Tilt Trailers Good? Bad? Real World Input Appreciated

[Spudland_Dave]

So I'm thinking of getting a trailer....not in a "hurry" just more or less formulating what I want/what I need/what to look for...

In my head for the longest time I wanted a 20' or 21' tilt deck.... 16' Tilt/4 or 5' Stationary...

Went to local trailer dealer and they only had a 16' Tilt on the lot.....he told me that tilts were "pretty useless" because the back 6/7 feet are totally useless for anything heavier then styrofoam...load anything back there and your top speed is 10mph because the truck becomes so squirrily its not funny.....
He tried to get me into a 20' "Car Hauler" type trailer with the flip down ramps...which he had plenty of on the lot...I definetly got the feeling that he was just pushing me towards what he had...but I figured I'd check with you guys before deciding on a trailer either way...

What I'd be hauling.....my 3520 Cab, Loader, and whatever attachment I may or may not need like a Box Blade/Power Rake/etc... Other then the tractor, not really any other "heavy hauling" plans...

What

 

[BXinNH]

Dave,

Thanks for posting this question. I am in the same situation "looking" and have been wondering about tilt beds as well. I am anxious to see what the experiences and opinions on this forum are.

Matt.

 

[Bird]

I definetly got the feeling that he was just pushing me towards what he had.

I think so, too. Of course, you want some tongue weight; ideally 10% to 15% of the total trailer weight, so it you load the back end of ANY trailer too heavy compared to the weight you have in front of the axle(s) you can have a problem. So I guess he could be right if the axles are far enough forward.

 

[Mike058]

I suspect you just have to make sure you get one long enough so that anything attached to the 3 point is far enough foward to keep that 10-15% weight on the tongue.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Tilts are nice trailers for some but not for me. If you look at most traditional trailers the wheels are about 70% the way back. On a tilt they are near the 50% point. This can lead to fishtailing. I towed on tilt and did not care for it. The other problem was the one I used was 100% tilt and we wanted to put a tiller on the front then the tractor. It worked but was way more work than just using a traditional trailer with ramps.

I do agree he is pushing you to what he has in stock.

Chris

 

[JoelD]

I like my tilt bed, beaver tail trailer. Clearance is good when loading and unloading.

I've used it for 12K dozer and 5K tractor, loading and unloading is easy for both.

I don't have to worry about crushing or bending the ramps.

I do get the point though on the wheels being closer to the middle which would increase fishtailing. I do need considerable weight on the tongue to avoid fishtailing.

Like most things there are pros and cons to each.

For me, as I don't trailer to far and don't trailer very fast, I am every pleased with my deck over tilt bed.

Joel

 

[dodge man]

I borrowed one of these once. Its kind of hard to describe how they work and the website isn't that great, but you unlock the deck and drive you tow vehicle backwards to tilt the deck down and the drive back forward to tilt the deck back up. Rollback Trailers Kwikload Trailer Roll Back Trailers Kwik Load Trailer The video on the site is not to bad.

They are kind of pricey, not double a regular car hauler trailer but close. I ended up buying a regular 16 foot trailer with a 2 foot dovetail that came with ramps. The tilt I borrowed was also pretty low to the ground, which can be an advatage or a disadvantage at times. That style tilt I listed is a really great car hauler because its low, even a lower car would drag as easy. The bad part is that they might be more likely to drag at times. I would have considered one except for the price.

 

[flusher]

I borrowed one of these once. Its kind of hard to describe how they work and the website isn't that great, but you unlock the deck and drive you tow vehicle backwards to tilt the deck down and the drive back forward to tilt the deck back up. Rollback Trailers Kwikload Trailer Roll Back Trailers Kwik Load Trailer The video on the site is not to bad.

They are kind of pricey, not double a regular car hauler trailer but close. I ended up buying a regular 16 foot trailer with a 2 foot dovetail that came with ramps. The tilt I borrowed was also pretty low to the ground, which can be an advatage or a disadvantage at times. That style tilt I listed is a really great car hauler because its low, even a lower car would drag as easy. The bad part is that they might be more likely to drag at times. I would have considered one except for the price.

Dragging--don't know if there's that much difference between a lowboy or a deckover. The axles of the deckover limit the ground clearance. Don't the axles of the lowboy also limit the ground clearance?

Like you, I'm checking out tilts vs car haulers. The PJs look attractive.

 

[aczlan]

I borrowed one of these once. Its kind of hard to describe how they work and the website isn't that great, but you unlock the deck and drive you tow vehicle backwards to tilt the deck down and the drive back forward to tilt the deck back up. Rollback Trailers Kwikload Trailer Roll Back Trailers Kwik Load Trailer The video on the site is not to bad.

It looks like the wheel assy slides. To tilt down, you set the brakes, unlock the slider and backup. To tilt up, you drive forward until the sliding carriage locks into place.

Aaron Z

 

[dave1949]

I had a 2003 Bri-Mar 18' deck hydraulic tilt trailer. Rated at 6 tons. About 23' overall. 102" overall width. I think Bri-Mar makes a decent trailer, little light on grease zerks. The elec. brakes worked well.

I hauled my NH TC40 with FEL and backhoe on it. I parked with the bottom heel of the bucket resting on the front crossbar. Never had any fish tail issues.

I don't know if they are much of an advantage over the flip ramp type. You have to maintain the battery that runs the hydraulic pump. My model year had a known problem of blowing a 20 amp fuse in the trailer, then the battery wasn't being charged by the truck, but everything else like lights and brakes still worked. When it sounded slow while lifting, replace the fuse and you are good for another 3-4 months.

Never ran into this, but I think you could not drive up it if it had a good coating of ice/snow on it. Plus, after driving up the trailer, you have to set brakes get off and run the bed down. No big deal but something to think about. Lastly, if you are trying to load and have a battery, hydraulic or motor problem, you are stuck until you fix it, or build a temp dirt loading ramp. That wouldn't be so easy if you were unloading. Mine never failed me, but Murphy always applies.

Dave.