Lowboy (trailer)

History

Types

• Fixed gooseneck : allows a longer deck length and has the lightest weight. These are lower trailers than normal, with low-profile tires, usually with drop ramps in the rear to facilitate loading of equipment, but are not actually considered "lowboys". The neck is arched in such a way, that it when lowered, it becomes a ramp thus allowing the front tires of equipment to be pulled onto the deck.
• Fixed-neck: the neck is fixed to trailers; offers the lightest weight, but sacrifices the ability to detach and load over the front
• Hydraulic detachable gooseneck ): fastest and easiest to detach, at the expense of weight and deck length. It is the most common and versatile of lowboy trailers; the gooseneck is detached using large hydraulic cylinders to raise and lower the trailer and a small cylinder shores the neck to the truck, removing the neck so a large piece of equipment can be driven over the front onto the deck of the trailer for transport. The hydraulics can be run from the truck auxiliary or from a pony motor mounted in the neck of the trailer.
• Mechanically-detachable gooseneck : while usually lighter than the hydraulic detachable gooseneck, users sacrifice ease and speed of detaching. Used for long specialty hauls.
• Mechanical folding gooseneck : The deck folds down to ground level to provide a ramp for from trailer loading.

  Features

Suspension types

• Spring ride: lowest cost; however, it has a rougher ride and adds more stress to the trailer
• Air-ride: smoother ride, adding to the life of the trailer frame. Air rides can also be adjusted for a higher or lower deck height.
• Hydraulic suspension: an oil-filled system, allowing wide variation of axle movement
• Independent suspension: a double wishbone, hydraulic suspension, which offers more stability, greater steering angle and more travel

  Structural types

• Main structural steel type: mill rolled beams save money; although being around heavier, they also reverse camber after a few years due to the much-lower strength of the main beams.
• T1 or A514 beams save weight and allow more versatile engineering of the trailer; they are cut to the highest-strength shape possible and welded together.

  Gallery