Car trailers - deckover vs. conventional

[Freeride]

Currently I've got the standard 18' 7K lb car hauler (non-beavertail) and it drags everywhere. Yes, my hitch is dropped enough and the trailer sits level. It just sits LOW to the ground. Drags going in and out of parking lots, driveways, staging areas, etc. It's made me think about eventually going to a deckover trailer like this: http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/rvs/996115165.html

Any reason not to? Sway side to side? MPG?

 

[82toyomud]

i've pulled a couple of those and it was very solid... didn't sway or anything, when i start looking at buying a trailer i'm going to start there.

 

[Murkman]

Had a neighbor with the dragging problem. I suggested he set it up "Spring over". He did and loved it.

 

[pumpy]

Deck over. deck over. deck over. the only way to go. Olympic trailer's in cehalis has a super heavy duty selection for a good price:awesomework:
and the deck over's they have are rated for a lot more than 7k.

 

[Not Jobless]

You'll just have a higher CoG when loaded...no hi speed cornering :fawkdancesmiley:

 

[pumpy]

I'll race ya:fawkdancesmiley:

 

[Not Jobless]

I'll race ya:fawkdancesmiley:

Over what mountain pass and with how much weight :redneck:

 

[pumpy]

I don't know Chinook maybe and the trailer I use weighs about 4,100 empty and the bronco is about 5,200, so you looking at about 9k plus. like I was saying I pull my small trailer thats rated for 7k and It tows OK then for the last 2+ months I've been using gowinators deck over that's rated for 14k and it handles so much better, one for being longer and with that it sways less,(and I'm talking proper tongue weight or heavy and the swaying is when changing lanes at 80-85 plus MPH's) and two Its rated for more so will last much longer (I know this does not help handling) but I can fly with that trailer. even with the higher center of gravity if I'm towing with my camper on the truck, the truck will go way sooner than the trailer ever will.

Well there's my two cent's from someone who uses both:awesomework:


edit:the 7k is a 16' and the 14k is a 22'

 

[nevada]

Currently I've got the standard 18' 7K lb car hauler (non-beavertail) and it drags everywhere. Yes, my hitch is dropped enough and the trailer sits level. It just sits LOW to the ground. Drags going in and out of parking lots, driveways, staging areas, etc. It's made me think about eventually going to a deckover trailer like this: http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/rvs/996115165.html

Any reason not to? Sway side to side? MPG?

mines..almost deckover. my tires stick above the deck an inch or so. its alot taller than normal, but...i dont think quite as tall the ^^ that one.

i like it, ive got plenty of clearance...for the things you mentioned. my yota is pretty tall....ive never had a single worry while towing it.

 

[pumpy]

Ya same here never a worry :awesomework:

 

[Not Jobless]

I don't know Chinook maybe and the trailer I use weighs about 4,100 empty and the bronco is about 5,200, so you looking at about 9k plus. like I was saying I pull my small trailer thats rated for 7k and It tows OK then for the last 2+ months I've been using gowinators deck over that's rated for 14k and it handles so much better, one for being longer and with that it sways less,(and I'm talking proper tongue weight or heavy and the swaying is when changing lanes at 80-85 plus MPH's) and two Its rated for more so will last much longer (I know this does not help handling) but I can fly with that trailer. even with the higher center of gravity if I'm towing with my camper on the truck, the truck will go way sooner than the trailer ever will.

Well there's my two cent's from someone who uses both:awesomework:


edit:the 7k is a 16' and the 14k is a 22'

Sounds about the same as mine except it's a 28' Gooseneck lowboy...weighs in at about 4200lbs...maybe more?

My old trailer was a 12' lowboy bumper pull that weighted less than 1400lbs...you never knew it was ever there.

The longer trailers I've found to tow smoother than the shorter lengths.

 

[Darby1]

Mine is deck over and never having dragged the tail over anything is a plus. But, it's steep ramps are a negative at times. If I lose 4wheel drive I have to winch myself on. Lame! I could NEVER get a car up on it which limits it's uses. But that also means my friends can't borrow it to haul their projects all the time. Soon as i got a trailor friends started calling wanting to use it, so it's an easy No since they'll never get anything other than a working 4wheel drive up on it.

Oh, another unexpected plus, if you have to change an axle i just leave it on the trailer and can work on it at waist level, saves my back big time. Kinda like having a redneck car lift.

 

[Freeride]

I like the SOA idea. Probably would add 5 or 5 inches of lift and that would be plenty to keep it from dragging ass. Cheap too.

 

[pumpy]

Sounds about the same as mine except it's a 28' Gooseneck lowboy...weighs in at about 4200lbs...maybe more?

My old trailer was a 12' lowboy bumper pull that weighted less than 1400lbs...you never knew it was ever there.

The longer trailers I've found to tow smoother than the shorter lengths.

ya my 16' is maxed out with the bronco on it and the trailer weighs 1,800

I like the goose neck deckovers one of the guy's I work with has a 27' big tex it's awesome:awesomework:

 

[jeepermc]

I like the SOA idea. Probably would add 5 or 5 inches of lift and that would be plenty to keep it from dragging ass. Cheap too.

I know the trailer Murkman is referring to....It worked pretty good that way.

 

[moose99ps]

mi in the process of building a gooseneck right now out of a singlewide frame and deck over is the only way to go. never have to worry about widths anymore. and 8'6" is the shiznet. mine will be a 25 foot with a 5 foot beaver making it a total of 30 feet so i can easily fit two rigs or way more hay than the trailer and tuck are rated for

 

[BOVADS]

I like the SOA idea. Probably would add 5 or 5 inches of lift and that would be plenty to keep it from dragging ass. Cheap too.

Ive heard that when you soa the trailer you also need to turn the axel 180 degrees due to the built in camber/caster, is this true?

 

[Freeride]

Ive heard that when you soa the trailer you also need to turn the axel 180 degrees due to the built in camber/caster, is this true?

I can't imagine how a trailer axle could have caster.

 

[tomsbrokeagain]

I can't imagine how a trailer axle could have caster.

The axles are "bent" so that at max GVW they sit the tires flat on the ground.

Just like some "Big Rig's" have up to 10-12degrees of bend built into the axle housing with no weight on them.

 

[benw1]

I can't imagine how a trailer axle could have caster.

They don't have caster, they have camber.