Cost of dump trailers

[rutwad]

I have been searching for a small tandem axle dump trailer, and I am shocked at the prices I am finding. Some 6'x10's are 5k plus! Has anyone recently bought a dump? Brand? Size? Price?

I need to move out a 32' dual tandem gooseneck and move in a dump and $$$$. The dump will be used 90% around the farm. Are there any cheaper off-road dumps available?

 

[Builder]

They are expensive. I'd look for a used name brand one instead of a cheapo new one that costs more.

Lots of cheap used equipment out there with the horrible economy.

 

[LoneCowboy]

hydraulics cost money
steel costs (a lot of ) money

you need a lot of both.

I agree with builder, lot of construction guys going under/barely getting by, there are a TON of used dump trailers out there.

Try craigslist.

But a 14,000lb dump trailer is going to cost about 5 grand, even used.

do NOT buy one from either a concrete company (bed will beat to heck) or a roofing company (seriously overloaded all the time)

 

[wushaw]

$$$$$$ is the main reason I built my little 4X8 and just to see if I could do it for I think I got 1665.00 into it.
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/116440-building-dump-trailer.html

 

[kennyd]

The dump will be used 90% around the farm. Are there any cheaper off-road dumps available?

Look at Country Manufacturing , they have some nice small ones. The is a lot of threads here on TBN about them also.

 

[Builder]

The dump will be used 90% around the farm. Are there any cheaper off-road dumps available?

The problem is the 10% of the time it is on road.

It must meet the same safety standards as one that is used 100% of the time on the road.

On edit: I found you a brand new 6x10 10K Kauffman dump trailer in TN for $3,650. I can PM to you if interested.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Like the guys said they are expensive. There is roughly twice the steel as a conventional trailer and then add the hydros. It all cost $$$$

Prices have really sky rocketed also. I ordered a 14' 14,000# bumper pull Bri Mar for a friend a few years back, maybe 2005, and it was something like $3850 but I bet its every bit of $6500 today.

Check Ebay and Craigs List and be patient. You will come up with something but check it over good. Make sure the tires are good, the wiring is good, no broken springs or welds, no bent axles, good battery and hydro power pack, no leaks, ect. Just tires and brakes alone on a trailer can run you a grand to be replaced. This can turn a good deal on a used trailer into a money pit that you could have bought a new one for less money in the end.

Chris

 

[texasjohn]

Craig's List, Craig's List, Craig's List... got mine there..works fine. Yes, be prepared to spend $$.

Use SearchTempest to widen your Craigslist search as far as you wish... 1000 miles or so from a particular zip code... AWESOME

Got my 20 ft. 22k lb dual tandem for $7000 off Craigslist... had to travel 350mi round trip to pick it up.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

Try and stay away from the cheapo homeowner units. They're usually deckover models and have a high cog, I've personally seen alot of tip overs and extreme sway with these units. The other's advise for CL is spot on. There are some super deals out there if you look hard enough. I got mine in 05 ,it's a 7x12 PJ heavy duty unit. Mine has the ramps for loading and three way tailgate. They're very easy to overload so be careful. I've filled mine heeped for offroad use a few times and must have had 10k in the bed. The massive dump cyclinder just dumps like nothing. Best of luck in the hunt.

Matt

 

[GATC35]

I searched for used ones for 3 years before giving up and buying a new one. Every used one I found seemed to be abused, or needed big money to get them back to shape. So I finally bit the bullet and bought a new PJ 7x14 gooseneck dump. This thing had every option you could get: 3 way tail gate, tarp system, heavy duty sissor lift, 6 ft ramps, 7K lbs axles with brakes on both, upgraded load range "E" tires, deep cycle marine battery with battery tender. I still get dizzy when I think how much I paid for this thing. I hardly ever buy anything new, I almost always buy used and fix things up. Anyway out the door tax and all was $6,745.00. Whew.....I'am dizzy again. Don't get me wrong this is a real nice trailer, the tarp system is worth it's weight in gold.

The first job I used this trailer on almost paid for it. I had a contract to clean up about an acre of land after a timber company came and harvested all the pine trees. They made one huge mess. The land owner was not real happy with them. It took me almost a week of cutting and hauling to get the place cleaned up.

 

[GATC35]

Here are a couple of pics. I know ya'll (Southern English) like pics.

Sorry about all the junk in it, I'm getting ready to make a run to the metal recycling yard.

Another nice thing about this trailer is I can move my Bobcat in it, and my New Holland TC-45 with front end loader and backhoe. So I can haul the equipment to the work site to load the trailer. That was one of my requirements when I was trailer shopping.

 

[Believer]

I recently bought a Liberty 7x16 gooseneck, 14k gvw in near new condition for $5500. I figured that was a good deal and the only decent used gooseneck I found close in a couple years of looking.

 

[Builder]

Here are a couple of pics. I know ya'll (Southern English) like pics.

Sorry about all the junk in it, I'm getting ready to make a run to the metal recycling yard.

Another nice thing about this trailer is I can move my Bobcat in it, and my New Holland TC-45 with front end loader and backhoe. So I can haul the equipment to the work site to load the trailer. That was one of my requirements when I was trailer shopping.

Mark,

Gazillion questions, but I'll keep it to a few.

I was pretty convinced that my MT285 Challenger would need a 16' dump trailer to fit. Are you telling me your TC45 will fit on your 14' dump trailer with a backoe attached? If so, that would mean I should be able to fit my MT285 on with a FEL & Harley rake on a 14' and make the purchase price much less for me.

Does the FEL have to sit past the front bulkhead?

Do you have pics of your TC45 loaded onto your trailer so I can see it?

Thanks

 

[GATC35]

Builder,

Ask all the questions you want to, I'll try and answer them.

Yes ...my New Holland TC-45D with 16 LA front end loader and 757-C backhoe will fit in my 7 x 14 dump trailer. I also thought I needed a 16 ft trailer to haul my tractor. Some of the trailer companies will not make a 16 ft trailer with the 7K axles, you have to move up to the dual tandem 10K axle. I know PJ, Load Trail and Br-Mar don't. But All-Pro and Texas Pride do.

The way I load my tractor is to have the tailgate in the barn door configuration. I raise (dump) the trailer slightly so the bed is approx. 12 to 18 inches off the frame at the very front of the trailer. Drive tractor in FEL first with FEL raised so it goes over the gooseneck frame of the trailer. With the backhoe installed I have to swing it all the way to one side to keep it from dragging on the ground as the front tires of the tractor go up on the ramps. This is not a problem with a box blade, or scraper blade. Drive the tractor all the way forward until the brush guard just touches the front bulkhead of trailer. At this point I always shut the tractor off and make sure it's in gear with the parking brake set securely. Be careful here because the dump bed is tilted up and the tractor could roll backwards. Lower the dump bed, close tailgate, and stow the ramps. Start tractor and back up until backhoe bucket just touches tailgate, this leaves about 18 inches between brush guard and forward bulkhead of trailer. Lower FEL down on top of gooseneck frame. Shut engine off again and cycle FEL joystick thru all positions several times so FEL is complely resting on gooseneck frame with no preload from trapped hydraulic pressure. Chain tractor down, and I always chain the FEL down. This procedure has the FEL and bucket resting on top of the goosneck frame. This works well for me. I have asked my county sheriff and the Georgia DOT inspectors about this configuration. They say It's legal as long as the FEL is supported by trailer frame, and it is tied down. If you want your FEL and bucket flat in the dump bed it will not fit in a 14 ft. trailer. It will fit in a 16 ft. trailer but you can't have any attachment at all on the tractor. Also even my small 5 ft bush hog, or disck harrow, will not fit in my 14 footer because they are too long.

Sorry I don't have any pics yet. If I can get all that junk to the scrape yard Thursday I'll see if I can get some.

If you have more questions let me know. I shopped for my trailer for 3 years. Think I wore a Stanley PowerLock measuring tape out trying to figure out how things would fit.

 

[Builder]

Ahhh, you have a goose.....my trailer would be a bumper pull, so I might not be able to do it. The bucket could rest forward of the bulkhead, but on tight turns it might hit the tailgate.

I knew it sounded too good to be true!!

 

[GATC35]

Well you could turn it around and let the bucket hang off the back. That would work, but to let you know that's illegal in Georgia, don't know about your state. DOT says the attachment must be on top of the frame.

You could go buy a "GOOD" truck like a F-250, or F-350 dually. Get a gooseneck hitch and you would be ready........LOL

Out of curiosity why do you need a dump trailer if you have a dump truck?

 

[Builder]

Well you could turn it around and let the bucket hang off the back. That would work, but to let you know that's illegal in Georgia, don't know about your state. DOT says the attachment must be on top of the frame.

My tractor must be quite a bit larger than your's. Mine measures 19' long with the FEL in the flat resting position and the Harley rake or 7' bush hog attached. I would really need a minimum of 18' so I may never be able to use a dump trailer.

You could go buy a "GOOD" truck like a F-250, or F-350 dually. Get a gooseneck hitch and you would be ready........LOL

LOL. No thanks. I want a truck that won't need a tranny rebuild every 30K miles. I would really like a gooseneck truck with a 20K trailer, but I just can't add another truck right now. I already have 3. maybe that would work in the future.

Out of curiosity why do you need a dump trailer if you have a dump truck?

Oh my gosh, I could use 2 of them.....so much material to move around. My GMC pickup is usually running around somewhere different than my dumptruck, so having another vehicle that dumps would be great. My current 12K trailer is fine for the tractor, but a dump trailer would be really handy. I typically have 3 different jobs going on at once.

I thought having a dump trailer that could also transport my smaller tractor would be more versatile than a flat trailer. Of course I could move either machine around on my backhoe trailer, but I really enjoy towing with my pickup a lot more.

Thanks.

 

[wallace]

Builder Let me know when your ready We can build you a custom rack in which your bucket can rest on so it would be above you truck bed!

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

I'll ad my two cents in here. Bulder the tractor he has is the same class as your. So the dimensions should be pretty close. The biggest issue with the dumps is the wieght and distributing loads.This isn't as big or an issue with the gn but still can be. Getting your equipment positioned with proper touque weight is always an issue. Unlike an open deck trailer there isn't infinate adjustments so sometimes you need to "live with" a less than desirable postion. It is illegal up here to hang the loader over the sides and the BH is supposed to be tied down and resting in the trailer also. That said I see alot of guys here running down the interstate with the bucker over the front and BH haning out the rear. On the longer lengths it gets tough due to weight, remember these trailers job is dump and hauling materials. The added benifit is they also can haul equipment so that's not what they're best at. On a bumper pull your going to run out of capacity real fast(builder even with you unstopable gmc and Dmax as unbelievable as it sounds). The trailers are super easy to overload and you usually don't realize the issue til after you've let the yard and get out on the highway. If suggest if your going to get over a 7x14 that you get a gn.

Matt

 

[bota7800]

Ahhh, you have a goose.....my trailer would be a bumper pull, so I might not be able to do it. The bucket could rest forward of the bulkhead, but on tight turns it might hit the tailgate.

I knew it sounded too good to be true!!

Around here I have seen a bumper pull dump trailer with a CUT in it. He has a "TEE" mounted between the hitch and the tool box. The loader bucket rests on the tee so that it is above the truck bed in all positions.

Sounds like what Wallace is talking about.