O’Phee Trailers has long been a fundamental part of Australia’s heavy vehicle manufacturing industry. The business entered the sector in the 1980s and has since developed a complete range of trailer builds from standard skel, flat top and drop deck products to unique innovations such as the Swinglift, BoXLoader and Retract-X solutions.
The O’Phee trailer range has continued to evolve over time and has been brought to even greater heights by The Drake Group following its acquisition of the business in 2015. Just two months ago at the 2025 Brisbane Truck Show, for example, a revamped O’Phee Queenslander flat top was unveiled with many improvements and additional features.
“We were building flat tops that were spec’d with lots of options, so we decided to take that on board and put together an updated model with all of the features people were asking for,” says The Drake Group Sales Manager, Byron Foss. “The end result is the Queenslander, a flat top which has maximum versatility while still retaining a low tare weight.”
The aforementioned extra features include 5” coamings, eight bolster pockets, a fixed headboard, dunnage boxes, various guard options, round or square rear bumper tail lights, 3mm or 5mm chequer plate floor and custom paint options.
The Queenslander also includes a unique rear bumper design which gives the trailer much more swing clearance when coupled to road rain dollies. This feature also helps eliminate bent drawbars which can compromise the strength and handling of the combination. In terms of running gear, Fuwa K Hitch’s KI25K integrated axle and suspension package was selected due to its ease of fitment, excellent warranty offering and versatility to suit all applications.
Fuwa K Hitch axles, suspensions and landing legs have become an integral part of The Drake Group’s offering over the last five years. Due to their excellent performance and durability, the products have been the standard spec not just on the Queenslander but on all O’Phee builds.
“A lot of people were wanting Fuwa K Hitch equipment as their preferred spec,” Byron says. “They weren’t asking for it because it was cheap. They were asking for it because it performed. So, we looked into the product a bit further and decided to use it as our standard offering on all trailers in the O’Phee range.
“We do fit most recognised axle and suspension brands, but you need to have a good standard starting spec. And Fuwa K Hitch offers just that – a good, reliable axle and suspension package.”
The Drake Group routinely fits Fuwa K Hitch’s KI25K integrated suspension trailing arm and axle beam configuration as well as WEWELER air suspension from the Euro Series on O’Phee Drop Deck, Skel and Flat Top models. On the other hand, O’Phee Drop Deck Wideners and units that are deployed in harsh operating conditions receive the sturdier 11-tonne-rated WEWELER air suspension from the Heavy Duty Series.
Byron explains that this selection gives the business and the end user great versatility.
“We have a lot of customers in metropolitan areas that are conscious of having a really light tare weight,” he says. “Fuwa K Hitch offers products which give them a light tare weight but they also offer a more heavy-duty range for off-road applications and those carting equipment with a high centre of gravity.”
The Drake Group has also been able to improve fitment processes, on-road performance and lead delivery times of its trailers. Some of its biggest trailer orders as of late act as clear examples of this.
“They’re fairly local to us which is really handy,” Byron says. “They’ll be on our doorstep within half an hour if we need anything. That’s just fantastic service.
“They’re good people to deal with. They’ll help me if I’ve got a problem and they’ll be straight on it. You can’t ask for more than that.”
The quality of Fuwa K Hitch is something that has really stood out to The Drake Group in recent times. This has especially been the case for Byron and Sam Drake following their visit to Fuwa K Hitch in China last year.
“It blew my mind,” Byron says. “We went to their axle manufacturing factory as well as their foundries and container manufacturing facility, and the sheer size of everything was just incredible. We were very impressed with their quality processes and technology.
“The robotics that they’ve invested in are unbelievable. We could see the extent of their quality practices just by walking down the axle assembly line.
“We now have a lot more confidence in the Fuwa K Hitch product, and our use of it has increased as a result.”
