Tilt Bed Trailer vs. Ramps
Everyone with a trailer has had to deal with loading something too heavy or awkward to lift on their own. As a result, you need a ramp or a tilt bed trailer. Adding an incline lets you quickly load equipment and objects onto your trailer, reducing injury and difficulty. However, you might need help lining everything up with the ramp correctly, or it might be too steep. A tile bed trailer solves this issue with ease.
A powered tilt trailer deck makes loading and unloading equipment easy — no more packing up ramps or worrying about steep inclines. Investing in a tilt deck can significantly improve your loading times and reduce physical strain. Let's go over some pros and cons of a tilt bed trailer, why they perform better than ramps and when they work best for you.
What Is a Tilt Bed Trailer?
A tile bed trailer, also called a tilt deck trailer, tilting utility trailer, tilt ramp or tilt bed, is a trailer with a tilting deck. The tilting deck makes loading and offloading heavy machinery and equipment more manageable than a standard, non-tilting trailer.
A full-tilt deck means the deck tilts completely during equipment loading and unloading. This is perfect for trucks with scissor lifts or forklift attachments. The width and complete movement of the deck makes equipment or vehicle hauling highly efficient.
There are also industrial tilt decks. For these trailers, the back deck tilts while the front deck always stays in place. A non-tilting front allows you to haul equipment with various attachments. Both industrial and full-tilt decks come with hydraulic mechanisms, which allow the deck to tilt independently without putting strain on you as you load.
Difference Between a Tilt and a Ramp Trailer
The tilting feature is the key difference between a tilt bed and a ramp. A ramp hooks into the back of your trailer, creating a smooth incline that makes loading and offloading objects onto the trailer easier. Some ramps are attached to your trailers, while others are mobile, so you can latch them to different trailers as needed.
Tilt decks, as the name suggests, tilt. The deck moves to act as a ramp for loading. As the equipment is moved on and off the deck, it'll tilt — this allows you to carry around a trailer and ramp in one convenient piece instead of having a separate ramp for your trailer. Both ramps and tilt beds have their own benefits and use — the right one for you will depend on what you prefer and what you're hauling.
Benefits of a Tilt Deck Trailer
Tilt deck trailers have dozens of uses — their unique design makes them well-suited for equipment that's heavy or difficult to load. If you're considering upgrading your trailer to make your life easier, here are some of the benefits of a tilt bed trailer:
Versatile Loading
The wide size of a tilt bed means you can load a wide range of objects onto your trailer. As long as you're within the weight limit and can get your equipment on the trailer, you can haul it. The tilt deck simplifies awkward loading and allows you to haul different loads easily.
Some objects a tilt bed can carry include:
- Snowmobiles
- ATVs
- Riding lawnmowers
- Tool chests
- Plant machinery
- Sort and hobby vehicles
Protects Heavy Objects
The tilting deck helps reduce object falls, minimizing equipment damage and injuries to anyone near the trailer. A tilt ramp makes it easier to safely roll heavy equipment onto the trailer, reducing strain and keeping you safe during loading.
Additionally, the vast size of the tilt trailer gives you more room to maneuver and secure objects. Having more space while loading and hauling lowers your chances of things falling over and off the trailer.
Maximizes Space
If you have a folding loading ramp, you'll have to sacrifice some trailer space when you pack up the ramp. With a tilt deck, the entire deck becomes the ramp. This function lets you use the entirety of the deck for hauling and allows you to carry more with each load than other ramps.
Makes Loading Easier
Instead of unloading and loading a ramp every time you need it, the trailer will do all the ramp tilting for you, reducing strain and energy use. Letting the hydraulics do the tilting and not having to deal with separate ramp unloading will save you time and effort that you can put into better things.
What can You Use a Tilt Bed For?
While there are dozens of uses for tilt equipment trailers, they work best for heavier items and machinery. Ramps are more manageable for some tasks, but a tilt bed provides a stable, wide space for loading and unloading. If you're thinking about getting a tilt bed, you can use it for transporting:
- Heavy items: Loading heavy equipment onto your trailer using a ramp can be time-consuming and exhausting. Lifting cargo onto a trailer can lead to falls, damage and injuries. Using a tilt bed reduces strain and improves loading safety and efficiency.
- Cars: Tilt decks make loading cars even easier. You have to line everything up just right to use a ramp, and getting the right vehicle clearance for loading can be challenging. With a tilt bed, you don't have to worry about any of this. You'll avoid scraping the bottom of the car and make vehicle transport a breeze.
- Power sport vehicles: Motorcycles, ATVs and other vehicles will be much simpler and faster to load with a tilt bed. Speed and security are essential for transporting power sport vehicles — you want to get to your destination as soon as possible, and you don't have to worry about anything except enjoying yourself on your vehicle. You can quickly load and unload the tilt deck to maximize your sport time.
Tilt Trailers From Pequea
The right tools will help improve the quality, efficiency and safety of your hauling. With a tilt bed trailer, you can ensure the secure transport of your load for long or short hauls. At Pequea, we know how essential your equipment is. With over 40 years in equipment manufacturing, we've perfected our products to ensure you get high-quality, durable equipment for your needs.
Enjoy quick, convenient vehicle and transport equipment with one of our high-performance full or industrial tilt trailers. Additionally, we carry a wide range of other trailer types and agricultural equipment to help you find a product you can trust. Contact us to find a dealer or get additional support today!
