drop-deck trailers for hire in the UK?

[slim_boy_fat]

here's what I mean about the sloping downhill off-camber access to the garage/"workshop".

I was going to ask if you lived on the side of an Alp, given your earlier post re Luton vans, but that doesn't look too bad.

 

[carl0s]

I was going to ask if you lived on the side of an Alp, given your earlier post re Luton vans, but that doesn't look too bad.

I'm just never too sure. With the heavy lathe in the Luton I just didn't know how much they could safely tilt by, when turning to the right past the garage.

 

[Justme]

I wonder how hard it would be to build one.

I suppose the suspension would be the tricky part.

Getting a good design sorted will be harder than the build.

I'd be thinking about finding used car hubs and stuff, and obviously with no axle there it could make things tougher.

Dont use any used parts.

You will need an IVA.

You cant get paperwork for used parts to prove they meet the specs.

You cant get enough brake force via the hand brake cable & cant use the hydraulics.

 

[Justme]

Would a self build with that sort of capacity need to pass some sort of test/inspection, like an IVA for cars?

All trailers no matter the size need an IVA.

 

[carl0s]

Getting a good design sorted will be harder than the build.


Dont use any used parts.

You will need an IVA.

You cant get paperwork for used parts to prove they meet the specs.

You cant get enough brake force via the hand brake cable & cant use the hydraulics.

Alrighty then. It's beginning to sound like a pre-emptive phone call to Steve Cox might be in order. Or I find a tail-lift van hire that can easily do 1T and isn't much bigger than a Luton.

Hypothetically, what are the chances of a non-IVA approved trailer being spotted on a one-off run ?
More seriously, how might you approach building a good braking system that modulates properly along with the pulling-vehicle's brakes? You'd definitely not want accidental lock-up, but unlikely to be building-in ABS. You'd need it to be reliable of course. You couldn't just go off the leading vehicles brake lights, that's just on/off. You wouldn't be able to interfere with the brake system of the main vehicle - that's a massive safety hazard. Hmm.

 

[carl0s]

All trailers no matter the size need an IVA.

It's a shame, because it seems like a great project. Like building a go-kart, but with a proper purpose.

 

[James1979]

Would a self build with that sort of capacity need to pass some sort of test/inspection, like an IVA for cars?

@Justme beat me to it!

ok here’s an idea.

use a tail lift - get a hire one. You can ‘test the limitations’ of it a flat bed may have a bigger payload than a Luton.

bring it home on the truck. Use the tail lift to transfer it to a trailer to back it down your drive. It doesn’t need to be roadworthy. In fact it the trailer is sacrificial you can dismantle it in a controlled manner to lower the bed to the floor once it’s in your workshop?
An old caravan chassis would do

 

[Bravheart]

Hire one of those flatbed trailers that tip/pivot from the middle so back's on the ground. Decent engine hoist pick up the mill set plates/battens across the legs of the hoist, lower mill onto plates, strap round then winch (or push) whole lot onto trailer. Reverse to unload at the right spot. Job done but removing mill deck would help.

 

[carl0s]

Hire one of those flatbed trailers that tip/pivot from the middle so back's on the ground. Decent engine hoist pick up the mill set plates/battens across the legs of the hoist, lower mill onto plates, strap round then winch (or push) whole lot onto trailer. Reverse to unload at the right spot. Job done but removing mill deck would help.

That's not far off what we did with the Lathe. Separated as much as possible - apron, gearbox, tailstock. Engine hoist to remove lathe from cabinet. Placed large pallet on engine-hoist legs, and dropped lathe onto there. Strapped down with strong ratchet straps. Put pallet-truck/hand-pump-truck inside van first. Pushed hoist & lathe towards tail-lift van. Raised tail lift enough to get hoist legs under. Raise lathe & pallet, pushed hoist under & lathe/pallet over tail-lift - basically used the tail lift to get it back off the hoist. Then pallet truck once inside van.

Sometimes the problem is just the legs of the hoist and getting it under trailers, ramps or whatever. And the pallet trucks do not take any kind of lip/kerb at all either. We have a slight lip into the garage here. I can fix up some sort of ramp for that though.

I'm sure those tail lifts were only rated for 250Kgs though. This machine will be 900kgs and I'm not confident in disassembling parts. At least I had a week in advance to start disassembling / having a go with the lathe. I think the lath is about 500kgs all in, but I separated much of it.

 

[8ob]

Hire one of those flatbed trailers that tip/pivot from the middle so back's on the ground. Decent engine hoist pick up the mill set plates/battens across the legs of the hoist, lower mill onto plates, strap round then winch (or push) whole lot onto trailer. Reverse to unload at the right spot. Job done but removing mill deck would help.

Tiltbeds work well, mine has a winch at the top for dragging up the deaduns.

 

[fizzy]

We have shifted Bridgeports plenty of times on pallets for people. In fact I bought one myself and shipped it.
Needs to be prepared correctly. Lower knee as far as it will go. The head will swivel completely upside down which lowers the C of G a lot. Needs to be bolted down to a good sturdy pallet. Just under the limit for a tail lift. 900kg or so. Much better if forklifts available of course but can be done.

 

[carl0s]

Tiltbeds work well, mine has a winch at the top for dragging up the deaduns.

It's just the tilting that worries me! I know on the Bridgeport you can rotate the head down, and lower the table, but I'm still not sure about those angles

 

[fizzy]

This is how I shipped mine.

 

[James1979]

is there a forklift on site at the collection point?

you’ll only need the tail lift to lower it if so.

 

[carl0s]

View attachment 279612

This is how I shipped mine.

looks good. was it then forklifted onto a proper haulage company's truck or something, or a DIY trailer / van effort like I'm contemplating?

 

[James1979]

It's just the tilting that worries me! I know on the Bridgeport you can rotate the head down, and lower the table, but I'm still not sure about those angles

Use your slopes to your advantage. If you park the right way you can make the thing almost level to load when you tilt it

 

[carl0s]

is there a forklift on site at the collection point?

you’ll only need the tail lift to lower it if so.

Good point. Haven't found one I'm ready to buy yet. Well, I'm just not ready yet.. need to unpack / clear garage space. Will be 3 - 6 months at least I reckon.
I suppose that's one way to test a tail lift. It can only go the right direction can't it!! yikes.

 

[carl0s]

Use your slopes to your advantage. If you park the right way you can make the thing almost level to load when you tilt it

I like the idea, but in this case I don't think it can work - I'll be unloading and if anything the slope would make the angle even worse. Would be at 45 degrees probably. I'm sure it's OK. I would aim to drive around the front of the garage onto the concrete part which is flat, or all the way around and get the back of the trailer as much into the garage as possible. Or I'll just ring Steve I probably spent £500 on skates & toe jack mind you. I'd really like to be self sufficient. Then I could start collecting more stuff too

 

[carl0s]

@Justme beat me to it!

ok here’s an idea.

use a tail lift - get a hire one. You can ‘test the limitations’ of it a flat bed may have a bigger payload than a Luton.

bring it home on the truck. Use the tail lift to transfer it to a trailer to back it down your drive. It doesn’t need to be roadworthy. In fact it the trailer is sacrificial you can dismantle it in a controlled manner to lower the bed to the floor once it’s in your workshop?
An old caravan chassis would do

This is something I'm going to give more consideration to. Some kind of kart / trailer for getting stuff from the road into the garage. Could be sketchier still though if it doesn't have a vehicle to keep hold of it and stop it rolling away.

 

[octo0072000]

not sure but 3.5ton with tail lift 500ks max lift comes to mind 7.5ton plus 1000ks max lift from the distant memory banks