Spec'ing a Transcraft 53' step ... Boy, this thing is heavy!

[tracer]

A brand new 53 ft long combo Transcraft with a 10' upper deck, 43' lower deck, tandem axle (rear axle slider), 17.5" tires, all steel wheels, weighs 12,279 lbs! It's not a trailer, it's a tank

[rank]

that's not a combo. visit their website. the DTL-2100 is a steel trailer. The Eagle is a combo. Least I think that's what I'm seeing.

[specialkay]

Whats your truck weigh? I'd make sure I could scale 48,000lbs with all your gear. I was told a sliding axle added 400 lbs to the weight. That was on a Transcraft or a Fontaine combo.

[ramran2001]

I have a 07 transcraft 53 ft three axle. and yes its heavy. i have an 07 coronado with a 260 wb and can scale about 86000, in texas. has a 43 bottom. 22.5 tires. ride height can get to around 37 with all three axles down. you can run spread, tandem and tridem. back two can lift with just a swith. done very good with it. It is for sale. it is a 3100 series transcraft all steel. only reason i am selling it is i just bought an extendable so i am looking to unload it. wanted to keep it but economy is what it is time to dump it i think the price is right at 25000 US. rubber about 75% brakes the same. just a thought. oh and because of the axle set up even if you have to run tandem you dont get the sway they were talking about. and california legal as trandem and all three down as long as you are permited.

[GMAN]

Transcraft steel trailers are heavy, but they seem to hold up well. I have the sliding rear axle and container locks. Both add weight. I believe my empty weight on the trailer is around 13,200. There have been few loads that I can't haul with it. I would buy another, but I don't know if I would buy the container locks unless I was planning on hauling a lot of containers. It sure saves a lot of time when you load a container.

[tracer]

that's not a combo. visit their website. the DTL-2100 is a steel trailer. The Eagle is a combo. Least I think that's what I'm seeing.

rank, you scared me I thought the salesman mixed EVERYTHING up! i went to the transcraft website and then talked to the seller. dtl-2100 is a combo, but it's a weird combo because they use aluminum only on the floor and railing! no wonder it's so heavy. the all steel trailer is called dtl-3000. and you're right again, the REAL combo trailer (the one that has alloy cross members) is called an Eagle. The model is D-Eagle. The dealer said it's more expensive but he's going to send me the new specs in an hour. Will keep you guys posted. The "tank" DTL-2100 came in at US$32,000. It's be curious to see what the price tag on the D-Eagle is going to be. All the specs are going to be the same (10' upper, 43' lower deck, 17.5" tires with a rear sliding axle)...

[tracer]

Whats your truck weigh? I'd make sure I could scale 48,000lbs with all your gear. I was told a sliding axle added 400 lbs to the weight. That was on a Transcraft or a Fontaine combo.

i think about 19k lbs. it's an international 9400 with a mid-rise sleeper and 230" wheelbase.

[tracer]

Transcraft steel trailers are heavy, but they seem to hold up well. I have the sliding rear axle and container locks. Both add weight. I believe my empty weight on the trailer is around 13,200. There have been few loads that I can't haul with it. I would buy another, but I don't know if I would buy the container locks unless I was planning on hauling a lot of containers. It sure saves a lot of time when you load a container.

we don't haul containers so i'm not going to spec the locks. but light weight would surely help. according to the transcraft website, d-eagle (combo) should weigh 10,120 lbs with standard options (plus sliding axle weight and heavy suspension on 17.5"tires). Transcraft: Drop Decks : D-Eagle

[rank]

rank, you scared me I thought the salesman mixed EVERYTHING up! i went to the transcraft website and then talked to the seller. dtl-2100 is a combo, but it's a weird combo because they use aluminum only on the floor and railing! no wonder it's so heavy. the all steel trailer is called dtl-3000. and you're right again, the REAL combo trailer (the one that has alloy cross members) is called an Eagle. The model is D-Eagle. The dealer said it's more expensive but he's going to send me the new specs in an hour. Will keep you guys posted. The "tank" DTL-2100 came in at US$32,000. It's be curious to see what the price tag on the D-Eagle is going to be. All the specs are going to be the same (10' upper, 43' lower deck, 17.5" tires with a rear sliding axle)...

I bet you can get a real combo (not a steel trailer with an aluminum floor) from Wilson for ~$32,000 US. 17.5" rims, fixed tandem, no tool boxes.

I don't want to sound like a Wilson salesman because I'm not. I've just been down this road that's all. Sometimes it comes down to the dealer more than the trailer. I've talked to Doonan, Manac, Transcraft and Reitnouer. Some aren't very helpful.

[rank]

Tracer. You have a PM.

[tracer]

The Transcraft dealer sent me the specs of their D-Eagle COMBO trailer. Same specs as before (53/ 10/43 ft; tandem with a RAS, 17.5" tires) but we used steel wheels. No steel coil package as far as I can tell ... Total weight (incl. 18 sliding winches) is 11,758 lbs. It's priced at US$34,200 F.O.B. Anna, IL (I pick it up myself). See the attachment.

Then I talked to my loan guy and complained about the trailer weight, he suggested I call a local Wilson dealer.

