Hawke 6x12 Dump Trailer

[MasseyWV]

When the time comes, I think I've found the dump trailer I'm going to purchase. After looking at various dump trailers that were either very expensive, under-built, etc..., I finally discovered one that is priced right and seems to be built like a tank, relatively speaking.

The trailer I am referring to is the Hawke 6x12 dump trailer, equipped with a scissor lift, and rated for 10,000#. It seems to be very well constructed and the best part is that there is a dealer approximately 15 minutes from my home. And the price is right too, I was quoted $5100 out the door. The pull-out cover shown in the pictures is an option that costs a few hundred extra.

http://www.hawketrailers.com/dump.html

Just to be sure, does anyone know anything about Hawke dump trailers?

 

[Diamondpilot]

When the time comes, I think I've found the dump trailer I'm going to purchase. After looking at various dump trailers that were either very expensive, under-built, etc..., I finally discovered one that is priced right and seems to be built like a tank, relatively speaking.

The trailer I am referring to is the Hawke 6x12 dump trailer, equipped with a scissor lift, and rated for 10,000#. It seems to be very well constructed and the best part is that there is a dealer approximately 15 minutes from my home. And the price is right too, I was quoted $5100 out the door. The pull-out cover shown in the pictures is an option that costs a few hundred extra.

Hawke Trailers by Tow-Rite

Just to be sure, does anyone know anything about Hawke dump trailers?

What does it weigh empty? If its a 10K trailer and it weighs 3,000# you can only haul 7,000#. I am sure you know this but many don't.

As for price I am not sure where they are anymore. My uncle has either a 2004 or 2005 14' Brimar Bumper Pull with dual 7,000# axles so its a 14,000# trailer but it wights 4,200# empty so the useful load is 9,800# or about 5 tons.

He paid $ 4,000 for it new at the county fair when they were selling them there.

Chris

 

[MasseyWV]

What does it weigh empty? If its a 10K trailer and it weighs 3,000# you can only haul 7,000#. I am sure you know this but many don't.

These are the specs for the trailer. I only plan to haul around 6000# (3 tons) at any given time so it leaves me plenty of margin for error.

GVWR 10,000 lb.
Empty Weight 3,150 lb.
Cargo Capacity 6850 lb.
6 ft. x 12 ft. Bed Size
2 ft. Sides
Scissor Lift
Two Axle Brakes
Breakaway Switch
Deep Cycle Battery
15" Tires
5,000 lb. Jack
20 ft. Hand Remote
2 Way Tailgate
25/16" A-frame Coupler

 

[DIRTROAD]

I know the guy who builds Hawke trailers. I've actually known him for years. They are well built trailers and he will stand behind them.

 

[RoyJackson]

Nice looking trailer, MasseyWV!

 

[MasseyWV]

I know the guy who builds Hawke trailers. I've actually known him for years. They are well built trailers and he will stand behind them.

I actually called the number listed on their website and spoke to some people at Hawke and they seemed like good old fashioned southerners. They were courteous and answered all my questions without fail and even told me that I could have a dump trailer customized to any number of different configurations, within reason, although I'd have to order it through a dealer,.

 

[CurlyDave]

I have a single cylinder direct lift (not scissor) dump trailer made by Western Dump. It is also 6' x 12', 9980 lb rated, which weighs only 1980 lb empty, giving it 8000 lb cargo capacity.

I have had it for two years and have made well over 120 trips with it in that time. All I can say is it has lasted like a mother-in-law's curse. Everything from dirt, gravel, construction supplies, construction debris and chunks of concrete. If I look very carefully at the floor, I can see a little bit of "roller coaster" but nothing over 1/16".

A few times the guy at the quarry has overloaded it with gravel, maybe 9000 lb payload and no problems. Once I had to get 3 guys to stand on the rear of the load to get it to raise. $4400.

Think long and hard about that scissor lift, it increases weight and cost, and decreases payload.

 

[MasseyWV]

Think long and hard about that scissor lift, it increases weight and cost, and decreases payload.

I have thought long and hard about it and have done a considerable amount of research which leads me to believe the scissor lift is the best way to go.

 

[Dmace]

I have thought long and hard about it and have done a considerable amount of research which leads me to believe the scissor lift is the best way to go.

I'm curious what led you to that decision. I see a scissor lift only costing more money, lowering payload by adding weight and increasing maintenance by adding more moving parts to grease...
It doesn't dump faster and seems to lift as well as a standard straight piston and not better.

On a side note, that looks like a well made trailer but wow is it heavy...

