Baystate Jeepers

OK so I have sourced a trailer from my neighbor and need to pick up a pintle hitch and a heavy duty 7 pin round to a more standard RV style 7 blade flat adapter. Any recomendations on vendors?

I was thinking something along the lines of this:


but im a total newbie with this stuff. the trailer is set up for pintel, my neighbor can convert to a ball type and i figure if I get a combo hitch it keeps my options open down the road. Also i want to make this as easy for him as possible.... the trailer is in great shape so i should be good to go.... Would like to order soon so I can get it set up and maybe try towing to the trail head this weekend for a shake down run....

thanks
jeff

Reese, Curt, Drawtite all make good components. As far as where to buy...... all I know is Dufor's RV Center in Fitchburg tends to run on the more $$$ side of things.

You may want to also check out www.etrailer.com
They have a great selection of trailer stuff. Very happy with my purchase's from them.

Kurt wrote:You may want to also check out http://www.etrailer.com
They have a great selection of trailer stuff. Very happy with my purchase's from them.

thanks Kurt! I think Jon W recommend them to me once as well but I couldnt recall the site...

Kurt wrote:You may want to also check out http://www.etrailer.com
They have a great selection of trailer stuff. Very happy with my purchase's from them.

2x... Just bought my 3rd receiver + wiring adapter for my brake controller from them... Ordered it late last week and it arrived yesterday.

If you want to look locally, Welch Welding in Lowell carries a lot of trailer stuff. They aren't cheap, but they have a decent selection. If you have the time I'd order online from etrailer. You're going to need an electric brake controller and you'll get free shipping from etrailer for orders over $100, so you should be able to get the brake controller + pintle hitch + wiring adapter shipped for free.

BTW -- What is the trailer you're borrowing rated at and how much does it weigh? I was talking to Mike K last night and he tells me in CT to tow a trailer rated (not loaded to) to 10k+ lbs you need a CDL.

JW

Not true Jon. A class 3 licence allows to 26000 lbs. At 10k IF it has elect. brakes you can pull it without going over 26000. So a const. trailer weighs more -you carry less. Air brakes is another animal. Need a class 2 and air brake endorsement. FjR68

You're *clang* going to hate *bang* a pintle hitch *bonk* on long trips.



If it's a HD trailer, you may want to consider converting to a 2 5/16" ball. The pintle won't be too bad, but it will be a little louder than a ball.

Frank wrote:Not true Jon. A class 3 licence allows to 26000 lbs. At 10k IF it has elect. brakes you can pull it without going over 26000. So a const. trailer weighs more -you carry less. Air brakes is another animal. Need a class 2 and air brake endorsement. FjR68

I did a little research yesterday and I couldn't find anything on it either.... The info CT has online specifies that section 14-268
"Weight of, and Route Restrictions for, Vehicles and Trailers", which I would expect to the limit would be, was repealed in 1999.

FWIW - I'd be more concerned with the weight of the trailer... If it is a HD trailer it is going to weigh a lot and that will not be great for a vehicle with a 7k lb tow rating... You really won't want "extra" weight because of the trailer -- especially if you don't have a weight distributing hitch.

JW

well the good news is the trailer has electric brakes and is only rated to 11K lbs.

This is the hitch I ordered its a Pintle Hook Combo 2-5/16" Ball with 2" Shank, 12K - TR63042 so hopefully this wont be too bad on the highway. hard to imigine something rougher than my lifted TJ at 75mph for 5hrs... but Im sure its out there....
http://www.etrailer.com/new_review.aspx ... id=1446625

Frank wrote:Not true Jon. A class 3 licence allows to 26000 lbs. At 10k IF it has elect. brakes you can pull it without going over 26000. So a const. trailer weighs more -you carry less. Air brakes is another animal. Need a class 2 and air brake endorsement. FjR68

Frank -

What you are starting is what I expect. However, I did contact the CT DMV inquiring & they simply stated 'trailers over 10k require a CDL', but I couldn't get a statute out of them to back that up. The statutes I did find mirror the federal CDL guidelines. Also, a CT driver's license does state on the back a class A CDL is required for trailers over 10k. So depending on the trailer & how observant (and cranky) the officer is on the side of the road in CT, you might have a bad day.

-mike

Voodoo Chile wrote:well the good news is the trailer has electric brakes and is only rated to 11K lbs.

This is the hitch I ordered its a Pintle Hook Combo 2-5/16" Ball with 2" Shank, 12K - TR63042 so hopefully this wont be too bad on the highway. hard to imigine something rougher than my lifted TJ at 75mph for 5hrs... but Im sure its out there....
http://www.etrailer.com/new_review.aspx ... id=1446625

Rated to 11K! Jesus man, be careful. That trailer can typically weigh 2500-3000 lbs + your Jeep, is maxing, or possibly exceeding the max tow rating of your Commander.

my Commander has a hemi and is rated to 7200Lbs. hopefully Im not exceeding that.....

ZAEDOCK wrote:

Voodoo Chile wrote:well the good news is the trailer has electric brakes and is only rated to 11K lbs.

Rated to 11K! Jesus man, be careful. That trailer can typically weigh 2500-3000 lbs + your Jeep, is maxing, or possibly exceeding the max tow rating of your Commander.

2x... That is what I was afraid you'd say.

Your TJ probably weighs ~4000 lbs, so you're likely to be right at your weight limit.

JW

Just to compare, I estimate my 4 popper YJ to weigh in about 4500+lbs. Probably closer to 4700.

Also keep in mind that any extra people and gear in the tow rig will bring down the rating.

Just want you to be safe dude. See if you can haul to the nearest weigh station or refuse company to weigh in just to be sure. They usually only charge a small fee.