Unusual Trailer

[Rancher Ed]

The other day I was driving and this truck and trailer hauling square bales passed me going the other way. It was a gooseneck, deck over, looked to be 25 to 30 feet long, nothing odd there. What was really odd was that it had FOUR axels. We were both driving so I couldn't see what rating they were, but they looked like standard 7k axles like you would have on a 14k gooseneck trailer. Now, it they were really 7k axles, that would give the trailer a GVWR or 28-30k. Even if they were only 5.2k axles, that would still give it a GVWR of 21k. (The tires were definitely bigger than what goes of a 3.5k axle) If that was the case, why not use either three 7k axles, or two 10k dual tandems?? I mean, you aren't saving tires or anything.
It was being pulled with a 99-04 Ford F-350 crew cab long bed, diesel. We were both driving, so I didn't get a picture though I would loved to have gotten one.

Anyone ever seen anything like this or know why they would do it?


Ed

 

[mjw357]

Maybe make it harder to get stuck in a soft field?

 

[rambler]

Homemade out of moble home axles? Donno.

--->Paul

 

[Rancher Ed]

Maybe make it harder to get stuck in a soft field?

That's an idea. Hadn't though about that, but it would be better....(I think anyway)

Homemade out of moble home axles? Donno.

--->Paul

I don't think so. We passed each other in a small town, so it was going slow, and they looked like standard 5.2k, 6k, or 7k axles. Now that isn't to say the trailer isn't homemade, cause passed going the other way (we now had hay the it was unloaded), and it looked like it was made to have a wood deck but then they had put metal down where the wood should have gone, so the center of the trailer was 1-2" lower than the 8-10" nearest the edges of the trailer.

Ed

 

[Soundguy]

did the trailer look real heavy duty.. like 4-6" hannel.. like it might have been a tag trailer at one time?

 

[Rancher Ed]

Not really.....with the hay on it, it looked like 'bout any other gooseneck you might see going down the road behind a 1 ton truck, it just had four axles. Seeing it coming back unloaded, however, it looks a little different. About the best I can describe it, is look at the picture below...

...but pretend it is a deck over, so the whole deck is flat, just the outer 8 or 10 inches is metal. Then take all the boards off, and put a metal deck, or even expanded metal down where the boards were, but right on the cross members, so that the center of the trailer is 2-3" lower that the edges. It was really weird. It wasn't nearly enough to be able to put another row of hay there, it was just a little lower.

Anyone have any other ideas on why it was this way? Or anyone ever seen a gooseneck with 4 axles before?

Ed

 

[bcp]

There are lots of manufactured deckless round bale trailers on the road. Someone may have converted a flat bed, maybe added axles, too.

Bruce

 

[farmboy12]

Sounds to me like an old boat trailer converted to this hay hauler. Between the gooseneck, 4 axles, and low center...this is my bet. But not your average boat trailer, the kind that you hire to move your yacht to storage every year. Usually these are pulled my single axle Freightliners or the like.


Kyle

 

[Diamondpilot]

Yep, lots of boat trailers I use are 3,4,&5 axles. More axles, more weight capacity with smaller wheels so taller boats clear the 14' bridge requirements.

Chris

 

[Rancher Ed]

There are lots of manufactured deckless round bale trailers on the road. Someone may have converted a flat bed, maybe added axles, too.

Bruce

Definitely wasn't one of those. I really wish I had been able to get a picture of it, it is so hard to describe, but once you've seen it...

Ed

 

[Rancher Ed]

Sounds to me like an old boat trailer converted to this hay hauler. Between the gooseneck, 4 axles, and low center...this is my bet. But not your average boat trailer, the kind that you hire to move your yacht to storage every year. Usually these are pulled my single axle Freightliners or the like.


Kyle

Yep, lots of boat trailers I use are 3,4,&5 axles. More axles, more weight capacity with smaller wheels so taller boats clear the 14' bridge requirements.

Chris

You two might be on to something, especially Kyle's idea about a bigger one pulled by a small semi. The tires weren't small though, if I had to guess, I'd say they were 235/80R16 or maybe 245/75R16, or there abouts.

Chris, you use trailers with FIVE axles? Good grief! Even the biggest standard semis, at 105,500 pounds only have 4 axles on the trailer, and the bigger over sized ones have multiple steering points, so only 3 or 4 axles are fixed together. Have you ever had to make a really sharp turn on pavement, and how do the tires take it?

I'll be keeping an eye out, maybe I will see it again and can get a picture.

Ed

 

[gengine]

My boss has a trailer similar to that, that we put conveyor belts on. The first two belts fit right inside the rails, and the remaining belts stack one on top of another, six high non each side. The first and rear axle are air bagged so when the trailer is going around sharp corners or empty going down the highway they can be lifted. It's a 28k trailer. Although, I think it was custom made for the mine.

 

[Rancher Ed]

My boss has a trailer similar to that, that we put conveyor belts on. The first two belts fit right inside the rails, and the remaining belts stack one on top of another, six high non each side. The first and rear axle are air bagged so when the trailer is going around sharp corners or empty going down the highway they can be lifted. It's a 28k trailer. Although, I think it was custom made for the mine.

That sounds like a pretty cool trailer. Any chance you could get a picture of it? Being able to lift the front and rear axle makes a lot of since. This one didn't look like it had enough clearance for the axles to lift, though I guess with them lifted, it would be fine if they touched or almost touched the "fender" since the tires wouldn't be turning.

When I first saw it, I figured it was a 28k trailer, but they were only pulling it with a SRW Ford. Maybe the also have a medium duty truck and pick which one they pull it with based on how heavy they are gonna load it.

Ed

 

[Diamondpilot]

Chris, you use trailers with FIVE axles? Good grief! Even the biggest standard semis, at 105,500 pounds only have 4 axles on the trailer, and the bigger over sized ones have multiple steering points, so only 3 or 4 axles are fixed together. Have you ever had to make a really sharp turn on pavement, and how do the tires take it?



Ed

Ed, our marine yard trailer is 60' long bed length and has 5 7K axles under it. Its usually pulled with a 1969 Ford Semi, short model made for MH use, but has been pulled with F-250 up. It never goes more than 15 or so miles from home.

We do pull boats all the time on tri axle trailers with 6K, 7K, or 8K axles. We pull these with Diesel and V10 SRW F-350's all over the place. I have had them as far as 800 miles away with big loads on them. Loads upto 25,000# are no big deal with a SRW Ford F-350. These are bumper pull trailers. We don't like and mess with GN stuff. The brakes are disc on the bigger stuff and use hydraulics power pack that is powered by a electric brake controller in the truck. These brakes are amazing when compared to electric drums or surge drums. Gives us brakes putting in 40,000# plus boats on a steep boat ramp.

As far as turning its no worse than a tandem. The middle axle is the pivot and if the front tire goes out the rear tucks in and vise/versa.

Chris

 

[powerpace]

I'm thinking homebuilt or repurposed modified unit.
In the logging areas here they do have 4 Axle trailers for heavy equipment but not gooseneck.