Rampzzzzzzz

[farmersamm]

A while back there was a thread............ https://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/threads/trouble-with-aluminum-ramps.1771956/

I posted a few pics of the ones I use on the little deckover trailer, and someone asked if it wasn't a bit dangerous that the ramps weren't pinned, or otherwise solidly attached to the trailer. To which I replied......all loads on this trailer are winched on/off. No problems with kicking a ramp off the trailer.
I also stated that drive on loads are on another trailer with pinned ramps....................this one....................

The two section ramps are made so that they work equally well on level, or slightly unlevel ground. The central support pivots, so that it can be set plumb at any position. The pins that support the middle also attach the pivot.......like an axle. Everything free to move.

4" channel was utilized due to the relatively flat approach angle to the trailer. The ramps are closer to horizontal, so need to be heavier.......much like a bridge. Overall length is 16'. The combined weight of all 6 components is around something near on 700# IIRC. Takes two people to assemble them.

The trailer was originally a beavertail trailer that the dealer removed to make it more saleable(so he said). It was perfect for me, because this trailer used to spend a bit of time going across creek bottoms with relatively steep walls. A beavertail would have hung up. To give you an idea of the age of the trailer.........it has Kelsey Hayes axles, long obsolete. It's been a great trailer for about 30yrs,

Experience with this trailer over the years, made it an easy decision to build the small deckover. I'm used to loading onto a non-beavertail deck.

Woulda put the pics up when the prior thread was fresh, but had to find them first. I've got pics scattered over 3 different hard drives.

The only modifications to the trailer, besides the ramp attachments, was adding a steel floor. I don't like wood floors, and it had been a PITA for years. Wood floors don't behave well with point loads. And they rot over time.

The boards were removed, 1 1/2" square tubing attached to the floor crossmembers, then the 11ga was welded on top of it all. Some guys would swear that you need heavier metal for the floors, but if you do the welding right, they're fine. The welds hold the floor like the head of a drum if you weld all edges, including the edges joining it to the crossmembers. This prevents the metal from stretching under a healthy load. I don't have pics of the underside, but short welds were run every 6". Enough for strength, but not enough to cause the entire trailer to banana. Heat is your enemy when welding. The perimeter was tacked in place while the center welds were done, then finish welded when all of the underfloor welds were complete. Each full sheet width was finish welded before proceeding to the next. I like to balance the heat............all welds were done in a series that put them opposite each other on the trailer frame.

Another bit of fixturing was used, although it doesn't show in the pics. Jacks were placed under the center of the longitudinal frame rails. This puts a camber on the frame before you start any welding. The camber helps to counteract the heat input.

The same technique was used when building the little trailer.

 

[farmersamm]

In another situation, the approach was the opposite. I needed a slight negative camber to counteract the welds made to install the new suspension. The trailer had an air suspension, which I removed, and replaced with a Hutch suspension.

The jackstands, and landing gear, are the only weight bearing supports. The hydraulic jacks were being used to assemble the springs, and equalizers, prior to testing for squareness, and possibly having to adjust the torque arms IIRC. Heat is always a problem to be solved for just about everything I guess.

edit........................... Nah...couldn't have been anything to do with squareness, and torque arms. That was tested when the axles were installed. I think I was just assembling the whole mess prior to the next step.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Looks like a lot of work just to remove an air suspension. Air works good for a lot of reasons. One bing that you can use it to adjust height for some loads or to level it up to different trucks if need be. the leveling was to get the trailer to axle out on loads with the scale man watching. It can also be lowered for clearing low bridges also. And none of those are probably issues you ever need to deal with on that trailer. The slider would have been good to kept. I've had places that were tight to make the corner so slide the axles up toward the front make the corner then slide them back to even out the load or to get the axles all the way to the back for loading or unloading at a dock. With iron that heavy I would not worry to much about warpage welding on it unless it was all in one exact point Like to weld some spacer sshims under the frame then weld the suspoension hangers to them right away.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Only downside is having to manhandle all that iron.

 

[DoubleO7]

What are the eleven plus holes in the web of trailer frame for?

 

[caterpillar guy]

Those holes were for the slider to adjust the weight on the rear wheels by sliding the axle forward or back this will also get your drives to a similar legal weight by that method also. Provided the fifth wheel is in the correct position. He has disabled that with the spring suspension being added and the slider dropped out. He could have just cut the air suspension out of the slider and welded in the spring saddles and kept the slider if he wanted to. Might have not been much more work since the spring saddles will now probably need to ne moved outward on the axles unless the trailer is an 96 inch one and he has 102 axles to put under it then they might fit up.