Dump Trailers

[Hay Dude]

If you are concerned about the ROI, I would do the math on how many loads of whatever you need against the cost of hiring someone with a big dump truck to do the work. Around here the trailer cost is way more than having someone else do it, for more gravel than I would ever use.

To me it pencils out only if you need a little bit at a whole series of dumpsites, like being a landscaper, with clients.

I also place a great deal of intrinsic value on “time”. If I have my own dump truck or dump trailer, I can be on the road getting material in 15 minutes v. waiting for delivery. I can also work after hours or weekends when there’s little help available from a vendor.
That is a huge plus to ownership that is frequently overlooked.

But if you do buy a trailer, I'd go with a gooseneck; better load distribution, more capacity, and a better behaving trailer. You can have hitches that are removable, if you really need the bed space for some reason.

All the best,

Peter

Agree

 

[4570Man]

Not to try to talk you out of it, cause I would love to have a 9999# dump trailer.... Do you realize just how small 3.5T or even 5T of gravel really is? Heck, even 18T in a dump truck doesn't go far, and then think about that being 6 trips? Yes, I want a dump trailer, no it doesnt make $$$ sense for me to buy one.

That load of sand was 5.3 tons. I usually only haul gravel, dirt or sand if I can finish the job with 5 tons. Otherwise it’s cheaper and faster to call a dump truck. I use the dump trailers plenty for hauling light material but hauling gravel isn’t a productive use of time.

 

[4570Man]

A BP trailer puts all the weight behind your rear axle and really once you use a GN, you immediately unlock so much more potential from your truck.
You are correct that it takes up space in the bed, but you’ll quickly figure out ways around that.

I hate 14k gooseneck trailers. At 20k they kinda become a necessity but a 14k bumper pull trailer pulls fine. I don’t want to give up my bed capacity plus have to work harder hooking it up just to pull a 14k trailer. I set something on the bed and pull a trailer behind it all the time.

 

[CH4Ohio]

I've got a 2025 Ram 2500 with the Cummins. GVWR is 11040. I'm looking to get a dump trailer. I'm going to go with a bumper hitch rather a gooseneck. Heaviest thing I would probably haul would be gravel. Probably also going to haul mulch, etc. I'm not planning to haul any vehicles in it, I've seen a few with ramps for that purpose. Looking for input on things I should consider. What size makes sense? Brands that you would recommend or stay away from?

I think the 7' x 14' is a good size trailer for the occasional but serious user. It is also popular and holds its resell value really well. It's better suited for hauling a smaller compact tractor with loader than a 6' x 12', for example. And they pull really well -- much better than my equipment trailer that bounces around and beats you up when it's empty.

The ramps are for small equipment like tractors, etc. -- not for cars. Mine has jack legs on the rear that you can drop when loading equipment so the hitch isn't taking all the load and trying to lift your truck bumper. (That's a feature that is worth looking for.) Also consider the different height sides of the trailers. Having the ability to add side boards is a also a good feature.

I've seen Moritz trailers that have really neat latches that catch and secure the rear gates when you swing them open. It's important that they're secured before you lift the bed -- if they swing closed when the bed is going up you can tear something up. Mine just uses chains to keep them pulled back and that's ok too, but not as slick as the Moritz hardware.

Ramps that slide out from underneath are WAY BETTER than ramps that hang on the side of the trailer. They are heavy and hard to handle so look for slide-out ramps.

A tarp roller on the front is a must for hauling in a lot of locations.

Many will have a plug hard-wired up-front so you can just plug an extension cord in and it will power a charger and keep your battery charged and ready to use. No biggie, but it's convenient.

I've used Sure-trac and Moritz trailers and thought both were solid. Also used a PJ trailer and it didn't have some of the features that the others offered.

I found mine listed for sale used on FB for a great price. Was lucky enough to see it right after it was listed and jumped on it. You can't lose money on it if you buy it right and take care of it.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Not to try to talk you out of it, cause I would love to have a 9999# dump trailer.... Do you realize just how small 3.5T or even 5T of gravel really is? Heck, even 18T in a dump truck doesn't go far, and then think about that being 6 trips? Yes, I want a dump trailer, no it doesnt make $$$ sense for me to buy one.

yes some application it doesn't make sense but for low quantity it can, you have to take account the delivery price which vastly varies depending on your location and sometime you need to rehandle the material since a dump truck can't go where you want it to go... it was my case when I did my horse ring, a dump truck simply couldn't go where I wanted so I rehandle everything with the dump trailer... Also like myself I get a healthy discount per tonnes for loading and hauling it myself so it makes it worth while.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Dump trailers are also really handy haulers -- even when not using the dump feature. For lumber or material on pallets or . . . heaven forbid . . . helping someone move . . . it's great to load up and close the rear doors and drive. I often use mine to pick stuff up that could also go on a equipment trailer, but the dump trailer pulls so much better. Unless you need to be able to load from the side using a forklift, the dump trailer will often beat out the equipment trailer for ease of use.

 

[Hay Dude]

I hate 14k gooseneck trailers. At 20k they kinda become a necessity but a 14k bumper pull trailer pulls fine. I don’t want to give up my bed capacity plus have to work harder hooking it up just to pull a 14k trailer. I set something on the bed and pull a trailer behind it all the time. View attachment 4327199

You are missing the point
Your truck is built heavier than the OP.
Yours handles a BP better than the OPs

 

[Rockbadchild]

You are missing the point
Your truck is built heavier than the OP.
Yours handles a BP better than the OPs

I agree with all of what you are saying for the benefit of goose neck, yourself being a commercial contractor it make perfect sense but I also would stick with bumper pull, ops has plenty of trucks, depending on the amount of use and length of pull I would argue a bumper is a lot cheaper set up to run especially if you are not set up for it.

 

[WM75Guy]

I switched from a 14' GN scissor-lift to a 14' bumper pull hydraulic ram dump trailer. I can't tell that much of a difference in the ride. I definitely recommend the hydraulic ram for a dump trailer, never have to worry about it not being able to dump the load.

 

[4570Man]

You are missing the point
Your truck is built heavier than the OP.
Yours handles a BP better than the OPs

That’s true. I’ve pulled 14k trailers with single wheel trucks and it definitely bounces more than my dually but it’s acceptable. If I was pulling the trailer 1,000 miles a week well the first thing I would do is get a dually but to stay on topic I’d rather use a GN. If I was pulling the trailer once every couple weeks I’d get the bumper pull. I probably wouldn’t pull the trailer and put a pallet on the bed with a single wheel truck.