Time to buy a all aluminum trailer need advice

"I can't afford to waste money or make another mistake". Instead of jumping and trying to buy a lighter trailer maybe you should first look at the freight your hauling and the rate your hauling for.

 

Thank you for the reminder re: the Ravens. WHATTA Trailer. It did have a glass Jaw. It would break along the big frame rails if it got a idea to do that. SNAP. (More like BOOM...) If anything hauling something that light empty caused problems in the rain. #### thing will slide into another lane and take it over. then you move right into that lane and get it back a while. Then she will start that slide.... again. I got under there with a large lockjaws type wrench and flipped the airline to one set of brakes from the tank and started feeding it a few pounds of trolley for a few states in that rain she stayed true until loaded, take everything off and hoepfully it stayed true.

What a mystery that day was. Some of the things it will do.

 

I forgot about all that @x1Heavy, all true, a little rain, a little snow, those early brakes, tires, empty aluminum flat. Just touch the brakes, lock up, there it goes............... It was like, ok I'm going to touch my brakes, don't look out the windshield anymore. Time to watch the mirrors and see where the trailer is going to go.

 

I just bought a used Fontaine Phantom 06'. All aluminum rims, two 24x24x60 boxes with my 13' Mack Pinnacle 70" bunk, super singles, head ache rack, binders, tarps, chains, and everything else I can scale 52K legal. Buying a flatbed this time of year is like buying a boat! You can find good deals on used equipment.

 

Differences are what the weight capacity is.
I can't remember the # ratings, but max lite is the light weight, bubba is the heavy weight. Maximiser is the middle ground.

 

I pull a 04 phantom multi axle. Its really light! At least 1000 lbs lighter than a comparable east or mac. I haul 70,000 lbs singles on it regularly. I would look closely at the coil package crossmember as its seems to crack where they are welded to the floor. Where its welded to the frame rails its fine. I'm impressed with how it's held up for being an old fleet trailer.

 

That reminds me.

Ravens used to have these little Dots of steel, really tough set of three to five chains on these dots every so far apart the length of the entire deck front to rear. I have never had one fail. But however, it's 20 plus years gone, has anyone lost a dot or three?