braeburnucs

I am looking to move up from FiFi Mack Renault CS200. Its setup to be a flatbed with load ramps and works well for one piece of equipment.

The truck I am looking at is Class 7 Single Axle 1995 Volvo/WhiteGMC Day Cab with what is listed as a Cummins 300 engine in it with 10spd Fuller, Air Brakes & Pintle. Its currently got a flat bed dump on it.

I'd like to pull a float/deckover behind it with my CAT 312B on it.

The trailer weight empty is about 9,500 lbs and the 312B runs about 31-32,000lbs although I have not specifically weighed it. Being able to move the 312B is my biggest reason for looking at this truck. That puts the trailer/equipment combo around 42,000lbs and on top of that would be the prime mover Volvo/WhiteGMC.

I'm in semi mountainous terrain of East Tennessee so there are some grades. Not moving everyday but often and I also have a Komatsu PC55 Mini and a TAK TL230 that I'd need to move more often.

Questions are:

1) Can the Volvo handle this setup?
2) TAG it for what class?
3) What axle weight ratings do I need to be on the lookout for to keep from being overloaded on steers or drive?

I'm not really interested in speed and do not care much about running 70+ as I generally run 5-10 MPH under posted freeway/highway speeds on purpose. I just more interested in knowing the truck can handle the trailer-312 combo on the safer side.

Thanks to all.

NE frmhnd

What are you wanting to do as far as the bed on the truck? I'd put a dump box or 5th wheel on it, personally. You want a little weight ahead of a tag-a-long.

Add the GVWR of the truck and trailer and plate it for that.

You should be good on power, as long as you don't go loading both truck and trailer.

Hvytrkmech

It would work better and be a lot safer if you had a 5th wheel trailer. That is going to be huge tongue weight for a pintle hook up on a single axle tractor. Your front end will be way to light. The tractor itself can handle it frame and power wise as long as its in 5th wheel format.

Out of curiosity what engine is in it. L10? M11?

chaikwa

I'd go with what Tim, (Hvytrkmech), says. I'm not real sure of what you're trailer is, (float?), which is probably a regional thing. I had a 20 ton tag trailer with air brakes and I was pulling a 205 Cat Excavator with a single axle Ford L8000. If I remember right, the Ford had a sorta re-branded Cummins in itwith 225 HP. I think. Anyway, that truck, or more specifically, that motor, had all it could do to pull that thing around. Truck itself handled it fine. With good truck and trailer brakes, even loaded like I described, it would put you thru the windshield. As far as the front axle being light, I never noticed it. The truck DID have a steel 10 yard dump body on it and a plow frame up front. Maybe that helped. The only thing I DID notice is under the right conditions, the tongue of the trailer would become VERY light while loading the excavator, and if things were just right it would lift the rear axle off the ground. God help you if you were on a steep hill because you'd go for a ride until the excavator got far enough forward on the trailer to put the truck rear axle back on the ground! If you go with the set-up you describe, make sure you have a pintle hitch rated for the weight, both vertical and towing.