Talk:Trailer (vehicle)

Trailers, Definition

I took engine out of the definition, because trailers can also be pulled by (human powered) bicycles. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Alastairgbrown (talk • contribs)

First I moved the above comment to its own section.

Second I think the Definition should change to "wheeled" as in "wheeled unpowered vehicle". As Barges (floating), Sleds (draged), Gliders (air/wings/lift), all fit the current definition, yet are not referred to as trailers, nor are mentioned in the article.

It could be further defined to include "pulled by a wheeled powered vehicle", as Carts, and wagons, pulled by humans and/or animals are not referred to as a trailer.

Not that think think it must, but it could be further refined to "unrestricted" or "free-ranged" or "non-tracked" as Tracked(rail) vehicle's don't refer to pulled unpowered wheeled vehicle as trailers either. Larek (talk) 14:48, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

Types of trailers section

"There are five main types of trailer, defined by their axle arrangement and method of combination.", however, more than five types of trailers are mentioned in that section. Some clarification is needed. --Porqin 19:17, 27 July 2006 (UTC)

Okay, someone made the clarification. --Porqin 19:14, 28 July 2006 (UTC)

Trailer arrangements

By rights this section should be transferred to the road train article. That's my opinion. Any comments? --Peter Horn 17:06, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Doubles are not typically considered road trains, at least in the US. Single trailers on dollys are also quite common in my neck of the woods - for example a three axle tanker truck pulling a tank trailer on an A dolly, commonly used for fuel hauling in the intermoutain west. Toiyabe 18:11, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

But doubles are simply the minimum or "starting point", the rest is "add on". --Peter Horn 20:09, 1 August 2006 (UTC)

Its a bit odd in the US as it veries from State to State. In Michigan two trailers are allowed only if the first is a fifth wheel, and three is not allowed at all. While out West three trailers isn't that uncommon. I think Three or less trailers should be present here as they are road legal Non-trains in the US.Larek (talk) 23:30, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

List of Manufactuerers

Can we remove the list of manufacturers? It adds nothing to the article Graemec2 10:33, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

I agree, I think most entries are probably just self-promotion or advertisment, I'll delete and see what happens --John Reaves 21:36, 15 November 2006 (UTC)

One can use List of trailer manufacturers and include an internal link. --Mac 13:08, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Sand

Which is the name for the truck and trailer used to transport sand ?. See http://www.tisvol.com/castellano.html and http://www.compraventa.com/view/5703685.htm?caller=pta_s&l=0&c=1&city=0 --Mac 13:07, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

Neither of your links work anymore.Larek (talk) 23:24, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

The common truck in the US to carry sand is the dump truck, the trailer equivalent is the (rear) dump semi-trailers. http://dptruck.com/Image/End_Dump.jpg There are specialized trailers that also carry sand, but they have special delivery methods and are not that common.

"Bottom/Belly Dump" leaves a linear pile, that goes between the rear wheels. http://classes.engr.oregonstate.edu/cce/winter2012/ce492/Modules/07_construction/Images/main_pictures_flexible/salt_lake_city018.JPG

"Sand Blasting/Pneumatic" releases its sand through pipes for things sand blasting or Frac-ing. http://www.pneutechtrailer.com/used/2011-06-16/PT-378%20to%20384/TRL383%20033.jpg

"Cross Gate Belly Dump" looks like a 'V' and dumps an even trailer wide path that the rear wheels drive on (common in Road Commsion fleets)http://www.trailermag.com.au/images/uploads/trailer/articles/Saf-Belly-2.jpg Larek (talk) 23:24, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

Unreferenced trailers

There are boat trailer, camper trailer, and goat trailer photos, but no text for them.Jeff dean 19:16, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

Cleanup-Rewrite

This article seems like a collection of dictionary definitions better suited for wiktionary than here. The intro needs to be rewritten and greatly fleshed out, w/historical data added. The rest should probably just be wiped or greatly converted and converted into a list of linked articles. Any information and photos not present in tow hitch and winch should be moved out of here and into those articles and deleted from here. MrZaius^talk 02:23, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

Done - Cut out all the lists that didn't match the style guide, completely rewrote intro and most sections, barring the motorcycle trailer and winch/jack/hitch sections. MrZaius^talk 08:59, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Note that aside from the odd, unprofessional goat trailer pic (still seen in goat), I removed no pictures, but I did move one of the two boat pics down to the Winch section to A: avoid drowning the intro in pics, as it was before, and B: illustrate a winch. MrZaius^talk 09:58, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Bus trailer

