I am about to buy a 53' ft dry van and park my flatbed

Yes I've used trailers with that system before. I had to hit the dock , set the brakes, wait for air to deflate suspension which would cause it to walk forward four inches, then push in the trailer knob and back against the dock again, pull the knob and hope it doesn't walk ahead again.

 

Yes the air bag drop is normal. I don't run into it very often but that's the way some are set up.

 

I would say the price is very cheap if it's in decent condition.

 

Most newer vans have stands that the bags drop the trailer on. They stay out of the way when the brakes are released, but push themselves into the spring mounting plates when released to keep the drop minimal while creating a much less bouncy entry for the fork lifts.

 

If the trailer isn't a Rust Belt special, that's a heck of a deal. Expect to replace some rubber bits, possibly including air bags, sooner than later just due to the age (unless they were done recently), but if the trailer is clean, has a decent floor and no holes in it or sagging doors, snag it! In the worst case scenario you could rent it out to someone else.

 

Have you checked the cross members for missing and broken rivets.

How about the landing gear were its welded to the cross members any cracks in the welds , is the landing gear straight when its dropped.

Hows the wiring around the tailights any birds nest of wires , any patches in the roof.

My buddy just bought 2 1999s for storage at 500 a copy and he pulled them to the house with his day cab.
That air bag set up is a PITA.

 

Some newer trailers now come with a little stand that applies once you set the trailer brakes. The stand won’t allow the trailer to lower or move forward too much. I remember a few years ago many Utility reefer trailers would move forward a few inches every time at the dock. Lumper guy would sometimes have to come out and ask to back the trailer a little more.

 

Some places won't load you if your trailer is older than 10 years..