Summary of Contents for Merritt GOOSENECK LIVESTOCK TRAILER
- Page 1 GOOSENECK LIVESTOCK TRAILER OWNER’S MANUAL SEE WARRANTY REGISTRATION FORM ON LAST PAGE 1-800-634-3036 . 9339 BRIGHTON RD. HENDERSON, COLORADO 80640-8229 REV A 6/16/16 79-79-0502...
- Page 2 This manual is furnished to ensure that the owner\operator is aware of safe operating procedures. It includes information about the general care and maintenance of your Gooseneck Livestock Trailer . Also included is an operator’s manual located in a tube holder on the lower front of the trailer.
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Page 3: Table Of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS WHEEL and TIRES FORWARD Wheels ..........8-1 Introduction.......... 1-1 Torque Requirements......8-1 Tire safety ..........8-2 GENERAL INFORMATION Normal trailer Operation ...... 2-1 Loading and unloading if livestock . . . 2-1 LOAD LIMITS Modification of Trailer ......2-1 LOAD LIMITS ........ -
Page 4: General Information
Because load types vary, drive with appropriate care and within the limits of the load. The wellbeing of the Gooseneck Livestock Trailer is dependent on the stock density, ventilation, skill of driving, and quality of roads. Frequent inspection of livestock and... -
Page 5: Safety
SAFETY OVER-THE-ROAD SAFE HANDLING YOU AND YOUR SAFETY 1. You - the operator - have control of the most important factors that affect vehicle stability. Trailers are important tools in our transportation industry and, like any tool, are safe in the hands of a properly qualified operator. -
Page 6: Wheel Torque
SAFETY OVER-THE-ROAD SAFE HANDLING 6. Tire Characteristics: high pressure truck/trailer tires have different characteristics under high speed cornering conditions than do passenger car tires. As an extreme example, it is fairly common knowledge that a skilled race car driver can consistently “drift” his racer around tight turns where very high lateral ”g”... -
Page 7: Before Trip Inspection
BEFORE TRIP INSPECTION PROCEDURE Be careful when making inspections, hookups, and repairs to avoid personal injury. Make sure parking brakes are properly active or that wheel chocks are in place to avoid sudden or unexpected movement of the trailer which could result in bodily injury. It is the Operator’s responsibility to conduct a safe and accurate pre-trip inspection of the vehicle including brake condition and proper adjustment and be satisfied that the vehicle is in safe operating condition. -
Page 8: Brake And Electrical Controls
BEFORE TRIP INSPECTION PROCEDURE BRAKE AND ELECTRICAL CONTROLS BRAKE CONTROLS Check brakes for proper operation before Connect the front receptacle and check for each trip. On trailers with electric brakes, proper operation of stop lights, right / left turn fasten the breakaway switch actuating cable signals and running lights. -
Page 9: Gates
BEFORE TRIP INSPECTION PROCEDURE GATES TIRES Check tires for cuts and abrasions. Before traveling, be sure that all gates are Check air pressure before each trip. locked in either a fully open, or fully closed Inflate as recommended by tire position. -
Page 10: Operation Instructions
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS OPERATION OF BRAKES Your trailer brakes are designed to work together with your towing vehicle brakes to stop the combined load. When one does the stopping for both, the overload causes heat build-up which can result in brake wear, a direct loss of braking power and increased brake lining wear. -
Page 11: Operation Of Gates
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS OPERATION OF GATES Divide gate is provided with a slam lock. Be sure that slam lock is completely engaged before towing the trailer. To prevent personal injury, stand clear of swinging gate until slam lock is engaged ADJUSTMENT OF GATES Adjustment of gate to slam lock: If your gates need to be adjusted, 1) Locate the slam lock and gate. -
Page 12: General Maintenance
GENERAL MAINTENANCE FASTENERS FLOOR Your Merritt Gooseneck trailer is constructed with aluminum tread plate floors to reduce Floors, deck rails, coupler assemblies, slipping. Never use sand or abrasive materials and tandem sub-assemblies are attached for animal bedding as this will cause excessive to the trailer with zinc plated and floor wear. -
Page 13: Grease Seals
GENERAL MAINTENANCE GREASE SEALS GENERAL MAINTENANCE 7,000 lb, 8,000 lb,. Torflex axles are standard with E_Z lube spindles. This feature allows the bearings to periodically lube without removing hubs from axle. Please refer to the Dexter Axle “Operation Maintenance Service Manual”... -
Page 14: Brakes
BRAKES BRAKES See Notice: Brakes Adjustment (Page 7-2). Adjust your trailer brakes after the first 200 miles and then after every 3,000 miles or 3 months of use. The brake drum should be inspected every 12 months or 12,000 miles. Inspect the drum surface for excessive wear or heavy scoring. If worn more than .020”, oversized drums should be turned. -
Page 15: Brake Adjustment
BRAKES BRAKES ADJUSTMENT* NOTICE GOOSENECK TRAILER BRAKES •7,000 lb axles may have manually adjusted brakes • Manual adjusting brakes require proper maintenance to prevent problems from developing. • Effective 2018 model year all 7,000, 8,000, 10,000 lb axles have automatic forward adjusting brakes. -
Page 16: Wheel And Tires
WHEELS AND TIRES WHEELS TORQUE REQUIREMENTS Wheels are a critical component of your running gear system. When replacing the It is extremely important to apply and trailer wheels it is critical to match the maintain proper wheel mounting torque to capacity rating and to ensure that they are your trailer axle. -
Page 17: Tire Safety
WHEELS AND TIRES Trailers Over 10,000 Pounds GVWR NOTE: These trailers are not required to have a tire information placard on the vehicle. Determine the empty weight of your trailer by weighing the trailer using a public scale or other means. This step does not have to be repeated. - Page 18 WHEELS AND TIRES measured in pounds per square inch (psi)–a tire requires to be properly inflated. (You will also find this number on the vehicle information placard expressed in kilopascals (kPa), which is the metric measure used internationally.) Manufacturers of passenger vehicles and light trucks determine this number based on the vehicle's design load limit, that is, the greatest amount of weight a vehicle can safely carry and the vehicle's tire size.
