The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Forestry and Logging => Topic started by: oakiemac on November 04, 2004, 04:17:26 PM

Title: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader trailer
Post by: oakiemac on November 04, 2004, 04:17:26 PM
I just bought a home made trailer that is a flat bed so I can load logs and lumber on it with my Bobcat. It has 2 mobile home axels with electric brakes. The owner has no idea on the weight capacity of the trailer or axels but has had several large tractors and other heavy equipment up on it with no problem (acording to him).
Does anyone know how much these type of axels are rated for? My Bobcat weighs 6800lbs and I was hoping this trailer could hold it.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: David_c on November 04, 2004, 05:00:02 PM
bring the trailer to your local axle shop they will be able to tell you what you have and what they'll carry.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Buzz-sawyer on November 04, 2004, 05:27:02 PM
Generally 10,000 # peraxle for mobile homeaxles, I have hauled 15000# on 2 of em :)
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on November 04, 2004, 05:39:13 PM
  Dunno about that Buzz. Down here they are rated 6000 and 7000#. Course we don't hafta worry about ice buildin up on 'em.  ;) :)
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Buzz-sawyer on November 04, 2004, 06:12:41 PM
I checked it out............ you right Harold

6,000 pound rated axles equipped with 7x14.5 home 8-ply tires, or equivalent

so I proved they bear up well to overload :o
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on November 04, 2004, 06:28:50 PM
  We bent the one on "Homey". ::) Too big of a log and it bent right at the spring. We have chunks of 2 X 4 stuffed in between the axle and frame, until we figure out how to straighten it. ::)
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Buzz-sawyer on November 04, 2004, 07:07:37 PM
Many a mile pulling caterpillar D4, and int/drot high lift,no trouble so far :)
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: theonlybull on November 04, 2004, 07:10:58 PM
ours has seen many loads in the 13,000 lbs range ( + trailer weight) and has survived sofar.  it's a tandum too.

there's a few tri's around, that haul backhoe's w/o too much trouble.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: oakiemac on November 05, 2004, 05:01:36 AM
Buzz, FDH,

If I'm understanding corectly, then each axle is rated at 6000lbs so I have 2 axles which means 12000lbs minus weight of trailer so I should be good up to 9-10K lbs?
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on November 05, 2004, 12:30:58 PM
  YUP  ;) ;D   Down here, they really get upset if they find you using Mobile Home tires on a regular trailer type set-up. We have lowboy tires on all our axles. 8-14.5's on the log trailer, and 7-14.5's on the mill.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Bruce_A on November 05, 2004, 03:02:11 PM
If they are Kelsey-Hayes axles, the front of the drum will have a kh71744 if it has 12'" brakes and you can buy drums for 5 hole, 6 hole, or 8 hole wheels and get rid of the california style.  Commercial hauling requires something other than mobile home tires in Washington state also.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Buzz-sawyer on November 05, 2004, 04:45:35 PM
Bruce
Youknow of a good source for the  alternate style drums.....on the net?
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: rebocardo on November 05, 2004, 06:06:56 PM
>  We have chunks of 2 X 4 stuffed in between the axle
> and frame, until we figure out how to straighten it.

Buy a piece of 5/16 or 3/8 walled square tube (one wall size up from yours), cut off the axle as much towards the center of the trailer as you can before the bend, and slide that/those pieces into the bigger tube, and weld into place.

You can bend the axle back with a $99 16 ton pipe bender from northerntools or even a small 20 ton bench press, but, it will never be truly straight and will be weakened unless you weld angle or C-channel steel to it to strengthen where the bend was.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on November 06, 2004, 03:37:31 AM
  Rebo, our axle tubes are round. ::) Don't road the mill much. Won't worry about it for now.  Thanks for the tips, though.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Bruce_A on November 06, 2004, 05:17:04 AM
I don't know if they have a web site, but "Six Robbles" is the outfit that supplies most of the trailer builders in this area.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Ed on November 06, 2004, 05:29:15 AM
Try looking here, I don't know if they will sell to an individual or not. They do have an excellent website with way more info than you will ever need to know about trailers. I used their charts & set-up info when I built my trailer.


http://www.redneck-trailer.com/
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: oakiemac on November 06, 2004, 12:05:02 PM
Special Ed, thanks for the link it was a good one.

Bruce, by "California style" do you mean the mobile home tires with their special lug arrangement? These aren't legal on the roads?
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Bruce_A on November 06, 2004, 01:42:19 PM
The tires themselves will say for mobile home use only on them.  These are the one you see on the mobile homes with the open centered type of wheel. The wheels are ok, but the tires are not.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Engineer on November 07, 2004, 05:20:01 AM
I have a homebrew trailer, bought a few months ago, with MH axles and wheels on it, and I was wondering about the same thing.  It'll haul a full load of logs, I've had probably 7000 pounds on it, and it seems fine.  

What I need now though, is a new rim for a 14.5 x 8 tire.  Anybody know where I can easily get one?  The local MH dealers either don't have any or won't sell me one.
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on November 07, 2004, 05:32:12 AM
  Try a salvage yard. There are always MH frames being trashed. They lay all over the place down here. $5.00 will getcha one like new from near anybody :D

  Right now, whole MH's go for free. Ya just gotta have that there "fixer-upper" attitude. :D :D :D
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: karl on November 07, 2004, 04:25:17 PM
I usually get wheels and tires as a unit for $50. a pop @ mobile home dealers- they usually have heaps of takeoffs, axles too.

karl
Title: Re: Mobile home axels on logging/lumber/loader tra
Post by: Engineer on November 07, 2004, 06:14:42 PM
Yep.  Problem is, all of the dealers in this half of the state either just got rid of them, or don't keep any around.  I haven't exhausted my options yet, but I need one by the end of this coming week.   :(  I'll find one.  
Title: Re: Mobile home a on logging/lumber/loader trailer
Post by: etat on November 07, 2004, 06:56:00 PM
There's a couple of places around here that build trailers.  Since I usually go through several a year I just go see em and buy a Axel or two brand new complete with springs. They run about a hundred bucks apiece.  Sometimes if they don't get warped too bad I rebuild em.  Just a few weeks ago I bought 6 white spoke rims complete with tires for 40 bucks apiece. It helps to deal with the Foreman in the back rather than the front office.  I run a three axle trailer which I regularly overload, but mostly what gets the axles is dragging them shingles off with a track hoe.  Last time I made some arms out of 3 inch square tubing that slips down and pins to take the pressure off the axles while unloading.   Also you have to be careful about turning it short when heavily loaded because you're liable to strip a wheel off of the hub. It don't turn sharp good because of the three axles.  It's a heavy duty completely homemade (didn't start out that way ) trailer with a heavily reinforced chassis underneath it with a 3/16 steel plate floor on top of the regular floor.

I go through LOTS of tires because of the nails even though we run magnets so them odd sized mobile home tires wouldn't be a option.

Overloaded usually means 50 to 60 square of tore off shingles and tar paper at from 195 to better than 200 pounds per square.  Hershel complains I haul more shingles in that trailer than most folks do that come in there with a big ole dump truck. Reckon he's right, but with them three axles it don't cut ruts in a yard like a dump truck will, and you don't have the maintenance and upkeep and insurance and licensed driver to keep up with.  Pull it  with a late model 99, F250 Superduty Ford,  long wheel base, single rear tires, automatic, four wheel drive shift on the fly.