Hey gang. I'm going be upgrading trailers to improve hauling firewood. I spent a better part of the evening talking with Kelly (Taz) on the phone discussing the idea of a new trailer and what size. I already found a dealer right in Boise, ID that sells BigTex trailers. I originally started out with a car trailer BigTex 60CH. But after talking it over with Kelly last night going over measurements and usage I flipped over to the 70TV.

BigTex 70TV

http://www.bigtextrailers.com/pdf/70tv.pdf

BigTex 60CH

http://www.bigtextrailers.com/pdf/60ch.pdf

How long? Personally I would jump to a 12-14K 18 foot trailer and you would have vehicle hauling capability as well, not to mention the trailer axles will hold up better if you are going to be off roading it, you will be bending axles and or spindles on a tandem axle trailer if loading heavy in off road situations............Believe me I know, I have seen it many many times and have fixed a ton of them as well. 3500 axles are for easy pavement jobs and from your pics will not give you a long life plus you will get into 16" wheels and can use your old tires from your pickup on the trailer.

Got a point there. 15" tires are the new R12 freon..

I've got to watch the length. Where I'm up cutting firewood there is little space for turning around. I really do hate driving 2 miles up to turn around or having to backup to my cutting spot over 2 miles that really a PITA. As for axles I'm running a Chrysler car axle under my 8x8 now (5 lug). Never bent it yet with all the overloading I've done to it. 15" tires that all I've had on the 8x8 now. Just 31"x10.50 R15 Load Range C's. After all the talking with Kelly last night I was trying to stay as short as possible because of road limitations. But after talking to the dealer there is a huge upswing in price on the 70TV vs. 60CH. So it might not even happen. :rolleyes:It just that my trailer is high deck to the the width over the wheels which makes it sway a bunch on dirt roads that are rutted, plus no trailer brakes at all. So I started looking into replacing the current axle with a custom made to fit and was getting prices of $1,200 roughly without, wheels and tires Just a axle custom fitted to my old pickup trailer with brakes. For a extra $800 ($2,000) I could do the 60CH which is 16 foot but have to add my own side racks. Or jump to $2950 for the 70TV. Now its getting tight for funds...

Big Tex does make a nice trailer. Personally I would wait and shop around for a nice used unit, but thats just me. I refuse to buy anything new, you take a hit the second you pull it off the lot regardless of whether it is a car, truck, motorcycle, atv, trailer, etc. I picked up a 2007 Gatormade 14k GVW 22 ft tilt trailer 3 years ago. The guy was asking 2500 bucks for it. The trailer had 4 brand new 10 ply tires, a spare that had never been used, and he even threw in a wd hitch that he used with it. I already had one so I ended up selling it to a friend. I went to look at it and saw that he was into jeeps and building 4x4s. Ended up trading him an engine out of a 78 datsun 280z and a set of Toyota straight axles that I had laying around plus 300 bucks. It worked out pretty close to the cash price he was asking for, and we both got what we wanted. I looked for over a year before I came across that deal, if your patient and can afford to wait you should find something at a good price.

You need to shop around, you could find a skidsteer trailer which is usually 14 foot and 12-14K axles used for that price, for that price you could find a nice heavier trailer. Heck you can look for a used 12-14 foot dump trailer as well, they are getting more available in recent years. PJ is a good trailer. If you have local classifieds craigslist ect look around, 3K for what you are looking for is a bit steep.Can't compare an old solid cast vehicle axle housing without spindles to mild steel tube type trailer axles and spindles. Modern axles are kind of chincey at best anymore especially anything under 6-7K axle. Plus once you go to a tandem axle trailer and start tight manuvers you are sliding or dragging one tire on either axle sideways and this is how they bend, the shorter the trailer the more prone it is going to be to this as well. You don't see this with a single axle trailer as it just pivots the single axle.Whoever was quoting you axle prices was flat out nuts, axles can be ordered for around 500 bucks with hubs add electric brake backing plate assemblies complete yourself for about 50-60 bucks per wheel + wiring.

Got a point there. 15" tires are the new R12 freon..

I kinda wish they would have stuck with the R12

Big Tex trailers are good. We abuse a bunch of them at work. However, we do have the big 8 lug axles, and some are still bent. We off road and can load them to max rated weight. I wouldn't want to get one with the light axles. I never see one with straight axles aside from the guys that only drive on pavement... and even rarely then.

Heres whats on CL in my area: http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/3842241219.html ^ You could haul 5 cord of wood and tow your travel trailer! http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/3803723775.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/grd/3828539052.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/fod/3820933519.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/fod/3765055662.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=trailer&srchType=T&minAsk=&maxAsk=3000&hasPic=1 Maybe it could give you a better idea on trailers?

Heres whats on CL in my area: http://spokane.craigslist.org/cto/3842241219.html ^ You could haul 5 cord of wood and tow your travel trailer! http://spokane.craigslist.org/for/3803723775.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/grd/3828539052.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/fod/3820933519.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/fod/3765055662.html http://spokane.craigslist.org/search/sss?zoomToPosting=&query=trailer&srchType=T&minAsk=&maxAsk=3000&hasPic=1 Maybe it could give you a better idea on trailers?

We can tell who is young and ambitious and wants to heave 100 lb++ logs up that high and deal with a trailer that is heavy and has a small payload area and has the most expensive tire on the planet on it. not to mention that military stuff is odd ball and hard to get parts for.

