I'm starting to look at Gooseneck trailers to haul my tractors with, and most of them are dove-tail, but a guy I know has a flat deck, no-dove, trailer that he wants to sell. It a 30ft straight deck, 14k Appalachian trailer. The only real downside that I can think of is that the ramps are likely to bend when I put the tractors on them. I would have to make a third ramp anyway, because the tractors are trike-front, so I was thinking maybe just building 3 new ramps with supports, both middle and top of the ramps. Just wondering if I'm missing anything on pros/cons of dove and non-dove trailers?

 

Without a dove tail them ramps are gonna be heavy beasts.

 

with dovetail would be the best, the ramps would be lighter and shorter, and if the tractor wont start itd be easier ta push up with dovetail, all of our trailers on the farm have em, i wouldnt have em any other way

 

I would prefer a dove, but I think I can probably get a pretty good deal on this straight deck trailer. It has slide out ramps now, but I can see them getting the snot bent out of them with the tractor. I have an idea on how to build the ramps, with a collapsable support to keep them from bending, that would keep them from being too heavy. I think the weight wouldn't be too much of an issue, the trailer I was borrowing this year, had ramps, that had no spring assist, and were at least 150lbs, and I swear I'm not exagerating the weight of them. Any more opinions?

 

ok well we had a dove tail trailer not too long ago it was bulit by road boss i believe that had an adjustable dove tail on it that if you wanted the flat deck you pulled a bar put lifted the tail up and a brace would fall and you pin it in to make a flat deck and then you had the normal dove tail with the pull out ramps wish my old man would have kept it but the wait limit was only 14000 on it and we needed alot more so look at finding something like that best of both worlds

 

I built a 20ft Gooseneck with a 3ft dove, like some of the others said I wouldnt have it any other way, ramps arent as steep and high off the ground, more universal for the loading of cars and such with lower clearance and all.....Only downfall is the low clearance in the back of the trailer, mine drags everyonce in a while....

Built this my senior year in AG class.... Been holding up ever since

 

if you can get a good deal on it you can always have it dove tailed. most trailers are kinda tall that is dove tailed not fender type. i really like the dove tailed models

 

We dont call them 'doves' up here they are 'beaver tails' but the only way to go...

 

Yeah, I have thought about the possibility of putting a dove on the trailer if I buy it. If I want to do it, I will do it myself, I am a welder, and recently passed some test's, so I think I could handle it if I felt it is needed. Going to do a little more checking on see what I can work out on this trailer maybe.

 

I wouldnt...entirely differnt frame setup. Buy a beaver-tail and get the third ramp then you are set...

If you take a regular trailer and cut the frame rails to the proper angle you will lose footage on the trailer, so it better be longer than you need. If your time is worth anything, you cannot do this for the price difference between the two.