Following on front the roping and sheeting thread when did curtainsiders first appear? I mean proper curatinsiders as we know them now rather than tilts. Who invented the curtainsider and who were the earliest manufacturers? And who were the first companies to run them? And finally what were drivers opinions of these new fangled trailers at the time! Sorry lots of questions. Pictures would be good too if anyone has them.
was the curtainsider the work of gerald broadbent i think and he set up boalloy i think i may be wrong
I believe Stobarts was one of the first. I remember reading something about it.
Curtainsiders= flat trailer for an idiot 
Was in not Boalloy of Congleton, Cheshire?
In Holland the first ones and probaly still where called “Tautliner”
Boalloy built or builded under the name Tautliner.
Don’t know if they still excist?
Just found it, if Wikipedia is true is was Mr Derek Lawrence and the concep was patented in 1969.
Curtainsiders (Tautliners) have to be one of the best inventions, unless you are carrying goods that have to be loaded by over head crane, who would want a flatbed.
At home at night, it gets dark, you pull your curtains closed, you do not sit there hanging a new pair everynight do you 
JLS Driver SOS:
Curtainsiders (Tautliners) have to be one of the best inventions, unless you are carrying goods that have to be loaded by over head crane, who would want a flatbed.
At home at night, it gets dark, you pull your curtains closed, you do not sit there hanging a new pair everynight do you
No i dont , but i also dont put my slippers on the wrong feet 
What you on about bloke ?
bowser:
JLS Driver SOS:
Curtainsiders (Tautliners) have to be one of the best inventions, unless you are carrying goods that have to be loaded by over head crane, who would want a flatbed.
At home at night, it gets dark, you pull your curtains closed, you do not sit there hanging a new pair everynight do youNo i dont , but i also dont put my slippers on the wrong feet
What you on about bloke ?
why spend an hour or so roping and sheeting when you can pull a curtain bloke.
JLS Driver SOS:
bowser:
JLS Driver SOS:
Curtainsiders (Tautliners) have to be one of the best inventions, unless you are carrying goods that have to be loaded by over head crane, who would want a flatbed.
At home at night, it gets dark, you pull your curtains closed, you do not sit there hanging a new pair everynight do youNo i dont , but i also dont put my slippers on the wrong feet
What you on about bloke ?
why spend an hour or so roping and sheeting when you can pull a curtain bloke.
I got that bit i just couldn’t understand how you can hang curtains while you’re sat down , i cant hang them stood up i can’t reach you see …
bowser:
JLS Driver SOS:
bowser:
JLS Driver SOS:
Curtainsiders (Tautliners) have to be one of the best inventions, unless you are carrying goods that have to be loaded by over head crane, who would want a flatbed.
At home at night, it gets dark, you pull your curtains closed, you do not sit there hanging a new pair everynight do youNo i dont , but i also dont put my slippers on the wrong feet
What you on about bloke ?
why spend an hour or so roping and sheeting when you can pull a curtain bloke.
I got that bit i just couldn’t understand how you can hang curtains while you’re sat down , i cant hang them stood up i can’t reach you see …
your right, I should have said stood there 
I think mid-late 70’s was when you first noticed them. Looking back at late 70’s - early 80’s photo’s it is interesting to note how many flats were still around in general use then.
Hang on just had a thought, I know when a flat is better than a taut, empty, M62 when the wind is blowing a gale, a flat is defintely better, everytime
GCR2ERF:
I think mid-late 70’s was when you first noticed them. Looking back at late 70’s - early 80’s photo’s it is interesting to note how many flats were still around in general use then.
Just remembered what my dad said when the first one arrived in their yard…
…‘That’s just a gimmick, they’ll never catch on’
Remember its called a Tautline not a slackliner!
Tautliner even!,bloody wireless keyboards grrr!
A bbad workmam…
limeyphil:
I believe Stobarts was one of the first. I remember reading something about it.
You were not dreaming all of it. Edward Stobart bought into Boalloy after selling his haulage company to Henry Winkler.
Gerald Broadbent was the original designer of the Tautliner brand and for Stobart this was the second of his spectacular business failures.
I started early eighties and would say they were rare then, I only ever drove one and that was a 4wheel bedford tm, every thing else were flats, It was always a bone of contention as to how they would ever replace flats,how things change. There were obviously tippers and tankers but “Tilts” were noticable and were obviously “International”.
I would say there was odd ones about late 60s early 70s as there were various preproduction jobs being trialed.
As for the comment further up the thread “Why spend an hour sheeting and roping when you can pull a curtain”. Because with the well roped flat you can be sure it will stay on the trailer instead of sliding about hoping the curtains will hold it in. Eddie.
Wheel Nut:
limeyphil:
I believe Stobarts was one of the first. I remember reading something about it.You were not dreaming all of it. Edward Stobart bought into Boalloy after selling his haulage company to Henry Winkler.
Gerald Broadbent was the original designer of the Tautliner brand and for Stobart this was the second of his spectacular business failures.
Wasn’t Henry Winkler the guy who played ‘The Fonz’ In ‘Happy Days’ ■■
I can just Imagine ‘The Fonz’ driving a Stobbie wagon… 