Silver Eagle released a new revolutionary trailer dolly that automatically telescopes and retracts to adjust the gap between trailers, called the T-Dolly. During their development process, Silver Eagle asked Purkeys to find an electrical solution to help charge a battery and control the hydraulic system.
Silver Eagle’s adjustable T-Dolly uses the anti-lock braking system (ABS) valve to provide feedback on whether the dolly needs to be extended or retracted. Once the vehicle reaches 45 mph, an electro-hydraulic pump pulls the trailers closer together. When the speed slows to 40 mph and below, the T-Dolly increases the gap and allows the vehicle to make turns safely.
According to Gary Gaussoin, president of Silver Eagle Manufacturing, supplying power to the electro-hydraulic pump presented some issues. “It’s well known that power from the 7-way is not always constant and when you have combination vehicles, you can get a big voltage drop.” Gaussoin said. Knowing they needed a way to ensure power was supplied to the pump, Silver Eagle approached Purkeys to partner together to find the best solution.
Purkeys Sales and Service Engineer Rylar Masco said, “Knowing that the 7-way voltage is not always the most reliable power source, they added a DC/DC converter to boost the voltage from the 7-way to insure that the pump battery is constantly charged. We also created a control module that gives logic to the pump motor so it knows when to extend and retract.” Rylar said. “Purkeys worked with the team at Silver Eagle to provide the electrical solutions that allowed them to complete the T-Dolly.”
Closing the gap between trailers at highway speeds improves tracking and fuel economy. According to Silver Eagle, when the new adjustable T-Dolly is used, the fuel efficiency improves between 2.5 to 3.5 percent. Another added benefit is the T-Dolly increases trailer stability by decreasing sway.
Are you having a hard time keeping pallet jacks charged while on the road? Do you have electrical questions? We welcome your comments and questions below.
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