Taking delivery on 7x12, 14k lb dump trailer

[jinman]

Tuesday afternoon I sent an email to Texas Pride Trailers in Madisonville, TX to enquire about price and delivery of a dump trailer. Yesterday at 10:30 am, they called me on my cell phone and asked when I wanted delivery. I'm 225 miles from Madisonville, so I was shocked. They charge $1 per one-way mile to deliver. The cost of the trailer is $4995 and delivery is $225. Add in $83 for fees and farm use registration. $5303 delivered to my door. I'm pretty happy with that price. I'm attaching a PDF file of the trailer specs. I'll continue this thread with pictures and first thoughts as I use the trailer. If everything goes as planned and as the fellow on the phone sounded, I'll be a happy dump trailer owner by this afternoon.

 

[RollTideRam]

Nice trailer. I'm happy for you, but still sad I can't get one. JC

 

[Diamondpilot]

Make sure you get a spare. My friend got a 14' dump trailer, Bi-Mar, and the second time out had a flat.

Chris

 

[jinman]

Make sure you get a spare. My friend got a 14' dump trailer, Bi-Mar, and the second time out had a flat.

Chris

Chris, that is great advice. I should have bought a spare, but by the time you posted, the trailer was almost here. When you consider that the tires are 10-ply rated, steel belted radials on 8-lug heavy duty wheels. The $150 cost for a spare is very cheap. I plan to use the trailer exclusively on my land in the beginning and later maybe do some hauling on the highway. When I get on the highway, it will be important to carry a good hydraulic jack and a spare also.

Well, the trailer arrived as promised, right on time. THANK YOU TEXAS PRIDE! Attached are some pictures of the delivery and a few closeups of trailer details. I'm very impressed and pleased with the construction of this trailer. It can haul 10,660 lb of cargo in addition to the trailer's weight. That's more weight than I believe I will ever want to haul behind my tractor or pickup. I'll be surprised if I ever exceed 3 tons at once. The bedsize (7x12x24 with sideboard slots) is perfect for all varieties and densities of materials. I'm sure I'll find lots of uses I have not yet considered. I also like that the battery and pump box has enough room to carry extra hydraulic oil, tools, and a jumper battery for emergencies.

All comments and any cautions are welcome. I'm too big a rookie at using a dump trailer to ignore any advice. I did know not to run the bed all the way up without being hitched to something. In the picture, the bed is only slightly more than halfway up. I also purchased a 2-5/16" ball rated at 25k lb. That's an obvious safety factor, but the delivery driver made sure he told me that. I was happy to find all the trailer supplies I need are well-stocked at our new TSC store.

Yesterday was a very good day for me.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Looks really nice. One thing I see and maybe its a illusion but check that hydro line for security. I would hate for it to get pinched. Also put your safety chains in the loops welded on instead of on the C Channel, it will scratch the paint and rust.

Looks like a great deal and a well made trailer. Congratulations.

Chris

 

[JB4310]

Yes, when you dump a heavy load there is serious almost violent upward pressure on the tongue for a moment before the load slides out, (you really notice it with the slack in a pintle hitch) so with the tractor make sure you have a chain tied to draw bar to prevent your 3 pt from rising up possibly causing damage. I have a pintle coupler that locks closed, just make sure your ball coupler is locked.

You got a great price IMO, I've got a 6x10 five ton that cost over $6,000. You will load it up to capacity, it's not hard to do if hauling gravel, with that big bed at 10"-12" deep you would be over capacity. Don't forget you can have 1000LB on the tongue which increases your load rating. Just don't exceed the axle/tire rating (the amount actually on the axles)

Here's a pic of mine from the other day with process stone, that little pile is 9,000LB of product, even with 1,000LB on the tongue I was over on the axle rating by around 500-600 LBS.
9000# stone + 2500# trailer = 11,500 - 1000 on tongue = 10,500

JB.

 

[JB4310]

Looks really nice. One thing I see and maybe its a illusion but check that hydro line for security. I would hate for it to get pinched. Also put your safety chains in the loops welded on instead of on the C Channel, it will scratch the paint and rust.

Looks like a great deal and a well made trailer. Congratulations.

Chris

Yeah it does look like they could have protected the line better, just strung across with no support looks vulnerable, looks like they put that twist in there on purpose to take up some of the slack. I would try and think of something to help protect that line.

With the one ton truck with dual wheels and a good brake controller, you should be good to go at full capacity

JB.

 

[radman1]

Yeah it does look like they could have protected the line better, just strung across with no support looks vulnerable, looks like they put that twist in there on purpose to take up some of the slack. I would try and think of something to help protect that line.

With the one ton truck with dual wheels and a good brake controller, you should be good to go at full capacity

JB.

Check the fitting of the hose on that cylinder. I wonder if the hose was put on without a slip fitting to allow the hose not to twist as it was screwed on the cylinder. You could easily add one if it is missing.

 

[jinman]

Looks really nice. One thing I see and maybe its a illusion but check that hydro line for security. I would hate for it to get pinched. Also put your safety chains in the loops welded on instead of on the C Channel, it will scratch the paint and rust.

Didn't even notice the loops until you mentioned it. The driver put the safety chain hooks on the c-channel when he delivered the trailer and I just blindly followed his lead.

I have already spotted the twist in the hose and the way they just ran it straight across. That probably saves 3' or more of hose for each trailer. I do think they twisted the hose on purpose to allow a slight slack for expansion and contraction. I believe the hoses have swivel fittings on each end.

Also, there is black paint on the hydraulic rams. It's still sticky. Evidently when they painted the cylinders, they painted the wiper seal and then retracted the cylinders with wet paint on them. I'll have to run the rams all the way out and clean off the paint with some thinner. I hope I don't have seal problems later. Everything looks dry.

JB4310, you have a nice rig and nice sideboards. I will never attach this trailer to my 3PH. I'm using the big swinging drawbar exclusively. That limits my tractor angle when backing, but I still think it will be okay. I can extend the drawbar out a little if I have to.

You have a nice rig with your 1-ton Dodge. My 1996 3/4 ton Dodge is a great truck, but its automatic transmission is getting tired. I'm not sure I want to do much towing of heavy loads until I get that transmission rebuilt. The original transmission lasted 160k miles and then I had it rebuilt. Friends told me I was wasting money on a rebuild. I guess they were right. The rebuilt one only lasted another 206k miles. The truck has 366k +miles on it now and I'm really ready to get the tranny rebuilt. I think I can make 500k or more if I have to.

 

[kthompson]

My son in law and I were recently pricing same size trailer here. Your price is lower by at least $500 than anything we found. Even more than the few used ones we found. I would agree with your used of the fixed draw bar for reasons covered.