Dump trailer vs. utility trailer

[rbstern]

I have a homemade 4'x8' utility trailer that was abandoned on our property (had a tree growing through the a-frame). Doesn't have springs, basically just a Dodge pickup truck axle with a trailer frame welded to it. I salvaged it. Turned it into a useful farm trailer that I use to haul trash, mulch, yard debris, and occasionally to take an ATV or mower for service. It works great for those tasks, but the lack of springs makes it pretty useless for towing anything other than yard materials or something with it's own suspension.

It's time for an upgrade. The wife and I are beginning our transition from the home we've lived in for 25 years to our cabin in the woods, about 85 miles away. We need a bigger trailer (with a spring suspension!) that will handle the following:

1) Secondary street trips to a dump about 15 miles from our current suburban household.
2) Moving furniture and other household goods over the next year to our retirement place.
3) Landscaping duty at our rural property: Hauling a couple of cubic yards of mulch from the county dump to the cabin (about 18 miles). Maybe topsoil and gravel trips as well.
4) Ocasionally transporting equipment and materials (z-turn mower, ATV, building materials)
5) I'm sure, someday, my Yanmar will break in a way that I can't fix, or I'll trade it for another compact tractor, and may need to transport it somewhere.

My current tow vehicles are:

2007 Lincoln Navigator (7,000lb tow rating)
2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac (5,400 lb tow rating)

I may buy an used HD pickup down the road, but for now, those are my towing rides.

With the exception of issue #5, I could probably get away with a single axle 5x10 to 6x12 single axle utility trailer. However, as we've gotten older, we're finding that one of the most taxing things we do is unload and spread mulch and dirt from the trailer. So, I find myself thinking about the smallest dual axle dump trailer made by Big Tex, which is 5x10, with a pair of 3500lb axles, single ram, electric brakes, 7000 GVWR and a 5120lb payload rating.

Thing is, it costs twice as much as a nice dual axle utility trailer, and I wonder if I'll regret the extra investment over a utility trailer.

Any thoughts on dump vs. utility greatly appreciated.

 

[George2615]

A 7K dump trailer will handle your requested uses 1,2,3,most of 4, & 5 . You may have a problem trying to load a Z-turn on a dump trailer due to the transition angle at the top crest of the ramps and the mower deck would high center. You can lessen the angle at the top of the ramps by raising the dump bed slightly when loading or unloading.
A 7K landscape trailer would also handle 1-5 except for no ability to dump.
Check your local CL for used dump trailers. They become available from time to time.
I have both a dump and tilt bed trailer for all the same uses as you plus for hauling vehicles.

 

[mapper]

You will regret not having the dump trailer when you are shoveling out a yard or so of material from the utility trailer. The older I get, the harder moving stuff around with a shovel becomes. Spend your kids inheritance:laughing:

 

[bcp]

If your gravel, etc. hauling is only several times a year, get a load handler for your utility trailer.

Welcome to Loadhandler.com

I have one from a HF sale for about $30, but haven't used it yet.

Bruce

 

[rankrank1]

The $30 load handlers do work fair in a pickup compared to a shovel, but no comparison to a dump trailer at all.

I bought a dump trailer this year after moving a mountain of free dirt. I am getting older too so the unloading was getting harder. I love the dump trailer.

That all said, the dump trailer is just another tool in the arsenal and not necessarily a do everything trailer. Why? It is heavy like 4400 lbs empty. So you put a 600lb lawnmower in it and now you are hauling around 5000 lb in weight. I kept my old $180 flatbead trailer to carry the mower around as it weighs next to nothing and is easier to both load onto and to tie down on too.

PS You will easily exceed your current vehicles legal tow weight if you totally fill a 6x12 dump trailer with dirt so keep that in mind. 6x12x2 = 144 cubic feet with dirt level to top of sides (no heaping allowed for this either). Dirt can weigh up to 3000 lbs a yard (27 cubic feet) depending on moisture level. 144/27 = 5.3 yard. 5.3 yards times 3000 lbs = 15900 lbs and then add the trailer weight of 4500 pounds and you can easily get to 20,000 lbs real quick (without heaping).

I have towed my 6x12x2 foot trailer full of damp dirt with my half ton truck legal for 9000 lbs. I did not go fast, and I did not go far. It did it many times but it was a load.

Avoid damp dirt at all costs if you can. One reason is damp dirt is heavier. Main reason is that most affordable dump trailers do not raise as high as a real dump truck does. If the dirt is wet and damp they will not dump worth a hoot. Pull into a wet area and sink a bit into the ground and you are not moving a 20,000 pound load behind even a 4x4 truck so back to shoveling you are to get the weight off so you can move. Dry dirt and solid ground to drive around on and they dump fine. (I learned this lesson real quick)

 

[rbstern]

Thanks for the feedback, gents. Still leaning to ward the dump trailer.

 

[Sprinklerman]

go with the dump trailer . I love going to the landfill in 90 degree weather and backing up between 2 trucks shoveling out shingles . And all i do is push a button .................... Its worth it

 

[tman1020]

It's hard to be a 16 foot dual axle landscape trailer. They're cheap and their light and easy to pull. Used one for years until I needed to upgrade. I had the same debate as you dump trailer or utility trailer. I had the opportunity to borrow a dump trailer that was large enough to haul my tractor. It is very heavy it weighed about 4500 pounds empty where as the utility trailer weighed around 1200 pounds. Also it is much higher than most utility trailers and difficult to load into with the ramps they give you. Plus the ramps weigh a ton very heavy and hard to move around. I went with a 20 foot dual 4900 #axles equipment trailer. It does not hall as good as a 16 foot utility/landscape trailer but it has the Added capacity that I needed and it has standup ramps with springs on the back that are very easy to use.
Unless you're wanting to haul gravel and dirt a couple times a month I would get the 16 foot landscape trailer with two 3500 pound axles with stowaway ramps for loading or maybe a ramp gate. If you get tired of hauling mulch on it or gravel just have it delivered to the site. probably just about as cheap or cheaper by the time you figure the cost of the dump trailer in and the fuel and a larger vehicle to pull it.

 

[Will_C]

It's always easy to spend some one else's money, but you really need 2 trailers! While there is some cross over between a utility trailer and a dump, they teLly don't do each other's job well. You could but the dump trailer you mentioned, and find a 16' car hauler for a couple of thousand dollars.

Will

 

[radioman]

well -- i have 16 ft trailer with landscape ramp and i use it to haul landscape stuff. mulch, dirt ,etc. since my BX tractor doesnt weight that much and its 4 ft wide, i just use the front loader to scoop up the stuff and dump where i need it right away. sure i would love a dump trailer, but i dont need the "dump" feature often enough to justify the cost. i know that once you have it you will use it. so far i been able to tolerate it just fine.