 

[MasseyWV]

I'm curious what led you to that decision. I see a scissor lift only costing more money, lowering payload by adding weight and increasing maintenance by adding more moving parts to grease...
It doesn't dump faster and seems to lift as well as a standard straight piston and not better.

Mostly, it's just my personal preference. But...

You see scissor lifts used everywhere, on "smaller" dumptrucks, bucket trucks, dump bed conversions, etc.. so in my eyes, they are a proven design. Having read stories about some of the single and dual cylinder designs failing to lift the rated capacity of the dump trailer, and observing that the cylinder attachment points for "some" single cylinder designs don't seem very strong, I'd rather not take any chances.

Single cylinder designs are lighter and cheaper to manufacture, making them more profitable to sell, which in my opinion, is why you don't see them on more dump trailers, except on the larger and heavier models, which says something in and of itself.

My research indicates that one of the dirty little secrets of the single cylinder design, is that it often causes excessive stress on the hinge points, potentially leading to sudden and catastrophic failure. In addition, to compensate for the decreased lifting capacity of many single cylinder designs, I have read that many manufacturers will move the hing point inward, thus decreasing the lift angle and causing one to have to pull much farther foreward to fully empty the load.

On many single cylinder designs, one also has to be very careful to load it evenly or the box might twist when the center mounted cylinder lifts it, which could damage the box or bend the frame. Scissor lifts effectively prevent the bed from racking or twisting when dumping heavy or uneven loads.

I'm no engineer so I can't comment on the precise engineering aspects of each design. All I have to go on is my personal observations which tell me that the scissor lift is the best and safest way to go.

On a side note, that looks like a well made trailer but wow is it heavy...

Yes it's heavy, but that's because they use thick steel in it's construction, but I'm more than happy to sacrifice a few hundred pounds of hauling capacity and having to grease a few additional fittings to ensure that I have a dump trailer that is both strong and reliable.

A few days ago I visited my local Hawke dealer to look at their dump trailers in person and make my final determination. They only had the 6x10 version of the dump trailer on the lot, which is identical to the 6x12, except for the length. Overall, I observed that the Hawke dump trailers are very well made and I am confident that my decision will be ultimately be a good one.

 

[schoolsout]

scissor lifts are usually used on smaller dumps, not larger stuff. I've sold a few trucks with scissor lifts and they've worked well, but the larger class 8 stuff is all single cylinder, several stage rams...

 

[MasseyWV]

scissor lifts are usually used on smaller dumps, not larger stuff. I've sold a few trucks with scissor lifts and they've worked well, but the larger class 8 stuff is all single cylinder, several stage rams...

Correct. I should have clarified that.

 

[Catfish Man]

Hey MasseyWV

Did you look at these trailers?

American Trailers & Trailer4all 2012 DUMP MAXX 83X16 LP DUMP 14K

They are in Mineral Wells WV, I'm liking the price on them and they seem well built.

I haven't made it over there to look at them in person yet, so I was just wondering if you had. From reading some of your other posts, me and you seem to be on the same page as far as quality vs price and such.

(I know this model is larger than the one you was looking at, but it's the link I had saved on my computer and I'm lazy.)

 

[MasseyWV]

Hey MasseyWV

Did you look at these trailers?

American Trailers & Trailer4all 2012 DUMP MAXX 83X16 LP DUMP 14K

They are in Mineral Wells WV, I'm liking the price on them and they seem well built.

I haven't made it over there to look at them in person yet, so I was just wondering if you had. From reading some of your other posts, me and you seem to be on the same page as far as quality vs price and such.

I saw the Dump Maxx dump trailers you mentioned but didn't really consider them serious contenders because they use the dual cylinder design in lieu of the scissor lift. The dual cylinder design causes me some concern due to reports of some designs being unable to lift loads within the rated hauling capacity of the dump trailer and the possibility of one cylinder failing, which could cause the dump trailer to overturn as the dump bed racks when the load suddenly shifts.

This is the 7x12 - 12,000# version of the trailer you mentioned.

American Trailers & Trailer4all 2012 DUMP MAXX 83X12 LP DUMP 12K

Curiously, many other manufacturers Gatormade, SureTrac, etc... seem to use a very similar design, which is easily recognized by the elevated front section with the spare tire mount and lights on the rear that resemble insect or crab eyes. For example, this is the Gatormade version of what appears to be the same dump trailer, with very few differences.

Gator Made Inc. - Buy Trailers Factory Direct! | 7 x 12, 12,000 lb. Dump Trailer

In addition, the Dump Maxx, Gatormade, and other similar dump trailers are commonly powder coated, while the Hawke dump trailers are painted, which is much better than powder coat in my opinion.

