trailer question

[cowtipper]

I have a shiver trailer that I recently acquired and I use it to transport a 4200 pound tractor. It has two 3500 pound axles and it has a rated capacity of 5200 pounds

It drives like a dream...

my concern is that I used it to transport a tricycle tractor and I can visibly see the boards sagging under the tricycle front end...I know to expect some give in the boards, but its a bit more than I would expect...should I do something?

the rear end looks fine....

 

[Anonymous-0]

If your trailer has 2 3500# axles it should be rated a 7000# unless it has a very light frame under it or it has been underated due to the tires. I would position the tractor where I was going to haul it and if possible add another crossmember under the floor in the center of the front wheels.

 

[Old Timer in Ohio]

Hey there cow tripper;
You might try putting a couple
2x12x2-3ft.pcs.under that front
wheel to distribute the weight.
Bob
God Bless

 

[old]

Theres a few ways around that problem. One is to add another layer of board in the center makeing it stronger in that area. Another is to put a steel plate down the center. Or theres a few other things you can do. I have a trailer like yours and I make sure when I load a tractor that the front tires sit over one of the cross beams that hold the floor up and have never had any problems doing it that way. I NEVER haul one any other way because it could brake the boards if you do hit a big bump etc. when loaded
Hobby farm

 

[rfdeere]

The trailer capacity is 5200 because the trailer weighs 1800.

 

[cowtipper]

You are correct about the trailer weight...thanks for everybodys input...The obvious fix after all the talk is to add a piece of angle iron underneath the place where I park the front wheels. The rear wheels do not sag because there are cross beams underneath them...my issue is that I do not have a welder, so I believe the easiest fix is to get some flat steel and put them underneath the center boards while running them between two steel crossmembers, bolt them to the boards, and then I can put a piece of plywood to distribute the weight if so needed, and it won't be as thick to drive up on as an additional 2*12...not ideal but unlikely to find the front wheels through the bottom of the trailer (testing the 15 year warranty), while doing 70 down the interstate...
thanks for all your input...I'll let you know how it works...I built some solid loading ramps this weekend for her...

 

[T_Bone]

Hi CT,

Your trialer is not designed to handle rolling load weight. If it was the decking would not flex when rolling load weight was placed on it.

Any vertical cross member less than 4" depth, and 1-1/2" deck boards will flex. You can NOT add enough flat plate thickness to stiffen a sagging deck.

Example:
When I was designing my custom built GN hitching, I tested 12x8x3/4" thick plate on top of two 2x2x1/4" tube steel with span of 3ft, and the 3/4" plate bowed 1/2" down at less than 2000lbs of applied load weight.

My final design used 5" channel iron for the 3ft span and I've tested it too about 5000lbs without any flexing.

My 40ft 5th wheel dual tandum trailer has 3"C on 16" centers set upon 12"/19lb I-beams with 1-1/2" decking. I have seen the deck flex slighty with large tractors loaded, after hitting a hard bump or pothole.

T_Bone

 

[cowtipper]

Thanks TBONE...well the trailer was designed as a car carrier, but it appears to be POORLY designed...I let myself get ripped or I made a mistake either one...it was a shiver...the boards are 2 inch thick...in any case, I will attempt to beef it up somehow and see how it goes...the rear wheels look fine, but when loaded the sit directly over cross-members...I figured the plate steel wouldn"t completely stop the sag, but keep the boards from going bust while I was going down the highway...we all live and learn

 

[T_Bone]

Hi CT,

If you verticaly attached a come-a-long to the center of the tractor to the center of the trailer frame, the tractor frame structure would then act just like a reversed truss design thus supporting the trailer frame when loaded, however you would still need to add trailer frame support under each tire placement area.

T_Bone

 

[Howard H.]

What is a "shiver" trailer??

I've never heard of that..

HH

 

[cowtipper]

shiver is made in Sparks Georgia and they are distributed by agri-supply...it might not be a bad trailer...the wood boards just sag because all the weight is concentrated in once place--I figured I had a 4200 pound tractor and the trailer was rated at 5300 pounds carrying capacity so there should be no problem