East Manufacturing has announced a new all-aluminum flatbed trailer with narrow-neck design. The trailer is a combination of East technology and Sliding Systems Inc. (SSI) all-aluminum curtainside trailer, resulting in a lightweight flatbed product.
“This is another step forward in East’s commitment to deliver innovative, light-weight solutions,” said Dave de Poincy, president. “The lower trailer weight of the new all-aluminum trailer with the SSI curtainside expands East’s ability to meet customer needs in providing the lightest weight, most versatile trailers on the road.”
The flatbed trailer with the SSI curtainside is designed to haul freight heavy enough for a flatbed with the load capacity and enclosure of a van, East said. The newly-designed, 8-in. neck offers the same durability, strength and payload of the East BST aluminum flatbed trailer along with the ability to be equipped with an enclosure, providing more load versatility and protection.
The van configuration has a 106-in. clear height – just 4 inc. short of a van – and 101-in. inside load width. It also accommodates up to 50,000 lbs. concentrated load in 4 ft. on a 48-ft. spread axle trailer. The flexibility of the curtain side offers load access from both sides as well as the rear door.
The main beams and the structural cross-members use 6061-T6 aluminum, offering all the durability of high-tensile-strength steel at less than half the weight. Welded Double T main beams balance load stresses more evenly for longer life and less maintenance.
Fully-enclosed hollow-core floor planks and tubular cross-members mean less wind resistance. The SSI curtainside maintains all the flexibility of loading and unloading of a flatbed with the protection of a van. The curtainside uses the exclusive Versa rail, (6061-T6) all-aluminum, one-piece extrusion, which is lighter weight than standard rail and offers superior strength and less “sag” when all roof supports are out of the way for loading, East said.
Curtains are constructed with a 26-1/2-ounce PVC-coated polyester (double top finish – face and back) fabric manufactured by Mehler fabric. It is horizontally and vertically reinforced with webbing to provide added strength, resulting in a taut curtain with no wrinkles. The webbing is made of high tenacity polyester yarn with a PVC coating for abrasion resistance and welding ability. The webbing is 1-7/8-in. wide and .04-in. thick. Its breaking strength is rated at 2,900 lbs. at 68 degrees F.
The curtainside’s non-removable rolling post roof support device stays attached to the post roller which is mounted inside a track of the rail.
