Tandem axle placement?

[MrZukerman]

Just wondering if the axle placement is different for a gooseneck flatbed vrs a bumper pull trailer? I have a 26 foot flat deck and was wanting to add about 2.5 foot dove tail to it for making loading a little easier. according to the two different formulas I have found I am going to be just within the measurements for the axles even adding the dove tail but wanted to double check it was the same for both types of trailers.

 

[redprospector]

I guess it depends on the intended use of the trailer. I've seen goosenecks with axles everywhere from center of the deck to all the way to the rear. I like the axles on my goosenecks toward the rear of the trailer so that I can put more weight on the truck when necessary.
Most bumper pull trailers that I've seen keep the axles pretty close to center to kinda "ballance" the load, or at least keep the tongue weight down.

Andy

 

[MrZukerman]

Yeah I will still have plenty of deck in front of the wheels for putting weight on the truck, I almost could not pull my tractor up far enough with the bush hog on to fold the ramps up, Mine has two ramps the width of the trailer that stand vertical in transport position. I could have pulled up another ten foot or more but see no sense in putting more wight on the truck than is needed to have correct percentage of hitch weight, I see it all the time were someone has a trailer with plenty of room to move the load around to distribute the weight on both trailer and truck , but have the load setting on the front of the trailer and the bumper of the truck almost setting on the ground.

 

[jmanatee2]

I know a general rule of thumb for bumper pull is 1" back from the center of the trailer for every foot of length of the trailer bed.

Example a 20' trailer would have the axle at 11' 8" back from the front of the trailer.

A 10' trailer would have the axle at 5' 10" back from the front edge.

A dual axle would have the center of the two axles at the 11' 8" or 5' 10"
mark.

 

[MrZukerman]

Right now mine is 18 foot to center of the two axles from the front of the deck, on a 26 foot deck.

 

[MrZukerman]

Also what is a average angle for the dovetail usually?

 

[Rancher Ed]

Pretty much the standard for bumper pull trailers is 60% of the deck infront of the axel center line (for tandom axels the center spring hanger) and 40% of the deck behind the axel center line. On tilt bed trailers often they will do 55% forward and 45% back to make the tilting easier.

For goosenecks it can range from 60-40 all the way to having the axels at the very back of the trailer but what seems to be the most commen is to have the axels at 70-30.

I am not really sure on what the angle for the dove tail should be (I think it is around 12*) but an easy way to figure out would be to lay a 10' board as a ramp at the back of the trailer and measure the angle.

Ed