Posted by Paul Cook in Kempner, Texas on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 at 1:47PM :
In Reply to: What is the curb weight of a FFPW posted by PittMan on Sunday, March 05, 2006 at 3:19PM :
Click on the W-100 link and scroll down to the pictures of the W-100 on the new trailer I bought just to haul a POWER WAGON.
The trailer has a 14,000# capacity with 2 7,000# rubber torsion suspension axles with electric brakes on both axles. The tires are LT245-16E (10 ply).
Ramps slide into a compartment at the back. I am building a receiver hitch type mount at the front for a removable 6,000# winch. This is adequate for loading the trailer since the capacity can be doubled with a snatch block.
I am also getting a weight transfer (load leveling) hitch to move some of the hitch weight to the tow vehicle's front axle.
The trailer bed is 24' long which will handle an ambulance or Dodge 6x6.
So far, I have hauled an M-37 home from near Fort Polk, LA, and on another trip hauled a massive playground equipment set. The added utility of an 8' wide flat bed for general cargo and the elimination of the fenders and the restricted width of a car hauler make this trailer very practical.
Over the years I have used a standard 18' car hauler with a 7,000# capacity. Because car haulers are built to haul cars, the fenders are built low for car door clearance. This restricts the tire size to 215x15. Even with maximum available six ply tires, this is not adequate for hauling a POWER WAGON.
I had a 20' gooseneck car hauler which was overkill on the hitch and still not much trailer if I needed to haul something bigger than a regular POWER WAGON.
My next trailer was a 36' flat bed gooseneck with triple axles. It would haul two POWER WAGON sized trucks and still have room for some general cargo. I replaced it with a 42' gooseneck, triple axle car hauler. I could haul my M-37 and my WC-52 with a military cargo trailer hitched to the WC-52. Still it was a car hauler with restricted bed width and fenders that increased the overall width. (It's for sale and there's a picture on the main page of my web site at www.texaspowerwagon.com )
The bottom line is that if you are going to pursue the POWER WAGON hobby, you need more tools than a screwdriver and an adjustable wrench. And you need to have an adequate trailer - or know someone who does. Find another truck collector in your area and buy one together. If I were on the right or left coast and trucks I wanted to buy were some distance away, I'd consider sharing the purchase of a trailer that could carry more than one truck. I found there was not much difference in fuel consumption to haul a second truck on a trailer behind my Dodge with a CTD. And based on inquiries on this Forum, you'd never have an empty trailer.
Just another Crusty Old Guy's thoughts.
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