Star Dreamer Posted October 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Thanks for the info Stanley, that would make a good setup for our needs. Here is a picture: Dave 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shorts Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Where's the like button? Purely speculation but it looks like a step deck flatbed frame that has been enclosed and fitted with living space. Wild guess on the axles and suspension due to the rear placement like a semi trailer is standard 20K axles down rated to the single tire capacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncohauler Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Good looking trailer. I definitely would be concerned about high centering it on driveways or railroad tracks. Love to see some interior pics if you have them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICPete Posted October 8, 2015 Report Share Posted October 8, 2015 Wow Dave, That is indeed a looong trailer, and looks like it wouldn't want to be taken off road! With the axles so far back, like a semi-trailer, but so much less ground clearance than a semi-trailer, it does look like you would be limited where you could take it. But it must have a LOT of useful living space inside. If you can just come up with a way to jack the back at least 6 inches "on demand", that might do the trick. Stan's description of automatic leveling with manual override sounds like the perfect solution. But you need to make sure the air bag travel is sufficient. And I see your concern about the axles' GAWR. There will be just over half the total weight on the axles, and a lot more than 25% on the hitch. If the axles are only 8K each, then total trailer weight would need to be kept under 32K, and probably under 28K. So putting a 7,000 lb van in the back could be trouble. Pete 2007 NuWa Hitchhiker Discover America 339RSB 2000 Volvo VNL64T770 with TrailerSaver hitch, wooden flat bed, Detroit 12.7L S60, 10-sp AutoShift, still tandem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 I did make it out this weekend to check out the trailer in person. It is a very long trailer! It also is only 8' wide in lieu of our current trailer which is 8'6" wide. Side view: Hard to get good Interior pictures but here are a couple: I have more on my photo-bucket site. It does have air over hydraulic brakes, however I never did find the actuator. I could see the hydraulic lines on the axles. It does have a Dakota Air suspension with a manual dump valve. Not sure if it will work for us as the rear door opening is too narrow for us, we would have to widen it by a total of 4" which basically means completely reworking the rear door area. Also the pin is only 48" from the drop at the gooseneck to main part of the trailer and I think our truck bed would hit in a corner even if I move my hitch all the back because my truck bed is 102" wide. Last is the axle capacity. The owner is going to get the truck weighed for me this week. I find it hard to believe that they have owned for 8 years and 1) have never weighed the truck and 2) he still thought it had air brakes on the trailer which means he may never had the axles or brakes serviced in that time. They did have newer tires on it as they did have a blow out, I was able to get 3 of the 4 date codes. The trailer is mostly aluminum construction except for the main frame rails which are 6" high, wide flange steel beams and some steel cross members. It had a raised floor area with ducted heating in the basement and ducted a/c in the roof. Lots of storage area in the basement. Looked to be a well built trailer and lots of nice wood cabinets inside. In fact I could see easily overloading the trailer by filling all the storage areas. All of the water tanks were inside the basement with no pipes hanging down underneath. The only thing hanging down was a winch box but is was fairly close to the axles and showed no sign of being hit. The trailer is made by Jamco out of Canada and I do have a call into them to see if they could do the modifications and up the GVRW. I can just hear the calls to the campgrounds, Me: "Hi I would like to know if you have a spot available for an 80' foot RV? Campground: "Sorry our spots can only handle a 45' motor home or 5th wheel. How big is your trailer? " Me: "Uhh 53'," Campground: "Sorry please try the truck stop up the road about xxx miles!!!" Dave 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Broncohauler Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 For desert runs only I would love that trailer. But forget it on back roads or any camp ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noteven Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 Hi Dave, The trailer is built like stock / horse trailers which are designed for lots of payload and to transfer lots of the load to the tractor, not trolley it along on axles half way up the trailer like a rv trailer designed to be pulled by pickup trucks. So if the heavy stuff - tanks, fuel, groceries are carried toward the front the trailer axles probably have not been grossly overloaded all their life. Also the frame (and keeping all the bits up inside the basement rather than hanging