I Beam Question

[Gary from Va]

Can anyone tell me what kind/size of I-Beam to use to build a 24' long gooseneck trailer with a 14,000 lb. GVW? All the factory builders seem to use 12"x14 lb. The only kind I can find with those dimensions is wide flange beam. Is that what I should use? Or should I look into something a little lighter? I want it to be strong, but I don't want to go overboard. I've done plenty of fabrication and repars before, but never with I-beams. The trailer I'm planning to build is going to be 24' long with a 4' dovetail, 8' wide, and use 3 5,000 lb. capacity axles. Even with the price of steel these days, I figure I can still build it cheaper than I can buy one, especially since I already have the axles. Thanks everyone.

Gary

 

[Anonymous-0]

I would use 12in I Beam . At 16 lbs to the ft. It will have a 4in flange otop & bottom. But I have used 10 in I beam . or 8in or 10in channel. What ever I could get a Deal on. Thats my 2 cents.

 

[thurlow]

I used 12 inch channel on a very similiar trailer; dual tandems instead of 3 axles. The frame will hold more than the (12) tires (8 on trailer, 4 on ton truck). I've got some pics around here somewhere, I'll see if I can scrounge them up.

 

[bc]

I'd suggest using dual tandems instead of 3 axles. That third axle tends to have tire wear and other problems such as pulling the tire beads loose from the rims when you corner with a heavy load.

 

[Joe(TX)]

Amost all the trailer manufacturers use the wide flange beams. Wide flange beam is easier to work with since it does not have the tapered flanges like I beam and channel. You have to use more bracing with channel because it is a non symetrical cection and tends to twist under load.

 

[thurlow]

I built this about 20 years ago; it could stand re-painting. The deck is 27 ft, including the beavertail. Odd figure, but that's what I had left from (2) 40 ft pieces of 12 inch channel after figuring how much it would take for the hitch. 3 inch channel cross-members. It's got vacuum over hydraulic brakes; I've had numerous trailers with electric brakes, including a 32 ft cattle trailer and I never really trusted them; the vacuum/hydraulic have never failed to work.........although there are some better systems out there. If I were doing it over, I'd change the ramps so they would fold over and become part of the deck. These are hinged on a 2 inch pipe and it only takes a couple of minutes to remove them, but they're heavy. The trailer weighs 8000#, which is more than a factory-built would weigh..........so I sacrifice some capacity. Never had my JD 4840 on it, because I never needed to, but I wouldn't have hesitated. Have hauled the backhoe and all my other tractors.

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