Flatbed gooseneck trailer

[Amo]

For various reasons Im considering the purchase of a gooseneck flatbed. Kicking around new, but would prefer used. Mostly for just getting random stuff. Ocaisonally might haul a big tractor (14K#) or some hay. Not very often. A lot of people use 24' with 2 7K axles. Im sure it would get overloaded some times. Everyone seams to get away with it. Just like experation dates, they will rate it at 7, but might work for 8K...you get the idea. Just depends on how often you load it to the max. I like the idea of the heavier rating of tandem duals (10K) but they pull like a boat anchor. So Im not sure how badly I need the "industrial version" for what Im going to use it for.

What do people run? Around here Titan, FJ, Circle D, Hillsboro, a few Kaufmans, a few Delta's....etc. Big Tex is another. Heard good and bad on them. Guess a Big Tex is a low profile. Delta's are reasonably priced. Somewhat wonder as to why its as reasonable???? Found a used Delta for a good price. Found a '91 Diamond D that I think would do the job for what I want. Its not as stout as some of the others, but priced right. Looked up in South Dakota some. Have seen AUB & DCT mentioned. Anybody have first hand experience with them?

Only experience Ive had with a gooseneck flatbed is a 30' Featherlite. 10K axles, I think he put sheet metal over the wood deck, so ya it pulls like a boat anchor. Half the time Id say Id be empty so, pulling easy is a major consideration. If I was loaded 90% of the time, the industrial version would more important. If I could get the industrial version in a hobby farmer package that would be awesome. Pigs might fly first though! :lol2: It does sound like the AUB would pull easy.

Guess just checking for first hand experience with say Titan, PJ, Delta, or AUB. I know opinions is going to be like arguing Ford vs Chevy, but opinions are welcome also.

 

[loomixguy]

I had a 30 ft. total length Blair brand that had a nice 4 foot beavertail. It was a triple axle, each axle rated @ 7,000#. I bought it new. Pulled it 30 miles home & switched out all the lug nuts to ones like you'd run on a stock car...way meatier and less chance of wheels cracking around the lug bolts. Loaded it to the nuts and beyond many times with no problems. Just have to be careful turning so you don't pop tires off. Nice thing was the trailer took the same size tires as my truck at the time, so I always had decent rubber on the trailer, even if they didn't match.

You knew it was back there pulling it, but the main problem with a trailer that big is you never have enough truck under it when you need it. I started pulling it with a one ton Chevy 4x4 dually. I upgraded to an LN 7000 Ford as soon as I could. When pulling it with the Ford, you didn't know it was back there.

 

[LazyWP]

I just sold a 72 Donahoe 30' with lowboy axles under it. Bought it 10 years ago for 600 more then what I sold it for. Have owned a Superior, and have pulled lots of others. I always swore I would never end up with tandem duals, as I thought they pulled harder then the triple axles. Last weekend I borrowed a 31 foot Minkota tandem dual trailer. It pulled GREAT!! but I don't like the ramps on back. What i am looking at now is a Titan 32 foot with triple 7000 axles. They have gone to running 17.5 tires on them, and have the Mega ramps.
I always thought that I wanted oilbath hubs, but not so sure now. Seems like if you have the oil hubs, you are always fighting with leaky seals if you aren't using it pretty regular.

 

[4Diamond]

Loadmax, Corn Pro, fleetneck, Hillsboro a few around here. I would never own another non tandem dual flatbed trailer but that's just me. We have one of each and the single tire pulls harder and doesn't handle a load nearly as well.

 

[Amo]

They also do make a "super single" 10K axle. With torsions, you can have a flat and keep rolling. Anybody have experience with them?

 

[Faster horses]

We would never go back to single wheeled flatbed.

 

[DejaVu]

I have a 24' Starlite-made in Oklahoma. It's a tandem axle. Wiring is crappy but no other complaints on the trailer. Most around here prefer a PJ. I bought the Starlite from my son so he could buy a PJ! He uses a trailer way more than I do so I figured the Starlite would be Ok for me. I haul my skid loader mostly. Have hauled bales and it does just fine. Oil bath hubs. No leaks so far. Ramps are hard for me to pickup off the trailer so my better half put a winch under the dove tail with cables going to the ramps. I turn a crank on the side of the trailer and the ramps raise up to a 90 degree angle and I simply push them on over. Reverse the procedure when I'm ready to travel.

 

[Faster horses]

We have a 2005 30' dual tandem axle TopNotch custom made in Billings, Mt. The rear of the trailer is higher off the ground so it doesn't drag when hauling bales across low places. Works well for our situation. We also have a 32' Big Tex dual axle that we haven't used much yet, but a guy here that works in the oil field swears by them and he's had lots of trailers. We had a Titan tandem axle (not duals) for a long time, used the heck out of it and sold it. We also have a Big C dump trailer that is fairly new and really handy. (Did I mention Mr. FH loves trailers? He really hated to sell that 1994 Titan.)

 

[LazyWP]

Well, I bought the 2013 Titan triple 7000 pound axles 32'long. I like the way it handles the weight. Longer wheel base, so I can distribute the weight better. Dislike how you feel the road worse then the tandem dual spread that I used last weekend. I REALLY like the wide ramps. Only have 2 ramps that cover the entire back of the trailer. I am going to revise the ramp lock down situation. Titan never has figured out how to make a quiet trailer, and I don't care if it is a Classic stock trailer, or what, every Titan I have been around makes noise!! I like the fact that I can load with either the ramps or back up to a dock. That was one of the problems with the Minsota trailer that I used last week.
This trailer has solid wheel centers, and the 17.5 tires.
I will tell you next week how it pulls loaded!!

 

[Faster horses]

Well, I bought the 2013 Titan triple 7000 pound axles 32'long. I like the way it handles the weight. Longer wheel base, so I can distribute the weight better. Dislike how you feel the road worse then the tandem dual spread that I used last weekend. I REALLY like the wide ramps. Only have 2 ramps that cover the entire back of the trailer. I am going to revise the ramp lock down situation. Titan never has figured out how to make a quiet trailer, and I don't care if it is a Classic stock trailer, or what, every Titan I have been around makes noise!! I like the fact that I can load with either the ramps or back up to a dock. That was one of the problems with the Minsota trailer that I used last week.
This trailer has solid wheel centers, and the 17.5 tires.
I will tell you next week how it pulls loaded!!

My bet will be that you will really like it. Congratulations on your new trailer!
Our Big Tex has those wide ramps that make it much easier to load equipment too. That was one reason we bought it.