Holding up my tilt deck utility trailer

I have a 5.5 x 12' trailer that I use for atvs, garden tractors and miscellaneous loads. It has the axle about 3/8 from the back rather than at the midpoint. This has made the trailer pull quite nicely and I never have to worry about the deck not tipping down like a friend whose trailer tilts in the middle.

I researched different ways of tilting the trailer so that I could load the tractors or atv easily. Many of them involved a winch (which I want to have available for loading a non-running machine) or a hydraulic jack which ends up taking minutes to pump up enough.

I ended up developing this system out of an adjustable air shock, some trailer spring shackles, a few miscellaneous plumbing fittings and a couple 9/16" bolts.

It works like a dream. Because it is an air shock I was able to adjust the pressure to balance it to the trailer. It will not tilt back by itself unless the front is picked up or weight put on the rear. It tips down as my 66# 7-year-old walks up the deck and because the shock is there it no longer slams down or up either. The shock is mounted that way because I figure a little rainwater against the seal is probably better than road grit and slush getting shoved inside.

I love it when a plan comes together.

That's a slick idea Ryan! I'll have to remember that one. 8)

Very nice! I love that kind of home engineering.

I"m very impressed. Simple yet effective. Do you think one of those small 12 volt air compressors would operate the tilt?

Jim

(quoted from post at 06:48:32 10/26/11) I"m very impressed. Simple yet effective. Do you think one of those small 12 volt air compressors would operate the tilt?

Jim

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Jim, I suppose it would but I really don't need it to. The air in the shock never gets released.

Now that is a slick idea. I also like how you have the extension handle on your winch so it's not only convienent to use, but the winch can be mounted closer to the wall and out of the way.
I also agree on why you mounted the shock upside down, but you could still easily add a cover such as a rubber shift boot (you know, the rubber boot on a stick shift vehicle) or something similar, just clamp with SS clamps on each end. It should work since you know the limits of the shocks travel. You could also incorporate the clamp toward the hitch coupler to keep the air fill fitting in place and eliminate the electrical tape.
American ingenuity at it's best, good work!

Clever use of an air shock.

My 20 foot heavy tilt bed works the same way with a hydraulic cylinder. I can stand on the rear of the bed and it will tilt down when I walk to the front it tilts back down. I can drive the dozer or backhoe up on it and it tilts back down smooth without a bounce or thud. I don't use it much as it weighs 8000 pounds empty. I hauled the backhoe around on it with my one ton pickup but it was a load and the tag cost was high.

Might want to put some plastic ties to hold that hose. I wouldn't trust that tape to last long.