I'm sure someone here has a flatbed trailer with a dovetail. I recently bought a trailer, but it is totally flat. I am considering adding a dovetail to it, but need some dimensions. The length of the dovetail, and the amount of drop. I will fab up new ramps that I can move sideways to load items or vehicles that don't fit on the existing ramps. I put a link to my FTP site. Hopefully it will work. If it says adobe error, try to refresh page.

ftp://Pics:none@64.83.76.114

 

I too bought a flatbed trailer, and wished I had bought a dovetail. I had thought about adding a dovetail to mine, but mine is already 19 feet long, and did not want to make it any longer. So now I am trying to figure out if I can make the existing trailer into a dovetail, by having someone cut the last 4 feet off, and then add a wedge to it, to make that 4 feet a dovetail. I figure a six inch drop should be fine in my case, I don't know how long your trailer is, or how high off the ground it is, so you may want a different drop.

Jim

 

I would probably ask this question at WeldingWeb™ - Welding forum for pros and enthusiasts

There are plenty of guys there with experience. To keep from getting slammed, I'd make it clear that you would have a pro do the welding and you aren't planning on doing it yourself with a 120V HF MIG machine.

Here is one thread and you can see they take it serious and don't encourage amateurs to make fly-by-night mods to vehicles:

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php...light=dovetail

And a good thread on exactly what you are attempting:

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php...light=dovetail

Also, you can get a set of engineered plans from Northern Tool.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...8241_200308241

That may help you with the design and construction of your add on dovetail. Keep in mind that unless you cut part of the rear of the trailer down or move the axle mounts, you will be changing the weight distribution of your trailer.

 

Let me add that I am far from inexperienced in the welding and fabrication field. I have done nuke power plant welding, certified for US Navy, certs for Az, Ca, Nev earthquake structures, done 8" thick X-ray quality stuff for General Dynamics tank plant (in Detroit) altho not sure if it is still in existence. I took and passed a 40 hour certs test for American Standard IPD (Dearborn Mi) and I have done more oddball welding jobs than I can remember. I have also done cert sub-arc (1" plus). I do stainless, and aluminum, wire fed or TIG.
Granted, it has been years since, but it is like riding a bicycle, you don't forget how. I also have access to a fabricating facility, where I work, and can have done, or do, anything I want.

 

That's good to know. In any case, I think there are some good pointers in those threads and on that site. Especially the information on how to cut the beam and fishplate the joints. Make sure you post pictures of your project.

 

The guy I bought my car hauler from cut off the last couple feet off my trailer and angled the joints and welded it back together. He did an awesome job and it looks factory.

 

MX727 - I agree with you that there is some good info there. The way the guy cut and bent the frame beams is not my preferred method, as someone else pointed out. I would have cut the "V" equal angles from the bend point so the bottom flange would have been in alignment. I would put CJP welds first, then fishplates.
My trailer has a 14' bed, and I have found a low sitting vehicle may have a hard time being loaded at the transition from ramp to deck and bottoming out. The dovetail would help in that respect.
Since I have not gotten any responses to my original question, I will most likely add 2' or 2'6 in length, and a 6" drop at the rear. I will fab up the dovetail frame section first, then install it.

 

Your question was impossible to answer with the info given.

 

Did you not follow the link I posted? The info I seek is the length from the bend, and the amount of drop at the end.

 

Your drawing looked fine to me, but I'm not near my trailer to measure. I'd run by a trailer dealer with a tape measure to double check the measurements.

 

There is a dealer not far from me, but I have problems walking anymore, so it would be difficult for me to measure.

 

Yes I looked at your picture with lines on it but that is all it really is, isn't it?
You want to know the run and rise of the dovetail but you fail to include some very necessary information.
For example...
What is your deck height?
What sort of ground clearance do you need?
How much angle are you limited to depending on what type of equipment you are going to run up the dovetail?
How long and large of ramps do you need?
Is this a tilt bed? (probably "no" since you are building ramps.)
How much center-of-rear-axle to end of trailer are you allowed? Need?
Very simple questions that once you get your answers basically tell you everything you need to know.

And since I got your resume, here is a bit of mine...
30+ years welding/fab. Pipefitter/welder(both inside and outside the gate) including nukes, powerplants, tubes, refineries, Naval subs and surface, uphill, downhill, stick, tig, mig, dualshield(gotta be real hungry for that one) and mig/subarc pipe and filling in with enough cashwork/custom fab and oddball jobs to more than account for my insanity.
So, one cranky old welder to another, You didn't supply enough information.


p.s. Stopped by the local CWS this morning and found these. They're definitely going on the ClassicII once it gets painted.

 

My 16' dovetail sitting level. 12* down angle on dovetail which is 24 1/4" long measured from bend to end on top surface. Hope that helps somewhat.

 

Thanks, that is what I was looking for.

 

Should have answered you yesterday. Too damn lazy to walk out and measure.