Of all the special finishes requested for Hamilton trailers, galvanizing may be the most unique. The concept is to make something metallic corrosion resistant by immersing it in a molten zinc bath. Anticipating the galvanizing process, engineering applied some very specific features. For example, the design required extra holes for air release and draining. No part of the trailer could have potential for an air pocket. Under the extreme zinc bath temperatures, which can reach 800 degrees Farenheit, trapped gasses can cause an explosion.
Building a galvanized trailer required some non-standard production procedures. Normally a trailer is fully welded and then assembled. For galvanizing, the trailer had to be hot-dip galvanized in separate pieces. This meant we delayed assembly to send five major components to galvanizing. Assembly occurred after returning from being galvanized.
This trailer is designed to move a large heavy duty filter to and from a maintenance shop. The travel path is 300 meters over asphalt road. Large 16” diameter solid pneumatic wheels with tapered roller bearings are ideal for varying paved terrain under relatively heavy loads. The trailer capacity is 10,000 lbs. Key features include two removable cradles, four robust handles, perimeter lashing rings for securing the load, and fifth wheel steering with a directional tongue lock. The customer wanted to be able to lock the steering wheels into a straight position to allow for pulling with a winch. The cradles are removable so the trailer has a secondary use as a typical flat deck fifth wheel steer trailer. The cradles are bolted directly to the frame to minimize fastening hardware. For safety and convenience, the towing tongue can be locked in the vertical position. The 44” trailer width assures lateral stability with the load in place, considering a 25” deck height and a large cylindrical filter secured on top of that.
XT2821 Technical Specifications
- Fifth Wheel Steer trailer
- Deck Size 44” x 96” x 25” high
- Capacity – 10,000 LBS
- Lashing rings around complete perimeter
- Steel semicircle cradles
- Loop type towing tongue with pintle hitch at the rear
- 16” x 5” solid pneumatic rubber-tired wheels
- Wheel bearings are precision tapered roller bearings
- Slippery Uhmw 5th wheel assembly with Alloy steel Kingpin
- Heavy duty handles in each corner
- Hot-dipped galvanized finish