Mechanical vs Hydraulic Goose Neck trailers.

Yeah small tank in the neck, I like that system real well. No tank to take up frame rail space, not carrying the extra weight of the hydraulic fluid when your pulling a step or flat, and the best part to me was the hydraulic lines stayed with the trailer. I tried to talk my company into switching to that setup. Our trucks were pretty much identical to yours except you guys usually had different graphics. The trailers were identical I pulled trailers from several different branches when I was there, and all of them are tagged in Wisconsin because of your permanent plates and I guess they're cheaper also. As a matter of fact I took an 18000 to Nebraska for you guys once they thought for a little bit that they wouldn't be able to unload it for a couple of weeks, your office said they would trade me nine axles since they had the sister to mine. I should have done it yours was in better shape. I think yours is CL1045 or 1048 something like that.

 

The hydraulics shop I use locally always has 2-3 units they've made up on the floor ready to go & they had one that was powered with a little diesel + they will install if you aren't handy with that kind of stuff. I think those electric units are like 1-2gpm & gas 5gpm or so- electric is going to be pretty slow with big cylinders. If I find a trailer without a power pack I'll do my own so I can put stuff where I want it.

 

Well, "I know a guy" that was trying to hook up a mech off-camber in the rain on slickery clay recently and embarrassed himself pretty badly. Word has it he was so mad he was ready do kick the dash out of the truck.

@johndeere4020 & @Jumbo - I've considered running what you guys use, now I'm going to have to see if the wires are in the dash for the e-Cat PTO switch. That would be a sweet setup.

 

It is a good setup in my opinion. There are supposedly 350 trucks in the fleet and I haven't seen one yet from any branch that didn't have quick couplers on the deck plate. All that is mounted on the truck is a direct drive pump and hoses up to the catwalk. You aren't wasting frame rail space or adding the weight of a tank and oil. You aren't messing with separate PTO's and drive shafts. The only downside I found was I had a power only load from South Dakota where I brought back an RGN that wasn't ours and the shipper had to hook to it with their truck and set the front ride height for me before I could hook to it.

 

I loaded on what I thought was even ground but it was not level from side to side when I first started. Last time that has ever happened. Oh did that get ugly when I picked up the trailer. Got it set back down and had the loader operator position himself on the downhill side and hold the trailer while I backed under it. It was not that much out of level either. Needless to say, lesson learned on that one.

 

Hydraulic ngb with a truck mounted wet kit and a 30 GPM muncie HP pump and a relief set at 3000 psi. Was fed up of trying to get pup motors going in -40 weather. This set us has worked flawlessly for years with the exception of the odd blown hose once every couple of years.

 

There is a kit you can buy that uses your power steer pump. Same pump that is on most pony motors. Just have a valve lever you pull to switch back and forth to power steering or neck. They mount the tank on top of engine to keep fluid warm in winter time. Works great.

 

That's a great idea.

 

The ole boy that builds the superior stingers makes it. Or at least he use to before he past away. I think they still make them.