I'm trying to get away from that. My lower back doesn't allow me to continue lifting heavy rounds. I would rather have a lower trailer that I don't have to lift so high. I can have all the width I like that's fine but got to remain short in length. As you can see I've a got a 8x8 trailer with a utility box and spare tire. Just a cheap old Chrysler 5 lug car axle and 1 ton dodge springs. No trailer brakes. Just 31"x10.50 R15 Tires LR C's. I know if I continue to haul on this old homemade trailer I'm going to kill the axle. So that why I'm looking forward to upgrading. All road I work on are single lane dirt roads with pullout every now and then. I've had this trailer now for over 10 years and 99% of it road time is on dirt roads. No I don't haul fast, nor aim for every big hole in the road. My typical road speed is about 20-25 MPH empty and about 10-15 MPH load headed down hill. So I've got to either upgrade the exiting trailer which will cost around $1,200 to $1,500 to upgrade which will not upgrade hauling space just axle. So I'm working at try to expand carrying capacity in length a bit but trying not to get carry away because of turn around issue in the forest. But I would like to aim for about 2 cords capacity (256 Cu.ft.) and should roughly weigh out at 4,000 lbs. dry weight for standard cord of wood. I know this value can and will change up and down from one family of tree to another, weather, rain, etc. The other problem is loading and unload my ATV in my current trailer. You have to careful unloading because of the deck height the ATV can just about flip over backward unloading. So you have to be careful of the angle the trailer is sitting in before unloading. Once again a lower deck is desired. Like back last fall when I bought the gates. I was going to buy a single gate. But since I don't have a trailer big enough I couldn't haul it home. Basically if it will fit in my truck it will fit in the trailer and visa-versa. But if it large then it won't fit either. Another problem. So... I've been talking to MoparMom and we are still going down and hit the dealer lot and see what he's got to offer. Maybe there is something used that fits better. I don't know. But sitting up here in New Meadows, ID and only looking at pictures and specs it time to hit the lots and see what there is...

Whoever was quoting you axle prices was flat out nuts, axles can be ordered for around 500 bucks with hubs add electric brake backing plate assemblies complete yourself for about 50-60 bucks per wheel + wiring.

That's for a standard 8' foot wide frame trailer. Now custom cut the axle to fit the above trailer? Now the price goes up quickly because all the existing springs have to come off and be replaced, my wheels and tires most like won't fit the hubs (more expense), so pay a shop labor time to figure this all out to custom build and install a single axle (more expense), etc. Back to the same issue at hand limited carry space and limited axle again.

The more I read into your wants and needs a dump trailer or a 14 foot utility trailer for skid steer loaders would be a perfect match for you. something like this http://www.bismanonline.com/2013_sure_trac_st7210dod_b_070_0 Or these. http://www.kaufmantrailers.com/dump_trailers.php http://www.bigtextrailers.com/trailers/dumps.html http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=dump+trailers&qpvt=dump+trailers&FORM=IGRE http://www.pjtrailers.com/trailers.cfm#Dumps PJ dealers nearest you. http://www.pjtrailers.com/retail.cfm?results=dealers Just be carefull with whatever type you get, once word is out you have a nice bumper pull trailer everyone comes out of the wood work wanting to borrow it. Getting a gooseneck really cuts down the amount of folks that want to borrow one though as I now have 2, went from several bumper trailers to goosenecks now and the begging has all but stopped.

Strongly agree with that statement. Everyone has a receiver hitch and thinks they are set to tow. Then they find out there is more than one size ball, what a 7 pin RV plug is, and that they need a brake controller and a WD hitch. I hate it when people don't do there homework. Rant over. I never have bought anything new and usually buy something that needs work. Then I can finish the way I want. I wish I would have put heavier axles on this trailer it has 3500 lb axles. It does work good as-is. It was pretty much a ground up build done for about $1200. And it is 5th wheel type hitch and no one else has one which was part of the plan.

Do a pintle hitch. :lol:I was just throwing stuff out there. Heck if I had $2500 to blow for a trailer, I would be building it.. I could get one done for that much.

Do a pintle hitch. I was just throwing stuff out there. Heck if I had $2500 to blow for a trailer, I would be building it.. I could get one done for that much.

For the price companies can crank out trailers for now days it is near impossible to build one yourself for less, they get the materials at a deeply discounted rate versus what you as a walk in customer can buy steel and components. I have checked into it as have others in the last few years. For what you have invested in your new Fusion you could have bought and converted several school buses into rvs though.

For what you have invested in your new Fusion you could have bought and converted several school buses into rvs though.

Heck! ...ANNNND I coulda had my own wood stove in one, too!

Is there a new wood hauler in the Mopar family yard yet?

Not yet. Coming soon though.

One good food for thought, look into getting a winch crane attached to the trailer and use log tongs to load and off-load the trailer. Those 100lb. rounds will become cake work!

Well it done...Went from this...To this... BigTex 70TV yea you bit the bullet and push forward.Even on Saturday I made my first run with it getting a load of firewood. Really nice trailer that hauls the weight very, very nicely. Better than the only single axle that was never really designed for that amount of weight. (Kelly peering over the wood pile)Now as for loading its so nice. I was cutting up on the bank so buddy Kelly backed the trailer up near the bank jacked knifed and dropped the tailgate and we just rolled all the wood in the trailer. No more lifting 35-38" to just get it into the truck bed or the trailer bed. Now there was someone that made the comment about "Just wait till every find out about your trailer they'll want to barrow it" Well that's not happening. I've already got friends asking to haul firewood for them as well. Even MoparMom says "Let them speak in Cash". So after pondering the calculator I figured out a nice price per mile for hauling material for people be it firewood or construction materials. Maybe make a bit of money locally doing bit of local hotshotting... Never know...:whistle:As for Raymond at American Trailers Sales Of Caldwell I would like to say "Thank You" for selling me a wonderful product at the right price.

How long did it take mom to unload all that? If they want to barrow it, say ok and go stand next to the old trailer telling them to back up lol.