Stock Trailer

[kenny thomas]

All the advice above is good but I am going to give different advice.
If you are only going to use it a couple of times a year as you stated forget about it and pay someone well to haul them for you. Even if you pay $100 each load it will take 15-20 years to even pay for a used trailer. That is not counting fuel and wear and tear on the truck and trailer. Some weeks I will haul as many as ten loads so I can't hire it done but if I hauled once a month I would hire it done.

 

[Caustic Burno]

If you just want a stock trailer be paitent and look around for a older used Hanover made in Bryan. They rarely become available as they are heavy duty, don't worry about overloading it with cattle cause you can't.
The best advice you got was just hire it done.

 

[SRBeef]

I have a 16 ft bumper pull steel Corn Pro that I ordered with the wide and tall package and 7000lb axles. Still economical but a very useful trailer. Going up and down hills and sharp curves in SW WI I have found it better to have the cattle packed in tight rather than too much room to fall down esp with floor covered with manure.

Last time I brought a couple to the sale barn there was someone else's cow down in the next unloading alley. Receiving guy told me the seller had brought this cow in a larger trailer and not used the center door. She had broken a leg on the trip, was down when they opened the door was going to have to be put down.

Moral according to the sale barn receiving man: use the center gate in the trailer and pack them tighter rather than looser, at least for a shorter trip on winding, hilly roads.

Jim

 

[MO_cows]

I wouldn't even think about putting 8 cows in a 16 footer. That's what we have and only 3 cows fit in each section, there is not room for a 4th and they are not big cows. Good advice about paying for hauling if it is just once or twice per year. Most of the time our trailer just sits there in the way or else somebody wants to borrow it. And good advice about checking the floor in any used trailer. Get underneath it and really check it out.

 

[MadRanchTX]

I will most likely buy used. What is the standard width vs. ?
Also what about floor material, steel (seems like this would be a problem), wood, other. What is best.

 

[TexasBred]

You can put as many cows in a 6ft 8inch wide 16ft trailer as you can a 20ft narrow trailer.

I always recommend trailer lengths in multiples of 8 feed...16,24,32....an extra 4 feet in between those lengths is just wasted space unless you have a small space in front for calves or storage and an escape gate. I had a 16 foot once and could get 3 in the front section (1300 lb. cows) but then it was a real chore to get more than 2 in the back. I recommended 24 ft. because it's all I have now. lolol....and is never too small nor too large and works well with a 3/4 ton truck.

 

[Angus Cowman]

You can put as many cows in a 6ft 8inch wide 16ft trailer as you can a 20ft narrow trailer.

I always recommend trailer lengths in multiples of 8 feed...16,24,32....an extra 4 feet in between those lengths is just wasted space unless you have a small space in front for calves or storage and an escape gate. I had a 16 foot once and could get 3 in the front section (1300 lb. cows) but then it was a real chore to get more than 2 in the back. I recommended 24 ft. because it's all I have now. lolol....and is never too small nor too large and works well with a 3/4 ton truck.[/quote]
maybe in your part of the country but a 24ft trailer loaded is way more than a 3/4ton truck needs or wants in this part of the world especially if you are hauling very much
a rule of thumb we have always used is
16ft 1/2 ton or light 3/4 and loaded can be pushing it
20ft 3/4 ton
24-28ft 1 ton

 

[TexasBred]

True we don't have any mountains around here but maybe you just need more motor and transmission rather than less trailer. Pulling and handling has never been a problem but I have slid thru a couple of stop signs. :help:

 

[ChrisB]

We have a 20' trailer and 8 cows fit about perfect, 4 in the front and 4 in the back but sometimes you have to work a bit to get the gates closed. We hauled 9 thin cows before and it was pretty tight.

But if you only have 6-8 cows I would really suggest paying someone else to haul your cattle. Even a cheap trailer is a pretty large investment when figured on a per head basis and I don't think it would ever pay for itself.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I will most likely buy used. What is the standard width vs. ?
Also what about floor material, steel (seems like this would be a problem), wood, other. What is best.

Mine is treated lumber with cattle panel stapled to the floor and it's pushing 40 years old. The trick is to wash them out after use, then I spray it down with diesel. Manure and urine is corrosive and will eat up anything over time.

 

[backhoeboogie]

No one has mentioned entries and exits. I have had to drag long trailers through some mighty narrow gates. I have also been to gates that no one could pull a small trailer through.

