Dump Trailer with landscape gate thoughts

lennyzx11 · Jun 17, 2019

I sold my tilt trailer and my little 5x8 dump trailer and bought a 10k twin axle 6x12 dump trailer this week.

It looks like this.

Trouble is that it came with a Landscape type gate ramp that opens two ways. Spreader and ramp.

I like the gate but think it might be problematic.

Before I change things, I wanted to ask the brain trust what your thoughts are.

1. The landscape gate is nice to roll stuff into on a dolly. =PLUS
2. Landscape gate is heavy to close and I’m not getting younger. =MINUS
3. I can see stuff like brush/trash getting caught trying to go under gate when dumped. =MINUS
4. Taking the gate off alone to dump would be a major PITA. =MINUS

So some of my beer enriched ideas are

1. Lose the gate, make a regular tailgate and carry loading ramps.
2. Add hydraulic assist to the gate that would raise it from the ramp position using a selector valve.
3. Make the gate a side opening (3 way)
4. Add a winch on receiver mount that would pull ramp up and help load stuff. This coincides with wanting to add a log arch to the back to load logs in the field to bring home. I’m liking this idea as it could be used to open gate wider with the winch cable connected to the top.
5. Dumping like a normal “drop the tailgate” maneuver won’t ever be possible with that big gate laying on the ground the load will all pile up on the gate. = MINUS

Firewood, trash, brush, dirt and gravel will be the main things dumped out of it while I have it.
It will be used as a utility trailer hauling treasures home and hauling not so treasures away.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Lenny

jaxs · Jun 17, 2019

Not sure what I can say about your preferances but barn doors have always served me well and I can't recall seeing a spreader-ramp combo. If you like a spreader,I would think barn door-spreader combo and hang ramps on side.

4570Man · Jun 17, 2019

My little dump truck has a 2’ tailgate that I can hinge at the top or bottom. I almost always hinge at the bottom and chain flat which extends my bed to 10’ feet and the load slides off nicely. Another plus is it protects the lights on my truck and keeps gravel off which minimizes the amount I have to brush off. My big dump truck has a bigger tailgate like yours and it it has proved troublesome. I think having a second short tailgate to put flat for bulky materials and putting the tall one back on would be the best option. Making it a side hinge might be alright but opening and closing it might be problematic and you’d need a catch so it doesn’t get bent on the ground.

3Ts · Jun 17, 2019

Firewood, trash, brush, dirt and gravel will be the main things dumped out of it while I have it.

Since this is what you plan to do with it, I'd use the barn door-spreader combo like jaxs suggests.

mike48130 · Jun 18, 2019

I have the same type of gate on my trailer. I would go for a side swing any day over the landscape gate. I find it is just more a PITA than anything. I never use the trailer to spread material, so that function is useless to me. I bought a couple of these hinges from etrailer I think it was, to make mine a swinger. My tailgate is pretty beat up, so I need to make a whole new one, that is why I am kinda on hold, plus I don't have my welder setup yet in the new garage. I don't know if I would see the benefit of a side swing and top pivot combo. There is a rare occasion I used it to load a mower, so I will need some form of ramps. Maybe separate mounted to the side. That would be the only benefit for me to make the bottom pivot.

Dump Door Hinge - Steel Polar Hardware Enclosed Trailer Parts PLR194-Z

lennyzx11 · Jun 30, 2019

I had some time today and began converting mine.
So I used the tractor to bring it in the shop.

First thing was to cut the expanded metal loose.
Angle grinder with thin cutoff blade made short work here.

Then the slice down the middle.
Portable bandsaw and some finish up with the plasma cutter.

Still a work in progress after day one. I’ll get this first one done and then slice the gate into barn doors.

More details to follow after I make sure this is going to be a workable change.

Couple of notes.
That lower pivot pin receives a lot of pull on it when the gate is swung open past center trying to push its way toward the center of the trailer. Going to try welding a large washer on the end as a “stop” to hold against that force.
The weight of the gate pushes against the pin first half of the opening swing but then reverses as the gate swings past the half way mark.

Slots cut into the angle iron (one welded to trailer and other to gate) will work to hold tailgate drop chains in a fixed position horizontally with the bed floor.