Is a Tilt Trailer the right way for me to go?

[Firemediceric]

Very nice! Although I want a wood deck, I see the advantage to the entire deck tilting.

 

[jwmorris]

It is nice but it has many parts that can fail that most other trailers do not. Batteries, switches, air bags, air compressors, hydraulic pump, hydraulic cylinder, gages, even the E track can catch debris that make it more difficult to use unless cleaned out.

Simply more to go wrong and stop you.

 

[BackRoad]

2-8k axles with 17.5 super single tires instead of 2-7k axles with 16" tires , and also a spare 17.5 tire on a steel wheel.

Thank You Sir!

 

[NUTTERDW]

My son and I bought an 18 foot deck over 6 ton dove tail and ramps in 1996. it is 8' wide and I find that works well. Even when I haul a car it gives you room to et out oof the car and walk beside it. The trailer has a short [4 ft"] dove tail that you can manually lift up and les drop down to make a full 18ft flat deck. I have a farm 25 miles from where I live on 25 acres so I move my tractor back and forth a lot. It has served us well for the past 29 years. Abouit the only maintenance we have had on it is tires [10ply 16in], new brakes once, one new treated lumber floor replacement and light repair. About 5 years ago few did have it sandblasted and painted. It has set outside ever since we purchased it. It does not get puled when the roads are salted. My only regret is it should be a little longer. Maybe 24ft. I have hauled my 4 door 8ft bed f350 pickup on it. I did add spring assist to the ramps as I got older which made its better for an 80 year old man to handle. I can lift them with on hand now.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

It is nice but it has many parts that can fail that most other trailers do not. Batteries, switches, air bags, air compressors, hydraulic pump, hydraulic cylinder, gages...

Simply more to go wrong and stop you.

Chances are good that I can fix or circumvent something that went wrong on a trailer.

What I can't easily fix is my bad back, which makes it so well worth it to have hydraulic jacks and dovetail, etc.

It's the same principle as having a tractor with a loader, really.

 

[jwmorris]

Chances are good that I can fix or circumvent something that went wrong on a trailer.

What I can't easily fix is my bad back, which makes it so well worth it to have hydraulic jacks and dovetail, etc.

It's the same principle as having a tractor with a loader, really.

Yeah, I have built a lot of stuff many probably couldn't even maintain. If you are having to pay someone to repair something that is much more prone to fail all the time, might as well just pay someone to haul your stuff around.

Now a flat bed wrecker has much more proven parts, less prone to failure and most places that use them do not keep them around for as many years of service as I get from standard trailers without as many extra gadgets and moving parts.

 

[LouNY]

I always thought one of the roll back wrecker beds would make a great trailer.

 

[4570Man]

Yeah, I have built a lot of stuff many probably couldn't even maintain. If you are having to pay someone to repair something that is much more prone to fail all the time, might as well just pay someone to haul your stuff around.

Now a flat bed wrecker has much more proven parts, less prone to failure and most places that use them do not keep them around for as many years of service as I get from standard trailers without as many extra gadgets and moving parts.

A rollback bed is much more expensive the average trailer. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if a rollback bed isn’t $50,000 just for the bed. And a rollback bed is a lot of maintenance. They have hundreds of feet of hydraulic hose and a dozen hydraulic cylinders. Of course all of that requires maintenance.

 

[4570Man]

I always thought one of the roll back wrecker beds would make a great trailer.

Landoll builds trailers that are basically like a rollback but get ready for sticker shock.

 

[ning]

Landoll builds trailers that are basically like a rollback but get ready for sticker shock.

Is that what shipping containers are delivered on? I recall my 40' getting dropped by a long gooseneck that tilted up and back.

 

[Renze]

I converted my brothers cracked frame into a hydraulic tilt bed. Using it, i decided it wasnt for me because its always rattling and squeeking, i couldnt keep the deck tight on the V drawbar.

My own, i just lowered, put 195/50R13 low profile tires under it, and made a new V bar beginning at the first axle to gusset some stiffness in the whole trailer. Then had my neighbour saw some 12x 2 1/2 planks from Douglas fir, 8 feet long. Same weight as aluminium, yet a tenth of the price and no risk of getting stolen (which is a thing with aluminium ramps here)

With the 8 ft ramps and a deck height of 25 inch, the approach angle is small, and the center of gravity is low.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Then had my neighbour saw some 12x 2 1/2 planks from Douglas fir, 8 feet long. Same weight as aluminium, yet a tenth of the price and no risk of getting stolen (which is a thing with aluminium ramps here)

Either you must have the balsa version of Douglas fir, or your aluminum ramps are of the cast variety.

 

[Renze]

Either you must have the balsa version of Douglas fir, or your aluminum ramps are of the cast variety.

Well aluninium weighs 18kg for a 2 ton ramp. I have 25kg in wood and maybe 2kg in steel in them, so they are 1.5 times heavier. Still worth the saving in money for occasional use.