texasjohn
Super Member
Well, I had been thinking about a dump truck... but have decided that I really don't need another engine, etc. to try to keep running and, it's a single use item.
So, am trying to decide between a 16' and a 20' hydraulic dump trailer.
I have an almost unlimited supply of fill dirt and material piled up on neighboring land down .5 mile of paved county road from my place. So, material is free for the taking and owner wants me to take as much as I can use. And, I need a lot of it... I mean maybe 500 trailer loads or such.
I have Kubota 5030 with FEL, thus can scoop stuff up into trailer.
I want a gooseneck. I have an attachment on the 3ph that will connect to the gooseneck. Also, F350 pickup, gas, small 8 engine. I know the pickup is underpowered, but my trips would be short. It handles my 28' cattle trailer with 15K lbs in it OK... if I drive very carefully!
I figure that I could use either the pickup or tractor to move the gooseneck between material source and the several places where I need to dump it.
Also, there are rock quarries where I can get road base and crushed rock, various sizes, about 5 miles from the house... county road.... pickup would be required to haul the trailer. I would use this material only as road topping, etc. But I anticipate I WOULD need to get 20 or more trailer loads of crushed rock.
Question is, should I get a 16' or 20' dump trailer
20' benefit is larger pay load and more flexible equipment trailer
16' benefit is less initial outlay, slightly more maneuverable
I don't have an equipment trailer, thus the 20' length would allow me to transport tractor plus equipment comfortably and position the rig so load is balanced. If I got the 16', the same equipment would fit, but absolutely no room for load balancing.
Locally, there are a few 16 ft used dump trailers and even fewer 20' used dump trailers, but they exist.
About 95% of my loads would be .5 mile haul from the neighbor. Traffic is almost never on the county road, constable never seen.
I'm thinking that I'd want to load a trailer very heavy... to its max carrying capacity...I KNOW that you reach the trailer load limit BEFORE you get the dirt more than about 3-4 feet deep in the trailer even tho it may have 6 feet sides. Purpose is to reduce the total number of .5 mile trips. Thus, I'd load each to max trailer capacity.
BUT... if the reality is that with the pickup I have and the tractor that I would NEVER be able to benefit from the extra load capacity of the 20', then the only benefit of the 20' would be as an equipment trailer.
Both trailers would be double axle, dual wheels. 20K or 21K lbs seems to be the typical 16' capacity... based often on axles. The 20' trailers also seem to have either 2 10K axles or 2 12K axles, thus 20K to 24K lb capacity.
Note, I'm retired, so can spread this activity out over time, but I don't want it to take forever, either! I'd rather spend $$ on equipment than have the material hauled in.
Given what I've said, towing equipment in hand, material availability, etc... if you were in the same situation, would you go for 16' or 20' dump trailer??
So, am trying to decide between a 16' and a 20' hydraulic dump trailer.
I have an almost unlimited supply of fill dirt and material piled up on neighboring land down .5 mile of paved county road from my place. So, material is free for the taking and owner wants me to take as much as I can use. And, I need a lot of it... I mean maybe 500 trailer loads or such.
I have Kubota 5030 with FEL, thus can scoop stuff up into trailer.
I want a gooseneck. I have an attachment on the 3ph that will connect to the gooseneck. Also, F350 pickup, gas, small 8 engine. I know the pickup is underpowered, but my trips would be short. It handles my 28' cattle trailer with 15K lbs in it OK... if I drive very carefully!
I figure that I could use either the pickup or tractor to move the gooseneck between material source and the several places where I need to dump it.
Also, there are rock quarries where I can get road base and crushed rock, various sizes, about 5 miles from the house... county road.... pickup would be required to haul the trailer. I would use this material only as road topping, etc. But I anticipate I WOULD need to get 20 or more trailer loads of crushed rock.
Question is, should I get a 16' or 20' dump trailer
20' benefit is larger pay load and more flexible equipment trailer
16' benefit is less initial outlay, slightly more maneuverable
I don't have an equipment trailer, thus the 20' length would allow me to transport tractor plus equipment comfortably and position the rig so load is balanced. If I got the 16', the same equipment would fit, but absolutely no room for load balancing.
Locally, there are a few 16 ft used dump trailers and even fewer 20' used dump trailers, but they exist.
About 95% of my loads would be .5 mile haul from the neighbor. Traffic is almost never on the county road, constable never seen.
I'm thinking that I'd want to load a trailer very heavy... to its max carrying capacity...I KNOW that you reach the trailer load limit BEFORE you get the dirt more than about 3-4 feet deep in the trailer even tho it may have 6 feet sides. Purpose is to reduce the total number of .5 mile trips. Thus, I'd load each to max trailer capacity.
BUT... if the reality is that with the pickup I have and the tractor that I would NEVER be able to benefit from the extra load capacity of the 20', then the only benefit of the 20' would be as an equipment trailer.
Both trailers would be double axle, dual wheels. 20K or 21K lbs seems to be the typical 16' capacity... based often on axles. The 20' trailers also seem to have either 2 10K axles or 2 12K axles, thus 20K to 24K lb capacity.
Note, I'm retired, so can spread this activity out over time, but I don't want it to take forever, either! I'd rather spend $$ on equipment than have the material hauled in.
Given what I've said, towing equipment in hand, material availability, etc... if you were in the same situation, would you go for 16' or 20' dump trailer??