I suggest include a picture of a bus trailer. You can see the YouTube in external links. Thanks in advance --Altermike 22:42, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Not a bad idea, but wouldn't hurt to move your statement out of semi-trailer and into this article first. Then we'd have a section in which the image would be pertinent. Btw, the YouTube and jpg external links aren't really what the style guide calls for in the external links. Be better to add a news, manufacturer, or government source that describes those the battery trailers and to use that to introduce a references section in the article. MrZaius^talk 03:12, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

Utility trailer

What is an utility trailer ?. --Altermike 13:12, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

http://www.wellscargo.com/ Those toy trailers by Wells Cargo that you see all over the place are a subset of utility trailers, as I understand it. Ditto the open top trailers like the ones pictured here: http://www.worthingtontrailers.com/trailer-models.aspx?ID=4 MrZaius^talk 13:29, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

A small flat bed trailer with short or removable sides. Can be pulled my nearly anything, and can haul nearly anything (of limited weight). I.E. a trailer to just have for non specific uses, and then used as needs arise. Where most other trailers have a specific intended use, these are utilitairan (for all uses) Larek (talk) 22:32, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

Definition of Semi-trailer - comments please

Please see Talk:Semi-trailer#Definition of Semi-trailer - comments please and provide feedback comments. H Padleckas 03:43, 13 July 2007 (UTC)

The technical Definition of Semi-trailer is a Trailer that puts some of its weight on another vehicle. Nearly all "trailers" are of this type. Farm Trailers are a some of the few non-Semi-type trailer out there, as they have axes at each end.

However it is common practice to call a Commercial 5-wheel trailer rig, a "Semi-trailer" (which it is) and the pair, Truck and Trailer combination as just "Semi".

This seems odd as Commercial 5-wheel trailer rig when mated to a Dolly (making it a non-Semi-type trailer) is the largest use of non-Semi-type trailers today. Larek (talk) 15:12, 22 March 2011 (UTC)

Potrailer?

I have deleted the "potrailer" reference. I did a Google search on the term: apart from wordlists and other irrelevant entries, Google returned precisely ONE hit - from answers.com, which draws its encyclopedia content from Wikipedia. In other words, the only hit was a circular one. Until someone can verify other sources, I'm assuming this term is someone's invention. Ian Page 08:39, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Fifth Wheel vs Gooseneck

This article equates the "fifth wheel" coupling arrangement with the "gooseneck" method. A "fifth wheel" uses a horseshoe shaped coupling plate mounted on the bed or frame of a truck above the rear axle, which mates with a "kingpin" or "coupling pin" projecting below the overhanging portion of the trailer, as described at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_wheel A "gooseneck" has a coupling ball mounted on the bed or frame of the truck above the rear axle, which mates into a socket at the bottom of a post which projects down from the overhanging portion of the trailer. Bill Martin 2010-10-19 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Martinwj53 (talk • contribs) 00:13, 19 October 2010 (UTC)

That might be the case for the terminology where you are, and if you can find a suitable reference to say so, I'd urge you to add that distinction to the article. The terminology used in Australia is that fifth wheel refers to any form of coupling that is located above the chassis above the rear axles, as opposed to a tow coupling at the rear of the chassis. A gooseneck is the section of a trailer going from the front of the deck section up, then forward to the coupling. Hence, a low loader trailer has a gooseneck but a flat deck trailer does not. --Athol Mullen (talk) 04:05, 5 November 2010 (UTC)

In the US its is how Martinwj53 described, A Fifth Wheel is a kingpin / horseshoe connection, trailer form doesn't matter. A Gooseneck is a hitch ball over the rear axel, that an arm reaches out to, from the trailer with a socket. Gooseneck and Fifth_Wheel trailers are named by their connection type not the overall shape.

AtholM, Can you provide examples?? From http://www.tradingpost.com.au, a trailer sales site for Australia, A search for "Gooseneck" under trailers, comes up with Trailers of both body types, but all of them have Gooseneck couplers like Martinwj53 described, none are the Kingpin (fifth wheel type)coupler. It might just be a terminology limited to your area of Australia. I've also gone through several Australian store sites selling new trailers, and they don't seem to make the distinction as you do. Larek (talk) 22:25, 13 November 2013 (UTC)

To add to the confusion, I once saw a photo of a car/caravan combo not unlike a 5th wheel camper but where the fitting at the car end was attached to the centre of the vehicle roof – a Citroen BX in this case. It was pinned to a noticeboard on a French camp site with “A Vendre” written under it in large friendly letters, so I didn’t take any further notice. I've never seen another example. Mr Larrington (talk) 02:12, 9 February 2022 (UTC)

Toy trailer?

What’s this? Sounds like either a miniature that a kid would play with or something that would have delivered to Toys’r’us (before they went belly up), but the usage here would indicate something that is a real thing. Perhaps this is some Brit thing, as I have never heard this other than for a plaything. Wschart (talk) 11:46, 2 April 2018 (UTC)