Cheapo Tow Rig project

With gas prices like they’ve been I’ve been driving the truck a bunch. It’s fixing to hit 538k. I just returned from Kairos, towing the Jeep and the camper and went to AOP a few weeks before.
On the way to AOP the AC stopped working. When I got there I found it threw the belt off. My heart sank as I feared the compressor had locked up again. But it was fine, as was the tensioner pulley. I had Nakoma stop and grab a belt on his way in the next morning and I replaced it, and it was trouble free all the way home. I was pushing the truck pretty hard and had a few times where I was really revving it hard, best I can figure it the compressor didn’t like revving at 5k and threw the belt. Who knows. Now if it’s gonna be revving higher than 3800rpms for a few I just turn the AC off.

The wife has decided that she wants the camper to be on a gooseneck after this last weekend. So I’ve priced a Kaufman and will likely go that route, but I’m not in a hurry. I will snatch up the right used one so if anyone knows of a 24’-26’ GN that is NOT a deck over let me know. I need it low and light so I don’t want a deck over.

If I find that my truck won’t pull it as well as I thought, it’s the perfect excuse to say “hey you told me to buy this, now I need a bigger truck” :D

But I have faith in this old truck, it just won’t be fast.

I also need a turnover ball if anyone has one. I really do love this truck.
 
NCJeeplover said:
If it's not going to be a trailer pulled everyday for work, I would look at T&W trailers. They can custom build whatever you want and for the price of most used goosenecks. They build a good trailer for a great price that does work. Just ask @72Rockcruiser, @WARRIORWELDING or @John B.
Click to expand...

yep. Very happy with my T&W trailer.

ive had it for quite a few years now and Have put tons of miles on it with no issues.
 
72Rockcruiser said:
yep. Very happy with my T&W trailer.

ive had it for quite a few years now and Have put tons of miles on it with no issues.
Click to expand...

I’m going to call them today. Searching for their website (which I realize they don’t have now) lead me to tons of posts on here with very good reviews.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I’m going to call them today. Searching for their website (which I realize they don’t have now) lead me to tons of posts on here with very good reviews.
Click to expand...

Make a trip to Horsepower Park this weekend to break in the trails, and swing by T&W on the way in/out.
 
I’ll be honest, it’s gonna have to be some serious savings to get away from Kaufman. Wife was all into it yesterday, reading the story of how they got started. They’re local to me (20 minutes) so that keeps money local and goes to a company that employs people around me.

At the same time I still shop on Amazon so that makes me a hypocrite :shaking:
 
Jody Treadway said:
Kaufman builds a great trailer with above average attention to detail.
Those things come at a higher cost than smaller outfits. I had a Kaufman and sold it to @rockcity (he's a picky bastard). Great pulling trailer and very well built.
Click to expand...


It was well built and pulled great. Heavy as hell but well built. And Jody is right, I’m picky! :lol:
 
rockcity said:
It was well built and pulled great. Heavy as hell but well built. And Jody is right, I’m picky! :lol:
Click to expand...
From an outside perspective at what point is the balance found between being well built and being “over built”? I’m not saying a rickety Lowe’s trailer but is there a point where it’s too much?
 
Kaufman told me the trailer I wanted was 3700lbs. I feel like that should be acceptable when grouped with my 1200-1300lb camper and 4500lb Jeep.

I should still come in around 10k that way, and I may consider throwing some 4:56 gears in the truck to help out.
 
rockcity said:
It was well built and pulled great. Heavy as hell but well built. And Jody is right, I’m picky! :lol:
Click to expand...

skyhighZJ said:
From an outside perspective at what point is the balance found between being well built and being “over built”? I’m not saying a rickety Lowe’s trailer but is there a point where it’s too much?
Click to expand...

I've wonderd this before. I have a Kaufman deckover trailer (caught a great deal on it used or it'd be a t&w) and it's very well built. Over built for anything I'd throw at it. It's also heavy at nearly 4000lb empty. I just don't worry about it cause I've got a truck to handle it. Funny thing is it has 2 7k axles but is rated at 18k?
 
Even funnier if it has regular 16" tires rated at 3750 lbs each...Sailun does make a Load G (I think) 16" tire rated for 4400 lbs though. The certificate of origin that came with my Kaufman said it weighed 4000 lbs as well. I want to actually weigh it one day to see how close that is. 26' gooseneck equipment trailer with 8k axles and 17.5" tires/rims.


