Home made trailer

[Marc 21]

I know there's another thread but it is about small trailers and i'm wondering if anyone has built a bigger dump trailer, like one you could carry 10000lbs?

 

[sandman2234]

I modified an existing boat trailer to make a dump trailer to move some dirt. As strong as it is, it will probably dump close to that. I think the cylinder was rated at seven tons, so it might be close. Pictures of my ugly trailer were posted on that "other dump trailer post".
David from jax

 

[have_blue]

I know there's another thread but it is about small trailers and i'm wondering if anyone has built a bigger dump trailer, like one you could carry 10000lbs?

Hauling 10K will probably require a pair of 10K axles. Maybe you should go to a trailer dealer, and sneak a peek at the frame member sizes and layout on a ~15K GVW trailer. Dirt is the most brutal load you can haul on a trailer. Better to over build it than under build it, especially if you will be using it a lot. I've seen several dump trailers ruined by overloading. Best to build it so that you can pile it to the top and still not be over loaded.

 

[Marc 21]

That's a good idea, on monday i'll go through the the trailer place and sneek a peak. My friends brother owns a tractor/trailer dealership so maybe he'll give me a good enuogh deal that i won't need to make one.

 

[Skyco]

Dirt is the most brutal load you can haul on a trailer.

That is a puzzling statement...why would 10 tons of dirt be any more "brutal" then 10 tons of gravel, or golf balls or whatever

 

[sandman2234]

That post might just be worded wrong, but dirt tends to be a little heavier than it looks, more so than gravel and golf balls since you can put more of it in a equal space. Because of that, people often mis-calculate the weight of the dirt that they are hauling, when compared to that last load of gravel/golf balls that they hauled. Plus dirt can also hold a large amount of weight, depending on the concentration of water held in it.
Maybe this is the reason it is so hard on trailers??

Where would you haul 10 tons of golf balls, other than maybe at a driving range? I would hate to be the one to have to pick those up by hand. Glad they make golf ball harvestors.
David from jax

 

[Marc 21]

i understood what you ment, dirt has more wieght for sq inch, especially when wet. Thanx for all the ideas

 

[BTDT]

Check out the trailer in this link. Not sure if he built it, but it works fine, see the video. Maybe send him a pm.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/construction-equipment/99717-komatsu-d20a-6-a-9.html#post1246034

 

[Marc 21]

thanx for the link

 

[Skyco]

That post might just be worded wrong, but dirt tends to be a little heavier than it looks, more so than gravel and golf balls since you can put more of it in a equal space. Because of that, people often mis-calculate the weight of the dirt that they are hauling, when compared to that last load of gravel/golf balls that they hauled. Plus dirt can also hold a large amount of weight, depending on the concentration of water held in it.
Maybe this is the reason it is so hard on trailers??

Where would you haul 10 tons of golf balls, other than maybe at a driving range? I would hate to be the one to have to pick those up by hand. Glad they make golf ball harvestors.
David from jax

There is a large sticker on the front of my commercial dump trailer that states-
Per cubic yard- DIRT 2052 lbs
Per cubic yard- GRAVEL 2646 lbs
Per cubic yard- CRUSHER RUN 3254 lbs

This is in conjunction with a warning to not overload the trailer- so according to them dirt is not heavier than an equivalent volume of rock.

The golf ball example was just for illustration purposes, ala the old joke of what is heavier a pound of lead or a pound of feathers. If you prefer the example can be 10 tons of feathers Point is 10 tons is 10 tons.

 

[sandman2234]

Skyco,
If that sticker is correct, then I am wrong and stay corrected. However, with as much rain as we have had here lately, I would wonder what % of water the dirt has in it, as the wet dirt we have is definitely heavier than it was last year at this time, when it was dry.
David from jax

 

[napabavarian]

I know it is almost two months out, but if you are still looking try some trailer plans, i got the 7k plans and hope to build one this year, well worth the small price to have the steps, dimentions, and materials list layed out for you from the get go.

Now to find some old mobile home axles

 

[KennethBrown]

I know it is almost two months out, but if you are still looking try some trailer plans, i got the 7k plans and hope to build one this year, well worth the small price to have the steps, dimentions, and materials list layed out for you from the get go.

Now to find some old mobile home axles

Make sure those axles are legal where you live. Here in Texas the axles are legal but you have to have DOT rated tires. That used to be a problem since they are oddball size-14.5 . I found mine on ebay for $240 for set of 4 with shipping.

 

[napabavarian]

Interesting, my dad had one with a standard 5 lug pattern, but I have seen others, I'll check it out.

 

[charlz]

I know it is almost two months out, but if you are still looking try some trailer plans, i got the 7k plans and hope to build one this year, well worth the small price to have the steps, dimentions, and materials list layed out for you from the get go.

Now to find some old mobile home axles

The prices for the 'kit' on there doesn't seem too bad... free shipping and gives you the axles, fenders etc. Have you priced out the steel for the 7k plans? I'd like to have dump trailer but a 7k runs about $4600 around here. Wondering how much you would really save by doing it yourself.

Charles

 

[napabavarian]

I havn't priced steel, but I've been told that it runs $1.00-1.20/pound here, the listed weight of the trailer is 1800#, figure even at $2000 (running gear at 300-500#, but you'll have scrap steel that you paid for left over at the end) for the steel and $500 for the cylinder and hydraulic pump you have no more than $3500 into it, probably more like $3000.

That is a difference of not less than $1000, so unless it is a buisness tax writeoff you would need to earn $1600 and pay the goverment $600 to make up the difference, if it was $1600-2000+ because of lower steel prices you do even better.

Try this place for hydraulics. The plans call for a pump with a 3 gallon tank, but the cylinder displaces 6 quarts, so anything over 2 gallons should do.