OK fellows here is a float question 4 you Is it legal / feasible / do able ( 3 in one questions ) to make a boggy or tri axel float into a detachable neck float so that you could have a primemover and float and also have it so you can change it into a truck and tag setup by a detachable neck or pull
Feasable yes, legal, depends on where you are at
I`ll put up some pics to explain what the question is about ( and i hope the owners of the pics don`t mind me using them )
OK, I didn't read it quite right the first time. It would be a lot of work, but you could probably make a tounge that would hook into the kingpin of the semitrailer, and also pin onto the rear of the neck, then it would drop down to the pintle hitch. It may be that it would stretch things out and put too muck tounge weight on for the pintle hitch though. It would be unique. Let us know if it works out. As for being legal, that is another question altogether.
I once saw exactly that in a parking lot and had to turn around and go back for a better look. The trailer was seperated and the rear was a conventional drop neck lowboy, and the tongue was hooked to the pintle hitch of a dump truck. It was basically the same as a regular non-ground bearing removable gooseneck except flatter. The plate that usually came down on the tractor frame to support the gooseneck when detached pushed down two little wheels or rollers that rested on the ground to support the tail of the neck. When you wanted to hook back up you just backed the tongue back to the deck just like a very short conventional bumper pulled trailer. They were using it to move a 318 CAT all around the southeast U.S. behind a very heavy spec quad axle Mack dump truck. They were in the gas station remediation business and the owner said it was nothing to load it up and pull it 500 miles to the next job and it handled very well. He said he had a conventional gooseneck for it too but never used it. It was manufactured by one of the major lowboy brands to his specifications about 15 years ago; but, I can't remember which one.:beatsme
I seem to remember a trailking setup similar to this in a for sale ad. I've never seen another and I'm not sure why not. It would have a short coming in turning radius but would solve the small company problem of many specialized trucks instead of one multitasking truck.
My thinking was whatever configuration it was when it left the yard or base is what it stayed at untill it returned and was loaded and unloaded over the back via the ramps It is an idea aimed at the companys which have different work interests own inhouse shifting of there own gear, if they are do tipper work and need a loader to load the tipper , they use the pintle or bartel ball setup or if they are just wanting to shift other heavyier gear use the turntable truck for a safer wieght distribution
I think it was a trailking. The owner said he had 2 but had sold one a few years ago when he went from 2 crews to 1.
I was unable to find a pic on trail kings website. I seem to remember a diagram of this trailer but it seems to be missing now. It was a detach design but either detach or end load would work in principle. I wonder how much a custom pintle "gooseneck" would be extra over just a regular fifth wheel mount. Better question, how hard would retrofitting an existing trailer with the custom neck? I didn't mean to hijack but it seems I have... Sorry folks.