Working Ranch Magazine Summer 2025

WILSON TRAILER

Wilson Trailer

4. Does the manufacturer use spring axles or torsion axles? 5. If torsion axles are equipped, are the torsion axles provided with a

3. How many axles are on the

tire will slide instead of sticking like it does on pavement. Dyer opined that in his experience as a rancher and manufacturer, a 24’ trailer is as big as you want to try to pull with a ¾ ton or 1-ton pickup. While we were discussing trucks, Dyer offered what he told many prospec tive trailer buyers, “Think of where you’re going with that big trailer on two-track roads. Would you take a cow truck back there where you’re talking about taking that big trailer?” Then, Dyer and I talked about catch trailers, like a 3/4 top trailer open in the back for dragging cattle into the trailer. Dyer said the wider the trailer, the harder it is to hold the rear end together without arches over the top. You get so much flex dragging raun chy cattle onto the trailer it shakes the trailer apart if you don’t have bows over the open top. WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING AN OVERSIZED TRAILER? Here’s a quick rule of thumb from Jim Dyer on how many cattle you can fit on a trailer – he figures a 1,000 lb cow will take up 12’ x 12’ in a trailer. A 500 lb calf will take up half that space. Have your local trailer dealer do exact weight calculations before you buy so you are not overloading a trailer and axles. Here is the WR list of consider ations to help you decide about that oversized trailer: 1. How tight do you have to turn at your ranch pens and where do you haul to? Is there room to turn a long trailer and back up to the loading area? Have you actually measured? 2. How many cows or calves are

trailer you are looking at? Does the manufacturer provide 3 axles on anything over 28 feet long?

WORKS AS HARD AS YOU DO.

you wanting to haul in a single load? How much weight does that equal? What size trailer can handle that many cattle and that combined weight?

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SUMMER 2025 I 45