Questions About 3-Car Wedges/Flatbeds

The3SomeTrailer · Dec 30, 2018

If this is in the wrong sub, please feel free to move it...I am having a hard time maneuvering the site.

I am looking to start pulling local loads with a F350/F450 dually (still on the fence on which one to go with) and I am narrowing down my trailer options. But I am having a huge issue with finding specific info, usually regarding the weight of the trailer itself. Finding loads is no issue in my unique scenario, so nailing the perfect trailer for my needs is key. Being able to pull 3 vehicles instead of 2, or 2 oversized units instead of 1, etc is huge. I also plan on utilizing a winch for the ability to pull inops.

Rule#1 - Max GVWR on the trailer is 14k lbs. Hard line here.

Rule#2 - Length is crucial. Would love a 48' with 2' extenders if possible. But let's call it as a 48' minimum (straight wedge, or a wedge with a deck) on the total deck length

Rule#3 - Weight of the trailer itself is turning out to be the real killer here. The best weight to GVWR ratio I can reliably find is the Take3 UltraLite Model 48....it has the 14k GVWR and the empty weight is 5,180lbs...

Now this is the part that blows my mind. The trailer can only handle 8,800lbs...that's not much. A Civic is 3,000 lbs and an Accord is 3,400lbs...that leaves 2,400lbs for a 3rd car....riiiight....maybe a Mini Cooper.

But I have heard that there is another way to determine the load distribution. I will have a true 5th wheel connection which I am being told means that if I loaded the civic at the front, the accord in the middle, and a third civic in the rear, I WOULD NOT BE OVERWEIGHT!! As I am understanding it, the weight of the first civic would be distributed to the bed of the truck via the 5th wheel, with the remaining 2 vehicles being.allocated to the trailer.

All of my loads will be intrastate, all within 150 miles of ATL. Doesnt sound like I will be hitting any scales. Nor would I need to because my truck has a bed, and the GCVWR is less than 26k lbs.

So. Does anyone know of a reliable trailer comparable to the Take3UL48?

And can anyone validate my weight math with the 2 civics and accord on that Take3?

ast26909 · Dec 31, 2018

You are over analyzing this, if you insist on going this route get the Ultralight 48 with 12k GVWR pull it with a dually register your GCVWR at 26,000 lbs put 3 cars on it and as long as you don't weigh over 26,000 lbs then you are OK (vehicle and trailer wise). It makes NO difference on weight between 5th wheel or gooseneck ball connection. DOT officers might still give you ticket for no CDL then you would have to fight it in court to prove they are wrong to give you ticket for no CDL, good luck on that.

There is NO other trailer like the Ultralight, that is your ONLY option. But if you get a CDL even a class B you would not be limited to ONE kind of trailer and run the risks of many potential problems.

Hulld · Dec 31, 2018

The trailer is rated at a gvw of what’s carried on the rear axels.
Two 7,000 lb axels equals a 14,000lb gvw
Three 7,000lb axels equals 21,000 lb gvw
The weights you are concerned with are the legal limits that are carried on your three axel groups steer, drive, and trailer axels.

blacksam · Jan 19, 2019

ast26909 said: ↑

You are over analyzing this, if you insist on going this route get the Ultralight 48 with 12k GVWR pull it with a dually register your GCVWR at 26,000 lbs put 3 cars on it and as long as you don't weigh over 26,000 lbs then you are OK (vehicle and trailer wise). It makes NO difference on weight between 5th wheel or gooseneck ball connection. DOT officers might still give you ticket for no CDL then you would have to fight it in court to prove they are wrong to give you ticket for no CDL, good luck on that.

There is NO other trailer like the Ultralight, that is your ONLY option. But if you get a CDL even a class B you would not be limited to ONE kind of trailer and run the risks of many potential problems.
Click to expand...

If you run class B, you then have to pay ifta correct?

Atlanticus trucking · Jan 19, 2019

The3SomeTrailer said: ↑

If this is in the wrong sub, please feel free to move it...I am having a hard time maneuvering the site.

I am looking to start pulling local loads with a F350/F450 dually (still on the fence on which one to go with) and I am narrowing down my trailer options. But I am having a huge issue with finding specific info, usually regarding the weight of the trailer itself. Finding loads is no issue in my unique scenario, so nailing the perfect trailer for my needs is key. Being able to pull 3 vehicles instead of 2, or 2 oversized units instead of 1, etc is huge. I also plan on utilizing a winch for the ability to pull inops.

