Water tote trailer

[whitechevy]

I wanted to post a water tank build I did this past year. I searched a ton on the web and I found very little on homemade water trailers. There are some but not as many as I wanted to get ideas from. So, here is my build...

I started with a 275 gallon tote


I bought a Hypro pump (model 4101C) and a bypass valve. The bypass took me a while to find. It cost almost as much as the pump. I believe the pump was around $100 and the bypass was about $80! :greedy: I put a "Y" spigot in front of the pump so I could add soaker hoses to be gravity fed. This will allow for watering of trees and plans planted away from the house. Here is the mock up:



I bought a HF 6hp engine to drive the pump. The mock up showed that the engine and pump would fit inside the footprint of the tote. Mock up:



Next I will show the fabrication.

 

[aczlan]

Looks like an interesting project.

Aaron Z

 

[whitechevy]

In order to start this project I had to disassemble my log splitter. I wanted to use that axle for this water trailer and build a new one for the log splitter. The log splitter is currently in surgery and I hope to have a post on it in Februaryish.

So I removed the axle and had a starting point:


Next comes the framing. My brother-in-law had been asking me to teach him how to weld. So after several practice sessions I turned him loose on the frame. He did a good job. I don't think it will come loose under the weight and he did keep the frame square. This was a good starter project, as the top speed on this trailer should reach about 8mph!



Next I added frame supports to the axle.


Determining the pivot point was difficult. Lucky for me I have a smart father and he did the cyphering. And as usual... he was correct the first time. So next I added the engine\pump area and mounted the frame to the axle:



Next I built the mounting plates for the pump and the engine. I also built the tongue and my anti-theft device. I store my equipment in a pole barn. I've never (knock on wood) had any trouble with theft or vandalism but I do live out a ways and if someone wanted to steal my stuff they could. So I added a receiver on the tongue. I made a removable extension to go between the trailer and my truck or tractor. It works GREAT! I will use this same extension on the log splitter once I finish it.



Next will be assembly...

 

[whitechevy]

I added safety supports to the trailer so that on an incline if the tank did give way it wouldn't come crashing into the tractor. I painted the frame. I like to brush paint my outdoor items. It goes on thicker than spray paint and it seems to resist bumps and bangs better. I may be mental about the bump factor but it makes me feel better knowing it was brushed painted. But let me tell you... If you haven't brushed painted expanded metal before, count your lucky stars. There is zero fun factor to painting expanded metal with a brush.

I also completed the plumbing including the bypass so the pump won't overheat.



In posting these final pictures I can't seem to find all of them. There are enough here to give you an idea of what the final was like. I added some rebar around the corner supports and some turnbuckle tie downs but I seem to be missing those pictures. I will find them later and post them.



It turned out well for what I was wanting. The pump has plenty of pressure and puts out about 10 gallons per minute. Thanks for looking!

Whitechevy

 

[weldingisfun]

Nice job! One thing concerns me, however. The trailer tongue looks awfully long. Once filled with water, the tote weighs over 2400 lbs then add the weight of the pump and engine. Have you noticed any bend on that long tongue? How thick are the walls of the tubing?

 

[whitechevy]

Nice job! One thing concerns me, however. The trailer tongue looks awfully long. Once filled with water, the tote weighs over 2400 lbs then add the weight of the pump and engine. Have you noticed any bend on that long tongue? How thick are the walls of the tubing?

Thanks weldingisfun for looking. That is a great question. I feel the bigger part of you answer is in the balance of the load. All the calculations (Thanks Dad! I'm 42 and he is still teaching me things.) were assumed the tank is 2/3 full. There is tongue weight but not of the complete tote. So some of that weight is behind the axle and that is taking weight off the tongue.

Now to answer your direct question....It is 2"x2" tubing with 1/4" walls. I haven't filled the tank to the top yet but so far I have no concerns with bending. I determined the length of the tongue by using the width of my Chevrolet bumper as a guide. Once connected to my truck I can completely "jack knife" the trailer without the trailer touching the bumper. In other words, the tongue is half the width of my bumper to the receiver on the trailer. It also makes backing the trailer into the barn easier. I had not seen this type of removable tongue and thought I would give it a try. I was shocked at how tight it all is. Thought there would be more play than what is there. The 1/4" walls make for a stiffer tongue, but it is heavy. I am considering adding handles to it so installation and removal will be easier. I appreciate your comment. We can never be too safe! Not that you asked, but the frame is 3"x3" x1/4" angle.

 

[cartod]

Very nice job indeed. Looks very well balanced. I bet you could fill it up and still lift the tongue by hand.

 

[whitechevy]

Re: Water tote trailer - build pictures

I couldn't find the pictures of the supports and turnbuckles. I went and took a few pictures today. I originally thought that the weight of the water would be enough to hold the tote in place. It wasn't. It bounced and shifted as I moved it around. The rebar was there just to keep the tote on the trailer in case of a sudden surge or tip. Since it bounced so badly, I added stainless turnbuckles to the four corners. What a difference! The tote is as solid as a rock. With the turnbuckles the rebar is not needed. There is no doubt that adding the turnbuckles is a major consideration in building this.
I intend to add a shelf above the engine and pump. I also intend to add a quality hose real to the shelf and a small box for nozzles and such. (Any recommendation on hose reals? I'm researching that now) I will also add "Do Not Drink" signs to the tote. I may from time to time fill it from the creek. Using the pole barn as a source for water collection is not out of the question either. But we all know how good intentions and future plans go.

 

[CarterKraft]

Any problems running the pump direct drive with the gas engine. I didn't think those roller pumps were rated for 3600 RPM that the gas engine runs at.
I have a similar setup but the engine uses a oil bath gear reduction unit to slow the pump down.

Looking at the pump charts I have they show 2600 RPM max, if the engine was ran a half throttle and had the hp to do so that would be a great solution.
What is your primary use of the tote trailer?

We are looking at one for personal fire protection.

Great build I like the details.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Nice set up....
However, I do have a question...... Have you run it long enough to know if engine vibration is a problem with the pump being piped into the tank with rigid fittings ??? I'm thinking maybe you might need to replace the first nipple off the adapter from the tank valve with a pig tail type loop of non collapse tube....
This will not let vibration telegraph to the tank and damage the tank, and other components on the upstream side of the pump....

Good luck...