Trailer Preferences...

I think, at the end of the day, the vast majority of us will pull whatever trailer we need to if the load fits, but, in our industry, I think there is a lot of brand loyalty and brand preference for a specific manufacturer of lowboy. Maybe its what you learned around, maybe it was a really good (or really bad) experience with a certain manufacturer. So, do you have a trailer preference for RGNs? Flatbeds? Double-drops and extendables? Etc.

So far, I've developed a very high preference for Trail King trailers. Part of this comes down to learning around the trailers, but, even so, there are a lot of factors I like about the lowboys. Possibly one of the best features, in my book, is the position of the hydraulic arms for the neck. Being nearly straight vertical, the lifting power is one of my favorite features about these trailers. Getting the trailer up around its limit on weight rating and the neck still picks up in no time flat. Compared to a trailer like an Etnyre which has the arms nearly perpindicular to the neck, I've always thought this was a good part of the Trail King's. Even with the pony motor getting weak, the neck will pick up just about anything. There's also the neck itself. I've seen few lowboys that you can "cheat" with a CAT scraper like you can on a Trail King, the neck and pan on the cab just about fit together like puzzle pieces.

I also like the full height outriggers. Maybe it doesn't make a huge difference, but, I prefer the outrigger running flange to flange on the outer-rail. A small thing, and perhaps it makes no difference, but, I like it.

I've also come to like Kaelyn/ Siebert's. Haven't really had a problem with any that I've pulled, simple trailers, not a whole lot to go wrong with them.

What other preferences do you have? Do you like having a full deck on the lowboy, or do you prefer an open deck with baskets? Trough at the back or open to the suspension? Walking beam or other suspension?

 

The main thing I see about that trailer that I dislike is the exposed lifting cylinders. It's a fairly critical part of the whole mechanism to be left out in the open like that.