Lightest Dump Trailer?

   / Lightest Dump Trailer? #1  

keeney

Veteran Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2001
Messages
1,060
Location
Minnesota
Tractor
JD 4100 HST
I am looking for the lightest dump trailer I can find to maximize payload for my truck's towing capacity of apx 10,000 lbs.

I also want to be able to fit my tractor in the trailer, so I need at least 12' long. 14' long by 80" wide would be the ideal size, but I am not sure I want to add the extra weight.

To make loading easy, I would want a low-profile, drop-axle setup.

The lightest I have found in the 12' length is about 3500 lbs, and the 14' all are very heavy duty, coming in around 4500 lbs.

Anybody know of a manufacturer who makes an aluminum dump trailer?

- Rick
 
   / Lightest Dump Trailer? #2  
Rick,

My 12'x6', 10,000 lb gross dump trailer weighs 2500 lb empty. At least that is what it says on the data plate. Mine is not a low profile design. But, you want to be careful about getting a light weight dump trailer. There are a lot of stresses applied to the box frame and trailer frame when a heavy load is being dumped. You want a strong (heavy) frame to hold up to those stresses.

Jeff
 
   / Lightest Dump Trailer? #3  
I'm with Jeff on this one. I have a 6'X12' 12,000 low-profile dumper from Anderson Mfg. in GA. The empty weight is 2,500 lbs. It does not have a drop axle, so the bed is about 30 inches high. I have not tried to put my Cub in the trailer, but it should fit. I use it to deliver firewood.

I would be more worried about tow vehicle than I would about an extra 1,000 pounds of payload weight. There are not a lot of vehicles that you can tow and dump safely at this weight. That trailer puts a lot of stress on the hitch when that load starts to move off the trailer. I use an 8,000 pound Excursion with a class IV hitch. You also have to worry about the GVWR/GCWR on your vehicle registration with a heavy trailer.

I would not touch an aluminum trailer in this weight class. Not only the loads on the frame, but lifting a heavy load to dump it when you are not on level ground can be very tough on the trailer. I've seen a heavy dump truck twist like a pretzel when the load shifted while dumping.
 
   / Lightest Dump Trailer? #4  
I have a 14000 # dump trailer, 14' by 80 1/2 " wide, it has a 10000 # payload and weighs about 4000 #'s, it is made by Us steel products, it fits my 3830 with no trouble. I think the hitch is the weakest point, I pull it with my F350, the truck has no trouble but the hitch takes a lot of stress when I put 10000# 's of rock in it....
 
 
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