Van-Trailer Roof and vertical supports . Do they support the floor frame at all ?

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by Bigdoggy, Feb 8, 2017.

  1. Bigdoggy

    Bigdoggy Bobtail Member

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    Feb 8, 2017
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    We have a 53 foot van , Does the roof and verticle supports have any structial effect on the floor frame . Want to make a van a flatbed ? Please help. Thanks
     
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  3. Chinatown

    Chinatown Road Train Member

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  4. Sublime

    Sublime Road Train Member

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    Make sure you have a videocam running when you start the major cutting. Post it when you're done. If for some reason the trailer doesn't end up on the ground be sure and have the video rolling when you try to load it. LOL
     
  5. BoxCarKidd

    BoxCarKidd Road Train Member

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  6. passingthru69

    passingthru69 Road Train Member

    The frame structure is way different. Stop being cheap and buy a flat bed
    Look at a flatbed trl snd it's frame, then look at a van trl frame. Way big difference
     
    not4hire and arrogant steve Thank this.
  7. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Yeah those walls are part of the structure. Cut the walls off and you've ruined the integrity of the entire floor.
     
    passingthru69 Thanks this.
  8. supersnackbar

    supersnackbar Road Train Member

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    A company I worked for years ago had a bunch of trailers break in half while rolling down the road. Turns out the aluminum z-rails were improperly heat treated and were brittle rather then flexible. (the z-rails are the aluminum rails that go the length of the top and bottom that the side panels are connected to). The side panels are actually structural... Kinda like the middle OSB section of a wooden I-joist.
     
  9. Hurst

    Hurst Registered Member

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    I watched a guy who had bought a D3 from the company I worked at load it into the back of a van,.. as he reached the halfway point the tracks crashed through the floor. It was hung halfway in and half of the ground. the trailer was toast.

    I was told to go into the office because the guy had pistol and wanted to shoot me because I was laughing so hard.

    True story,.. LOL

    Hurst
     
  10. Chasingthesky

    Chasingthesky Heavy Load Member

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    The big beams running down the middle of a flatbed are just extra weight. You can haul more by converting a van. Idk why more people don't do it /
     
    lilillill, not4hire and arrogant steve Thank this.
  11. Tug Toy

    Tug Toy Road Train Member

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    Saw a relatively new van trailer on the side of 80 one day with what looked like 1 big paper roll that tacoed the trailer. No outher damage I could see? Trailer was in 1/2 and roll was sitting on the asphalt.
     
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