With all steel wheels, the Wilson Road Brute combo (same 53/10/43 ft; tandem, RAS, 17.5" tires) came at 11,260 lbs and US$34,570 F.O.B. the plant in MO. Practically the same price as with the Transcraft, but it has Michelin tires whereas Transcraft has Continentals; so if I go with Continentals the price would be the same. Plus, many people here said Wilson's quality is better AND it is 500 lbs lighter! I think I should go with the Wilson. Now all I have to do is get the financing.

[rank]

The Transcraft dealer sent me the specs of their D-Eagle COMBO trailer. Same specs as before (53/ 10/43 ft; tandem with a RAS, 17.5" tires) but we used steel wheels. No steel coil package as far as I can tell ... Total weight (incl. 18 sliding winches) is 11,758 lbs. It's priced at US$34,200 F.O.B. Anna, IL (I pick it up myself). See the attachment.

Then I talked to my loan guy and complained about the trailer weight, he suggested I call a local Wilson dealer.

With all steel wheels, the Wilson Road Brute combo (same 53/10/43 ft; tandem, RAS, 17.5" tires) came at 11,260 lbs and US$34,570 F.O.B. the plant in MO. Practically the same price as with the Transcraft, but it has Michelin tires whereas Transcraft has Continentals; so if I go with Continentals the price would be the same. Plus, many people here said Wilson's quality is better AND it is 500 lbs lighter! I think I should go with the Wilson. Now all I have to do is get the financing.

what's the deck height/drop on these trailers?

[tracer]

what's the deck height/drop on these trailers?

Bruce, the wilson trailer salesman, told me Wilson has come up with a way to lower the trailer a couple of inches now even with 22.5 tires - without using wheel wells. My spec sheet shows the trailer will sit approximately 34" above ground at the lower deck when fully lowered. It'll be lower when empty or when having a light load. They measured my truck (my fifth wheel sits at 45.5" from the ground) and promised to make the trailer fit the truck for perfect weight distribution (no other dealer offered to do this!).

I just came back from meeting the salesman in their office near Cambridge, ON. Here's the final version of what we spec'ed for my first stepdeck trailer:

length: 48 (mackinnon said they get requests for a 53 step once a year)
upper deck: 10
lower deck: 38
kingpin: 24"
axles: 2 (the rear axle sits at the very end of the trailer)
spread: 10.1" with a front axle slider (41" from kingpin to center of axles when tandem is closed)
composition: combo (the model is called Wilson RoadBrute CFD-900)
floor: aluminum with 4 nailers
toolboxes: none (for some strange reason I decided not to pay US$800 for a toolbox; call me weird)
oversize load lights: none (this little option would have cost me ... US$651; thank you, but no, thank you)
extra lights on the sides: none
steel coil package: yes (mackinnon said i might haul coils on occasions)
l.e.d. lights: yes (I asked for standard lights but he said LED was now "standard")
load levelers: none (the price is US$627; I declined because you cannot use them as ramps)
tires: 17.5" bridgestone ($25 per tire cheaper than the original michelin)
wheels: all steel (I saved US$1,200 here by switching from "good-looking" aluminum rims)
frame color: yellow

Total weight: 10,210 lbs appr. Price (F.O.B. the Wilson plant in MO, USA): US$33,912

[allan5oh]

How big are the tool boxes for $800? That isn't too bad of a price as long as they're big. Most of the time they're 16x16x48 or 16x16x60 which are very small.

On most steps you can fit 18Hx24Dx60W under the sliders. It hangs low, but it works.

But I'm thinking with the low deck height 16x16 is about all you can fit. Them are some small boxes! You need a LOT of storage Tracer. Believe me. I have three boxes and it isn't enough. My headache rack is also completely full. I actually have some chains in the boxes as well. I still have to put one tarp on the deck. I also have my "rubbermaid toolbox" which is just a rubbermaid box, it is sitting under the headache rack. It's full also.

Talk to as many dealers as you can, the more information the better. Talk to the Chaparral dealer. They make good units.

[rank]

>Wilson has come up with a way to lower the trailer a couple of inches now even with 22.5 tires - without using wheel wells.
hmmm. I wonder how they did that.

[allan5oh]

Here's some interesting trailers:

2007 DOONAN Aluminum Tri-axle step deck Drop Deck For Sale At TruckPaper.com

2010 CHAPARRAL MATS SHOW TRAILER 53' CHAPARRAL DROPDECK Drop Deck For Sale At TruckPaper.com

2008 DOONAN Rear Sliding Axle Combo Drop Deck, CALF LEGAL 50' Drop Deck For Sale At TruckPaper.com

2010 DOONAN LOW DECK Drop Deck For Sale At TruckPaper.com

[tracer]

How big are the tool boxes for $800? That isn't too bad of a price as long as they're big. Most of the time they're 16x16x48 or 16x16x60 which are very small. You need a LOT of storage Tracer.

Well, I wasn't sure the price was okay but the box/bin actually looks pretty good. See the attached picture. It's 60 inches long.

[tracer]

>Wilson has come up with a way to lower the trailer a couple of inches now even with 22.5 tires - without using wheel wells.
hmmm. I wonder how they did that.

they did something to the suspension. either that or they make you drive around with half-inflated tires

[allan5oh]

That's for tarps or dunnage. Can you put tool boxes on your truck?

[allan5oh]

they did something to the suspension. either that or they make you drive around with half-inflated tires

Low profile suspension. Also any combo or all steel trailer will be lower then an all aluminum trailer. I think Chaparrals are pretty good though.