[pclawncare]

I have a 16ft landscape trailer currently with no dove tail. I had to build a 5ft gate on the rear to reduce the break over angle between the bed of the trailer and the gate. I am going to be purchasing a new trailer probably a 18' trailer with tandem 5200lb axles. I have been looking at ones with dove tails on them, but the only concern with this is does anyone have an problems with them draging on the ground. It just looks like to me the ground clearance could be very tight on some up hil drive ways pulling in and out.

 

[KrayzKajun]

my gooseneck drags sometimes with the dovetail. but mine is 5'

 

[PonyExpress94]

If you are looking at deck between trailers, I would steer you towards a full flat deck and get longer ramps. Any gains you may make in a shallower loading angle are lost by the inconvenience caused by dragging and possibly damaging the trailer. I think the dove/beaver tail option is better suited to deckover trailers where there is more ground clearance to begin with. And as Krazy Kajun said, his deckover drags with a dove tail and the back edge of his dove tail probably comes down to a level real close to where a standard flat deck-between trailer sits without a dove tail.

 

[Bigred350]

I have 2 18 ft trailers with dovetails and they drag all the time, but not that bad.

 

[Raymond S.]

I have a 20' w/ 4" drop torsion axles, no dovetail. The builder said he would not go any closer to I think 10" ground clearance, dovetail or not. We went w/ the drop axles and a 5' split gate, no issues w/ clearance to the ground or for loading low profile fixed deck mowers. The drop axles help alot w/ trailers that have side gates. You can dovetail the back to help that transition, but that doesn't help the side gate transition. Drop the whole deck 4" and you solve both problems. One downside is you lose about 1 1/2" inside width because you are now further down on the tires so you have to narrow up just a bit.

 

[pclawncare]

Thanks everyone thats pretty much what i was thinking. Its always solve one problem and create another. Get a 5 foot gate and it gets pretty heavy, get a dove tail and you get to close to the ground.

 

[gtmorgan89]

The hitch you are using can make a lot of difference. What sort of drop are you using?