FB

Trailers with Drive-Over Fenders

A typical car hauler does not serve the hard-core 4×4’s and wide stance vehicles very well.  Certainly removable fenders help, but we can go one step farther.  Drive-Over Fender Trailers are a game changer for loading and transporting wide stance vehicles.  So, by request, we now offer these trailer plans.

Almost immediately after publishing the article introducing our new Car Hauler Trailer Plans, we were hit with questions about drive-over fender trailers.  Do we have them?  When will we have the plans?  Well, we deserve the questions, because we spoke about them in the other article, but did not give any further info.  So, here it is.

Yes, it is on the list for a while now.  We have a road map of several trailers that will eventually fill many needs for transporting vehicles and equipment.  We offer 2 trailers in the “A” box including a 20′ 10,400 lb Car Hauler. and a slightly smaller, stouter 18.5′ 12,000 lb Hauler.  Since then – Now, this article introduces our newest trailer plans that fit squarely in the “C” box.

Car / Equipment Transport
Trailer Styles
Deck Style
Solid, Fixed Deck Platform Tilt Deck
Fender
Style
Traditional Fenders
(fixed, pivot, or removable)
A B
Drive-Over Fenders
(wide, higher clearance vehicles)
C D

What are Drive-Over Fender Trailers?

As the name implies, Drive-Over Fenders are stout fenders that you simply drive over as you load a vehicle.  If the vehicle is too wide to fit between the fenders, simply drive up over the fenders.  These trailers fill a need for wide stance vehicles like hard-core 4×4’s, vehicles with dual wheels, buggies, and more.

Most cars and trucks fit within the typical 6′ 10″ width of a typical car hauling trailer.  (That is the typical width between the fenders.)  This is also true of most tractors, skid loaders, and other typical equipment.  So, the typical car hauler will do the job for most of these vehicles.  But, what about vehicles that do not fit between the fenders?

Watch this YouTube video, A Tale of Two Wreckers, for a great example of loading with drive-over fender trailers.  Fast forward and watch from 6:51 to 8:22.  At 7:27 you will see the front wheels go between the fenders.  At 7:55 it shows the rear wheels going up over the fenders.  It is a good example of how and why this drive-over fender style is valuable.

There are typically 2 options for the wider vehicles.  First, a deck-over trailer design like the trailers on this deck-over category page.  The second option is a car hauler with accomodations for the wide vehicles like the drive-over fender trailers.  A third option, though much less common, is the split track.  All 3 possibilities have their advantages.

Here is some good introduction with some background info about each of these options.

Deck-Over Trailers

Deck-Over TrailerCertainly Deck-Over trailers are a nice solution because the deck of the trailer is flat and supportive all across.  That make it easy for whatever vehicle or load you will carry.  We see these a lot for skid loaders, small tractors, as well as other equipment, even sometimes for multiple UTV’s or 4×4’s.

We do not see them as often used for cars, because the deck is high (over the wheels).  Deck height is one negative of the Deck-Over trailers, which usually means long or steep ramps.  Some vehicles cannot make the transition up and over the steep-ish ramps.  Also, the higher deck gives a higher center of gravity when rolling down the highway.

Along with the flat bed, Deck-Over trailers are popular because they can be long, at high capacity.  The deck is high, so there is room for strong supporting structure (main beams and such) without compromising the purpose.  Taller, stronger beams fit nicely for length at high capacity.  An example is our Truss Trailer, which is a long, light, Deck-Over trailer.

If you need Plans for Deck-Over trailers, we have them.

Split Track Trailers

Split Track
Photo from chengdasemitrailer.com, but the original photo is no longer there.

These are not too common for non-industrial applications.  We see them frequently for over-the-road trucks like for carrying the huge farming equipment, large bulldozers, and the like.  These trailer decks have an open area where the wheel is exposed instead of a fender or deck-over.  When loading, the vehicle just drives over the exposed tires.  This works well for track vehicles (like a bulldozer).

These trailers have a slightly lower deck than the deck-overs, but they do have exposed tires.  That works well when the wheels of the trailer are at the back (like with a semi-truck), but it can conflict with wheel placement when the trailer wheels are under the tracks or wheels of the vehicle being carried.

These work well for many applications, but bigger, typically.

Car Haulers as Drive-Over Fender Trailers

Drive-Over Fender Trailers ExampleThe concept of drive-over fender trailers offers a lower center of gravity for the system, and a lower entry onto the deck.  Yes, in the end, the tops of the fenders are roughly the same height as a deck-over trailer, but the vehicle platform is not that high.  Also, the ramps go only up to the deck, so they have a lower rise, and a shallower angle.

One negative to the drive-over fender trailers is for many vehicles, only a portion of the tire goes onto the fender.  That means it drives on the edge of the fender, which can be hard on the tire.  (They should shift it over so one tire is up, and the other down, but application is another story.)  Most 4×4 tires handle this just fine since the tires are tough and the vehicles are not super heavy.  That might be a little different for a dually truck, or a wide tracked vehicle.

If you are in the market for this style of trailer, it certainly serves an important purpose.  This is the style you (our customers) have requested, so plans for Drive-Over fender trailers are now available.