Something I forgot to mention earlier is that Hawke also has a "budget" line of dump trailers, which resemble the ones using the scissor lift, only they appear to use lighter steel and use the single cylinder design. After speaking with Hawke on the phone, they freely admitted that it is much better to go with the scissor lift design for many of the reasons I mentioned previously. Note the differences (single cylinder, no ramps, lighter fenders, etc) in the Hawke "budget" dump trailer shown below, as compared to the pictures of the Hawke dump trailers I posted previously.

 

[Catfish Man]

Yeah i considered the points your making.

For my use I'm thinking of going with the 16' and it will never be loaded to the amount that it's rated for.

Thinking of the 16' to be more of an all purpose trailer. Before I moved to WV a family member stored a 16' flatbed at my house because he didn't have room for it in his yard and he rarely used it. I used it all the time and got spoiled to having a good trailer when I needed it. I was going to buy it from him, but there was title issues (long story), I probably had more in it than him anyway from replacing tires, lights, floor, painting it etc.

Now I have a long driveway to maintain, and I'm trailer-less.

 

[MasseyWV]

Yeah i considered the points your making.

For my use I'm thinking of going with the 16' and it will never be loaded to the amount that it's rated for.

Thinking of the 16' to be more of an all purpose trailer. Before I moved to WV a family member stored a 16' flatbed at my house because he didn't have room for it in his yard and he rarely used it. I used it all the time and got spoiled to having a good trailer when I needed it. I was going to buy it from him, but there was title issues (long story), I probably had more in it than him anyway from replacing tires, lights, floor, painting it etc.

Now I have a long driveway to maintain, and I'm trailer-less.

One has to be careful when loading dump trailers, especially larger ones, because it is very easy to overload them with materials like gravel or topsoil. Come to think of it, about the only material one could use to fill the trailer to the top would be mulch.

Like you, I also have a long gravel driveway to maintain, in addition to using the dump trailer to haul things like a skidsteer. I do have an 18 foot carhauler trailer but it is largely unsuitable for doing such tasks and is only used for hauling vehicles and lumber.

 

[Ford850]

Massey, Those raised fronts and elevated rear lights are part of the standard dump bed design. They provide the pockets to add wood sideboards if someone wants to economically add additional volume to the bed.

 

[MasseyWV]

Massey, Those raised fronts and elevated rear lights are part of the standard dump bed design. They provide the pockets to add wood sideboards if someone wants to economically add additional volume to the bed.

I knew their purpose and believe the design originated from the design commonly used for many smaller dump truck beds. I just couldn't help but notice the distinct similarities between some brands/designs, regardless of their origin. Personally, I prefer the top of the dumb bed to be flat with stake pockets for adding side extensions if needed or desired. And for whatever reason, the designs with the elevated rear lights are especially unappealing to me.

Aesthetics aside, what matters most is the overall strength v/s weight of any design and the lifting mechanism it utilizes. Again, I'm no engineer, but the single cylinder designs just seem "wrong" to me. I'm sure that many of them work as intended, I just don't like or trust them.

Call me crazy, but after being unable to locate any real world testing data about each design, I have actually contemplated testing them in miniature, to prove or disprove my suspicions by pushing each design to it's failure point to see what happens. If I could think of an easy way to replicate the action of a hydraulic cylinder in miniature I just might do it, if for no other reason than to satisfy my own curiosity.

 

[Ductape]

You are really over-thinking it. Though I'd certainly buy a scissor dump, a well designed single straight cylinder works well too. I have a 7000lb Bri-Mar 6X10, which is the same as their 10000lb dump (aside from the axles). It has never failed to dump anything I've had in it. As far as I can see, one failing to dump its rated load would be more of a problem of the cylinder being undersized. The largest gain with the scizzor dump would be the steeper dump angle it could achieve with a shorter cylinder.

As far as the dual (one on each side) cylinders, I've never owned one. The local trailer dealer here will no longer sell one. He claims a load slightly off center would cause the box to twist, some times permanently. He said he has done several repairs, reinforcing the boxes at his own cost to keep customers happy.... since the manufacturer didn't consider it a warranty issue.

 

[MasseyWV]

You are really over-thinking it.

I respect your opinion but I disagree. Many years ago, one could buy something with reasonable certainty that it was made well and that it would last, but unfortunately that's not the case today. In the age where profit is often more important than quality, I'm simply ensuring that I don't end up making a $5000 mistake.