You can do a full 8' wide deck with drive over fenders, it's just not that common. Or, you could just get some pizza cutters so you're not so fargin' wide :flipoff2:


TEX

 

Driving over my drive-over fenders and trying to load as centered as possible so that most of the tire is on the deck. At 92" wide overall, with a more or less standard 84"-ish wide trailer deck, it doesn't all fit, but it ties down securely and rides fine.

 

Position the rig were you know it will be towed on the trailer every time you haul it, mark the trailer, and weld some "pads" on the sides of the trailer were the rig's tires sit. On the last one i did we used some 2x4 1/4wall rectangle tubing. A bit overkill, but its what we had laying around.

 

You could do something like the trailer I'm rebuilding:

The wood part of the deck itself is 78" wide, but the trailer is 96" to the edge. It would be pretty easy to weld up either some heavy angle or c-channel to add this to your trailer. I need to redo the fenders on mine so they are a little shorter in the back, but right now my TJ fits between the fenders (with about 3" to spare) so that'll be a while.

 

I "Had" a trailer with no fenders, the top of the tires sat about 2 inches above the deck.It was easy as pie to load my wide ass M715 onto. the tire hung off the sides about 3" per side. It had "Farm" plates on it, and I used the shit out of that trailer never having to worry about fenders.(I was farming then too) But it was legal here in IN to run one like that.

 

I have a buddy that has what is considered a drop-deck trailer. basically like a deck over, but is cut out above the tires, and the deck is dropped down to where the top of the tires are maybe an inch from the top of the deck, in that area over the tires instead of the wood there is a 1/4" piece of steel. It sets maybe 6" lower than a conventional deck over.

edit:

The trailer is like this one http://www.pj-trailers.com/products/details.php?id=VB

 

I have a buddy that has what is considered a drop-deck trailer. basically like a deck over, but is cut out above the tires, and the deck is dropped down to where the top of the tires are maybe an inch from the top of the deck, in that area over the tires instead of the wood there is a 1/4" piece of steel. It sets maybe 6" lower than a conventional deck over.

Kinda like this?

In another thread, I'm looking at a little bit lower drop-deck. Kinda like this one:

Edit: I found the link I got those pics from:
http://www.camsuperline.com/deckover.html


--Dan

 

yup, more or less, i like that design personally.

 

Me likes that real much.

 

Deckover gooseneck.

 

Look at the sides of this trailer, see how they widened it? Stake pockets with flat steel along the side. Essentially widened the trailer 2+" per side.

I have considered doing something similar to my own trailer, by running 1.75" round tube down the sides about 4" out. 2 purposes - a place to tie things off to, and gives a little wider deck for wide loads.

Then again - my trailer is 83" between the fenders (and my fenders are HD diamond plate that I can drive over all day long if I want to )

 

Driving over my drive-over fenders and trying to load as centered as possible so that most of the tire is on the deck. At 92" wide overall, with a more or less standard 84"-ish wide trailer deck, it doesn't all fit, but it ties down securely and rides fine.

I'm a couple inches narrower, but same idea, works fine. My trailer has stake pockets on the outside of the frame, at deck height, with a piece of flat 1/4" running from the front to the fenders along the outside of the stake pockets, effectively making the deck ~4" wider. I have an equiptment trailer with the squared-off diamond plate fenders (ie not the tear drop ones), and they hold up just fine to being driven over.

Whats the difference between a car trailer and a "float"?

Pete

 

Whats the difference between a car trailer and a "float"?

Pete

Around here, a car trailer will likely be longer, often with a beaver-tail, and with smaller/lighter ramps. i.e. optimized for carrying low-riding cars

A float will be very similar, but shorter, a bit narrower, with heavier, fold up (as opposed to slide-away) ramps. i.e. optimized for carrying bobcats, small loaders, etc.

They're both quite similar though. One consideration here though is that a float tends to catch the eye of the MOT more than a car hauler. car hauler - you get left alone - lots of hobbyists tow their cars. Tow a float - and they wanna get into weight, liscencing, commercial inspection etc etc.

 

I still say go for the car-hauler type trailer, add the stake pockets and flat-bar extensions, and call it done.

Also - drill 2 holes in the deck inside of the fenders, and build a wooden block assembly that drops into place with centering pins (all thread) to handle driving over the fenders. Easily removed - but easily support the vehicle when driving over. Something like that could be built in mere minutes one afternoon, and you aren't butchering your trailer permanently to do it

 

I like the idea of adding a small section of pipe/tubing over your fenders to drive over.. simple, and it works.