underneath) lends itself to standing up to the occasional grounding. Again, stock trailers have been build and towed this way for years... but you do need to watch the humpy railway crossings... When you look at all the stuff RV builders like to leave hanging out the bottom of a rv trailer - gen exhaust, jacks, tanks, pipes ... does this trailer really have that much less ground clearance? And what gets on the ground is a big old steel frame rail skid ... One benefit is this trailer will tow stable as can be in side winds, not weather-vaning around over it's center mounted axles... icy roads would be a piece of cake... Fewer stairs in and out Down out of the tree branches With air suspension on truck and trailer you could look into getting over-inflation valves plumbed in so you can raise the vehicles for low speed clearance. "Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted October 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 We just got trailer weights so another issue. Remember the GVWR was 16000#. Empty weight of trailer = 21500# Weight on the axles = 11880# And be sitting down when you read this: Pin weight of 11,140# I guess we will need a Super, super, senior ET hitch as the current max pin weight is 8000#, Henry can it be done? And this was with an empty trailer! How does a manufacturer do a GVWR less than what the empty trailer weighs? Dave 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted October 20, 2015 Report Share Posted October 20, 2015 I would think that you can add 4120lbs over the axles. And whatever else you want since the pin is going to carry it. Just keep in mind your rear axle rating. Might need tandems on the truck. Alie & Jim + 8 paws 2017 DRV Memphis BART- 1998 Volvo 610 Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Our vehicle we will be putting in over the axles weighs 6600# that is why we figure we would need to go to at least 10000# axles but the GVWR will be exceeded by quite a bit. In fact by time we are loaded with water in the tanks and clothes and food we will be close to double the GVWR. Not good! 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERO Maker Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 Dave, I'm cornfused~~~ Empty weight of trailer = 21500#Weight on the axles = 11880#And be sitting down when you read this:Pin weight of 11,140# ????? Where did you get the empty weight of the trailer? If your axle weight is 11880, and your pin is 11140, then your trailer is weighing in at 23,020 lbs. What was the total rear axle weight of the truck when hitched up to the empty trailer? Rocky & Sheri Rhoades '01 Volvo 770 2016 DRV Mobile Suites, HoustonHERO Makers Ministry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted October 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 I got the numbers from the owners who said they would weigh the trailer and get me the pin weight. They did not give me the rear axle weight of the truck. At this time it doesn't matter if it the trailer weighs 21k or 23k it is still over its GVWR and the pin weight exceeds any RV hitch and would have to be pulled with a commercial hitch. Also I would have to lighten my bed on the truck as the pin weight I think exceeds my rear axle capacity with a single rear axle. And this is with the trailer empty. There are a lot of cabinets in the front of the trailer that if utilized could easily add a few more thousand pounds to the weights and most all on the pin. 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil D Posted October 21, 2015 Report Share Posted October 21, 2015 It's not over it's GVWR, because the weight transferred to the tow vehicle -- the pin weight -- doesn't count against it. GVWR can't exceed the sum of the GAWRs, but the pin weight doesn't ride on the axles, it rides on the tractor. Phil 2002 Teton Royal Aspen 2003 Kenworth T2000 - Cat C12 380/430 1450/1650, FreedomLine, 3.36 - TOTO . . . he's not in Kansas anymore. ET Air Hitch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Star Dreamer Posted October 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2015 It's not over it's GVWR, because the weight transferred to the tow vehicle -- the pin weight -- doesn't count against it. GVWR can't exceed the sum of the GAWRs, but the pin weight doesn't ride on the axles, it rides on the tractor. Phil, I do not think that is correct. Everything I can find indicates that GVWR of a trailer is the maximum the trailer can weigh with all the contents. Nothing is mentioned about subtracting the pin weight. Also when we had our current trailer weighed at the Rally a few years ago, it was brought up then that our current trailer was over the GVWR and we were under on our axle weight. We ended up moving stuff from the trailer to the truck to get the trailer weight down. Maybe Big5vr will give us some guidance. Dave 2005 Freightliner Century S/T, Singled, Air ride ET Jr. hitch 2019 46'+ Dune Sport Man Cave custom 5th wheel toy hauler Owner of the 1978 Custom Van "Star Dreamer" which might be seen at a local car show near you! Check out http://www.hhrvresource.com/ for much more info on HDT's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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