hook-up?


From my understanding about them, pintle hitch trailers don't have quite as good of highway manners as a ball hitch? Do you find this to be true, ratlover?


Why do you prefer the pintle hitch setup, other than ease of attaching it?

Get a twin axel trailer rated between 12 & 14k with an 18ft deck, 3+ ft dovetail, lowboy style...with long supportive ramps. I would get either the 2&5/16 ball or pintle, prefer the pintle. I suggest this size trailer so that just about any car/truck can be loaded *and* you can easly open the door if it doesn't have rails. Also, bobcats are heavy and sometimes you need extra stuff, that's where the 18ft helps as well as the twin 7k axels. The trailer will weigh between 2,600 and 3,200 lbs...empty. Add a 7,000 or 9,000 lb bobcat to that....you're pushing twords the 14k GVW. The supportive ramps are nice to have. If you get in a bind, ya don't have the truck, you can load and unload what you wish without the trailer becoming a se-saw. A 12k trailer will cost about the same as a 14k trailer so, I'd just get the 14k and be done with it.


Ratlover said something about the hitch... Our hitch really isn't rated for the full load, although it will pull it. I would sugest getting a Putman or a Reese 16k or 15k hitch. Most people think that they are worried about pulling the hitch off....... most of the time that's not the case, it's stopping the load and the static load @ the connection that fails the hitch.


Oh yeah, getting the hitch and pintle will save you TONS of grief if you're ever pulled over for weight or worse.... have a wreck and the Lawyer finds out you were beyond the OEM hitch specs. Once you go beyond the specs.....it leaves "you" open to suit, not the manufacture.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif


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Guys,


Weight of bobcat varies, here are some


2,708 lb. (1228 kg) operating weight—463


4,740 lb. (2150 kg) operating weight s130 <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
5,752 lb. (2609 kg) operating weight S160
7,370 lb. (3343 kg) operating weight S220
8,140 lb. (3692 kg) operating weight S300


So if you had a smaller S130.. your only looking at maybe 3k on it


DuckHunter ... most all pintle trailers are also not light duty they tend to be from maybe 9ton to 25ton tag a long trailers. ... and as you get a heavy trailer .. so does the truck... so the ride on the highway is less of a concern


Pintle hitched trailers have their place...it you look at the load rating of them it is a significant rating for them... 10 to 20 tons or better..that is tough to do on a ball hitch...


for the car hauler have you thouhgt of a goosneck instead of a tag a long ... most people like the gooseneck for trailering then a tag a long for longer trailers


Just my .02


Pete

First of all get rid of the stock hitch on the truck...Replace with the TITAN V class V...or something with similar rating ie 15000 lbs.


Military hitch or Pintle hitches are fine for what you want to do. Some of the Generators I tow around have Pintles on them. I carry an extra draw bar just for them. If you need a regular 2 5/6 ball just carry another bar with you.


The pintles are nice because you can come at them at a sharp angle or on a hill and they are easier to line up.

Thanks for all your responses. What is involved with getting a new receiver? Do you just go to a trailer place and have them take the old one off and put a new one on? Also, any idea what the cost of something like this is? Thanks in advance.


Dennis

Do a Google seach for pintle hitch reciever, or check out this link


http://www.etrailer.com/y-38.aspx


I have used this style many times, works great, just make sure you use the pin to lock the hitch down. Another reason you might use the pintle, not many people have them and the trailer is less likely to grow wheels and roll away.http://dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley4.gif


try big tex for trailers, you can get the trailer with pintle or 2 5/16


http://www.bigtextrailers.com/class/Tandem_Axle.html


Good luck

Thanks for all your responses. What is involved with getting a new receiver? Do you just go to a trailer place and have them take the old one off and put a new one on? Also, any idea what the cost of something like this is? Thanks in advance.


Dennis





Order a Hitch then put it on yourself!


Only like 6 bolts that hold them on!


You can order any style hitch you want from your local Rv dealership or trailer dealership. Just make sure the hitch you order will have the laod rating that matches with your trailer and your load!

http://mysite.verizon.net/mcelravy1/graphics/Picture015.jpg

LRTD,


I disagree that not many people have pintle trailers... but maybe it the group that I know... most of the trailers of people I know are pintle... atleast for equipment...


as far as them not walking away ... it happens just as often as a regular tag a long


Pete Edited by: gslam88

I havent yanked a pintle with a truck under a f 550 so i dont really know about "road manners" The thing rides like a freaking log waggon unloaded. And dump trucks and the crew trucks dont exactly ride like caddys. They do have a bit more play so if its unloaded it may bounce and flop around more, a ball captures it pretty tight. I like em becasue they are easier to hook up, easier to move with a peice of equipment, and I just feel they are more "beefy" than a ball. They are quite a bit easier to hook up.


The self supporting ramps are a deecent idea but I still dont know if I would trust em to put a peice of eqipment on and off without being hooked up. JMO


I have seen the hitches with a ball built into the end of the hook so you can pull a ball hitch or a pintle.


If you throw a deccent sized bobcat and an extra bucket or especially an attachment you will get heavy fast.


Side note, IL now requires 4 seperate chains or straps on equipment. Buy enough chains and get lotsa hook up points on your trailer so if you cary an attachment or something you will still be ok. And regular binders suck, the ratchet type that screw into each other are the ticket. JMO


What kinda skid steer you got?


Aslo depending how steep your trailer is and what kinda skid steer you have you may or may not be able to get onto the trailer without an attachment on the front without putting it on its ass. Makes trying to load some attachments along with the machine a PITA. Just another thing to keep in mind while shopping for trailers.

My skid steer is actually not super heavy duty. It is a Mustang 2040 and goes about 5,800 pounds with the bucket. I really only use it to do landscaping on my own property and it makes me pretty popular with friends and relatives as well.http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/smileys/smiley2.gif Moves snow pretty good too, which is going to be more useful than ever now that I find out GM frowns on putting a plow on my crew cab D/A. Still love the truck though!