What's the difference? And why care?
Durability, Reliability, Trust. These are all things that you should look for when considering purchasing a trailer. Not only do you need to have complete confidence in the trailer, but the company and its values also.
So how do you know just how durable, reliable and trustworthy your trailer is? Well, it starts at the core, the Chassis.
Our fabricated chassis stands out from among the crowd for 5 different reasons.
The Ox Trailer chassis profile is 150mm x 50mm x 5mm 350grade* G-Section Channel (See figure 1+ 2)
The 350 grade steel used is a much higher tensile strength than the usual box section (RHS). With a greater mix percentage of Cobalt (gives a higher elasticity ratio) and lesser mix of Iron (less prone to rust), the physical properties of the steel make it give a stronger resistance to wear and tear.
This high strength profile runs the full length of the trailer and is also used for the strengthening cross members. This allows the chassis to flex and move when it negotiates rough road terrain.
Traditionally, trailer chassis frames are built from a formed-closed box section with the standard chassis profile size for a 3.5t trailer at 75mm x 50mm x 3mm 250 grade steel (see figure 3).
You cannot access the inside of the frame with any protective coatings meaning it is vulnerable to weathering, rust and corrosion which inevitably leads to the weakening of particular areas in the chassis. Namely what's known as the pinch point, which is where the very front of the tray meets the drawbar chassis.
This is the most strained part of the trailer, as it is where the most pressure is applied.
If this section is not properly maintained it can deteriorate into nasty situation extremely fast. In most cases, it can happen so fast that they don't know it is a weak point until it snaps (See figure 4 + 5)
With an open sided chassis, you can detect corrosion and rust spots and mend them before it is too late.
We consider it a humble brag when discussing our chassis and its supremacy over other models. But it is something we spent months researching and perfecting until we created the standalone impressive use of fabrication that it is today.