Prebuy checklist?

Well if the unit has a self-contained pony motor then hydraulics won't be an issue. If you do go the route of adding a wet kit to your truck then get used to reconnecting hydraulic hoses.

 

It can be.
The company I was leased to had a flat fleet, a RGN fleet and about 7 or 8 who floated between. Those were the guys that ran no ramps to save weight on the flat side and the trailer shop had to approve the frame mods before your first RGN load.
Bent pins and bent cross-members was the reason.
I never run one but worked beside a few.

 

The company I was with does a lot of John Deere. I documented correctly with pictures of glass laying on the deck. It proved it didn’t happen when I was driving and so no claim was paid by my company. Also, I was lucky to be less than 50 miles from delivery.

The real big claims happen after the fact if you don’t protect the cab and you add 500-1000 miles of road grim, snow, and or rain damage to the electronics in the cab.

 

Scissor-necked trailers are a staple of the oilfields of Western Canada, although they are mostly single-drop with tail rollers so that they are 53ft as a single-drop and 56ft as a sloping flat for winch work. I have seen them rated to 55 ton and more. I have seen a 150k draw-works on a scissor-neck with a 16 wheel jeep and a 16 wheel trailer with a 8 wheel booster being moved on a back road in Alberta.
2 and 3 axle double drop scissor-necks have been around here for 30 to 40 years, and some are that old.

 

How heavy a load are you really lifting with a 3 axle truck? Very few trucks in our fleet have ramps and we have very few problems but we are generally light. A driver can make it a lot easier on his equipment but running all the way to the rear and picking the trailer up first.

 

Well, we hauled 70k pieces on our 6 axle frequently, and almost everything else was 50k. Not much room to go back on our deck.

That said, everything that we haul walks on. If most loads were set on with a crane the occasional drive on load might not be bad. I just don't like creating problems where they can be avoided. This is also why we run a wet kit. I will never again get caught with a pony motor that won't start.

This is all from my perspective for our needs. Certainly doesn't make it right for everyone.

 

you would need to permit that trailer empty in certain states - not that big a deal really.
I will assume you are considering things like axle spacing, flip neck size, modular deck, open or closed deck and wheel area, drop bolsters and such?

what rating are you looking at?

Trailer rated for 2 plus a flip for a closed 3?
It 2 plus a flip with a spreader bar for 3 or 2+1 configuration?

or an intermediate flip plus a 4th axle or intermediate flip plus spreader plus 4 axle to go 2/3/4 or 3+1?

since you going through the process of having a trailer built - you should consider Options