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converting flatbed into tilt trailer

34K views 21 replies 20 participants last post by  CSFJ 
#1 ·
has anyone taken a regular flat bed trailer and converted it into a tilt trailer? i'm pondering doing this with my trailer as i'm sick of lugging around 120 lbs of ramps, as well as not being able to pick up low profile cars such as my camaro. my main questions are what sort of hinges would suffice for a 10k capacity trailer and what kind of locking mechanism to hold the front down? i would probably put some type of electric over hydraulic cylinder to help lift the trailer but idk where to find a good but inexpensive 12v pump.
 
#2 ·
Buy a good tongue jack and you can lift the front of the trailer 4-6" easily with the trailer still hooked to the tow rig. Then buy good aluminum ramps. That will be far cheaper (and safer) than any conversion. I've done the process above numerous times with low clearance cars.
 
#3 ·
if this trailer has tandem axles, you would not be able to make the trailer tilt away from the tongue as some trailers do, you would need 1 frame that holds the suspension and both axles, and the tongue would be attached to that, and then the deck and its frame would sit on top of that and have a set of pivot points behind the last axle, so that the axles/tires sit flat on the ground at all times, and the entire deck pivots down and away from the tires.

Hardly seems worth it to me...build a low angle beavertail, and get some longer ramps...may also try to lower the suspension and/or tire size on the trailer, or jack up the tongue as Bones suggested.
 
#5 ·
it might be over kill but talk to some of the contruction companys they might have an old dump truck you can buy the whole system for. i just put on on a buddy of mine straight truck ( for hauling corn) and they charged him 700 for all of it, he did have to send the cylinder to have new seals but i dont think it was to expensive.
 
#6 ·
the problem i have with lowering the trailer is that the axles are centered on the trailer which means if i lower it when i go over inclines or down driveways the tail end will scrape bad on the pavement. i've discovered that if i don't have the trailer attached to my truck i can raise the front enough to get a car on it but then reattaching the trailer with a 3500 lb car on it is a challenge. my original plan was to buy a flatbed unit from a wrecker and attach it to the trailer frame. that cost almost as much as buying a powered tilt trailer. the one i priced out was 6400 plus tax. so i'm trying to build my own cheap alternative.
 
#8 ·
I would get some nice, heavy duty aluminum ramps and if need be drop the ass of the deck by making it into a beaver tail. If you don't want to buy new ramps, get some angle iron and weld it onto the bottom of the trailer to create rails to slide the ramps in and out of. I did this on mine and now the ramps don't bother me at all.
 
#12 · (Edited)
At work we are taking a triple axle trailer and making it a double axle dually gooseneck that tilts, and is going to be rated at 30,000. There actually isn't that much more to it to make it tilt, although I don't really like the idea and thinks it's a waste of time (for what we are using it for). Just seems like more to go wrong and something else to deal with.
It will work sorta like this one, but will go up like a foot.
 
#13 · (Edited)
DO NOT use hinges from a home improvement store they can't hold the load.

Make the hinges. a u-shaped piece of steel (1/4" thick) with at least 1/2" grade 8 bolts (12,000 lb. clamp load). A-frame tounge right, remove it (make sure not to damage it), align the "hangers" with the tounge ( at the end furthest from the hitch):blah:, weld them on the fame of the trailer drill holes through the ends of the toung and hangers. Run a bar across the a frame at the front edge of the deck and put a hanger across the deck of the trailer over the bar, dril holes install hitch pin. Then you have a tilting trailer.:rock:

tipping is gonna depend on the trailer (I have one that as soon as you pull the pin on the unloaded trailer it tips on its own).
 
#14 ·
The tilt trailer I have uses a 3" od tube on the a frame for the tounge and a 3" id tube on the trailer. It has tandem axles so when it tilts the front axle will come off the ground, has never been a problem and we have loaded the lift truck on there at 10,000+. For the lifting it just uses what looks like a chain binder/turnbuckle that you crank up and down. As long as you keep your load centered it works pretty good.
 
#18 ·
I have a tilt trailer and you don't need any hydrolics to work it. If done properly when you unlatch the front the bed tilts via gravity and when you drive on its balanced correctly so it returns to normal on its own. The you just relatch it. The only thing I don't like about mine is that I have to remove a fender to get my jeep on and off so it doesn't really save me any time in the end. I had to add weight into the counter balance area of mine to get it to lower on its own since I have a winch on the front throwing off the balance a bit.
 
#19 ·
Converting to tilting bed

Kodiak450r If you put a couple of hydraulic cylinders towards the rear of tractor one on each side that will lift the back of your truck and the front of trailer and drop the back of trailer down. You may need to put blocks front and back of front tires when loading and unloading. As recommended before the aluminum ramps should help too. Good luck

Texas

p.s. just don't forget to lift cylinders all the way up before driving or they might catch on a rail road track. OUCH!
 
#21 ·
has anyone taken a regular flat bed trailer and converted it into a tilt trailer? i'm pondering doing this with my trailer as i'm sick of lugging around 120 lbs of ramps, as well as not being able to pick up low profile cars such as my camaro. my main questions are what sort of hinges would suffice for a 10k capacity trailer and what kind of locking mechanism to hold the front down? i would probably put some type of electric over hydraulic cylinder to help lift the trailer but idk where to find a good but inexpensive 12v pump.
[/QUOTE Raise your fenders and use the same idea as tow dollies to drop the trailer on the ground. No tilt, just drop on the ground, drive on, and use a bar to lift back up, or winch and weld opposite side pivots together as one, way easier if you can weld, and safer having the whole trailer on the ground
 
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