goose neck into logging trailer

[mike_belben]

Clearly the medical field was a waste of your true talent doc.  

;)

[doc henderson]

some of the practical use of hand and eye stuff crosses over a bit.  thank you.

without the other job, I could not afford these toys and it would seem like work.  

just a doc, trying not to forget what being a self sufficient man (or women in some cases @Bindian )  is all about.

[Walnut Beast]

Thanks for sharing the build Doc. You did a fine job and that was perfect on the paint. Tell your helpers they did well keeping you inline 👍

[Old Greenhorn]

just a doc, trying not to forget what being a self sufficient man (or women in some cases @Bindian )  is all about.

Oh boy do I get this Doc, you and I share that ethos (or whatever that sentiment is). Good on you, but I think I have said this before in some form: If that little Medical hobby thing doesn't work out or get boring, you will be in good shape to make a living.
 Truly, you are a rare man.
 That trailer looks just super! I can see in another few years you might throw an arch on it with a winch so you can leave the skid steer at home on a lot of pickups. That is, unless you make it into a trailer for collecting sap all around the county or some other noble task. 

[TimW]

trailer rated at 24k, and weighs 6k.  skid loader is 9k.  only leaves 9k for logs.  and yes, my hope is to not tear up the trailer.  I like stuff used but otherwise looking good.

Doc,
Double check your trailer's data plate.  My trailer is rated for 22k, yet they put 10k axles underneath that are rated for only 9880 pounds each.  That means  anything over 19,760 pounds needs to go on the hitch.  Otherwise, after a while, those axle bearings will be screaming mad.  That would mean if you gross your trailer out, your tow vehicle needs to have 4240 pounds on the hitch.  2 tons is quite a load on a one ton truck.
hugs,  Brandi

[YellowHammer]

Here's how I drilled a hole to insert a pin to keep the bunks from possibly coming out if they are empty and not strapped down.  I then went to a bolt as a stopper. The pins just go under the frame, act as a positive stop.

I'm I big fan of weld on winches, I like Godzilla strong bindings.  So I personally don't like the sliding tracks that much.  Weld  on winches have a higher rated load capacity, and have a much higher side load strength, such as if a car slides down the side of the trailer.  In one of my wrecks, I'm sure the track mounted winches would have been damaged, if not torn off.  However, the weld in winches barely lost paint although they unzipped the other  person's car like the teeth of a chainsaw.  They are scary strong.  I've got them placed evenly every 4 feet down the side of the trailer to meet DOT regs of binding distances.  So 5 winches.  



 

This allows me to put 4 pallets of lumber on the trailer with two straps on each pallet.  If I'm carrying long boards, I'll use the 5th winch at the dovetail.  

Notice how I've got the cross rails over the rear axles?  That's the sweet spot on this trailer so when I'm loading or trucking logs, the weight is over the 2 axles with just under the rated load on the gooseneck.

[TimW]

..............oh yeah.............awesome job.  Wish I could weld that well.
hugs,  Brandi

[doc henderson]

I will double check, but iI know it was sold as 24K gross.  good idea to be sure.  works my old truck a bit when "fully loaded"!        thanks everyone for the advice and kudos.

[mike_belben]

Just fyi.. You could put about 20k on each axle before the bearings got upset about the weight, as long as they have clean lube and correct preload.  The spindles would likely bend first or some other failure.  I have done a lot of destructive overload testing of trailers without losing a wheel bearing yet.   



I have also had a bearing fail and wipe out the spindle nut and have the whole knuckle fly off the steer axle with no load.   So keep up with your grease, especially in freezing climates. 

[YellowHammer]

Generally, I'll haul three full loads of logs with the uprights on, then pull the uprights off, and haul at least one full load of palletized lumber every week, for the last many years.  So the rig you are building will hold up.  Mine has outlived its second truck and second trailer, still using the original bunks.

The main thing when carrying any kind of heavy load on a gooseneck is proper weight distribution between the axles and truck bed for proper handling and braking no matter what the capacity.  Whenever I think I'm nearing max weight, I go across the scales and generally, it's well with the manufacturers guidelines for axle and hitch loading.  Considering the trailer spends more time and miles hooked to my truck than not, when the trailer is loaded heavy and right, it just feels "good."  When its improperly loaded or overweight the hairs on my arm will stand up.    

You've done a great job on it.

[Skeans1]

yes 4 feet.  I load my own so should not be and issue.  I added the pull V ring to lift off if needed.  and one in the center so I can use my crane to lift off the whole assembly, although they will likely stay on the trailer most of the time.
got the ends covered with the stabilizers, and I think it looks good.  



 

Doc have you considered push up stakes?

[Skeans1]

 

 This is one way to do it another is to add some tube to the outside to allow your stake to slide up and down both styles require a bolt for the driver to lift them or drop them.

