Lawn Vac Trailer Details

[JackIL]

This is in response to Don and others in the thread "A Cheaper Dump Trailer" who requested that I post more details of the lawn vac trailer system I built starting from a Country Manufacturing 6 foot trailer. I took several pictures to illustrate the construction. I hope that posting them here in a new thread does not overstep the bounds of reasonableness. If so I appologize in advance.

The first is an overall view of the tractor and trailer. The tractor is a Ventrac 4200 (31 hp) with 72 inch deck. The trailer is based on a Country Manufacturing 6 foot tandem axle trailer, and the vac system is an EZ-Vac (now called Bluebird International). I prefer the articulated 4WD tractor with dual wheels for safe and secure operation on steep hills. The tractor can operate on slopes of 30 degrees. I have not taken the trailer over 20 degrees.

Jack

 

[JackIL]

Close up of left side of trailer. Nominal dimensions of bed: Length = 72 inches, Width = 39 inches, Height = 34 inches. Exhaust chute is full width and tapers upward to a 4 inch tall opening across the back. Under the chute the entire top of the box is cover with mesh screen to minimize blowout.

 

[JackIL]

Left Turn. Note that the steering pivot for the trailer is directly below the vac system and not at the tractor hitch.

 

[JackIL]

Same turn, but seen from right rear.

 

[JackIL]

Steering Hinge details.

 

[JackIL]

Trailer Hitch to tractor. Note the control arm on the right. It is simply the top link for a Cat 0 3 point hitch. Its purpose is to prevent steering from occurring at the tractor connector, but it does allow roll of the trailer with respect to the tractor.

 

[JackIL]

Top view of hitch. Note that the axis of the pin on the sway bar passes through the center of the ball joint.

 

[JackIL]

Sharp right turn. Hose does not hit trailer.

 

[JackIL]

Sharp left turn. With the hitch system it is possible to make sharper turns than would be possible by just having a single piece long tongue on the trailer.

 

[JackIL]

Dumping with hydraulic cylinder. Max bed angle is 47 degrees.