Convert trailer to dump trailer?

[ids]

Hi,
I was just wondering if anyone might have any suggestion of turning a regular trailer to a dump trailer? I have a 16ft trailer with 2 foots sides, I was thinking of creating an insert, nothing major, wood lined with rolled sheet metal, then adding some 12v hyd to the main bed, it doesn't have to be fancy or a major project, just something very simple...

thanks
steve

 

[texasjohn]

There have been several folks on TBN who have built their own dump trailers.

Also, there have been good reviews of the device that allows you to turn a crank and roll material out of the back of a pickup. Some have affixed this to the bed of a trailer and report it works well.

suggest you use the TBN search function and read about their experiences.

Making a dump trailer is a complex project...... you are dealing with MAJOR weight, complex angles, metal fabrication, etc.... if you have these tools already, go for it...

you may discover it is more cost and time effective to look on Craig's List and you might locate one that is inexpensive enough for you to purchase.

 

[wushaw]

If you're wanting to haul heavy stuff like dirt then you need a sturdy box and frame.

 

[Bill_C]

A 16 ft trailer full of dirt is awfully heavy, might be 8 or 10 tons if piled a couple of feet high (if my memory and/or calculation is correct). For around a 5 ton trailer (10,000 lbs) the trailer size would be around 8 ft by 8 ft by a few feet high, if I recall correctly. In other words, the 16 ft trailer is twice as big as it should be. Furthermore, piling a bunch of dirt on a 16 ft trailer will likely wind up with most of the weight ahead of the axles, and the tongue will have far too much weight over it.

I beleive the better approach would be to make a smaller, heavier frame from scratch. Wushaw is right, you need a sturdy frame. The loads on a dump trailer get highly concentrated, rather than spread out like on a regular flat trailer.

 

[Chris_in_Oz]

Hey guys,
I tried this a while ago and ended up bending the drawbar. The two bars that made up the drawbar were single bits of angle. If you are planning to haul heaps of dirt, might be an idea to stiffen up the a-frame to the hitch!

 

[PILOON]

I had a 4' x 8' trailer with 16" sides, sturdy (I thought).
It was converted from a small house trailer, the pole being formed 2 x 4 channel stock.

Well I loader her up, dragged to the dump site and proceded to dump using my FEL under the hitch to 'lift and dump'.

Pulling was OK as loads were spread about.

But when I lifted the pole to the point where the rear rested on the ground the fun began.

While I did 'dump the load' I also bent the front of the 4 ft A-frame draw pole section.
A 10 lb sledge straightend that out and I added a channel section up the center full length from hitch to back.
Guess that load added up to a few tons!