[doc henderson]

I look at the bed of my truck as I load.  a little tricky, it I carry the track loader on the back, since it is done by the time it is on there.  so I fit it on, and usually does well.  I rarely travel far on on busy highways, prob 50 miles max to take skid steer for repairs.  I still as you can see, wanted to eliminate the weakest link.  any other thought on how to load with good distribution.  I may make another set for when someone else can load me.  I am usually the guy with the equipment, but have some logs coming up with a rancher that is proud of his stuff, and says he can load me.  It may be the maiden voyage for these bunks.  so @Skeans1 are you saying those hare hinged and fold up and down?  I considered that but also adds complexity and a poss. failure point if not adequately engineered.  do I need reflectors on the uprights.  or reflective tape.  ditched the safety red or orange, as to not draw attention.  I am not "DOT inspected" but at some level of weight I am sure they will be looking.  "logging" is not a thing here.

[doc henderson]

@Skeans1 now I see the slot and 4 notch positions.  had not considered that.  mine lift off as you can see.  I do plan to grind and taper the inside of the outer pipe, so less likely to take off paint each time they are moved.  maybe try to coat the inside with something for lube and or rust resistance.

[doc henderson]

ok @Bindian here is a pic of the tag.  



 

it is the low profile dual tandem.  32 foot, 27 in front of the dovetail.

now for more education for me.  this is the first trailer I have with an oil bath bearing, instead of needing repacked, or intermittent pumps of grease.  I have topped them off in the past.  any other tricks.  as you can see, they are hard to see unless cleaned off.  It gets washed about once a year.  it can set for 2 or 3 months at a time, or get used everyday for a week.  @YellowHammer @mike_belben .



 

[barbender]

Skeans those adjustable stakes could be handy on a forwarder!👍

[Gary_C]

Doc, you have 12000 lb axles on your trailer so you are good for 24K GVWR rating. Actually gross axle ratings are always limited by the tire ratings. In other words no matter your axle rating you can never exceed the total tire ratings. I think your load range E tires have a rating for dual tires of just over 3000 lbs each so you can use but not exceed the full 12K axle rating even though the total tire ratings do exceed the 12K. 

If you ever get stopped by the DOT and weight checked the first thing they look at are tire ratings.  
 

[Skeans1]

Skeans those adjustable stakes could be handy on a forwarder!👍

When I was loading short logs all the time I could pull the push up and lock them with forwarder. It's crossed my mind to do something like that just need the material and time to do it.

[Skeans1]

I look at the bed of my truck as I load.  a little tricky, it I carry the track loader on the back, since it is done by the time it is on there.  so I fit it on, and usually does well.  I rarely travel far on on busy highways, prob 50 miles max to take skid steer for repairs.  I still as you can see, wanted to eliminate the weakest link.  any other thought on how to load with good distribution.  I may make another set for when someone else can load me.  I am usually the guy with the equipment, but have some logs coming up with a rancher that is proud of his stuff, and says he can load me.  It may be the maiden voyage for these bunks.  so @Skeans1 are you saying those hare hinged and fold up and down?  I considered that but also adds complexity and a poss. failure point if not adequately engineered.  do I need reflectors on the uprights.  or reflective tape.  ditched the safety red or orange, as to not draw attention.  I am not "DOT inspected" but at some level of weight I am sure they will be looking.  "logging" is not a thing here.

We are required to have the red lights on both sides of each bunk here in Oregon/Washington.

@Skeans1 now I see the slot and 4 notch positions.  had not considered that.  mine lift off as you can see.  I do plan to grind and taper the inside of the outer pipe, so less likely to take off paint each time they are moved.  maybe try to coat the inside with something for lube and or rust resistance.

You could try to do the outside style push up it's somewhat the same idea, but if you're already running tube it's worth it going to push up like our log trailer. To give you an idea my little butt at 5'6" can push those aluminum 42" stake extensions up with one hand. The cost was all of 250 dollars to do this plus my labor of plasma cutting the "candy cane" into the bunk sides and afterwards you'll never want to flip stakes again.

[Walnut Beast]

Might want to think DOT & CDL 

[doc henderson]

anyone have tips on the oil bath hubs?

[Tacotodd]

Lucas Oils have a product just for oil bath setups like that FOR big trucks. It's a really innovative name too!

HUB OIL! It's better than any hub oils I've seen. Regular hypoid oil AKA rearend grease will not stand up to prolonged use

The Lucas cost more, but a LOT less than the least expensive other parts for that setup.

[doc henderson]

I have topped them off, do they ever need to be drained in some way, to change out the oil..  I almost as worried that it sets so long as that I am wearing them out.  any other maintenance?

[Tacotodd]

It's never been a recommendation on the bottle, but I would think it would have a normal maintenance schedule of something like big truck engine oil change intervals. It's really tacky so that in case you have a seal blow, then you still retain more lubricating characteristics than losing ALL of your regular oil. I've only used it in other places on a automotive application, but it's not advertised as being what it's for. 

Keep in mind, parts guy for about 30yrs. It's always been a tough sell, but the customers that tried it were EXTREMELY happy with my recommendation.

YMMV🤫

[Tacotodd]

And, usually the hubcaps have a oil access point. I've always seen them filled about 2/3 full. Access point is usually accessible by a allen wrench of whatever style you have. 

But, as I've learned lately, TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGIN!