Any IBC Tote Trailers Out There?

[TractorGuy]

I have a 275 on a small trailer that I use on my property. All I can say is the slosh action when I stop can almost overcome the emergency brake on my JD4310 if I am on a hill. I have to bare down on the brake and set it to keep the tractor from moving if I plan to get off. You have to be very careful with them. And I am talking about stopping from a very slow speed.

I imagine having a couple of them and stopping in traffic could push you into an intersection.

 

[sandman2234]

I read theae posts and think about the days when I hauled a 40 foot smoothbore tanker filled with used hydrochloric acid. Max weight was about 3/4 full. The slosh factor had to be considered every time you touched the brakes or let the clutch out to get rolling. (Gear shifts could cause it to slosh).
And yet people still dive into the open area in front of me and nail the brakes because they are in a bigger hurry and their time is more important...(just not their lives!!) Non baffled tanks do require a little more forethought than baffled ones, but a 4 foot slosh isn't too bad once you get used to it. Your brakes definitely need to be top notch!
David from jax

 

[sea2summit]

I have a 275 on a small trailer that I use on my property. All I can say is the slosh action when I stop can almost overcome the emergency brake on my JD4310 if I am on a hill. I have to bare down on the brake and set it to keep the tractor from moving if I plan to get off. You have to be very careful with them. And I am talking about stopping from a very slow speed.

I imagine having a couple of them and stopping in traffic could push you into an intersection.

I've got some spare plastic 55 gal drums, I was thinking about cutting the top and bottom off one then slitting it top to bottom and stuffing it in there to slow the slosh on mine. Really need to test that sooner or later.

 

[California]

I have an IBC tote on HF's little 40x48 inch trailer, for watering new trees in my orchard. It's a perfect fit.

The little trailer is grossly overloaded but I don't need highway-quality safety margin. I bought the trailer used and surprisingly the tiny 8" tires, then 20 years old, didn't burst with this weight. I put automotive rims and tires on it for better flotation over rough disced ground after a year of plowing ruts with the tiny tires. The only thing that has broken in 10 years of this abuse is I bent the tongue backing up with those tiny tires embedded instead of rolling. I scabbed bedframe angle iron onto the tongue, and no further problems.

There's a 12v sump pump down inside the tank. That's a lawn sprinkler anti-siphon valve at the highest point, it lets my watering wand drain instead of siphoning after I stop the pump.

Recommended - for non highway use.

 

[aczlan]

I have a 275 on a small trailer that I use on my property. All I can say is the slosh action when I stop can almost overcome the emergency brake on my JD4310 if I am on a hill. I have to bare down on the brake and set it to keep the tractor from moving if I plan to get off. You have to be very careful with them. And I am talking about stopping from a very slow speed.

I imagine having a couple of them and stopping in traffic could push you into an intersection.

We pull one on a little trailer that has what appears to be a 3500# axle with our RTV500, it has 4 wheel disk brakes and does well pulling it around the farm.

Aaron Z

 

[shooterdon]

I have an IBC tote on HF's little 40x48 inch trailer, for watering new trees in my orchard. It's a perfect fit.

The little trailer is grossly overloaded but I don't need highway-quality safety margin. I bought the trailer used and surprisingly the tiny 8" tires, then 20 years old, didn't burst with this weight. I put automotive rims and tires on it for better flotation over rough disced ground after a year of plowing ruts with the tiny tires. The only thing that has broken in 10 years of this abuse is I bent the tongue backing up with those tiny tires embedded instead of rolling. I scabbed bedframe angle iron onto the tongue, and no further problems.

There's a 12v sump pump down inside the tank. That's a lawn sprinkler anti-siphon valve at the highest point, it lets my watering wand drain instead of siphoning after I stop the pump.

Recommended - for non highway use.

I like it

 

[Jstpssng]

Tanker trucks have baffles to slow the sloshing. It seems like you could develop something to help reduce it.

 

[Fallon]

Tanker trucks have baffles to slow the sloshing. It seems like you could develop something to help reduce it.

The fun there is those baffles are installed when it's built. For an IBC totes you would have to build baffles like a ship in a bottle. The hole in the top is only 8-9" in diameter. Also it's hard to glue to HDPE under the best of circumstances. So you would be left drilling holes to bolt baffles in & then seal up the holes.

 

[Jstpssng]

The fun there is those baffles are installed when it's built. For an IBC totes you would have to build baffles like a ship in a bottle. The hole in the top is only 8-9" in diameter. Also it's hard to glue to HDPE under the best of circumstances. So you would be left drilling holes to bolt baffles in & then seal up the holes.

That was one thought, it's only going to be hauling water and if movement was an issue it might be worth it.
I have a steel 275 gallon oil drum which I plan to use for water, putting baffles will be part of the plan as I will sometimes be going down to the lake to fill it.

 

[Fallon]

The other thing to consider is only haul it empty or full. A full sealed tank can't slosh.

 

[jjp8182]

An option I've seen offered is "baffle balls": Baffle Ball | Parts & Accessories | Enduraplas

...which makes me wonder if a whole lot of wiffle balls could work as baffles in containers (like IBC totes ...tend to see 6" inlets around here) where the inlet size might be smaller than the offered baffle balls.

Just casually searching it seems there are also other add in baffle designs (Surge Busters ) that may end up being as cheap or cheaper(?) than buying wiffle balls......

I may have to dig into this more for my own curiosity at some point..... unless someone here has used them? - or is using them?

 

[California]

re baffles - Only once in ten years have I felt more than tiny inertia with the IBC trailer in my photos, above.

I consider it a non-issue so long as I maneuver cautiously, and since the trailer outweighs the tractor I am cautious to not create an inertia situation.

The one time I came roaring down my haul path and turned sharply at the first tree I intended to water (so I was loaded 100%), the trailer pushed me heading for a slow speed jackknife. I steered past the tree I had intended to water instead of continuing to brake - with no consequences. That's the only incident ever.

I suppose there have been some instances of a 2/3 full tank sloshing and pushing, but nothing significant, nothing I remember. If you're concerned, then think like a Semi driver, where you drive the trailer instead of focusing on the tow vehicle. You'll be fine. All this assumes low speed of course. Driving on pavement would be a whole different world with its own rules.

 

[bcp]

Fill the tank with slotted hose.

Bruce

 

[mrmikey]

Baffle balls do work, least ways on a large scale. We had bought, DOT, a used milk tanker for hauling brine, partially filled it was a bear. When you started spreading and the level fell it was dangerous, bought a bunch of baffle balls I think if I remember right it was over $10K worth. Took a weekend for three guys to assemble them as they were shipped flat in three?? pieces I think it was, and throw them in the tank. It helped considerably..........Mike

 

[mikester]

Get a bigger tractor with forks, use an existing HD trailer or custom build a trailer for your totes.

I use my totes as rain barrels and move them around with the tractor.