Wood or metal beavertail & ramps for steel tracked machines?

[Gamma]

I've heard that if you have a steel tracked machine that you'll want to have a trailer with a wood covered deck, beavertail & ramps. A wood deck so the machine won't slide around and a wood beaver tail & ramps so that it can get traction with it's grousers while loading & unloading.

All trailers seem to come with wood decks for the most part, but the beavertail & ramps seem to always be metal. I visited a local trailer manufacturer today and they told me that they could easily build me a trailer with a wood beavertail & ramps for an extra cost of course.

So what do you all say about this? Is it almost a requirement that a trailer have a wood beavertail & ramps if it's used to haul steel tracked machines?

Here's the manufacturer that I visited today and the trailer that I'm interested in: OW-9/12K Series - Over Wheel Flatbed Trailer

They seem to be at least $3,000 more expensive than a Big Tex 25GN trailer though.

 

[Dirthog]

wood ramps are fine but you will still need some steel cleats on them and the beaver tail or you wont make it on the trailer when it's wet slid my excavator and backhoe both down off till I welded cleats on both

 

[plowrup]

I just purchased a new 48' Muv-all (and Freightliner columbia) for our Business, and I would highly recommend using Wood-

 

[BTDT]

I've heard that if you have a steel tracked machine that you'll want to have a trailer with a wood covered deck, beavertail & ramps. A wood deck so the machine won't slide around and a wood beaver tail & ramps so that it can get traction with it's grousers while loading & unloading.

All trailers seem to come with wood decks for the most part, but the beavertail & ramps seem to always be metal. I visited a local trailer manufacturer today and they told me that they could easily build me a trailer with a wood beavertail & ramps for an extra cost of course.

So what do you all say about this? Is it almost a requirement that a trailer have a wood beavertail & ramps if it's used to haul steel tracked machines?

Here's the manufacturer that I visited today and the trailer that I'm interested in: OW-9/12K Series - Over Wheel Flatbed Trailer

They seem to be at least $3,000 more expensive than a Big Tex 25GN trailer though.

How about a pic of what your wanting to haul. Most larger type tracked machines are hauled on drop neck trailers for the reason you state.

 

[Gamma]

BTDT,

I'm looking at possibly hauling a Rayco C140 as you can see in the following photo.

 

[srsu99]

The grousers on the tracks will tear the wood to peices in no time. Dozers will slide on wood too. You must chain them in an over x fashion. I unloaded our 6d off the side of a trailer one morning a few years ago. Trailer was wet, grousers were shiny. End of story, was not hurt rops saved my life. No damage to rops or anything for that matter other than my pride. Oh yeah customer watched the whole thing happen. Learned my lesson. Always park on completely level ground, if trailer is wet do not load or unload. Our trailer is air ride so dumping the bags also helps to sturdy up the trailer.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Most trailers sold around here are wood deck and dove with metal ramps. I think your figureing it out on your own but my thought is this. Look at most lowboy trailers, they are thick wood. I would prefer eating up the wood alittle to have traction for the cleats. Does that make since.