Will anyone else admit to this ?

[FritzII]

Guilty party: Me
Equipment: Bri-Mar 10,000 lb Dump Trailer

In below freezing temps I raised the dump to get the ice to melt out of it. ( I needed it to pickup 40 sheets of drywall. ) I hooked the trailer to the truck and pushed the down button. Nothing happened !!!! I pushed it again. Nothing !!!! I pushed the up and the pump worked. I felt a little better. I pushed the down button again. Nothing. Now I've got two nephews ready to go with me to pick up the drywall and hang it. What do I do now ? I can't even tow it anywhere to get it fixed. I start to get a little anxious and look the trailer over real good. All of a sudden, the lightbulb lights up. My nephew hears me say a bad word and asks me what wrong. I ask him to hold the down button in while I watch real close. About 10 minutes later we were on the road.

Had a forklift load the 40 sheets of drywall. Man, that sure beats the **** out of hand loading drywall !!!! I almost had a heart attack when I saw the bill for the drywall and the related material to install it though.

 

[DieselPower]

So what was it? Bed prop?

 

[FritzII]

So what was it? Bed prop?

Cold thick fluid. Took about 5 minutes or so to drop the bed. Normally takes seconds.

 

[Thomas1Wisc]

I drove 6 wheeler dump trucks & ready mix concrete trucks for 30 years, and I can speak from experience that cold oil or truck on an angle will sometimes not allow the box to come down. The MAIN thing is to resist the urge to get under the box to look for the problem ! If the truck is on an angle just moving the truck will allow the box to come down. If there is no weight in the box and the oil is cold, you'd have to keep working the pump to warm the oil, or if you can get to the top of the ram there is a bleeder you can open. This is usually enclosed in the "Dog House" at the front of the box. Just DO NOT get between the box and frame rails without a safety bar, beam, anything that will keep the box from coming down. Just BE Safe !

 

[DieselPower]

Sounds like you could use a lighter viscosity hydraulic fluid in your unit if it's thickening up that much.

 

[FritzII]

Thomas,
I hear you on the "be safe" thing. I bought the trailer from a buddy when he bought a large dump truck. He showed me what would happen loaded with 4 tons when you push the down button. It was lifted about 18 inches and it impressed me when it came down. I'll never climb ( or lean ) under there with ANYTHING in the bed. There is no way I'd climb ( or lean ) in there without the prop rod in place with the bed empty !!! If a line ever broke, the dropping bed will take you out.

Diesel,
I don't plan on using the trailer in cold weather. Around 40 degree is my personal minimum. I think it'll be okay.