Dump Trailers

[N80]

Those Pronovost trailers look like what I'm looking for. They list a dealer not far from here and I've emailed them for models and prices. I would assume the off-road models would cost less than the highway models.

Here is a link to their products:

Pronovost- Dump trailers - Off-road service

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I don't know the cost difference but would think you are correct in the off road being cheaper. You don't have the brakes, electrics or pump like you would an on road dump trailer. I like the trailers that dump on three sides. They would be very slick for all sorts of applications.

 

[wallace]

I have 2 of these 2008 DooLittle dump trailers left and I will be selling them for $2,999
You will get benifits of being able to run them on the road and yet they are small enought to get around your yard behind a tractor.
They have their own hydraulics.
They are 6x8 3,500 lbs with brakes

 

[tractorski]

I'm more concerned he wants to put sand on his driveway, sand will never hold up with traffic and rain. There maybe better materials that will hold up better.

 

[N80]

I'm more concerned he wants to put sand on his driveway, sand will never hold up with traffic and rain. There maybe better materials that will hold up better.

I guess I should clarify, it is less a driveway and more of a dirt road. And I agree, there are much better materials for the job. Its just that the sand happens to be free and I have an endless supply. Literally. And, it works much better than you might think. I certainly wouldn't pay for sand for this purpose but free is free and the chances of the road getting improved any other way are very slim. To do the whole drive I'm estimating that I need seven loads of crusher run. I don't know how many pounds or cubic yards that is but one of those huge dump trucks covered about 1/8th of the road back when we had the cabin delivered.

And people have heard me complain about how bad my dirt (clay) is but a hired dozer gave up on the road and didn't charge me for his efforts.

Now, when its dry, its great. Maybe a little bumpy, but hard as concrete.

 

[scesnick]

FYI -- Some states REALLY frown on touching any streams or waterways, let alone removing material from it. I wouldn't make it too well knwon locally where you get this material.

 

[N80]

Fortunately, SC is not one of those states. On paper maybe, but not in practice. So that won't be an issue.

I like to recall that scene from O Brother Where Art Thou where that little kid shoots at them from the front porch. I would like for any nosey gubment waterway bureaucrats to remember that scene as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuiF2Ft8bk

Seriously, the best management practices for logging have largely been ignored above and below this creek bottom....which probably accounts for much of the sand and silt that is filling up my watershed lake. (I use the term 'my' very loosely here of course). And since a series of dams and ponds were added to the Baptist Conference Center several miles upstream, the creek stays dry 3/4 of the year. So as you can see, this is hardly a fragile ecosystem. The creek bottom is usually either dry or suddenly under 10-15 feet of water. And despite my anti nosey-do-gooder rhetoric, I am sensitive to this sort of thing and I do care that what I do upstream has an effect on others downstream. In this case, my water shed is what is immediately downstream and as mentioned it is silting in fast. So my removing some sand with a 6' FEL bucket and a 4 cubic yard trailer will have no adverse effects for anyone or anything.

 

[texasjohn]

you rent a dump trailer, likely total cost is less than purchase..over a number of years.

However, you purchase a dump and you will find other uses for it. If it is an over the road dump, you find yet more uses for it.

My case, I purchased a used 20 ft gooseneck dump, 10 ton payload, $7000 off Craig's List. Has self contained pump, reservoir, battery, works fine, battery will last for 4-5 full dumps before needing recharged. Discovered over $3000 worth of building stone that a builder had left and wanted moved (free to move)...so, used my FEL, forks, pallets, loaded stone on pallets, pallets into dump trailer, multiple trailer loads... was able to use dump feature to encourage pallets to slide to rear of dump so could be picked up by FEL/forks. I don't use it too frequently, but handy when I do... and don't have to go rent it:thumbsup:

If you get trailer with battery driven hydraulics, need to run a BIG wire from pickup battery back to trailer so it can be recharged while you are driving...need to do real electrical calculations on size of wire... mine is about size of my little finger... anything smaller will get hot.. lots of amps drawn when battery has been discharged....disconnect from pickup when using battery power to dump, will draw from alternator or pickup battery too much if you do not.

Consider gooseneck versus bumper pull... and your available tow vehicles...gooseneck safer for over the road, pickup pull/heavy load. Bumper pull better for moving with tractor (little down force on tractor rear, thus losing steering, vs 3ph gooseneck ). But, tractor brakes not up to dealing with a really big dump load, IMHO, need to use engine brakeing, go slow.

You have lots of sand, I'd use it. WOW... you can't even PAY to have the road worked on... makes it clear, if it's gonna happen, you are going to do it... means you gotta do it when weather conditions are favorable for doing so...means it's better for you to own a dump trailer so you can do it when time is ripe...be aware that a loaded dump trailer is really heavy... easy to get stuck if you don't have sufficient traction...4wd critical, IMHO, for your off road tow vehicle.

If using tractor hydraulics, you are committed to dumping ONLY where your tractor is. Also, this mixes (may or may not be a problem in your mind) your tractor hydraulic fluid with the dump cylinder fluid..and likely that dump hydraulic cylinder will require more fluid than typical farm hydraulic cylinder.... dunno if your tractor hydraulic tank is sufficient size to handle...

Just some thoughts

 

[N80]

Excellent thoughts texasjohn. I have considered the fact that any trailer, whether off road only or over the road will find many uses I haven't even thought of yet and certainly the on road trailer would be the most versatile.

I'm sure I could pay for some serious road work but it would take more than a dozer crowning things up. The dozer driver said the clay would not 'spread'. He could cut it, of course, but then it would stick all over the blade and roll off in clumps. He indicated that getting the job done right would require perfect conditions and probably cost more than I'd want to spend.

If I go for an on-road trailer it would need to be a bumper pull because its main use would still be with the tractor. I don't think a pick-up, no matter how powerful, would be able to get it up the hill from the creek bottom. There is a short but steep and slick hill coming up out of it.

 

[bdeboer]

If you purchase an over the road get the 5K axles and at least a 12 ft. I have the 5K axles on a 6x10, when they load me at at the quarry the stone tends to get higher than the tailgate. Also a single front end loader bucket depending on how wet it is gets me close to max weight.

My trailer is a 2002 Bri-Mar that I purchased used with gravity down.