Dodgezilla

I recently got me another enclosed cargo trailer. It is a 20' V-Nose that is 8.5' tall inside and 8' wide overall and has 6000lb axles according to the build sheet. It is rated for 9990lb GW. It also has D-Rated radials on rusty white wagon wheels which are rated at just over 2500lb per wheel. I use my trailers for hauling furniture around and can easily overload this combination so I am going to beef it up some. For about $1000 I can get me new rims/E-rated tires and raise my capacity up to about 12,000lb and this is probably the cheapest route. What I'd really like to do is get me some 7000lb axles which will have 8-lug hubs on them and then, of course, get wheels and tires to fit. 8-lug wheels generally have a capacity of 3500-3900lb each. I'd really prefer to go this route but it will run me close to $2000 for everything. Another option is to get custom extended axles made where I could use an extra set of my Dodge Ram wheels on them which I think would look really cool. My problem with this is that I was reading that running rims with that much offset could tear up the bearings because trailer axles are designed for "Zero Offset" wheels. Is anyone running Dodge Ram rims on a trailer and having NO problems with this setup? The other concern here is with clearance issues running 17" wheels/tires when the stock ones are 15" with 225-75/15 tires.
This trailer is a 2001 unit and is "Well used" so I'm not really sure how much is has been beaten on so I'm really leaning towards the 7000lb axle route. I'm just such a tightwad that I have a hard time parting with that money. I think if I do it then the trailer should be worth a lot more $$$ since it is so tall inside and could haul anything I would ever put in it.
What do you guys think? Any advice?

Totallyrad

I'll go ahead and say it, just to get it out of the way. If using extended axles puts you over 8' 6' with the wheels installed, you risk getting a ticket for being over width. Then you're back to the drawing board and spending more money and you're a tight wad. I like the idea of matching wheels, it looks really cool but..... Can you get a heavier wheel and rim combo that will fit the axles you have? You've got 12k as it is, plus at least another 500 with the hitch. Do you think you'll go over 12.5k gross?

You can add a block to the axle or put the spring on top to add some vertical clearance.

AH64ID

Where do you find wheels/tires with a 3500-3900 lb rating? I have been trying to find something over 3200 and its very hard, some 18" ones go to 3600 but nothing I have found is higher?

If the trailer has 12Klbs worth of axles, and if you account for tongue weight thats about 13.2K worth of trailer support yet the GVWR is 9,900 that means the frame is only designed for that weight or they put it under 10,000 for licensing purposes (similar to 3500 SRW trucks stopping at 9,900 for years)... It will be up to you to determine the cause for it, and if it's structurally sound to haul the additional 5K lbs you could with 7K lb axes. Just becuase you put an AAM 11.5" under a 1500 doesn't mean you can use it to its rated weight.

It sounds like this is a commercial venture, so I would be more cautious in your decision to "overload".

I am not sure who the mfgr is, but it may warrant a call to see what the frame can handle, or may be rated for in other applications. Looking at the Wells Cargo website the 10,000 GVWR trailers have 10,000 in GAWR and the 13,200 GVWR trailers have 12,000 in GAWR.

Dodgezilla

I would only do the extended axles if I was using the Dodge rims and only because of the offset.

Not really a commercial venture persay. I haul stuff around on occasion and sometimes I work for a mover whose insurance covers me when I haul for him.

I would be under 12K 99% of the time but there have been a couple occasions in the past where I probably went over that. I don't really "NEED" to do this but if I want to haul a friend's Ford F250, and it will fit in my trailer, then I don't want to fear for my tires handling the weight.

AH64ID

Gotcha!

If your going to put any $$ into it you may as well upgrade.

Dodgezilla

Yeah, either way I go it's gonna be an upgrade from what's there now. I really like the idea of the 7000lb axles and 8 lug wheels even if it's using regular old steel rims and not my Ram rims....

Dodgezilla

It's only 8' wide too. I really wish it was 8.5 wide but when you are shopping used then you have to take what you can find sometimes.

AH64ID, I went on E-Bay and most of the 16" E-rated radial tires are in that range.

haulin-rv

Cargo trailers are cheap (ok well that is debatable). But they are built cheap, they are engineered to barely meet the weight specs they are rated for, changing axles, tires, etc doesn't change the structure.

If you'd like to share the brand, we may be able to give you a bit more guidance. Because there are a couple companies that did have a high build quality out there that you may be ok with.

AH64ID

Good deal on the tire ratings, much higher than I had found. The few trailer wheels I just looked at are also rated much higher than vehicle wheels, I wonder why?

Brian08Q35004x4

X2 He is right about the frame and tongue. It is not just the tires and axles! Danger Will Robinson

Tallguy67

AH64ID,
I am no tire expert but I have definitely found that trailer tires have higher weight rating than vehicle tires. That is why my tire guy told me to only put trailer tires on trailers, not vehicle tires. Apparently there are many more layers of bands in the tire cap and the sidewall on a trailer tire than there are on a typical vehicle tire. That is also why you pay a lot more money for a trailer tire that looks the same as a comparable sized vehicle tire.

AH64ID

I did a little more searching and also noticed that.

Grand Geek

Your going to need new springs unless your using torflex axles..

Dodgezilla

Sorry, been out of town for a few days.

Trailer is a CarMate and "Seems" to be very made well.

If I was to get new axles then they would come with springs too. These would be brand new units drum to drum...

high bid

I wouldn't go the dodge wheel/tire route you're probably going to regret it. But I would definately recommend torsion axles, 8lug, 16" tires.