The AC belt was definitely just RPM related. Those tensioners aren't very rigid under a high load and RPM. A lot of guys that run turbos or superchargers with functioning AC will go to a manual tensioner setup just for this very reason.
 
Last edited:
Croatan_Kid said:
Even funnier if it has regular 16" tires rated at 3750 lbs each...Sailun does make a Load G (I think) 16" tire rated for 4400 lbs though. The certificate of origin that came with my Kaufman said it weighed 4000 lbs as well. I want to actually weigh it one day to see how close that is. 26' gooseneck equipment trailer with 8k axles and 17.5" tires/rims.


The AC belt was definitely just RPM related. Those tensioners aren't very rigid under a high load and RPM. A lot of guys that run turbos or superchargers with functioning AC will go to a manual tensioner setup just for this very reason.
Click to expand...

That is comforting to know about the AC. However, since then the compressor is engaged even if I turn the AC off but have the recirc on. Not real worried about it though.

Your trailer sounds about exactly what I’m after but with some upgrades.

Who’s gonna have the best deal on a turnover ball?
 
77GreenMachine said:
Who’s gonna have the best deal on a turnover ball?
Click to expand...
There's probably a mom joke in there, but I'd try B&W. I deal with them on a professional level through work and they are a good bunch.
 
Jody Treadway said:
Kaufman builds a great trailer with above average attention to detail.
Click to expand...
This is the opposite of my experience, but I have a new Kaufman on order because of value. Diamond C, Load Trail, etc if you're actually looking for well thought out details. But 40% higher cost for something that functions just the same is hard to justify.
 
jeepinmatt said:
This is the opposite of my experience, but I have a new Kaufman on order because of value. Diamond C, Load Trail, etc if you're actually looking for well thought out details. But 40% higher cost for something that functions just the same is hard to justify.
Click to expand...

Maybe their pricing is higher on the lighter duty models like I was looking at. I have no idea what the tandem axle trailers like you would need go for
 
Jody Treadway said:
Maybe their pricing is higher on the lighter duty models like I was looking at. I have no idea what the tandem axle trailers like you would need go for
Click to expand...
A new 14k partial tilt is $4500. Diamond C and Load Trail are $6500, and have more features and details and better welds and construction, but they all pull decent and carry 14k pounds.
 
77GreenMachine said:
That is comforting to know about the AC. However, since then the compressor is engaged even if I turn the AC off but have the recirc on. Not real worried about it though.

Your trailer sounds about exactly what I’m after but with some upgrades.

Who’s gonna have the best deal on a turnover ball?
Click to expand...

Get one with a pull lever to release the ball. I have one that uses a complex groove to hold it in place, and it sucks to remove. Last time i took it out, I had to use a pipe wrench.
 
I've had the B&W turnover ball in a couple different trucks and I'm happy with it. Not cheap but has been worth the money in my opinion. Simple and easy to flip the ball.
 
I've got a B&W in my truck and have been pretty happy with it. The install was easy and they're pretty much MAP priced wherever you buy them. I THINK they're US made as well, so that helps. It's a nice solid setup and they have a pretty slick drop in 5th wheel adapter if you ever needed one. It's also easy enough to make other accessories to go in there if you wanted to...like a hoist or whatever else you could think of. The B&W is like 450 or so and that Drawtite is 415? I can't tell by the pictures, but it looks like both cross rails are "angle iron" for lack of a better word, whereas the rear cross bar on the B&W is solid. I prefer the square receiver, but that just comes down to personal preference. I'm quite sure they both work just fine. Much better than the piece of crap that I cut out of my truck...plenty of pics in my build thread. (Shameless plug :D )


The only real upgrades I did on my trailer was getting two jacks instead of one (140 bucks), the spring assists on the ramps (60 maybe?), and the 8k/17.5" setup (1300 bucks). It was 6300 bucks out the door.

I DID have the issue of them not putting nuts on the back side of the equalizer bolts, but I figure it was because it was finished up on a Friday and they were ready to go home. I looked over everything on that trailer before I took off with it EXCEPT that. I even checked the lug nut torque in the parking lot before I left. Not a huge ordeal, but if I wasn't so particular and didn't check the hub and tire temp by hand when I stopped for fuel, I may not have caught it before they came completely out. They sent me new hardware and a check for 300 bucks, so I was good with it. That was enough for me to buy a spare tire and rim. I don't really hold the entire company at fault for it, just whoever finished up the build and missed it on their QA check list. Shit happens, right?
 
Last edited:
Back
Top