freight train

Its a 1984 24K Eager Beaver. New ones weigh over 6,400lbs. I think this one weighs a bit over 6,200lbs empty. I was looking for a 20K tandom dual axle trailer that I could haul my dads 580ck and Ferguson tractors around on. Plus anything else, LOL. Its a little heavier than I wanted but when I found it on craigslist in upstate NJ without most of the decking and no lights it gave me an opportunity to dicker on the price. I have less than $2k in it with new decking, lights, and 6 brand new tires. Its paid for itself 10 fold. Heavy yes, but that's what the Cummins is for

Rick 12v CTD

Only thing I'd be concerned about is that noticeable frame flex between the box and cab...

Not that I haven't done similar things... 550 gallons of water in the bed of my first gen was enough to do something similar.

j_martin

I think the "noticeable frame flex" is mostly slight mis-alignment of the running boards.

I have the same boards on mine. The mounting is just bolted small angle iron, with the clamp force of the bolts holding the alignment.

I'm tired of 2 features of them, the mud gathering treatment inside the fenders, and the clip in stud mounting that loosens up and rattles, or is easily broken in a minor collision with a whitetail deer. Wife can't live without them. Between short and weak knees, she has a hard time reaching into the bed.

I plan to trim the back edge to the shape of the fender, and install a rubber back blade on it with a clamp arraignment on the fender. I also plan to drill through the boards and install flat or oval head stainless screws and nylocks.

My mud flaps are similar to yours also, and get torn off in snow all the time. I'm going to take them and the mounting irons off. My trailer hitch is made in the way that the square tubing for the cross piece is open on the ends, so I can slip a 2x2 into it. That gives me an ideal place to hang mud flaps or spray diffusers.

Between the 2 mods, I should have enough clearance to chain it up to pull the train through snowy mountain passes.

On the weight thing, I routinely haul 3 - 3.5 tons of gravel or scrap with my work (rusty) D350 with no trouble at all.

cougar

My frame flex is from always having too much weight on one side.

j_martin

My wife cleaned out her purse. Had to re-work the suspension.

freight train

I wonder what the weight limit is on these old frames when the weights on the tongue. I have seen one of my dads frames buckle over the rear end towing this trailer with 8ton of pellets on it. Destroyed a mint bed. It was a severally rusted frame though. That truck was an upstate PA truck.

Alec

Well, keep in mind that the load on the rear axle from the tongue weight is about double the tongue weight. . . So, I try to keep the tongue weight under 2k (really under 1500).

j_martin

The class 3 hitches usually found on these trucks is rated for 600 tongue weight plain, and 1000 lbs with a weight distribution system.

Even a class 5 hitch is rated under 1500 lbs weight carrying.

Alec

Sorry to kinda hi-jack.

I put 2,000lbs on a pintle hitch attached to an engineered cross-member welded into the end of the frame.

A class V hitch does not have sufficient capacity for my use.

freight train

Alec I couldn't agree more. I have seen two different hitches fold up like accordions on the sides. I only use Reese Titan hitches now on my mule and on my 05. I know they make a Super Titan but so far I cant complain. I have had so many people say that with hauling 10k pound forklifts out of work that I should have bought a gooseneck. The problem for me is with my two trucks and one Cummins RC, my brothers two, and my dads six 1st gens I would have had the only truck to pull it. Not counting the two 1 1/2 ton Chevy dump trucks that couldn't pull the GN. This trailer is heavy but its paid for itself ten fold.