- Page 19 WHEELS AND TIRES Tire Size To maintain tire safety, purchase new tires that are the same size as the vehicle's original tires or another size recommended by the manufacturer. Look at the tire information placard, the owner's manual, or the sidewall of the tire you are replacing to find this information.
- Page 20 WHEELS AND TIRES Next number This two‐digit number is the wheel or rim diameter in inches. If you change your wheel size, you will have to purchase new tires to match the new wheel diameter. Next number This two‐ or three‐digit number is the tire's load index. It is a measurement of how much weight each tire can support.
- Page 21 WHEELS AND TIRES Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire under normal driving conditions. UTQGS Information Tread Wear Number This number indicates the tire's wear rate. The higher the tread wear number is, the longer it should take for the tread to wear down.
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Page 22: Load Limits
Load limits RECOMMENDED LOAD LIMIT Recommended number of animals for proper load using an average animal weight of 1000 lbs. size of trailer length of width of total number of total animal 7k axle 8k axle 10k axle 7k axle 8k axle decking decking... - Page 23 Load limits RECOMMENDED LOAD LIMIT Recommended number of animals for proper load using an average animal weight of 1100 lbs. size of trailer length of width of total number of total animal 7k axle 8k axle 10k axle 7k axle 8k axle decking decking...
- Page 24 Load limits RECOMMENDED LOAD LIMIT Recommended number of animals for proper load using an average animal weight of 1200 lbs. size of trailer length of width of total number of total animal 7k axle 8k axle 10k axle 7k axle 8k axle decking decking...
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Page 25: Safety
SAFETY SAFETY The following section contains the decals used on your Merritt Gooseneck trailer. Replace damaged or missing decals promptly. 10-1... - Page 26 SAFETY 10-2...
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Page 27: Electrical System
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BASIC WIRING DIAGRAM 11-1... -
Page 28: Breakaway Battery Charger
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Breakaway Battery Charger Installation Instructions for: ABCD (Accelerated Battery Charging Device) Tow Charger IMPORTANT. BATTERY DATA CHART • P/N 2023-5 amp/hr-max 1. Check condition of battery prior to installation and prior to each trip. • 12 VOLT 2. Improper installation of the breakaway •... -
Page 29: Volt Sealed Lead-Acid Battery
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WIRING 12 Volt Sealed Lead-Acid Battery DIAGRAM (STANDARD 6-WAY) (Breakaway Battery) To maximize the life of the battery the following conditions should be met: 1. Avoid over or undercharge. This is the single worst enemy of lead-acid batteries. 2. -
Page 30: Troubleshooting
TROUBLESHOOTING ELECTRICAL TROUBLESHOOTING IMPORTANT NOTICE Be sure all electrical connections are in a clean and dry location and all connections are complete. DO NOT cut into the system. Cutting any parts of the electrical system will void the electrical warranty. Be sure all electrical connections are greased properly for clean and secure connections. -
Page 31: Electrical Braking Troubleshooting
TROUBLESHOOTING ELECTRICAL BRAKING TROUBLESHOOTING IMPORTANT NOTICE Proper brake function is critical to the safe operation of any vehicle. If a problem are encountered with your trailer braking system, the following guide can be used to find the causes and remedies for some of the more common problems. If you are unsure or unable to resolve the problem, please contact your nearest repair facility for professional assistance. - Page 32 TROUBLESHOOTING ELECTRICAL BRAKING TROUBLESHOOTING SYMPTOM CAUSES: REMEDIES Weak Brakes Clean & Correct Corroded Connections Cause of Corrosion Grease or Oil on Clean or replace Magnets or Linings Worn Linings Replace or Magnets Scored or Grooved Machine or Replace Brake Drums Improper Correct Synchronization...
- Page 33 TROUBLESHOOTING ELECTRICAL BRAKING TROUBLESHOOTING SYMPTOM CAUSES: REMEDIES Wrong Magnet Brakes Pull to Correct Lead Wire Cover One Side Incorrect Adjustment Adjust Grease or Oil on Clean or Replace Magnets or Linings Find and Repair Broken Wires Find and Repair Bad Connection Harsh Brakes Under-adjustment Adjust...
- Page 34 TROUBLESHOOTING ELECTRICAL BRAKING TROUBLESHOOTING SYMPTOM CAUSES: REMEDIES Surging Brakes Faulty Controller Test & Correct Grease or Oil on Clean or replace Magnets or Lining Out -Of-Round or Machine or Replace Cracked Brake Drums Dragging Brakes Over-adjustment Readjust Out -Of-Round or Machine or Replace Cracked Brake Drums Incorrect Brake...
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Page 35: Consumer Information
If you believe that your vehicle has a defect which could cause a crash or could cause injury or death, you should immediately inform the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in addition to notifying Merritt Trailers Inc. If NHTSA receives similar complaints, it may open an investigation, and if it finds that a safety defect exist in a group of vehicles, it may order a recall and remedy campaign.
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