opinions on what is the best flatbed trailer out there?

Some years ago at the Louisville truck show someone was displaying a composite flatbed that was supposed to be really light and really strong. They must have never gone into production.

 

WOW! Two ads in one post......

 

Reitnouer "stealth". It had a carbon fiber frame filled with balsa wood. According to the local salesman there are a few out running around but he said Bud had a disagreement with the guy who was making the frames so they never went any farther.

Not really worth it IMO they weighed like 7500# for a 48x102 and you can buy all aluminum flats that weigh 8600. Not enough weight savings IMO to justify something that may have zero resale value or long term durability.

 

Someone has been selling a composite in Europe for a while. I saw an ad for one about a year ago. I think that Utility is building one in the U.S. I don't know much about them, but they are supposed to be stronger and lighter than steel or aluminum. Personally, I would rather wait until they have been on the market for a while. I prefer steel for a number of reasons, even though it is a heavier trailer.

 

Balsa wood....! Do you have to worry about termites?

Gman, aluminum is the new steel.

 

I have friends who prefer aluminum, but they have their problems as well. There are drawbacks to all of them. I have some shippers who will only load a steel and wood trailer. They won't load aluminum. I thought about buying aluminum, but I don't know that it is worth the extra cost. Weight is usually not a problem with my step deck. It would be good to be able to haul more weight every now and then, but it hasn't hampered my income.

 

Yea I guess the beams were V shaped and hollow and was filled with balsa to keep them rigid.

I would never buy another steel trailer just because of rust. Even if weight wasn't an issue, the added headache and cost of sandblasting/paint totally kills any savings. You can get an aluminum trailer with a wood floor if the shippers require it. Some people believe a steel trailer is stronger and I'm sure they can be made stronger but I don't know of any off the lot trailers with a rating as high as an aluminum version.

 

I don't have a major problem with rust on my trailers, but steel will eventually need to be sandblasted and painted. Some of the aluminum trailers tend to have a problem with cracking around the suspension on a spread axle. One thing that is good about steel is that it is easy to find someone to weld it should the need arise. It isn't always as easy to find someone to weld aluminum. Both have their pros and cons. If I hauled really heavy loads on a regular basis I might be more inclined to buy aluminum. If I only ran the rust belt then it would also be a better reason to buy aluminum.

 

Quess