Tilt Trailer

[Gomez]

I'm looking for a trailer to haul my B2400 around. Basically what I'm looking for is an 16 or 18 foot tandem axle utility trailer.

I stopped at local farm store the other day that has some trailers parked in front for sale. One piqued my interest in that it is a tilt-bed. It's about a year old and they are asking $2200 for it (said it was $3000 new). The only trailers I've ever used had fold down ramps. Will a tilt-bed work as well? It seems like having the tilt-bed would add some more flexibilty to its uses.

Any comments?

 

[Bird]

Personal preference, I suppose, but I like tilt bed trailers, if they're built right.

 

[ronjhall]

Gomez

Trial King makes a full line of tilt trailers. They are well built. Many commercial companies use them to move their equipment around in Southeastern Michigan.

 

[JackIL]

Tilt trailers are fine so long as everything you want to load can be attached to the tractor all at one time--you just drive on and you're done. However, it is not so convenient if you have an extra implement that you want to park in the front of the trailer before going back to get a second implement on the 3 point hitch. You have to secure the first implement so it can't move when the trailer tilts again. If you have several implements it may not be possible to get everything loaded and the load balanced so that you still have the required tongue weight with a tilt trailer. I have had both and my preference is for the trailer with extra loading ramps. My ramps are stored in slides under the back behind the rear wheels. I also have trailer scissors jacks under each back corner of the trailer to prevent the trailer from tipping when it is detatched from the truck and I want to load or unload equipment.

JackIL

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

I bought a tilt bed with an electric starter style motor that powers hydraulics to tilt the bed and it's been one of the best things I've ever done. For one thing, I hate the idea of horsing around with ramps. With this I not only avoid that problem but also can load something which doesn't line up with ramps like a three wheeler or winch up a motorcycle with a straight pull in the center because I have the full bed width with which to work.

As far as loading smaller items and getting proper balance, tongue weight, etc., I simply leave the bed level and load from the sides. If it's another implement not attached to the 3PH I just chain it to my FEL and drive on that way if I'm taking the tractor, too. In a worst case scenario, it's still no more work than using ramps would be.

 

[Hoeman00]

If u take multiple attachments like I do( trencher, backhoe,
extra bucket, forks, box blade or rake all at same time)
u will want the fixed deck.
My 20' trailer has fold down ramps and they will slide to
center of trailer plus only takes couple of seconds to drop and
raise them.

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

Tim,

I like the idea of the ramps which can be used side by side anywhere across the width of the trailer. The ones with which I was familiar weren't that adjustable. They still won't work for a three wheeler or a narrow front tractor unless you have a third ramp but, if you don't have either of those it doesn't matter.

I bet a lot of your and my preferences have to do with what we've used more and with which we've become more comfortable.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I have a tilt bed trailer that I use to transport various stuff, including a motorcycle and lawn tractor.

Driving something up on it can be tricky. You have to either block it in the tilted position, or be ready to deal with it slamming back down with you and your equipment on board once you cross the balance point. If you don't block it, you need a second person to hold the bed tilted for loading. If you block it, and it has a wood deck which happens to be wet, say from dew or rain, it can be a real interesting ride. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

The last time I tried to load my motorcycle that way, all I did was slide back down. Since I didn't have anyone around to lend a hand, what should have been a simple job became a monster chore.

If you don't block the bed and have long wheelbase equipment to load, under the right (wrong?) circumstances you may find the bed starts back down before the rear wheel(s) get on board. This can lead to damage or injury.

Tilt beds can also be pain to hang a license plate off of. You can't mount it across the back, unless it has a removable gate, as it will get bent the first time you tilt the bed.

My trailer did not come with a license plate bracket, and I found there was no place to put one on the rear without blocking part of the bed or flattening the plate. I ended up fabricating a mount for the top of the fender. A license plate must be mounted on the rear of the vehicle in some states, although I doubt that many cops would issue a ticket if it wasn't.

I would advise looking carefully at the trailer to see how high the bed is when it tilts--and if it's in your comfort zone. You may also want to consider how much effort it would take to tilt and block the bed with your load in place, should you ever need to do that. A 16 or 18 footer with a tractor on board might require quite a bit of muscle.

You might also want to check out the tongue length. For some reason, most of the tilt beds I have looked at have had short tongues, which makes backing more difficult.

Hope some of this helps.

SnowRidge

 

[MossRoad]

Here's what I use to haul my Power Trac PT425 and attachments:

18' car hauler.
Full steel deck.
3500# axles
stored ramps
stake pockets
electric brakes with breakaway feature
new tires and rims
Crank down jack

The Axles are rated at 3500# each. Since the trailer rests on the axles, you have to subtract the weight of the trailer from the total load capacity. Mine weighs 1500# so I have a usable load rating of 5500#.

Picture 1 Shows the trailer as I bought it.

Picture 2 shows the trailer loaded with my tractor, 60" finish mower, 48" brush hog and Two different sized buckets nested together with a set of pallet forks inside of them. There is still about 4 feet of room at the end of the trailer.

Also, since purchase, I have places 2X12's along the stake pockets in front of the fenders and across the front. I've hauled 2 tons of dirt AND the tractor on the trailer at the same time. I don't know if you could do that with a tilt trailer.

The ramps are about 14 inches wide and store by sliding into pockets under the left rear of the trailer. They can be placed anywhere across the rear of the trailer, from right next to each other to all the way out for full sized cars.

Hope this is usefull information for you. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Buster57]

Hi MossRoad,
That is really a great setup.
How much did thats set you back?
My son and I would love to have a unit like that!