Ordering My First Trailer!

i'd think long and hard about ordering a 53. unless one has the freight on a daily basis. that 5 extra feet is just wasted space and a PITA.

you run through tennesse a lot. and tennesse is a closed axle state. and you fight shippers as they have no clue how to load a closed axle.

i pulled a 53 for 9 months. i can count the number of loads on one finger that i actually used all 53 feet. and that was for insulation panels.

99.99% of the time, a 48 foot is plenty.

 

Snowy / others, how about on a step, that top deck goes empty more often than not - is that true?

 

OP, if I were you, I'd be asking other LS drivers and not necessarily o/o in general about what specs are better. I'll tell you this, you want 40' on the bottom. I sold my 48' step almost two years ago, and there's no way I'd go back. A 53', can locks, inflation, 17.5 rear slider is what I'm looking for.

 

Are you switching from van? If so of highly recommend just renting one for a little bit to figure out what YOU need.

 

So did you get the trailer?

 

This was a 53' Infinity I pulled. Mine was hybrid with steel frame and aluminum deck.



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I was pulling a 48' Transcraft before this one.

I had to swing a little wider to cut corners,.. no biggy. With the rear axles closed I could cut in and out of virtually anywhere.

I enjoyed the extra space as it allowed me to put my dunnage up top at the head of the trailer. I personally wont go back to a 48'.

I pull a 53' Fontaine Infinity step now and optimize the upper deck for partials as often as I can.

I think you made the right choice going with a 53'.

Hurst:smt111