I have a 24 foot flatbed trailer

i mesured both the front and rear floor height

it is 1/2 inch difference higher in rear is it correct or it should be different ?

I have dexter axles also (independant suspension)

another question: is it expansive to install full air ride suspension on this trailer ?

Hooked up you want it as level as possible. This evenly loads both axles, so long as the trailer is loaded properly.
It will proabably not be cheap to put an air ride on your trailer. This will also depend on the suspension you have. If you have torsion axles you will most likely have to change the axles to go to an air ride.
At any rate you will need air bags able to support the weight of the trailer and the load, the lines, and a compressor to fill them.
You would also need some thing like a ladder bar and panhard bar, or 4 link, to hold the axle in place forward and backwards, and also side to side.

I found that the ride with that kind of suspension is pretty rough when not load perfectly

is there a way to add comfort to the ride ?

maybe with new axles with better parts that helps absord the road shocks...

The best ride you will get out of a trailer is ith torsion axles. Problem is, the higher the capacity of the trailer (weight rating of axles) the rougher the ride is when unloaded. Just the nature of the beast.

The best ride you will get out of a trailer is ith torsion axles. Problem is, the higher the capacity of the trailer (weight rating of axles) the rougher the ride is when unloaded. Just the nature of the beast.

What size axles? IF leaf spring you can add cushioned equalizers on many between 3.5k and 8K. Shocks can be added too -just not as easy.

If a 7K, 7.2 or 8K axle Dexter AirFlex is the cats meaow. Not cheap and on board -trailer or truck air source and tank required. Other air ride systems are available for 8K and above.....http://dexteraxle.com/i/u/1080235/f/6-8k_cat_10-10/Airflex_Air_Ride_Suspension_Current.pdf

As kcb37 said you are looking for the trailer to be level. This loads the axles evenly and will give you the safest towing. It sounds to me that you may have the tongue a little low but tongue a little town is better than tongue up. Also since you have bags on the the truck you won't get as much squat when loaded so you will most likely be level when loaded.

What are you towing that you are looking for a softer ride on the trailer? http://www.trailerwest.com/ does air ride suspensions for horse trailers but seems like a lot of money for much of anything else.

As kcb37 said you are looking for the trailer to be level. This loads the axles evenly and will give you the safest towing. It sounds to me that you may have the tongue a little low but tongue a little town is better than tongue up. Also since you have bags on the the truck you won't get as much squat when loaded so you will most likely be level when loaded.

What are you towing that you are looking for a softer ride on the trailer? http://www.trailerwest.com/ does air ride suspensions for horse trailers but seems like a lot of money for much of anything else.


I was going to post the exact opposite; the ideal is level but I much prefer the tongue level to be a little higher than lower. More weight on the front axle leads to more 'fish tailing' at speed while more load on the rear axle will be less likely to do this.

I was going to post the exact opposite; the ideal is level but I much prefer the tongue level to be a little higher than lower. More weight on the front axle leads to more 'fish tailing' at speed while more load on the rear axle will be less likely to do this.
X2

hmmm, I guess I'm not sure what the right answer is then other than level is best. I googled and googled and find answers both ways, and always level is best. But the one that I found that supports my statement is from etrailer as follows, but I found a couple of other saying "Never down" In any event the OP says 1/2" so I think we are splitting hairs on this one, but it would be nice to know the truly correct answer.

Can a Trailer Ride Nose Up or Nose Down or Does it Have to Be Level
Featured Help Information

Helpful Link

Question:

I recently lifted my trailer and it now looks like I need between an 8 and a 10 to tow my trailer. I think the 8 might make the trailer coupler slightly higher than level. Does this cause a problem?

asked by: Randy



Expert Reply:

Yes, a trailer that is nose up can cause problems. A level trailer is ideal. It usually does not happen, but occasionally, you cannot get the trailer exactly level even with switching ball mounts.

Typically, it is better to be slightly nose down, so long as the tongue weight capacity of the hitch and vehicle is not exceeded. If a trailer is nose up too much, the tongue weight is low enough that the trailer may begin to sway.