Trailer Plans Are Available

Plans are now available in the Car & Equipment Hauler Trailers category of the plans store.  Also, here are some direct links to the plans for drive-over fender trailers for hauling cars, or drivable equipment.  (The wide body car hauler trailers – as we like to say.)

These are effectively the same trailer, one with 4″ drop axles, and one with straight axles.  However, they are different plans because the parts to support the fenders are different – because the deck height is different.  The tops of the drive-over fenders are the same for both trailers, but the straight axles make the deck of the one higher, therefore the “hump” over the fenders is less.

Also, both of these plans have the option for 10,400 lb. capacity which offers a 2″ lower deck height.  Check out all the other options in the plans too.

The straight axles (Mid Deck) also offers 4″ more ground clearance for off-the-road access, yet the deck is still several inches lower than a Deck-Over trailer.

Both of the above Drive-Over Fender Trailers are great, stable and strong.  Both come with similar options for deck styles, tie-down locations, etc..  The geometry for the fenders is the big difference.  And, all of that information you need is in the CAD files that come with the plans download.

Drive Over Fender Trailers Plans Now

If you have a need for transporting a wide stance vehicle, then we have plans.  Both drive-over fender trailers will make loading easier for your wide stance 4×4’s or other wide vehicles.  We now have the Drive-Over Fender Trailers plans – available for you.

What Makes Our Trailer Plans Better?

Of course, fenders you can drive on are not new.  There are many trailers you can buy with this feature.  So, why are we introducing these plans?  There are 4 big reasons our trailer plans are the best.

  1. DIY.  While trailers with the drive-over feature are available to buy, good plans to build them are not.  Now they are.
  2. Strength.  In seriously studying car and equipment hauling trailers, we found that most are on the edge of what we consider acceptable.  Many are scary if you use them at the stated limits.  Read the article to see what we mean.  We do not want that for you, so we are offering a design that will do what it says.
  3. Plans at Mechanical Elements are created by the Engineer, and they all receive the full engineering analysis before we offer them to you.  We know they are right, because we have been engineering trailers for 30 years.  Check out our history.
  4. You Asked For It.  We are here to serve you and help you achieve your goals.  If that includes making the plans for drive-over fender trailers, then we are OK with that.  Let us know what you need.

There are a bunch of reasons why our plans are the best.  Things like our plans are the most complete available, and we include far more options for customizing.  Just the simple things like including both the drawings and separate instructions plus extras like CNC files if the plans need them.  We include a bunch of tips about how do build, and what areas you can change (and where you should not).

Car Hauler Trailer

There really is not a good comparison with other trailer plans.  Ours are the best, and that includes plans for the drive-over fender trailers.  More info, more detail, more tips, more options, more complete . . . that is how we roll.

Good Luck with all your Vehicle Transport Adventures!

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View All Comments

We Found These For You . . .

Product
32' Tiny House Trailer Plans For DIY

With options for length and capacity, these plans address unique needs of a Tiny House Trailer.  8.5’ x 32’ or 30’, low deck height.  18,000 lbs, 21,000 lbs, or 24,000 lbs capacity.  Fully Engineered.

Article
Trailer Axles - Springs - Wheels - and Tires
I will just drop by the parts store and grab an axle . . . . Well, trailer axles are not quite that simple, but knowing a few important details, we can certainly get the right one.  Here is a…
Article
Plans In Metric
Virtually everything on the internet is by definition “World Wide”.   Even though Mechanical Elements (and Synthesis Engineering Services) is physically located in the USA, we have a world audience, so that is a fair question
Article
Walking Beam Trailer Suspension With Twin Torsion Axles
Plans are now available for the Twin Torsion Axle Walking Beam Trailer Suspension.  Please see the early build in 2018, with a couple articles (links below) about the trailer including a video of the suspension in action.  Plans are now…
Article
Harbor Freight Improvement
You have seen them, the inexpensive bolt-together Harbor Freight trailer kits.  While they pack a lot of function, they unfortunately are often something like a rattle trap.  (Not always, of course.)  While they have a cheap rap, they sell a…
Article
May Is Build Month - DIY Plans Sale
May, the time of new flowers after April showers, is also the time for building that project you’ve been stewing on over the winter.  Spring has sprung, so it’s time to make it happen.
Product
Gravity Tilt Car Trailer Plans

With a strong I-Beam Design, the Gravity Tilt Car Trailer of these awesome plans will do the job.  It is a 7' x 21' trailer with many options, starting with 10,400 lbs, or 12,000 lbs Capacity.  Many Choices, and a…

Article
Torsion Axle Conversion Plans
By far, the most common trailer suspension is leaf springs.  They are cheap, straightforward, easy to repair and a bunch of other things.  That said, there are definitely benefits in other suspension styles, too.  Torsion is the 2nd most common…
Product
6x11, 2 Place, ATV Trailer Plans

When you need full space for 2 large ATV’s, or other off-road vehicles, this is your trailer.  Plans give options for ramps, tie-downs, and other functions.  Build this for robust action to last through the years.

Product
Just The Right Size Garage Crane

Get maximum height with a garage crane that still rolls through the door! Use it outdoors, then roll it right in. These Gantry Crane Plans have telescoping legs with options for the beam size and length.