 

[Angus Cowman]

True we don't have any mountains around here but maybe you just need more motor and transmission rather than less trailer. Pulling and handling has never been a problem but I have slid thru a couple of stop signs. :help:

not a motor and tranny problem I ran 454 chevrolets for yrs and have used the 8100 chevy engine and have used diesels also
the problem is not enough truck in front of it to handle the weight and not enough tires on the ground to handle the curves and stopping

 

[ALACOWMAN]

True we don't have any mountains around here but maybe you just need more motor and transmission rather than less trailer. Pulling and handling has never been a problem but I have slid thru a couple of stop signs. :help:

not a motor and tranny problem I ran 454 chevrolets for yrs and have used the 8100 chevy engine and have used diesels also
the problem is not enough truck in front of it to handle the weight and not enough tires on the ground to handle the curves and stopping

even when i hauled cattle for a living i had a 24ft neckover brand...using a 454 dually sometime's it wasnt enough truck ,,,here you gonna pull aleast 2 mountains to get where you'r going, had to look way out in front for possible trouble ,,, those folks will wait till your right on top of em and pull out in front of you.... sure need the extra truck braking and stability, with that kind of weight pushing against you on a panic stop........... rather have to much truck, they dont use any more fuel than one that has to struggle where it goes

 

[Angus Cowman]

True we don't have any mountains around here but maybe you just need more motor and transmission rather than less trailer. Pulling and handling has never been a problem but I have slid thru a couple of stop signs. :help:

not a motor and tranny problem I ran 454 chevrolets for yrs and have used the 8100 chevy engine and have used diesels also
the problem is not enough truck in front of it to handle the weight and not enough tires on the ground to handle the curves and stopping

even when i hauled cattle for a living i had a 24ft neckover brand...using a 454 dually sometime's it wasnt enough truck ,,,here you gonna pull aleast 2 mountains to get where you'r going, had to look way out in front for possible trouble ,,, those folks will wait till your right on top of em and pull out in front of you.... sure need the extra truck braking and stability, with that kind of weight pushing against you on a panic stop........... rather have to much truck, they dont use any more fuel than one that has to struggle where it goes

yep same here and they will last alot longer also

 

[dun]

My dad used to say "Doesn;t matter how fast you can go if you don;t have enough brakes".
Aftewr moving a 10 foot newground disk down the highway with the Ford Ranger I came to appreciate that bit of wisdom

 

[ALACOWMAN]

my experiance came with a friends 20ft flatbed i borrowed to haul a little 504 international home... i had a 78 dodge automatic 1/2 ton beater at the time.... coming off the front side of a mountain thank GOD it was straight down .... i had pulled it down in low starting of the mountain well it held back good at first so i give er a little break and popped her into 2nd... thats when all he#$ broke loose, hit the brakes and it picked up speed felt like i stepped on a rotton apple... i swear i seen the tractor jump a foot in the air before i hit the botton of the mountain. seems like we were running 80 i was so drawn up and tense that my muscles hurt for 2 hours :cowboy:

 

[dun]

my experiance came with a friends 20ft flatbed i borrowed to haul a little 504 international home... i had a 78 dodge automatic 1/2 ton beater at the time.... coming off the front side of a mountain thank GOD it was straight down .... i had pulled it down in low starting of the mountain well it held back good at first so i give er a little break and popped her into 2nd... thats when all he#$ broke loose, hit the brakes and it picked up speed felt like i stepped on a rotton apple... i swear i seen the tractor jump a foot in the air before i hit the botton of the mountain. seems like we were running 80 i was so drawn up and tense that my muscles hurt for 2 hours :cowboy:

Bet you had to change your drawers too

 

[backhoeboogie]

my experiance came with a friends 20ft flatbed i borrowed to haul a little 504 international home... i had a 78 dodge automatic 1/2 ton beater at the time.... coming off the front side of a mountain thank GOD it was straight down .... i had pulled it down in low starting of the mountain well it held back good at first so i give er a little break and popped her into 2nd... thats when all he#$ broke loose, hit the brakes and it picked up speed felt like i stepped on a rotton apple... i swear i seen the tractor jump a foot in the air before i hit the botton of the mountain. seems like we were running 80 i was so drawn up and tense that my muscles hurt for 2 hours :cowboy:

It seems like every time I get the Caterpillar on the flat bed, every one along the route wants to pull out in front of me. Do you think these people realize their lives are dependant on a 20 amp fuse routed through that electric trailer brake system? I have blown those fuses a time or two.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

nope you could'nt have drove a 10 penny nail in my ass, shore wasnt nothing coming out :cowboy:

 

[TexasBred]

Angus as I said, we don't ahve the hills and hollers down here so the 3/4 works well. YOu'd be amazed how many half tons you see pulling 24 ft trailers. Not to mention hauling 22 round bales on a flatbed. It has no trouble. But I ain't dropping off no mountain either. I'm not gonna buy a one ton just to pull a trailer once a week and I sure ain't gonna drive a one ton as my day to day truck.