Lemens Equipment LLC

Blog : Split Tilt Trailer Length

On today's blog I would like to discuss why split tilt trailers should be a minimum of 22 ft long, as well as have a minimum 18 ft tilt deck.

To start, let's begin at how to build a safe trailer. A trailer is generally built with a 60/40 axle placement. What that means is the center of the axle assembly would be 60% back from the front of the trailer, then 40% of the trailer would be after the center of the axle assembly. Some will also use the 60/40 rule with weight in the same manner. The 60/40 rule is a good combination of not having too much weight on the tongue, while not having too much weight behind the axle(s) which can cause fishtailing. Here is a nicely done video by U-Haul that demostrates this:

On a split tilt trailer, the tilt deck has to pivot down behind the rear axle so the deck clears it (this physically prevents the axles from being moved further behind the pivot point). It also has to pivot slightly in front of its center to make sure the tail is slightly heavier than the front, so it will lower down to the ground when the latch system is released. One of the benefits to having a tilt trailer is that the load angle is not as steep as flatbeds with ramps. This helps get on lowered cars, makes it safer loading machinery, etc. A 18 ft long tilt deck is ideal to get a good loading angle, anything shorter negates the benefit of having a tilt deck as it will become too steep to load.

Now that I have gone over why the axles on a split tilt cannot be moved back any further than they are, let's look at the 60/40 ratios of a 22 ft (18+4) split tilt:
Measurement from front of trailer to center of axles: 147.5"
Measurement from rear of trailer to center of axles: 121"
This gives you a 54/45 ratio, which is below the optimal 60/40 but is acceptable.
To achieve the 54/45 ratio, manufacturers have to add on a 4 ft stationary platform in front of the tilt deck to get the distance longer.

Now that we know the ratio of a 22 ft (18+4), let's see what a 20ft (18+2) would look like:
Measurement from front of trailer to center of axles: 123.5"
Measurement from rear of trailer to center of axles: 121"
This gives you a 50/49 ratio, which is well below the optimal 60/40 and is at the point where it could have potential to start fishtailing. I have spoken to multiple manufacturers who have built these and had this issue and will no longer build them any shorter than 22 ft (18+4).

In summary, there are manufacturers building all lengths of split tilts (16+2, 16+4, 18+2, etc), but as I have explained above, I feel sticking to a 22 ft (18+4) or longer is the safe way to make sure you and your cargo arrive safely. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to me, thank you!