 

sorry if someone already mentioned this but i think my idea is perfect and everone was so close but not quiet the same. i tow a 18' no dovetail, gooseneck, slide out ramps (hard to use) all metal floor and 6500# axles. The manufacturer took a set of their stock HD fenders and trimmed them as low as possible while leaving the sides the same length to form a low profile barely 30 degree ramp on either side. As for width, they added 3x4 angle to the stake mounts from front to back rounding the shinn biting corners in the back and leaving the front a little long to incoorporate a chain box. i didnt go the tubing over the fender route because i thought it would be hard to load when wet and muddy...i couldnt be more happy. total including f&r brakes and breakaway battery and spare tire, HD jack. all for 2500.00. i even got them to raise the neck 12" to compensate for my lift. www.betterbuilttrailers.com/

 

Alternately, you can find something else to provide for extra footprint on the trailer:

Before everybody jumps on my case too severely... that's a 2500lb (empty) trailer, rated 12.5k gross, with 3800 and 3500 pounds of buggies on it; still only 9800 gross, has tires rated for that load and then some, has very good brakes, and it's behind a dually rated to tow well more than that, even on a bumperpull.

 

Deckover gooseneck.

x2

No reason not to aside from $$$ as far as I can see. On a big gooseneck stability from having the rig up high is not a problem, and the reduction in fuel mileage will be negligible from my experiences. As long as you aren't over 13'6" overall loaded height you shouldn't have much to worry about as far as running a deck over is concerned. Plus, so long as you have a tow rig that will handle it, a gooseneck is far superior in most every aspect. Heck, I personally would even get a gooseneck on a 6x12' utility trailer if they made them.

 

Do what I did when I bought my new trailer and 82" inside the fenders, and the front of my old jeep was 89" from tire bulge to tire bulge. I made platforms that sit right inside of the fenders by stacking up 2x10's and screwing them together and making them contour with the fenders. this way all the weight is supported by them when you drive over. Then like you I didn't want my tires hanging off the edge. My trailer had stake pockets and I just welded up a piece of angle (3x3) with stakes to slide right in the pockets, works beautifully, I didn't have to chop up my new trailer, and you can remove them when you don't need them.

 

Alternately, you can find something else to provide for extra footprint on the trailer:
.

Interesting pic...but what's going on under that right rear tire of your buggy?

 

Do what I did when I bought my new trailer and 82" inside the fenders, and the front of my old jeep was 89" from tire bulge to tire bulge. I made platforms that sit right inside of the fenders by stacking up 2x10's and screwing them together and making them contour with the fenders. this way all the weight is supported by them when you drive over. Then like you I didn't want my tires hanging off the edge. My trailer had stake pockets and I just welded up a piece of angle (3x3) with stakes to slide right in the pockets, works beautifully, I didn't have to chop up my new trailer, and you can remove them when you don't need them.

Great idea.

silly question - 3x3 angle bolted to wooden stakes...or welded to steel stakes?

 

the 3x3 angle is welded to some 1/4 channel and shimed for a tight fit, I actually have to tap if from the bottom with a hammer to get it out.

 

Interesting pic...but what's going on under that right rear tire of your buggy?

Assuming you mean the large (mounting) buggy, as opposed to the smaller (mounted) buggy.

Since I can't see it very well on my monitor, going from memory, it's sitting on the right side trailer taillight--at least, as much as is overhanging the deck, is. My taillights (well, the mounts, anyway) are grossly overbuilt--4" C-channel with a full 1/4" "roof" so that I can't easily destroy them, even by doing foolish things. Also, as you are undoubtedly aware (you wrote the bible on both), with a full-width front 60, and a SRW-14-bolt-width rear, my rear axle is 2.5" narrower than my front, so noticeably less overhang.

The "deck extensions" that many have noted, are also not a bad idea; as you can probably see in my pic, I'm using my stake pockets as tiedown anchor points, so I'd have to come up with a different anchor location if I were using the stake pockets to hold deck extensions. On the one hand, the wood deck is pretty stout, but on the other, not enough so to where I'd feel comfy with relying on it to keep my buggy on there in a bad situation.

 

The "deck extensions" that many have noted, are also not a bad idea; as you can probably see in my pic, I'm using my stake pockets as tiedown anchor points, so I'd have to come up with a different anchor location if I were using the stake pockets to hold deck extensions. On the one hand, the wood deck is pretty stout, but on the other, not enough so to where I'd feel comfy with relying on it to keep my buggy on there in a bad situation.


Scott- If you do the stake pocket extensions, just get some of those heavy duty weld on d-rings and put on top of the trailer's channel frame or down on the side away from the extension.

 

Assuming you mean the large (mounting) buggy, as opposed to the smaller (mounted) buggy.

My bad - i didn't realize they were both yours - I meant the "mounted" one since I see it says Rockstomper on the side I figured that was yours

But I like your description better - so yea - the one that's mounted. Under it's right rear tire...Just wonderin; if you're bending something there?