Special Project Request

[2StateTrigger]

Greetings Sawyers and Lovers of Wood,

I'm needing to outfit my biz with a rather specialized  4x4 quad cab truck (capable of towing heavy loads).  The thing that makes this a rather specialized vehicle is that the truckbed would be swapped out with a small module that would contain living quarters.

I've seen some pretty wild survival/bugout vehicles which might satisfy my need however they are VERY VERY expensive.  I've even seen some rather large Chevy or International trucks that look like reduced size tractor trailers but have forgotten the name.

So I'm left with putting this to the population here at FF.  If anyone might be able to think of the name/model of the I'm trying to describe here please reply and let me know.

I'm needing something like this so I can put my TimberKing 2000 AND my Bobcat S205 skidsteer on a 40' bumperpull trailer.  That way I can be completely self-sufficient for those large 3+ acre woodland clearing projects that I expect to be contracting my services for sawyering select trees on major private ranches in the 4 Corners area of the Great Southwest region of the US.

Sorry for such a poorly written topic.  Hopefully you'll be able to understand what I'm looking for.  Thank you in advance.

Best Regards,
Jeff Bebber

[Don P]

I toyed with the thought of a lower flatbed truck with knuckleboom behind the cab and the living quarters module strapped down. Her folks had built and settled into their retirement home and they gave us their old motorhome and we went that route. I towed behind it... never a 40' but we used to joke that the thing could pull the queen mary and not feel it. I don't know where those old things go to die. Well I know where one is  :D

[Gearbox]

Be aware that you will fall under DOT regs. You will need a CDL and electronic logs . You are a business and the DOT will require a DOT # . Read up on new DOT E LOGS and regulations .

[2StateTrigger]

Gearbox,

Question for you.

At what point will I be required a DOT#? 

At or above a certain gross vehicle weight?

[scsmith42]

Personally for a 40' trailer I would want a gooseneck and not a tagalong style. Much more maneuverable and safer to tow.

You might want to consider a single rear axle class 6 or 7 tractor with a quad cab and sleeper, instead of a dually. The fuel mileage when towing will be about the same and you can find them with the long frame rails much easier than a 3500 size truck. 4wd hard to find in those sizes though.

[redbeard]

 

  

  

  

  one of my customers has the semi set up and the Ram 5500 4x4 is my hauler, it's rated for 10K on the 12' dumper flat bed. And will tow 30K. I am limited to bumper pull only with the dump bed.
It's CDL license when trailer is towed.

[square1]

Greetings Sawyers and Lovers of Wood,
I've even seen some rather large Chevy or International trucks that look like reduced size tractor trailers but have forgotten the name.

So I'm left with putting this to the population here at FF.  If anyone might be able to think of the name/model of the I'm trying to describe here please reply and let me know.

Chevrolet Kodiak

[2StateTrigger]

Clarification here...I MUST use a bumper pull flatbed equipment trailer at 40 feet since I need to be able to tow the trailer with my 30' TimberKing 2000 mill AND my Bobcat S205 skidsteer on it at the same time.

Otherwise I'd have to either have someone follow me with a piece of equipment OR somehow/someway make one run with one piece of equipment then return to the equipment yard to pick up the 2nd piece of equipment.  That just takes TOO much time.....

[Don P]

If I gutted out the back of the motorhome and had a door back there my Gehl would drive inside, close the door and set the bedroom back up. I've towed more than a mill behind it while full of tools.

[Darrel]

Chevy Klondike.

[Hilltop366]

Chev Topkick?  If the truck was heavy and long enough, perhaps you could put the bobcat and the camper on the truck and tow the mill, one less piece of equipment to own, repair, license....

[terrifictimbersllc]

Gearbox,

Question for you.

At what point will I be required a DOT#? 

At or above a certain gross vehicle weight?

USDOT # when you do all 3 of these.....
1)your combined GVWR (truck and what you're towing) is 10001 pounds or greater, and
2)purpose of your travel is commerce, and
3)you cross a state line

Read it here:   https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/do-i-need-usdot-number

excerpts
You are required to obtain a USDOT number if you have a vehicle that:
.....
OR

Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight, of 4,536 kg (10,001 pounds) or more, whichever is greater; ...

AND is involved in Interstate commerce:

Trade, traffic, or transportation in the United States—

Between a place in a State and a place outside of such State (including a place outside of the United States);
Between two places in a State through another State or a place outside of the United States; or
Between two places in a State as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the State or the United States.
You are required by FMCSA to obtain a USDOT Number and comply with the Federal Regulations.


:P :P :P :P

[square1]

International XT series

[Kbeitz]

I would use a heavy duty pickup pulling a trailer that you could put the skid steer in
the front and have a ramp on the back half of the trailer that extends up and over
your skid steer. Mount a winch at the top of the ramp and putt your saw mill up the ramp. Put a truck camper in the bed of the truck.



 

[Kbeitz]

Maybe you could just have a arch up front to get the tongue of the
mill up over top of your skid steer.

[scsmith42]

Clarification here...I MUST use a bumper pull flatbed equipment trailer at 40 feet since I need to be able to tow the trailer with my 30' TimberKing 2000 mill AND my Bobcat S205 skidsteer on it at the same time.

Otherwise I'd have to either have someone follow me with a piece of equipment OR somehow/someway make one run with one piece of equipment then return to the equipment yard to pick up the 2nd piece of equipment.  That just takes TOO much time.....

I'm not understanding why you could not put both pieces of equipment on a 40' gooseneck trailer....  The only difference is the hitch - not the deck -  and a gooseneck is significantly more maneuverable than a bumper pull and distributes the weight better on the tow vehicle.

i pull with this setup every week.  37' deck, hydraulic dovetail, hydraulic disk brakes, dual tandem with 12K axles.



 



 

That's Tom Cadenhead's sawmill on my trailer.  It is a Baker that can mill a 25' log.

[starmac]

Chevy/gmc, international and freightliner all made some 4 door medium sized trucks. As far as I know 4X was available in all of them, but not common at all. There must be some pretty big ranch roads on the property you are looking at working on. We have had ranch property east of the 4 corners region, that has been in the family since the 50's, but the roads are logging roads, and no way would you get a 40 foot gooseneck behind  single cab pickup around the switchbacks, much less a bumper pull.

As far as the dot #, they are not that big of a deal, and if you are commercial and intend to drag a bobcat around, you will wind up having to have one.
I would check on what commercial insurance is going to cost before making a final decision.

[Grizzly]

The trailer could work perhaps but this is how my mind works.

15ft of deck needed for skidsteer. 9ft of deck needed for camper/living quarters. 24ft of deck needed.
Lots of class 6 trucks out there with 24-30ft decks on them that would tow a sawmill around. Heavy unit that won't be swayed with the weight and work load and has a little heavier brakes. What I like about this is the pivot point is roughly midway on the rig allowing better turning advantages (hitch is back of the axle pulling the sawmill in a larger arch). Either way a cdl is gonna be needed.

[starmac]

You can haul skidsteers sideways. It takes less deck space. When we haul them from the factory, we load them all sideways, and it makes a huge difference in how many you can haul.