Can a Conestoga Trailer be Used as a Dry Van?

I see yours is a 96" wide trailer but if the conestoga is mounted on a 102"and the load won't fit then it's oversized and should pay as such. I have yet to see a van load that payed enough to even consider hauling in a conestoga. $35,000+ for a flat + $15,000 for a conestoga shouldn't be hauling $1.00 per mile van freight. It's worse than a reefer hauling toilet paper.

 

Hey Jfaulk99 I don't mean to be hijacking the thread but i'm looking to get a Conestoga in February i seen a lot of them out here and i want to give them a try but what would you suggest i go for like manufacturer

 

Why not go with Conestoga?

 

Im asking like what brand trailer, what type of system roll tite or conestoga,

 

IMO We've had 4 different brands and my personal preference is QuickDraw. Started 15+ years ago with Aero Conestoga's, had 8 of them (all the original versions I've never had the newer Conestoga 2). Bought a trailer a few years ago at a repo auction with a QuickDraw, then bought another repo with a Verduyn Eagle. And also bough a coil trailer with a TarpStop Fastrak. They all have they're pro's\con's but the QuickDraw seems to be the nicest. We sold our last trailer with an Aero kit about 3 years ago, the cost of the replacement tarp was $5776.18 installed. Got the Quickdraw tarp replaced this year $3700 installed. Both were 48' x 102" x 8' tall and both were sectional curtains. I was told the Eagle kit is also around $5k.

When new the cost of the kits aren't much different, I think the Fastrak is about 2-3k cheaper than a Quickdraw but it has cables in the bottom of the tarp which fray and tear the curtain. They also have to have the tension released from the rear before you can open the front. The Quickdraw can be done from either end, from both the inside and/or outside. The QuickDraw also doesn't have velcro, most of the tarps have velcro holding the inside bows to the curtain which eventually tear off, some of our Aero kits barely lasted a year. What you mostly haul would help determine which kit would work better for you. I almost exclusively haul coils and almost never walk to the rear of the trailer. So being able to walk in the bulkhead door and release the tarp, load/unload and re-close it from the front inside is a huge plus.

To give you an idea on what they cost I'm having one installed in Jan on a 50'x102" Mac
I don't need or want the height so it's a 7' kit 108" wide $13,232 installed. I added a front door for $300, interior ratcheting kit in headbord was $329 and I wanted the rope/pully's on the rear flap instead of the crank handle and that was $185 for a total of $15,731.52 W/FET since the trailer is new. If your trailer is older than 6mo you can save almost $1700.

IMO they're worth every penny. I can load coils or machinery, shut the tarp and secure everything inside the trailer in the poring rain or blowing snow and stay dry. Even an advantage with stuff like lumber, I would get unloaded in the rain where the hand tarp guys had to wait for the rain to let up. I could roll it open, forklift could take a couple of units then roll it shut while they were putting it away.

 

That's a #### good price for the Quickdraw. Where are you having it made??

I've had the Fastrack from Tarpstop on mine, 48x102x98" inside height, and have been pleased with it so far (1 year). You're right enough about the ease of loading/unloading over using tarps.

The only downside is a hit to the mpg, since you're basically pulling a sailboat behind you. The crosswinds play hell with you, especially loaded light.

 

Dearborn. The trailer is a Mac so they asked if I wanted Tarpco in Kent to install it and they would pick the trailer up from Mac in Salem Ohio. But like TarpStop, Tarpco puts they're name on the curtain which really irritates me. I could probably tell them not to do it but the chance of them listening is a risk I'm not taking. A friend had one done in Kent and it looked good......except for the giant "TARPCO" on the rear flap.

The TarpStop system isn't bad. It's got a few issues that I would change but the system I have is totally custom and they did an awesome job fabbing it up.

Here's the cables on the bottom I don't like


Here's the tarp held to the cars with velcro (now they offer a sectional tarp which probably does away with this)


IMO I think the track should be flipped over so the guide wheels are underneath like most of the other brands. It isn't an issue with this coil trailer because it's never loaded with a forklift. But I think if someone was trying to haul lumber or pallets a fork could do severe damage to the top "U" piece. If it was crushed the guide wheels wouldn't pass.


And here's the final complaint which I'm sure they would leave off. I bought this trailer used so I didn't have a choice. Unless your going to pay me for the advertisement, please leave it off.


Other than those things they did a great job, especially building the 2-piece bulkhead so the tarp can roll beyond it.

 

In Oct I purchased a new Mac with a Conestoga 2 on it. I did a fair amount of research and decided to go with the Conestoga 2. I couldn't be happier!

The trailer is 102 wide and with the Conestoga on it I'm 107 3/4" wide and I DO NOT need an oversize permit anywhere in the US or Canada. Aero Industries worked hard with the DOT to clarify what the law says about load size and because this system adds to the safety of hauling and covering a load it is perfectly legal. This was done at Aero's expense too. They solicited help from the other rolling tarp companies and received none... One more reason I chose to support Aero Industries.

I can go 102 wide and 96 tall on the inside. About $48,000 for the trailer and Conestoga but It's been worth every cent so far. I do have to release from the tail end before I can open it from the front but It's so easy it doesn't bother me. With Ice or snow it won't collapse quite as far when open but it will roll end to end so it's no problem. Wind doesn't bother me even when empty. Driven by many dry vans that were pulled over in high winds for fear of going over. I lost about 1 mpg but I factored that in before making my decision. With a more aerodynamic tractor I'm sure it wouldn't be near as bad.

I would never haul anything in it without securing the load first. It's not made to keep things on the trailer, only to keep what's on there dry.

 

Good looking combo!

I may still have a copy of the paper Aero gave us when the first Conestoga's came out. We were sent a retrofit kit to change some of the latching parts on the rear of the first 2 we got. The original designs were like 1" too wide so the parts were moved. The paper was to show the DOT the law because so many guys were getting overwidth tickets. Your allowed 3" per side for securement and tarps so that gives you the 108". They're so common now no one says a word, except I did have a city cop stop me about 4 years ago because the rear flap was open. I had to inform him it's a tarp not a door so it doesn't have to be shut.

Aero has came a long way from the originals. I'll give them credit because I believe they were the first but they needed the competition from other companies to fix some of the stupid stuff. EVERY piece used to be custom, you couldn't stop in and get a replacement bow from the factory without ordering it ahead of time. Even when they started putting serial numbers in the rail you still couldn't order a tarp panel and get it right.

 

Here's some pics of the nice things about a Quickdraw.
No cables, and you can tension the tarp from the front outside corners or the rear corners.


No velcro.


Big rollers on top of the rail, no where for dirt or debris to stop a roller.


Rear tensioner is 1/2 way up the curtain so it's tight no matter what the load. The early Conestogas and a few other brands pull on the bottom of the rear car so the tarp will be loose if the arch is removed from the trailer.


Interior front ratcheting. The black lever releases it, the gear beside it tightens it with an 1-1/4 socket and either a 1/2 or 3/4" ratchet.