DMiller
Senior Member
Most likely rolled a packing in the first stage. Got many hours on it?
I have straightened and repaired several framed trailers over the years but never a frameless. Maybe they just haul them to the junkyard when they go over. Was just always under the impression they were more stable.
Of the frameless trailers that I've seen that went over, they are pretty well totaled. The cylinder was beyond repair since the truck stayed upright and only the trailers went over, the support frames were had, one side of the trailer was gone and needed a complete replacement and the whole thing twisted like a pretzel.
There was a fad years back, maybe 25 years ago now, where those long frameless trailers were bought to haul corn gluten, distiller grain, cotton seed and a host of other things that never should have been loaded on any frameless trailer to begin with, most trailers never made it very many loads before going over, then when the insurance company called whoever had loaded the trailer, trying to figure out an excuse to avoid paying the claim, most business's got so tired of dealing with them, since they didn't flop over on their property, only loaded on their property. Most all of those business's banned dumps completely, they wouldn't let any on their property, either to load or unload, frameless end dumps went by the wayside fast around here. Some of the local quarries won't load them either, only framed end dumps, so the incidence of frameless going over in my area is pretty slim, mainly due to not many in the area to begin with.
They are very handy trailers... especially if your stuck and it is level enough to get the trailer up. I am your neighbor here in New England and contractor's here do not deviate from what they have done before. They cling to triaxles like they were tablets Moses hauled down the mountain. There are no side dumps here. Most people think that a thumb is a piece welded permanently to the boom versus a hydraulic multiplier thumb. A good running progressive west coast company could come in here and make a fortune with gear they already own that is more progressive then most (not all) New England companies. If you have a operation that will tolerate a frameless trailer (with a wide A frame from the fifth wheel to a support pivot that is as wide as the trailer rail, similar to the one in image. The only thing you can't do with a frameless is put a twist in the frame to slide a foul load, drop the hoist and pull out of the twist and then dump the rest of the load out. with a frameless you have to tailgate a pile to stand the the low side of the back axle on. Then slide the load put the hoist down pull off the pile and dump her again. All this fun can usually be avoid by a hand who can get it down the middle of the trailer) why tote around the frame. However you will find me with a Raven or a Steco of another frame type of similar design for demo. Lots of cool stuff around Engcom and Steel Wrist rotators, On machine grade control, and look up a 8CMR Mecalac on You Tube. Very cool iron out there being developed by all the manufacturers.WOW! I need to get out more! In my corner of the country there ain't no such thing. Never seen even a picture! If that thing ever comes to VT they'll put it in a museum. For real, they make such a thing??? Evidently flat lands aren't a myth.
Thanks for not poking fun.
Willie