Low loader floor steel or wood?

[ED.D]

Looking to price a low loader for moving a 16 ton digger, machinery and occasionally carting square bales.
What are peoples opinions on steel or wood for the floor?
If fitted with air suspension will the drawbar need to be sprung?
Seem to remember reading they will fight each other?
That said, anything else that needs to be considered?
Don’t want to be looking at this in 2 years time wishing I’d done it differently.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Wooden deck ,,you'll never see an hgv low loader with steel ,steel tracks will slide about.

 

[Charolais cattle]

Second that on wood,, not to many do hardwood flooring,, usually all soft wood,, if you can get ur hands on sum conveyer belt,, throw it on the bed of trailer, it save the timbers,, your probably going 2 Axles,, so yes to sprung drawbar,, but on 3 Axles I would bother,, doesn't leave enough weight on back of tractor, and any 3 Axles with sprung drawbar,, bar sitting up of the ground , when not hook on,, to tractor,, so not enough weight on the tractor

 

[Zebbedee]

Air suspension no need for sprung drawbar but I would go with adjustable hitch height to make sure trailer runs level especially if tri axle. Wooden or steel makes no odds as long as you bolt some rubber on

 

[cheggars]

Dump valve on the front axle of a tri axle to gain traction when needed ?

 

[robs1]

Wood everytime

 

[startinghandle]

Timber floor for moving excavator ,
Timber for ramps also

 

[startinghandle]

Obviously ramps not completely made from timber!!!
When do you want to move excavator? As there is huge waiting time

 

[james ds]

Timber floor for moving excavator ,
Timber for ramps also

Timber floor but timber on the ramps won’t last long . I put new timber in the floor of my 3 axle McCauley low loader and it didn’t cost a fortune . I sweep the floor before I load the digger , this gets rid of small stones that get pushed down into the timber doing harm.

 

[startinghandle]

I know someone who was unloading his D4 at rally and it slid off ramps but ramps were much steeper on ERF lorry than low loader trailer

 

[Lakesdigger]

Wood floor but NOT softwood. For 16 ton you'll need 3 axle. Any reason for air suspension (assuming its going behind a tractor) seems an expensive extra for occasional use.

 

[roscoe erf]

wood wood wood only use steel if you don't want it to stay on

 

[ED.D]

Wood floor but NOT softwood. For 16 ton you'll need 3 axle. Any reason for air suspension (assuming its going behind a tractor) seems an expensive extra for occasional use.

First reason, was the ability to lower the bed down when stationary and reduce the loading angle.
second was all tractors have air so why not and if it gives a better ride than steel when loaded all the better.
Regarding the spring drawbar I was sure I’d read that it can fight air suspension. Overall the spec is very good but I don’t intend buying another.

 

[Zebbedee]

Wood floor but NOT softwood. For 16 ton you'll need 3 axle. Any reason for air suspension (assuming its going behind a tractor) seems an expensive extra for occasional

First reason, was the ability to lower the bed down when stationary and reduce the loading angle.
second was all tractors have air so why not and if it gives a better ride than steel when loaded all the better.
Regarding the spring drawbar I was sure I’d read that it can fight air suspension. Overall the spec is very good but I don’t intend buying another.

The air suspension is brilliant especially for a low loader ability to drop it makes it much nicer and safer to load then the brake system is also better as the load sensing is linked to air bag pressure so works perfect every time. The cost for air suspension on agricultural trailers seems to be higher but realistically it shouldn’t be much different to steel suspension ? Lorries are all on air nowadays why is that,, because it’s better. Steel suspension is more than adequate and probably better on trailers which are not used regularly though

 

[michael N123]

Wooden deck and make sure the ramps have hydraulic rams not them horrible springs some of the cheaper ramps have

 

[Henarar]

I have an old low loader with a metal floor [whats left of it] feck all grip, its interesting when you slide off the side

 

[ED.D]

Wooden deck and make sure the ramps have hydraulic rams not them horrible springs some of the cheaper ramps have

It’s a hydraulic beaver tail with a short hydraulic full width ramp rather than the 2 short ramps so shouldn’t rattle to much.

 

[Andrew]

Keruing wood floor and tri axle. I'd have air suspended drawbar as well. If you don't like it it's easier to make a sprung drawbar solid than the other way round.

Not sure what make you're going for but some try and charge £1500 / axle more for air, despite the fact it's no more expensive to buy!

If you're carting bales any height, then you don't want too much hitch weight. The more balanced the trailer, the more stable it is (the back bales counteract the front etc). Most straw trailers you see on their side are spud flat trailers, that give lots of drawbar weight so you don't get stuck.

 

[Joe S]

Spec hydraulic ramps the springs always loose there 'spring' sooner or later then the ramps are a pain! you only get one back to bugger!
Wood floor, keruing ideally as said above
toolbox/strap box/ chain box or 2
Avoid any lowloaders that have the ramps with the silly little feet rather than the wide ones

avoid ones with feet like that they punch 2 pretty little holes in the tar when loading and unloading

 

[michael N123]

Spec hydraulic ramps the springs always loose there 'spring' sooner or later then the ramps are a pain! you only get one back to bugger!
Wood floor, keruing ideally as said above
toolbox/strap box/ chain box or 2
Avoid any lowloaders that have the ramps with the silly little feet rather than the wide ones
View attachment 989160
avoid ones with feet like that they punch 2 pretty little holes in the tar when loading and unloading

I sliced my hand open on one with springs last week lifting them up in the dark… metal tracked digger had left a serrated razor edge