So in short, level is best. If level is not possible, then try to go slightly nose down. Slightly nose up can be fine, but keep an eye out for trailer sway.

expert reply by: Patrick

Frame level is the best towing setup as trailer suspension is in the neutral position and will not work against you. This is only one piece of the puzzle though. Cargo placement can heavily influence towing manners if not done properly or is not possible due to the load being carried. The tongue always needs 10-15% of total trailer weight -then the remaining 90-85% needs to be evenly distributed over the cargo deck. Not always possible with some loads though...

It is fairly easy to get a travel trailer or other trailer that carries the same load all the time set-up properly. A trailer that is used for all different shapes and sizes of loads takes a little thought concerning weight placement -if initial set-up is frame level.

diesail - I think that internet reply by 'patrick' is coming at it backwards. If your trailer is LOADED heavy on the rear then it will cause a tongue up situation that will make for an unstable trailer. However, the set-up of the trailer is the relationship of the tow vehicle hitch height compared to the tongue of the trailer. All things being equal on the trailer, if you raise or lower your truck hitch height it will have almost no effect on the tongue weight.

I haven't googled it either to find a definitive answer - I've just been towing trailers for 35 years.

the hitch of my truck is a gooseneck

so its not adjustable

the only way to adjust the height is to raise or lower the height with the 2 nuts that maintain the wanted height

On my enclosed car trailer when empty is a little high in front, 1"-2"
then when loaded is very close to level. I like to have a little more tongue weight then not enough, that is where you get trailer sway from.

Level to a bit down is the way to set the trailer up. If the tongue is up and you have a bit of load to the back your asking for the problem of fishtailing

the hitch of my truck is a gooseneck

so its not adjustable

the only way to adjust the height is to raise or lower the height with the 2 nuts that maintain the wanted height

A key piece of information that changes things a bit. More likely want 15-25% "tongue weight" and it needs to be level loaded or it won't follow very well.

Cool adjustable hitch .....that can be adjusted when loaded.
http://www.quickadjusthitch.com/index.html

diesail - I think that internet reply by 'patrick' is coming at it backwards. If your trailer is LOADED heavy on the rear then it will cause a tongue up situation that will make for an unstable trailer. However, the set-up of the trailer is the relationship of the tow vehicle hitch height compared to the tongue of the trailer. All things being equal on the trailer, if you raise or lower your truck hitch height it will have almost no effect on the tongue weight.

I haven't googled it either to find a definitive answer - I've just been towing trailers for 35 years.

I understand your statement but you are assuming tongue weight and not hitch height is the determining factor. I would ask the following, if tongue weight is correct what is better, tongue up or tongue down?

I found my problem !

my gooseneck plate was worned out

the ball was very loose in the housing

I replaced it with a new one and everything's fine

but sure ill look in a near future to install air suspension to that trailer

Cool adjustable hitch .....that can be adjusted when loaded.
http://www.quickadjusthitch.com/index.html

Has anyone tried this out? This would come in handy not just for leveling my trailer but also for getting my ramps down. My trailer is a 34' flat deck and the ramps have supports at the hinges. the supports are alway getting hung up on the ground.

I was going to say tounge down, but realistically I don't think it matters so long as it's as close as you can get it. Like it's been said a couple times, tounge weight will not change enough if at all by raising or lowering the tounge an inch or two. So long as you have the proper tounge weight/are loaded right set it as level as possible.

I understand your statement but you are assuming tongue weight and not hitch height is the determining factor. I would ask the following, if tongue weight is correct what is better, tongue up or tongue down?


Actually, from the original Q, I was assuming that the issue was hitch height, not tongue weight. It's a different story altogether if the trailer is loaded tail-heavy causing a tongue high (and low tongue weight) condition. Sticking by my original answer - (assuming that the tongue weight is correct) - better to be a little up on the tongue height vs a little down. Tongue down = more load on the front axle = more fishtailing.

In reality, it will be hard to notice much difference if the tongue is only an inch or two high or low.