Big Loads - Post Photos Number 2

Is there a potential liability problem with extending the neck on a trailer not originally engineered for it?

 

Tridem jeep? You're going all in

 

Yes, more than likely. The fab shop doing the extension has done their own engineering calculations, but if it fails it a certainty that the liability will lie with me ( I am the company).

I will still be constrained by the rating on the trailer - 65 tons - the flip neck and extra axle will just allow me to load to the 65 tons legally.

Same as if an axle is added to a tractor to go from a 3 axle to a 4 axle.

 

I looked at putting an extension on my current trailer, even though it’s rated at 55 ton by extending the neck that same 55 ton applies more stress than the trailer was intended to withstand. They said the trailer would fail at the front of the deck not at the flip joint. I was curious if you would have a catastrophic failure would your insurance company stand behind it.

 

I could not extend the neck on my trailer for that exact reason, it will fail where the neck transitions near the deck. Adding foot to my big neck would have doubled the load at that point.

On the Jeep, I did not post a photo, they have strapped the neck to account for the increase weight transfer. The addition is actually a flip neck rather than extending the structure. The addition of the axle should moves the center of the axle group forward nearly an identical distance forward that the neck extension moves the king pin forward.

Since I am running a modular deck of a manufacture other than trail king and the deck is a different length than originally built with the trailer, I am already in the same place.

It is not clear in an equipment failure scenario that insurance would cover anyway. They would likely fall back on either maintenance or loading concerns and deny anyway.

 

This load does not look like much, but it weighs about 58,000 lbs based on pressure gauge readings. I will know tomorrow exactly what it weighs.

 

Will you be able control that lift axle from in the truck?

 

No and i would never really need to. It is paired with the flip neck - i.e. the fL,is neck down the the axle down. It would change my axle spacings and screw up my permits. If the corner is so tight i need to lift the axle I will get out and do it.

 

Ohh. Cant wait to see the finished product

 

Tomorrow