Step deck decision help!

Well, sounds like you have made a good choice with that.

 

The advantage to having the 17.5 tires is the deck height. The negatives are that you will probably have smaller brakes and may find it more difficult to find tires on the road. I went through this when I bought my step deck. I would have preferred the lower deck height, but the smaller tires usually have smaller brakes and don't seem to hold up as well as the 22.5 tires. At the time I bought my trailer, I was mostly running the left coast. In talking to others who had purchased trailers with the smaller tires, I found that I would probably have more tire failure due to the excessive heat. Smaller tires mean more rotations and more heat and excessive heat can lead to premature tire failure. I was advised that should I choose to go with the smaller tires that I should drive slower and stop more frequently to allow the tires to cool. I have previously owned a trailer with the smaller tires and finding tires on the road was a problem for me at that time. The 22.5 tires are usually much easier to find. I still keep a couple of spare tires with me.

My question would be whether you really need the lower deck height. The lower deck could enable you to haul taller freight that would usually be shipped on a double drop or RGN. Another factor to consider is dock height. Some shippers load from the rear and some can load the higher deck, but not the low deck, which could prevent you from hauling their freight. Some shippers don't have the capability to load any step deck from their dock. From a weight standpoint, you should be able to haul whatever the tires are rated and should not have a problem grossing 80,000 with the smaller tires. It is a trade off. If it were me I would go with the 22.5 tires unless I really needed the extra height due to the versatility of the 22.5 tires. Another consideration for me would be the length of the upper deck. I prefer the 11' upper deck rather than the 10'. The extra foot could make a difference with some loads. You won't usually need more than 40' on the bottom for most loads. The extra foot may make a difference in tire clearance for your tractor.

 

With my step deck, I have no problem with tire clearance on one truck that has LP 22.5 tires. I have another tractor er tall rubber and have to move the 5th wheel all the way back and the tires can still hit with a very tight turn. It can chew up the side tread on my back tires. You can buy a set of ramps that will work on either deck height for about $2,200-2,700 that will also act as a load levelers as well as ramps. They may be more expensive today, but that is what they ran the last time that I checked.

 

Most owners don't haul cars on steps. We do haul trucks and other types of machinery and equipment. Clearance is usually not that much of an issue. You could go with longer ramps to compensate for any height differences. I have hauled different types of trucks, such as wreckers, street sweepers, pick up trucks, etc., Hauling vehicles has been a small part of what I have hauled with my step deck. I am more likely to haul fabricated steel , tanks or other types of freight. One thing about a step deck is that they don't depreciate very much. That helps when you decide to trade or buy a newer trailer. I don't recall my kingpin setting, but it should be about 30". I have a sliding rear axle and can be legal in California with the axle forward and closed. I also have container locks on my trailer. I don't often haul containers, but the container locks sure do help when I do. I thought about selling my trailer and buying a tri axle with 2 lift axles or one that is extendable. I have freight where I could use either of those configurations. I paid about $30,000 for my trailer when new. I have been told that it should still be worth from $17,000-25,000 after using it for 8 years.

 

That is a lot of money. What brand is it? The container locks came on the trailer. I planned on hauling tall containers out of California when I bought it. That was the reason that I bought it with the locks. I really have not used the container locks that much, but it is really nice when I do need them. I can haul 1- 40' single container, 2 - 20' containers or a 20' heavy container and have container locks set in the correct position. They do add a little more weight. When I have hauled containers, such as for the military, I can essentially walk around my trailer, lock the container down and be on my way before others can get out their chains or straps. You just need to remember to grease them often. I had a driver in the truck who never had them greased when the truck was serviced and have one that is frozen. It takes some work to use it. I need to take out the fitting and replace it. I have 8 locks on the trailer. A dealer could install them, but I prefer to order them from the factory.

 

Not in the market for a step deck myself, but this was very informative. Thanks guys!