Dump trailer vs. utility trailer

[rbstern]

I have a homemade 4'x8' utility trailer that was abandoned on our property (had a tree growing through the a-frame). Doesn't have springs, basically just a Dodge pickup truck axle with a trailer frame welded to it. I salvaged it. Turned it into a useful farm trailer that I use to haul trash, mulch, yard debris, and occasionally to take an ATV or mower for service. It works great for those tasks, but the lack of springs makes it pretty useless for towing anything other than yard materials or something with it's own suspension.

It's time for an upgrade. The wife and I are beginning our transition from the home we've lived in for 25 years to our cabin in the woods, about 85 miles away. We need a bigger trailer (with a spring suspension!) that will handle the following:

1) Secondary street trips to a dump about 15 miles from our current suburban household.
2) Moving furniture and other household goods over the next year to our retirement place.
3) Landscaping duty at our rural property: Hauling a couple of cubic yards of mulch from the county dump to the cabin (about 18 miles). Maybe topsoil and gravel trips as well.
4) Ocasionally transporting equipment and materials (z-turn mower, ATV, building materials)
5) I'm sure, someday, my Yanmar will break in a way that I can't fix, or I'll trade it for another compact tractor, and may need to transport it somewhere.

My current tow vehicles are:

2007 Lincoln Navigator (7,000lb tow rating)
2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (5,400 lb tow rating)

I may buy an used HD pickup down the road, but for now, those are my towing rides.

With the exception of issue #5, I could probably get away with a single axle 5x10 to 6x12 single axle utility trailer. However, as we've gotten older, we're finding that one of the most taxing things we do is unload and spread mulch and dirt from the trailer. So, I find myself thinking about the smallest dual axle dump trailer made by Big Tex, which is 5x10, with a pair of 3500lb axles, single ram, electric brakes, 7000 GVWR and a 5120lb payload rating.

Thing is, it costs twice as much as a nice dual axle utility trailer, and I wonder if I'll regret the extra investment over a utility trailer.

Any thoughts on dump vs. utility greatly appreciated.

 

[George2615]

A 7K dump trailer will handle your requested uses 1,2,3,most of 4, & 5 . You may have a problem trying to load a Z-turn on a dump trailer due to the transition angle at the top crest of the ramps and the mower deck would high center. You can lessen the angle at the top of the ramps by raising the dump bed slightly when loading or unloading.
A 7K landscape trailer would also handle 1-5 except for no ability to dump.
Check your local CL for used dump trailers. They become available from time to time.
I have both a dump and tilt bed trailer for all the same uses as you plus for hauling vehicles.

 

[mapper]

You will regret not having the dump trailer when you are shoveling out a yard or so of material from the utility trailer. The older I get, the harder moving stuff around with a shovel becomes. Spend your kids inheritance:laughing:

 

[bcp]

If your gravel, etc. hauling is only several times a year, get a load handler for your utility trailer.

Welcome to Loadhandler.com

I have one from a HF sale for about $30, but haven't used it yet.

Bruce

 

[rankrank1]

The $30 load handlers do work fair in a pickup compared to a shovel, but no comparison to a dump trailer at all.

I bought a dump trailer this year after moving a mountain of free dirt. I am getting older too so the unloading was getting harder. I love the dump trailer.

That all said, the dump trailer is just another tool in the arsenal and not necessarily a do everything trailer. Why? It is heavy like 4400 lbs empty. So you put a 600lb lawnmower in it and now you are hauling around 5000 lb in weight. I kept my old $180 flatbead trailer to carry the mower around as it weighs next to nothing and is easier to both load onto and to tie down on too.

PS You will easily exceed your current vehicles legal tow weight if you totally fill a 6x12 dump trailer with dirt so keep that in mind. 6x12x2 = 144 cubic feet with dirt level to top of sides (no heaping allowed for this either). Dirt can weigh up to 3000 lbs a yard (27 cubic feet) depending on moisture level. 144/27 = 5.3 yard. 5.3 yards times 3000 lbs = 15900 lbs and then add the trailer weight of 4500 pounds and you can easily get to 20,000 lbs real quick (without heaping).

I have towed my 6x12x2 foot trailer full of damp dirt with my half ton truck legal for 9000 lbs. I did not go fast, and I did not go far. It did it many times but it was a load.

Avoid damp dirt at all costs if you can. One reason is damp dirt is heavier. Main reason is that most affordable dump trailers do not raise as high as a real dump truck does. If the dirt is wet and damp they will not dump worth a hoot. Pull into a wet area and sink a bit into the ground and you are not moving a 20,000 pound load behind even a 4x4 truck so back to shoveling you are to get the weight off so you can move. Dry dirt and solid ground to drive around on and they dump fine. (I learned this lesson real quick)

 

[rbstern]

Thanks for the feedback, gents. Still leaning to ward the dump trailer.

 

[Sprinklerman]

go with the dump trailer . I love going to the landfill in 90 degree weather and backing up between 2 trucks shoveling out shingles . And all i do is push a button .................... Its worth it

 

[tman1020]

It's hard to be a 16 foot dual axle landscape trailer. They're cheap and their light and easy to pull. Used one for years until I needed to upgrade. I had the same debate as you dump trailer or utility trailer. I had the opportunity to borrow a dump trailer that was large enough to haul my tractor. It is very heavy it weighed about 4500 pounds empty where as the utility trailer weighed around 1200 pounds. Also it is much higher than most utility trailers and difficult to load into with the ramps they give you. Plus the ramps weigh a ton very heavy and hard to move around. I went with a 20 foot dual 4900 #axles equipment trailer. It does not hall as good as a 16 foot utility/landscape trailer but it has the Added capacity that I needed and it has standup ramps with springs on the back that are very easy to use.
Unless you're wanting to haul gravel and dirt a couple times a month I would get the 16 foot landscape trailer with two 3500 pound axles with stowaway ramps for loading or maybe a ramp gate. If you get tired of hauling mulch on it or gravel just have it delivered to the site. probably just about as cheap or cheaper by the time you figure the cost of the dump trailer in and the fuel and a larger vehicle to pull it.

 

[Will_C]

It's always easy to spend some one else's money, but you really need 2 trailers! While there is some cross over between a utility trailer and a dump, they teLly don't do each other's job well. You could but the dump trailer you mentioned, and find a 16' car hauler for a couple of thousand dollars.

Will

 

[radioman]

well -- i have 16 ft trailer with landscape ramp and i use it to haul landscape stuff. mulch, dirt ,etc. since my BX tractor doesnt weight that much and its 4 ft wide, i just use the front loader to scoop up the stuff and dump where i need it right away. sure i would love a dump trailer, but i dont need the "dump" feature often enough to justify the cost. i know that once you have it you will use it. so far i been able to tolerate it just fine.

 

[civilian]

well -- i have 16 ft trailer with landscape ramp and i use it to haul landscape stuff. mulch, dirt ,etc. since my BX tractor doesnt weight that much and its 4 ft wide, i just use the front loader to scoop up the stuff and dump where i need it right away. sure i would love a dump trailer, but i dont need the "dump" feature often enough to justify the cost. i know that once you have it you will use it. so far i been able to tolerate it just fine.

I have this same set up. Only thing is, I drop tractor at my house, then go get a load of driveway gravel, and unload it at home. I did block up the back of the trailer because I have a ramp gate with no supports at pivot point. And I put tongue jack down to minimize trailer movement when going up and down the ramp with the tractor. Jon

 

[GManBart]

I say dump trailer all the way. There is no "perfect" trailer, but for what you're looking at, I think you'll be happy with one. The other thing I've found is that they're great for hauling construction materials. If you're going to be doing any sort of work where you have to pick up lumber, siding, insulation, drywall, etc they rock. It's so nice to be able to open the tailgate, slide in the materials, close the tailgate, then cover it with the tarp and drive off without messing with ratchet straps, etc. Yes, you still need to secure heavy items, but for most construction materials, you don't need to bother.

I looked at all the brands available locally, and went with a Load Trail...very happy that I did. One nice thing they do is a three-way gate that many others don't offer.

I would generally avoid a used dump trailer....they go for nearly new prices and most seem to be beat to death. The other factor is it's very easy to overload them, and you have no idea what the previous owner did with it.

I will say that in your shoes I'd seriously consider the 83" version...much more flexible, and you only lose a few hundred pounds of payload. If you aren't hauling gravel/RAP/sand you're not likely to max it out to 7K anyway so it just gives you more space for bulkier/lighter items like brush or mulch.

16' 14K scissor lift:

 

[JJZ 109]

You will regret not having the dump trailer when you are shoveling out a yard or so of material from the utility trailer. The older I get, the harder moving stuff around with a shovel becomes. Spend your kids inheritance:laughing:

I agree. We get 2 or 3 yards of mulch every year and it's great to have the dump trailer instead of multi bags of it. Also nice to get a load of stone once a year to touch up the driveway or to haul a couple tons of wood pellets in late summer/early fall.
I also haul my Bobcat S185 skid steer in it as needed.

 

[check]

One dilemna you may face is whether to get a cheaper dump trailer that uses your tractor's hydraulic pump, or for maybe almost $1000 more, a dump trailer that has its own hydraulic pump, so you could use it behind your truck.

Another issue for me is that I have a Kubota BX25, and even a 2 ton dump trailer would be too heavy when loaded to move around with the ball hitch that I have welded to my FEL I suppose I could tow it from behind, which would make it easier to access the (rear) hydraulic lines, but then I would have to remove my backhoe each time I used the dump trailer.

 

[sklunk]

Here are my thoughts:

- The dump trailer would be nice if you haul trash/debris to the dump and just want to unload it quickly.
- Either trailer should handle moving furniture, equipment, etc.
- Dump trailers weigh much more empty than landscaping trailers so you can't haul as much (based on capacity of your current tow vehicles - this would change if you got an HD pickup).
- Concerning unloading mulch, gravel, etc.: I had the same question and ended up buying a landscape trailer with removable sides. If you get the dump trailer you MUST dump the load onto the ground (the sides are not removable). At that point you have a few yards of stone or mulch that you need to shovel up off the ground to spread (easier if you have a tractor with a loader but a lot more shoveling if you don't). With the landscape trailer I just remove the sides and pull to the area I need to spread the material. At that point I have to shovel it off the trailer but I found if I stand on the ground at the sides or rear of the trailer it is exactly the right height that I don't have to bend over to do any of the shoveling!

 

[GManBart]

Here are my thoughts:

- The dump trailer would be nice if you haul trash/debris to the dump and just want to unload it quickly.
- Either trailer should handle moving furniture, equipment, etc.
- Dump trailers weigh much more empty than landscaping trailers so you can't haul as much (based on capacity of your current tow vehicles - this would change if you got an HD pickup).
- Concerning unloading mulch, gravel, etc.: I had the same question and ended up buying a landscape trailer with removable sides. If you get the dump trailer you MUST dump the load onto the ground (the sides are not removable). At that point you have a few yards of stone or mulch that you need to shovel up off the ground to spread (easier if you have a tractor with a loader but a lot more shoveling if you don't). With the landscape trailer I just remove the sides and pull to the area I need to spread the material. At that point I have to shovel it off the trailer but I found if I stand on the ground at the sides or rear of the trailer it is exactly the right height that I don't have to bend over to do any of the shoveling!

Nearly every time I see a landscape trailer hauling mulch, gravel or sand they're leaving a trail of those materials behind them.

Many/most dump trailer manufacturers offer dump sides that hinge so you can dump just as you describe.

http://camsuperline.com/images/trailers/dodt/dodt1.jpg

 

[dragoneggs]

My next trailer will definitely be a dumper. And big enough to haul my BX in a pinch... I guess... but that's the part that opens me up to BIL jobs. I'm tired of emptying dirt, gravel, etc out of my little utility trailer or F150. Actually sold my little utility trailer trying to force myself into an upgrade. Hydraulic lift is on my bucket list now that I seem to be aging.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have never regretted for a second getting my 6' x 12' dump trailer.

I fact, I would highly recommend going up to this size. Mine rates at 9990 lbs gross, which is more than any of your tow vehicles can handle, but there is no law that you have to fill it that full. The trailer is 2000 lbs.

With brush, mulch, almost anything other than dirt or gravel, it will never get to 7000 lbs. And that extra capacity will come in handy for any landscaping tasks.

 

[sklunk]

Nearly every time I see a landscape trailer hauling mulch, gravel or sand they're leaving a trail of those materials behind them.

Agreed, but that is a problem with the operator not the trailer. That's their loss -- I figure if I'm paying for the material I'm going to make sure I'm not losing any of it going down the road.

Many/most dump trailer manufacturers offer dump sides that hinge so you can dump just as you describe.

http://camsuperline.com/images/trailers/dodt/dodt1.jpg

I am very familiar with CAM Superline trailers (I live not far from the factory and there are tons of them on the road around here; Bri-Mar is also close to us). You are correct about the sides flipping down but most of those are for side-dump trailers. In that case you are still dumping the material onto the ground. If you need to shovel it off and flip the sides down the deck of the dump trailer is too high to be comfortable (the landscape trailer has a lower deck).

Believe me, if money and towing capacity didn't matter I would argue for the dump trailer too. Based on the info the OP posted I was just trying to point out the benefits of a landscape trailer for his situation (I say "landscape" but also include car trailers in that group).

 

[kevinwak]

For me it made more sense to buy a car hauler type trailer. I have an 07 F150 and it only has a 7000 pound tow rating. I looked at the dumps and the increased weight made it not something I wanted to pull around all the time going to the home center for wood and hauling my tractor etc. Also the price was way less. For the times I need a dumper we have a place in town twenty miles away that rents 14,000 # dump trailers that are in brand new condition for $150 a day. I would have to rent that for twenty days to make up the price difference between the trailers. I do know renting isn't on option in every situation, but it has worked out better for me.