good points
4 June 1999
Daily usage defines trailer
good points
By Peter Hill
ON paper, there appears little to choose between them. But then its the detail that counts because it is only when using a livestock trailer on a daily basis that irritating design flaws irritate most, or clever design details are seen to best advantage.
Easy as it is to get carried away with details of running gear, weights, measurements and whether the styling suits Land Rover or Land Cruiser, the key aspects of stock trailer design and specification to check are whether catches work easily, whether loading ramps lift and lower with ease, and how neatly sheep decks, internal ramps and divisions latch into place. And whether they are likely to work as well after a bit of wear in the mucky rough and tumble world of stock handling, as when they are shiny new.
Fundamentally, a livestock trailer is a box on wheels. As long as it tows easily, animals can get in and out without too much fuss, and it is no hassle to use, it should do the job. But a lot more thought goes into these devices, nowadays, especially for providing transport for sheep.
Ingenuity knows no bounds, for example, when it comes to fitting and using capacity-doubling upper decks.
On the latest-generation Ifor Williams sheep trailer, for example, the floor panel of the tailgate doubles as a full-width ramp to the upper deck. This design – dubbed EasyLoad by the Corwen-based manufacturer – involves no more effort than operating a lever, releasing two side catches, and walking off the ramp.
The panel is then free to rise on gas struts and lock in place; lower the upright top deck barrier to form the top part of the ramp, and the jobs done.
Upper deck panels fold out of the way to give adequate headroom for cattle, while small cross divisions can be removed from inside the trailer to be carried outside on the front panel.
Also available to give secure loading and unloading are stock gate extensions which ensure the full length of the ramp is bounded. These are also stored on the outside of the trailer, conveniently on either side behind the wheels.
Two build configurations are available – TA5G and TA510G with low floor and side wheels, DP120G with smaller diameter wheels and tyres beneath a flat deck with removable body. Both come with a choice of length and headroom dimensions.
The TA5G range starts with a 2.41m x 1.56m x 1.83m (8ft x 5ft 2in x 6ft) size at – £2370; the TA510G – 3.04m x 1.78m x 1.83m (10ft x 5ft 10in x 6ft) at £3040; and the DP120G – 3.04m x 1.88m x 1.89m (10ft x 6ft 2in x 6ft 3in) at £3320.
Triple-axle running gear is the latest innovation from Full Sutton, Yorks-based Graham Edwards Trailers. Using 195/55R10C Michelin radial tyres to maintain load capacity, principal advantages of this arrangement are improved trailer stability and easier loading/offloading.
With overall height reduced by 15cm (6in), for example, the tri-axle trailer should be more stable; it should also generate a little less wind resistance, to the advantage of fuel economy.
Braking performance should also gain from the layout and resulting increase in brake area – Graham Edwards claims a 50% improvement in efficiency – and the fact that more of the trailers weight is carried on its axles.
Two demountable body versions are available – the Demount 12 measures 3.60m x 1.95m (12ft x 6ft 6in), and the Demount 14 at 4.20m x 1.95m (14ft x 6ft 6in). These are priced at £3650 and £3880, respectively, as part of a range of trailers featuring an optional winch-operated sheep deck and ramp system.
A fast fold-away upper sheep deck is one of the features of the Eurostock trailers that head the Bateson range.
A half-ramp design sees a section of the upper deck lowered manually to provide a continuation of the main ramp. The left-hand stock gate is repositioned to create a funnel for top deck loading.
Generous internal dimensions ensure there is plenty of headroom for animals on both decks – 90cm (36in) in each case – while two rows of flexible ventilation slides help keep the air sweet.
A split front side door allows quick and easy access for animal inspection, while the roof design is such that some fodder and/or hurdles can be carried securely up-top. A ladder on the tailgate provides a means of getting there.
Avonride suspension features on the 3.04m and 3.65m (10ft and 12ft) models, priced at £2650 and £2825, with decks adding £345 and £375 respectively.
Rubber suspension also features on the four-model range of stock trailers from Richardson, Shipton by Beningborough, York. All are non-demount types, the larger 1058 – 3.04m (10ft) – and 1258 – 3.65m (12ft) – versions having sufficient headroom for an upper sheep deck.
The standard layout comprises a full-width internal ramp that, from the loading configuration, folds up to form the end barrier after being raised into position.
Galvanised steel chassis and framework are clad with aluminium panels, plastic coated roofing and aluminium tread plate floor. Ramp gates can be timber or aluminium.
Triple-axle running gear is an option on the largest model in the range from Dorchester, Dorset-based Wessex Trailers. But, in this case, the standard 185/70R13 tyre is retained (so there is no reduction in height compared with the conventionally-equipped version), but stability, braking performance and axle loading is improved.
The £375 extra is available on the WLTD14, a demount trailer with 1.98m (6ft 6in) wide, 4.26m (14ft) long stock box. There is a smaller version with 3.65m (12ft) long bodywork. In Wessex Trailers direct sales area, these are net priced at £2975 and £2800, respectively.
With the conventional WLT fixed body stock trailers, there is a choice of body widths as well as length. The WLT10 3.04m (10ft) long model comes with either 1.5m or 1.7m (5ft or 5ft 8in) body width, while the 3.6m (12ft) version standardises on the wider of the two but offers a choice of roof heights.
Whether fixed or demount, trailers can be equipped with conventional style sheep decks using fold up panels to create the loading ramp extension for the upper deck.
– although a new design is planned for later in the year.
TRAILERSUPPLIERS
• Bateson Trailers 0161-426-0500
• Graham Edwards 01759-373062
• Ifor Williams 01490-412626
• Richardson Trailers 01904-470282
• Wessex Trailers 01929-462534