Not a foot to spare

Fastdirt

Well-known member
I set out earlier this summer to find a setup that could haul my 312 and my 150 since I am a one man show. The trailer had to be 8'6" wide because my 312 is actually a wide load at 8'10". It had to have hub piloted wheels(no more daytons for me). I wanted a detach 35 ton with a beaver tail and ramps for rear loading but I couldn't lock one down. I quickly found that lowboys are very expensive. I also found that you can't find exactly what you want on a budget, or period for that matter. Just so many different layouts out there. Turns out that on the trailer I bought that I have less than a foot to spare with both machines. About 6" between machines and 6" from the ramps.
The picture below shows what I did for months trying to figure out what would work. I would paste trailers and equipment together to see if it would work. Sorry the pic is small. I did a lot of measuring on the machines and trailers.Feree trailer2.jpg
Finally this week I got to weigh it all. I was heading to a far away job and weighed it just exits before the weigh station. I couldn't believe how heavy it was. Luckily I didn't fill it up with 260 gallons of diesel, only half. My 312 is an L (long undercarriage) with the wide pads and it has a 160 bucket on it with a thumb so it is heavy. The 150 is enclosed with a little extra guard on the bucket. They both might be heavier than what the manufacturers post. I did have 4 people on board and lots of tools and material. I got the green light coming and going through both weigh stations. I guess my axel weights are good. This thing is long and in my work environment it is huge, but I've managed so far. I have gone over quite a few curbs because it is so long. My questions are: Does moving the 5th wheel change much as far as clearing corners? I have a few theories. I can adjust about 30"+. I had just moved it up a foot from the original owner. Are my axel weights safe? Does it look safe? I think it looks balanced, but the 150 does sit way back on the trailer. On my tag a long trailer I would never ever hit curbs because on the 17.5" tires a blow out would soon follow I'm told. Are these 22.5" tires tougher to handle a curb here and there while loaded down? Alabama job 030 (640x480).jpgAlabama job 036 (640x480).jpg
This is the trailer I had a down payment on but had to pass up the finance deal because it was too much and my %rate was high. I would love to have this trailer but just not right now. The rear wheel deck looked wrong and weak to me also. I never saw it in person though.IMG_7120.jpg
 

Truck 505

Well-known member
What state are You in. In Ohio the legal axle weights are 12000, 34000, 34000. According to your Cat scale ticket it looks like you need to get more weight on your tractor.
 

Fastdirt

Well-known member
Thanks, I'm in Georgia. If the weight requirements are like your state I might be able to turn the hoe around and run it all the way up and pull the Takeuchi in some more...maybe. I am surprised I made it through the weigh stations then. I will be checking the axel weight limits in the morning.
 

Truck 505

Well-known member
I can't tell by the pictures, but you may be able to slide your fifth wheel forward a little more to get more weight on the tractor. Another thing to do is to load the excavator with the final drives towards the tractor. I am not sure how much difference in weight there is between your final drives and idlers but I am sure that finals are heavier than idlers.
I am not sure turning the excavator around would help. If you do that then you are putting more of the weight of the counter weight on the rear of the trailer than in the front on the tractor. Can the excavator be moved towards the tractor anymore. I doubt it but again I can't really tell by your pics.
Also if you are able to slide tour fifth wheel forward it will help your turning radius a little. You really shouldn't hit any more curbs than you have to. That is hard on tires and rims. Make people move out of your way. That is why they put reverse in peoples cars for. Plus its fun to make people get out of your way and usually good for a few laughs as well when you get watch them back up.
Sometimes when I make people back up it makes me wonder how they even managed to back out of their driveway to get to the road to go forward.
 
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willie59

Administrator
Staff member
The basic rule in TN is 20K per axle, 40K per tandem, 80K gross. You just squeaked by on that gross. Depending on the trailer, if you slide 5th wheel forward, just make sure you don't snag a mudflap hanger on tractor doing tight turns.

Oh, btw, in GA, they have an "amber light permit". If your using any amber beacon lights, have to have the permit sticker on your windshield on right side when you roll through weigh station.
 

