Adjustable height trailer
View Patent ↗The adjustable height trailer is a fifth wheel-type trailer with a single rear axle supporting the rear of the trailer and a fifth wheel hitch supporting the front. The rear axle and hitch have adjustable height suspensions, allowing the trailer to be lowered or raised uniformly while remaining hitched to the towing vehicle. One embodiment is configured as a livestock trailer with a series of stall positions therein. The loading and exit doors are generally diagonally opposite one another. A series of adjustably positionable partitions is installed on overhead tracks, with a partition placed between each animal as they are boarded and positioned in the trailer. Animals depart the trailer through the opposite door, with the partitions being repositioned correspondingly. The trailer suspension allows the trailer to be lowered to the underlying surface to facilitate loading and unloading animals therefrom, or other commodities, depending upon the trailer configuration.
1. An adjustable height trailer, comprising:
a trailer body having a forward portion, a rearward portion opposite the forward portion, a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a floor having a raised portion at the forward portion and a raised portion at rearward portion of the trailer body;
an adjustable height fifth wheel hitch assembly disposed at the forward portion of the trailer body, the fifth wheel hitch assembly including:
a tubular hitch guide extending upwardly from the raised portion of the floor, the hitch guide further having an upper end;
a laterally disposed hitch guide crossmember extending across the upper end of the hitch guide, the crossmember having mutually opposed first and second arms;
a hitch post telescopically disposed within the hitch guide, the hitch post having a lower portion;
a laterally disposed hitch post crossmember extending across the lower portion of the hitch post, the crossmember having mutually opposed first and second arms;
first upper and lower suspension height adjusters disposed between the first arms of the hitch guide crossmember and the hitch post crossmember; and
second upper and lower suspension height adjusters disposed between the second arms of the hitch guide crossmember and the hitch post crossmember, wherein the first and second upper and lower height adjusters comprise adjustable, resilient airbag suspension units;
an adjustable height rear suspension disposed at the rearward portion of the trailer body, the rear suspension including:
first and second trailing arm assemblies, each of the assemblies having a forward end pivotally attached to the floor beneath the raised portion thereof, a medial portion, and a rearward end opposite the forward end;
a rear axle disposed across the rearward end of each of the trailing arm assemblies; and
a suspension height adjuster disposed between the medial portion of each of the trailing arm assemblies and the raised portion of the floor, wherein each height adjuster comprises an adjustable, resilient airbag suspension unit;
a first door installed in the first side at the rearward portion of the trailer body;
a second door installed in the second side at the forward portion of the trailer body; and
at least one adjustably positionable partition extending between the first side and the second side, the partition, forward portion of the trailer body, and rearward portion of the trailer body defining at least one livestock stall disposed therein.
2. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 1 , further comprising a fold-down rear door disposed at the rearward portion of the trailer body.
3. An adjustable height trailer, comprising:
a trailer body having a forward portion, a rearward portion opposite the forward portion, a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a floor;
an adjustable height fifth wheel hitch assembly disposed at the forward portion of the trailer body;
a hitch post adjustably depending from the fifth wheel hitch assembly;
an adjustable height rear suspension disposed at the rearward portion of the trailer body; and
a single rear axle disposed across the adjustable height rear suspension.
4. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 3 , wherein each of the sides has an upper edge, the trailer further comprising:
a first door installed in the first side adjacent the rearward portion of the trailer body;
a second door installed in the second side adjacent the forward portion of the trailer body;
mutually opposed first and second partition tracks respectively disposed along the upper edge of the first side and second side; and
at least one adjustable partition extending between the first side and the second side, the partition having a first end movably installed in the first partition track and a second end movably installed in the second partition track, the partition, forward portion of the trailer body, and rearward portion of the trailer body defining at least one livestock stall disposed therein.
5. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 3 , wherein the floor has a raised portion at the forward portion of the trailer body, the trailer further comprising:
a tubular hitch guide extending upwardly from the raised portion of the floor, the hitch guide further having an upper end;
a laterally disposed hitch guide crossmember extending across the upper end of the hitch guide, the crossmember having mutually opposed first and second arms;
the hitch post being telescopically disposed within the hitch guide, the hitch post having a lower portion;
a laterally disposed hitch post crossmember extending across the lower portion of the hitch post, the crossmember having mutually opposed first and second arms;
first upper and lower suspension height adjusters disposed between the first arms of the hitch guide crossmember and the hitch post crossmember; and
second upper and lower suspension height adjusters disposed between the second arms of the hitch guide crossmember and the hitch post crossmember.
6. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 3 , wherein the floor has a raised portion above the rear suspension, the trailer further comprising:
first and second trailing arms, each of the arms having a forward end pivotally attached to the floor beneath the raised portion thereof, a medial portion, and a rearward end opposite the forward end;
a rear axle disposed across the rearward end of each of the trailing arms; and
a suspension height adjuster disposed between the medial portion of each of the trailing arms and the raised portion of the floor.
7. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 3 , wherein the fifth wheel hitch assembly and the rear suspension further include a plurality of adjustable, resilient airbag suspension units therewith.
8. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 3 , further comprising a fold-down rear door disposed at the rearward portion of the trailer body.
9. An adjustable height trailer, comprising:
a trailer body having a forward portion, a rearward portion opposite the forward portion, a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and a floor, each of the sides having an upper edge;
an adjustable height fifth wheel hitch assembly disposed at the forward portion of the trailer body;
a hitch post adjustably depending from the fifth wheel hitch assembly;
an adjustable height rear suspension disposed at the rearward portion of the trailer body; and
a single rear axle disposed across the adjustable height suspension;
a first door installed in the first side adjacent the rearward portion of the trailer body;
a second door installed in the second side adjacent the forward portion of the trailer body;
mutually opposed first and second partition tracks respectively disposed along the upper edge of the first side and second side; and
at least one adjustable partition extending between the first side and the second side, the partition having a first end movably installed in the first partition track and a second end movably installed in the second partition track, the partition, forward portion of the trailer body, and rearward portion of the trailer body defining at least one livestock stall disposed therein.
10. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 9 , wherein the floor has a raised portion at the forward portion of the trailer body, the trailer further comprising:
a tubular hitch guide extending upwardly from the raised portion of the floor, the hitch guide having an upper end;
a laterally disposed hitch guide crossmember extending across the upper end of the hitch guide, the crossmember having mutually opposed first and second arms;
the hitch post telescopically disposed within the hitch guide, the hitch post having a lower portion;
a laterally disposed hitch post crossmember extending across the lower portion of the hitch post, the crossmember having mutually opposed first and second arms;
first upper and lower suspension height adjusters disposed between the first arms of the hitch guide crossmember and the hitch post crossmember; and
second upper and lower suspension height adjusters disposed between the second arms of the hitch guide crossmember and the hitch post crossmember.
11. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 9 , wherein the floor has a raised portion above the rear suspension, the trailer further comprising:
first and second trailing arms, each of the arms having a forward end pivotally attached to the floor beneath the raised portion thereof, a medial portion, and a rearward end opposite the forward end;
a rear axle disposed across the rearward end of each of the trailing arms; and
a suspension height adjuster disposed between the medial portion of each of the trailing arms and the raised portion of the floor.
12. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 9 , wherein the fifth wheel hitch assembly and the rear suspension further include a plurality of adjustable, resilient airbag suspension units therewith.
13. The adjustable height trailer according to claim 9 , further comprising a fold-down rear door disposed at the rearward portion of the trailer body.