RGN LOWBOY Trailer versus STEPDECK, Part 1

A look at advantages and disadvantages of both RGN/lowboy and stepdeck trailers and how to to spec' them. Part 1

[@TheSolarmechanic]

This is a great video. Very informative

[@Seriousmods]

Ok. Thanks for all the information. I learn more with each video.

[@Seriousmods]

Yeah, I totally agree. There are a lot of little industry-specific words that can be kinda confusing. You have a great point about the stepdeck also.

[@Seriousmods]

Ok. Wow, I never knew that. That was a great video by the way. :)

[@HHTV60]

Sometimes it is better to pay more for a trailer but deal with a guy/gal that knows the technical stuff at a SMALLER dealership. There's a big dealer with a dozen salespeople here and they advertise on everything except posts and fences. I called one of their sales reps and he: 1) didn't know what was in the inventory 2) wasn't able to answer technical questions 3) didn't know how to prepare a quote/spec for a factory order. His MO was 'push the inventory'.

[@lenburns3411]

serg you are a better artist than i am good vid for information thanx len

[@11147575]

Sergie, you're quite the artist...

[@Seriousmods]

Ok. Thank you. Are regular lift axles allowed in BC, or do they just go with heavier rears?

[@HHTV60]

That's I meant in the video when I said you need a half a million bucks to start hauling something serious with a RGN/lowboy. When I was in Alberta I saw quite a few heavy haul trucks that had: a 3 axle lowboy + jeep + booster. I keep mixing these terms but basically they had additional axles between the truck and the trailer, and then at the end of the trailer.

[@11147575]

well i thought that was a good description, never realized there were so many options available, but that's good to know, thanks for the info..

[@Seriousmods]

Ok. Well that's fine. Thanks for the information though. I've learned quite a bit about Canadian laws in this discussion.

[@Seriousmods]

I have a question about this too. I understand this is not the most economical decision, but if you got an extendable 110k tri axle RGN, a two axle booster, and a two axle jeep with a tractor that had an 18k front axle, 46k rears, and an 18k pusher, couldn't you haul a wide variety of loads of many different weights just be adding or subtracting the booster and jeep? Or is this even legal in Canada?

[@Graveltrucking]

I don't have time I'am a desk jockey/supervisor currently for marine transportation company but I have been around trucking for quite a few years.

[@HHTV60]

Lowboy trailers are heavy but EXTENDABLE trailers weigh even more. They wouldn't be practical for legal weight loads. Also, the farther you extend the deck of the trailer the less weight it can take. They are really highly specialized.

[@Graveltrucking]

No lift axles allowed in the province I live in it is why tridrive trucks are used when you need capacity mainly for logging trucks. Tridrive trucks are great but boy do they eat tires, lock all three drive axles up you can go anywhere in a straight line. You can gross 52,000lbs on the drive axles of a tridrive tractor the front axle is max 20,000lbs depending on applications. Most parts of Canada max gross is 139,992lbs on 8 axles.

[@Graveltrucking]

Most parts of Canada you are only allowed 8 loaded axles. Pusher axles are not allowed in places like British Columbia. A 2 axle jeep is a pain makes backing up really painful too much drag on the ground. I have friends in the heavy haul the lowbed alone is 140,000 that is a triaxle detatch neck with a booster. But you need a tractor spec'ed to pull lowbed like a T800 Kenworth with 500-550hp 46 rears and 18spd with inserted frame.

[@HHTV60]

See my vid TRUCK WATCHING IN WHITECOURT, AB. You won't see a single truck with lift axles. BC has pretty much the same rules as Alberta regarding this. Ontario phases out regular lift-axles and pushes SELF-STEER lift axles. Lift axles cost a lot of money. One way to increase the load capacity of a TRACTOR is to put in 3 drive axles. All are fixed, no lifts. In Sasketchewan, a 2.7 M and longer tridem (min 53" between the axles) gives you 22,000 KGs legally (48,400 LBs) on those 3 axles.

[@HHTV60]

one of the local transcraft dealers ..

[@HHTV60]

It'd look better if I had a mouse that was more like a pen than a box with wheels ;)

[@Seriousmods]

Great. You should start making some videos yourself. There aren't enough people in BC filming truckers.