Rule#1 - Max GVWR on the trailer is 14k lbs. Hard line here.

Rule#2 - Length is crucial. Would love a 48' with 2' extenders if possible. But let's call it as a 48' minimum (straight wedge, or a wedge with a deck) on the total deck length

Rule#3 - Weight of the trailer itself is turning out to be the real killer here. The best weight to GVWR ratio I can reliably find is the Take3 UltraLite Model 48....it has the 14k GVWR and the empty weight is 5,180lbs...

Now this is the part that blows my mind. The trailer can only handle 8,800lbs...that's not much. A Civic is 3,000 lbs and an Accord is 3,400lbs...that leaves 2,400lbs for a 3rd car....riiiight....maybe a Mini Cooper.

But I have heard that there is another way to determine the load distribution. I will have a true 5th wheel connection which I am being told means that if I loaded the civic at the front, the accord in the middle, and a third civic in the rear, I WOULD NOT BE OVERWEIGHT!! As I am understanding it, the weight of the first civic would be distributed to the bed of the truck via the 5th wheel, with the remaining 2 vehicles being.allocated to the trailer.

All of my loads will be intrastate, all within 150 miles of ATL. Doesnt sound like I will be hitting any scales. Nor would I need to because my truck has a bed, and the GCVWR is less than 26k lbs.

So. Does anyone know of a reliable trailer comparable to the Take3UL48?

And can anyone validate my weight math with the 2 civics and accord on that Take3?
Click to expand...

I’m a little confused. I run a ram dually 3500 with a Kaufman 3 car and i can carry up to 10500 with no cdl. Where is the 8800 lb limit coming from? You can down rate your trailer to whatever you want. The max on my trailer is 18k and we downrated to 12k because the truck which cant be down rated is at 14k. The trailer weighs around 7k. The truck weighs around 9k. This = 16k ish so 10k to pull. The accurate numbers comes down to us being able to pull 10500.

Atlanticus trucking · Jan 19, 2019

The3SomeTrailer said: ↑

If this is in the wrong sub, please feel free to move it...I am having a hard time maneuvering the site.

I am looking to start pulling local loads with a F350/F450 dually (still on the fence on which one to go with) and I am narrowing down my trailer options. But I am having a huge issue with finding specific info, usually regarding the weight of the trailer itself. Finding loads is no issue in my unique scenario, so nailing the perfect trailer for my needs is key. Being able to pull 3 vehicles instead of 2, or 2 oversized units instead of 1, etc is huge. I also plan on utilizing a winch for the ability to pull inops.

Rule#1 - Max GVWR on the trailer is 14k lbs. Hard line here.

Rule#2 - Length is crucial. Would love a 48' with 2' extenders if possible. But let's call it as a 48' minimum (straight wedge, or a wedge with a deck) on the total deck length

Rule#3 - Weight of the trailer itself is turning out to be the real killer here. The best weight to GVWR ratio I can reliably find is the Take3 UltraLite Model 48....it has the 14k GVWR and the empty weight is 5,180lbs...

Now this is the part that blows my mind. The trailer can only handle 8,800lbs...that's not much. A Civic is 3,000 lbs and an Accord is 3,400lbs...that leaves 2,400lbs for a 3rd car....riiiight....maybe a Mini Cooper.

But I have heard that there is another way to determine the load distribution. I will have a true 5th wheel connection which I am being told means that if I loaded the civic at the front, the accord in the middle, and a third civic in the rear, I WOULD NOT BE OVERWEIGHT!! As I am understanding it, the weight of the first civic would be distributed to the bed of the truck via the 5th wheel, with the remaining 2 vehicles being.allocated to the trailer.

All of my loads will be intrastate, all within 150 miles of ATL. Doesnt sound like I will be hitting any scales. Nor would I need to because my truck has a bed, and the GCVWR is less than 26k lbs.

So. Does anyone know of a reliable trailer comparable to the Take3UL48?

And can anyone validate my weight math with the 2 civics and accord on that Take3?
Click to expand...

I think i figured it out. You’re going off the GVWR of the f450 which is higher. If you get a 3500 the gvwr is less which allows more weight w no cdl

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