Trailer size, for hauling excavator?

[MaiNiaK]

I'm looking for a trailer to haul my excavator behind my M1078.
My excavator is 15,000 lbs.

The 3 trailers I've looked at are.

M1061a1 with a 15,850 lb GVWR. I don't believe this trailer would be heavy enough for my excavator, or I'd be pushing its limit.

XM1073 with a 21,620 lb GVWR. This trailer does look heavy duty and would probably be my best option.

MK14 with a 58,000 lb GVWR. This trailer is ment to have a drive shaft hooked to it to power the 4 wheels. I'm not sure if it can be towed without the drive shaft hooked? Its also a lot taller then the other 2 trailers. So I'm not sure this would be my best option.

So I'm looking for some advice. Are there other trailer options that I'm missing or is the XM1073 my best bet?

 

[73m819]

ALL + the excavator will be to heavy for the 1078, the max towed load is 12000lbs, this info can be found in the -10

The MK14 can be towed as a "trailer", the driveshaft is dropped, and there is a A frame lounge can be bolted to MK48/MK14 mating connection plates

 

[MaiNiaK]

I have read that. I've also read that the M1078 can flat tow another M1078 which weights more than 12,000 lbs.

Just a week ago I personally witnessed 6 M1078's pulling trailers with bulldozers on them that are larger then my excavator. The convoy must have been coming down from the missile tracking/testing facility in northern Maine. Cause other people I know saw them further up north the same day.

My vehicle is registered as farm so I wouldn't be towing my excavator more then 20 miles.

 

[73m819]

What the military does is one thing, by YOU going over the towed weight, ANYTHING that happens is on you because you have a OVERWEIGHT combination on the road, the 12000lbs is there for a reason, AGAIN your idea is TO HEAVY for the 1078, do what you want, your truck, you asked for ADVICE, you got it.

What kind of weight were you going to put in the 1078, a EMPTY 1078 WILL get pushed all over the road with the 15000lb +towed load.

 

[MaiNiaK]

I apologize for thinking this duece and a half has more towing compasity then an F350.

 

[Shark Bait]

I have an MK48/14 combo, the 14 I believe is 16,000lbs empty. The height of the 14 is also very tall to load an excavator on, about 5 feet. The capacity of te 14 is plenty. I have an M1078 and an F-450, the capability is more than likely there to do the job, however Ford puts it in writing relieving some liability from myself. The LMTV I think would be pushed around with a 14/excavator combo in the "right" situation. I pull a Deere excavator (20k lbs or a Deere dozer (20k lbs) with my F-450 and the I think the little Cat 3116 would not be as happy doing it.

Dave

 

[MaiNiaK]

That I have to say is a lot more then I would have thought the MK 14 would wiegh

 

[av8or]

The m989 tandum ammo trailer would be just about right. It has a gross weight of 29000 lbs and an empty weight of 7000 lbs leaving a deck usefull weight of 22000 lbs. I'm not referring to the M989A1 wagon type but its predecessor the M989

 

[jcappeljr]

Buy a civilian 10 ton air brake trailer,put 24 volt lights on it.This is what Ive done in the past..

 

[Terrh]

I'd second the above post - get a tandem dually civilian trailer, probably find a used one a few years old in your area for somewhere in the ballpark of $5k, most of the pintle hitch style ones have hugely adjustable pintle hitches and might work with the factory pintle without modding. Air brakes are better than electric, but both styles work and the electric brake ones have the advantage of being able to be pulled behind a pickup.

IDK how beefy the factory pintle hitch is having never seen one with my own eyes (yet), but you can buy them all the way up to absolutely ridiculous ratings (at least 100,000LB with 20,000LB tongue weight) if the factory isn't heavy enough to work.

I think we can all agree the factory tow capacity is under rated significantly, and probably more reflective of what the vehicle is capable of safely towing cross country on the side of a muddy mountain vs on a paved maintained roadway.

Just looking quickly at the chrysler website I see that a 2015 RAM 3500, being a significantly lighter duty vehicle, is rated to tow 30,000LB and has an absolutely obnoxious 7400LB payload capacity.

Reading more though the TM last night I discovered that it uses exactly the same air brakes that a volvo mini semi (think a semi, but only one rear axle and day cab - was tiny but still a HD truck) has, it was rated to tow 35,000LB and when I had 10k behind it on a pintle hitch (not the 5th wheel) you could hardly tell it was there. I think pulling 25k behind it is approaching the limits of what you can do safely, but not beyond them. As always when driving, use care and common sense.

 

[m16ty]

I'll third getting you a civilian trailer. They are just much easier to use for hauling things like a excavator.

 

[rosco]

I back av80r's opinion about the M989 trailer. One can talk about weight ratings, but the MV stuff is always under rated, where the Civi stuff is over-rated - especially for light duty or mid-range trucks. The M989 is built tough, is full air brake with spring pots & has many options, like adjustable pintle ring. I pull one with my M35 & am confident in it, but would think twice about pulling an excavator with the Deuce (the M989 trailer will handle it). Probably one would be better off with a 5 Ton, and something with a tractor protection valve (I have that in my Deuce). Tandem axles give more stability.

 

[MaiNiaK]

Thanks for all the help.

Its very hard to tell by looking at pictures just how large or sturdy some of these trailers actually are. I will look into the M989 and keep my eyes open for a eager beaver. I have some work I need to do on my other house and property, which is about 12 miles from where we live now. So I can sell the place.

I probably should have bought one of the 5 ton trucks. Cause I'm going to need a dump truck aswell. I intend to develop a couple hundred acres of mountain side. House lots, roads, amphitheater and snowmobile and 4 wheeler trails.

 

[Flyingvan911]

You can always paint a civi trailer green if you go that route.

 

[123mack]

Army engineer units commonly used a 5 ton tractor and lowboy to haul loads as you described. How to haul an excavator, or a D7 for that matter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwkq6hvhJiA

 

[wehring]

Towing

Pulling an M114 with my gooseneck. Added trailer brake controller and 3rd light plug to LMTV. Reprogrammed to 330hp. Pulls (and stops) great.

justin wehring

 

[dilligaf13]

Wehring, what's that gooseneck set up on that LMTV??

 

[wehring]

We built it here at the shop. It is detailed in a thread on here.

justin