Fastdirt

Well-known member
I can't tell by the pictures, but you may be able to slide your fifth wheel forward a little more to get more weight on the tractor. Another thing to do is to load the excavator with the final drives towards the tractor. I am not sure how much difference in weight there is between your final drives and idlers but I am sure that finals are heavier than idlers.
I am not sure turning the excavator around would help. If you do that then you are putting more of the weight of the counter weight on the rear of the trailer than in the front on the tractor. Can the excavator be moved towards the tractor anymore. I doubt it but again I can't really tell by your pics.
Also if you are able to slide tour fifth wheel forward it will help your turning radius a little. You really shouldn't hit any more curbs than you have to. That is hard on tires and rims. Make people move out of your way. That is why they put reverse in peoples cars for. Plus its fun to make people get out of your way and usually good for a few laughs as well when you get watch them back up.
Sometimes when I make people back up it makes me wonder how they even managed to back out of their driveway to get to the road to go forward.
The excavator is stopped by the motorgrader ramps. I mean I really don't have a foot to spare. I did load it last night with the boom toward the front and was able to move the Takeuchi up a lot. Enough to get the weight right, only I couldn't get the Takeuchi to sit right because of the 6" drop. If the trailer was flat I'd be cooking w/Crisco and get the weight perfect. It's always something.

The basic rule in TN is 20K per axle, 40K per tandem, 80K gross. You just squeaked by on that gross. Depending on the trailer, if you slide 5th wheel forward, just make sure you don't snag a mudflap hanger on tractor doing tight turns.

Oh, btw, in GA, they have an "amber light permit". If your using any amber beacon lights, have to have the permit sticker on your windshield on right side when you roll through weigh station.
Thanks for the beacon light heads up. I read the 20k per axle rule in GA, but I also see on the GA DOT website that it's 34k on trailer and drive axels. So, once again I find unclear regulations. I'll have to dig deeper and hopefully I don't see any DOT officers to ask, but man they are all over I-85 everyday in the morning and when coming home. Luckily I only hit the road early morning in bumper to bumper traffic and usually really late everyday. They have a huge presence here because they monitor the toll lane that the Gov't took from us. Used to be the fast lane, now the Gov't took it and charges cars to use it. So they(Dept. of public safety) monitor the lanes in the morning for violators, then all day they yank big trucks and then back to monitoring the lanes for the rush hour in the afternoon.
 

clintm

Member
how about putting the 150 in the front with bucket on neck and excavator in back. I think it would look better than the excavator turned around with boom facing forward just a thought:idea
 

Fastdirt

Well-known member
Yes the weight is still an issue but, I'll have to post the video of me navigating through downtown Atlanta. What a nightmare it is. The cars are as ignorant and disrespectful as all get out, but Like Truck505 said I make them move no matter if I'm 2 lanes deep into oncoming traffic in rush hour traffic. It's the utility poles and fire hydrants at every corner that force you up on sidewalks and all up in the bushes. I don't always have work in town, but a lot of it is. The dang trailer just tracks in so dang much and that's why the local feller put it up for sale. I'm not giving up my sleeper or the 379 or the Cat 550. I love the big sleeper to take a break in and stretch out because I have pains from running heavy equipment and for my laborers......so I have another thought. View attachment 214hybrid rig 2 002 (640x480).jpghybrid rig 2 013 (640x480).jpgHybrid rig 003 (640x480).jpg
 

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Buckfever

Active member
There is a guy that runs just what you posted in the pictures minus the sleeper. They use it for hauling mainly ditch boxes and buckets but I have seen them move small dozers and fronted loaders with it. Might be something worth looking into.
 

clintm

Member
He already has to much weight on the trailer axles. By doing that it will make it worse.
bet it won't. all of the 150 weight is on the trailer axles now if he switches it around it will move the mass of weight further towards the front of trailer and only the boom of the excavator will be over trailer axles:m2C
 
In Idaho it's permissible to have as much as 37800# on one tandem but if your gross weight exceeds 80000, they calculate your fine from 78000 pounds.

What state are You in. In Ohio the legal axle weights are 12000, 34000, 34000. According to your Cat scale ticket it looks like you need to get more weight on your tractor.
 

Oxbow

Well-known member
Were it me I believe I would try it once with the skid steer on the front like clintm suggested. I scaled it off of the photo and it looks like it will just fit with the 312 tracks flat on the back of the deck. The boom may overhang the back a bit though. Personally I prefer not to have trailer tandems heavier than the drives. Kinda get that tail waggin the dog feeling.

Moving your fifthwheel plate forward will not add weight to the tractor, but will put more on the steering and less on the drives. I have two king pin settings on my lowboy, and usign the deeper setting will put more on the drives, but then you can't slide the fifth wheel as far forward without getting into the trailer with mud flaps.
 

Oxbow

Well-known member
In Idaho it's permissible to have as much as 37800# on one tandem but if your gross weight exceeds 80000, they calculate your fine from 78000 pounds.
Except for on the interstates Mike, I believe that they will hold you to 34000 on a tandem. I don't have to worry about it much anymore because of the annual overweight/oversize permit though.
 
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