Heavy Trailer: how would you make a 10/14K dual purpose trailer?

[Shield Arc]

I had a 2004 F-550. I built a 14-feet flatbed dump. The dump unit was rated at 10-tons. But with an extra fuel tank I had to mount the dump unit closer to the rear axle. So it would only dump 5-tons. First trip to the gravel pit. Guy was loading the truck with a 988 CAT loader. I was watching the truck to see it squat. After a while I walked up to the operator, and ask how much weight he put on the truck. He didn't know. I went to the scale. 7 1/2-tons! Boy it's so nice to have a dump bed, but have to unload 2 1/2-tons with a shovel!

 

[Rustyiron]

Yeah SA, but you sure have a good dump angle on that bed by moving it back! If you can get it up, it's coming out, wet mud or otherwise!

 

[Shield Arc]

Before the 550 I had a 1978 Chevy 1-ton with a dump bed. I think I could guess within a couple hundred pounds of the weight on it by watching it squat. The F-550 never did squat, even with 7 1/2-tons on it! :shocked:

 

[jenkinsph]

Ok, 8-9 ton:laughing:
Are those drawer cabinets intended for (outside) truck use? I've stuck "tool box" drawer cabinets in a utility body compartment before and they could not stand up over time to the added (road shock) load.
You must have a small fortune in all of them! Well thought out work truck:thumbsup:

No those boxes are not rated for outdoor or truck mounting. BUT, I built that truck in the fall of 98 so after 17 years they still work fine. I did change out the front cabinets behind the doors to new models with the deep lower drawers. You do have to buy the better made cabinets to hold up to the road use. The thin light weight boxes don't hold up sitting in a garage either.

I still get compliments all the time on the tan truck. Best plumbing truck for service calls I have ever had.

 

[Rustyiron]

Before the 550 I had a 1978 Chevy 1-ton with a dump bed. I think I could guess within a couple hundred pounds of the weight on it by watching it squat. The F-550 never did squat, even with 7 1/2-tons on it! :shocked:

We know who builds a real truck, but we better stop here before the Ford/Chevy thing starts:laughing:

 

[Jim Timber]

I've got a line on a nice really heavy 5th wheel, but I think it'll eat up too much payload to be useful behind a 3/4T. Price is right if the condition is good that I might buy it to flip. The guy also has a 16' SS trailer for reasonable money. I might buy that and stretch it.

There's some other really heavy trailers out in the 5 state area that could be good for more weight than the pickup will pull, but for now I'm only looking for something that'll get the tractor and implements around as needed, and haul some lumber too.

I'll keep ya posted.

 

[jenkinsph]

I've got a line on a nice really heavy 5th wheel, but I think it'll eat up too much payload to be useful behind a 3/4T. Price is right if the condition is good that I might buy it to flip. The guy also has a 16' SS trailer for reasonable money. I might buy that and stretch it.

There's some other really heavy trailers out in the 5 state area that could be good for more weight than the pickup will pull, but for now I'm only looking for something that'll get the tractor and implements around as needed, and haul some lumber too.

I'll keep ya posted.

I agree with being careful about a trailer being too heavy when empty. This happens all the time, people get a trailer that is a load in itself never mind the payload. You mentioned the PJ trailers earlier, I have a 14k 6.5x14' dump trailer and it has been great so far. I like their 14k tilt trailer too.

I haven't pulled a fully loaded 14k trailer with my 250 pickup and would pass on that. The 550 would not have a problem with it though.

 

[crazyal]

One thing you are going to want to make sure of is that your trailer side hitch is adjustable. My 2 1/2 Ton International Dump is a lot higher than my pickup. My 11 ton trailer has the ring mounted on it. It's the style with just one large nut and the plate on the face of the trailer has three 1 1/2" holes. I have the threads lubricated enough so I can loosen and tighten the nut by hand. I replaced the cotter pin with a hair pin clip so I can adjust the ring height without tools. I would want at least a foot of adjustment (Mine is 18"). From there I can fine tune the height with my receiver hitch on my pickup. When I made the steel plate on the back of my dump it wasn't possible to make the pintle hitch adjustable.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've got Akro Bins, Shelves, PackRats and Craftsman Boxes in my van for the last 30 years... so far so good.

I did a lot of fabwork in the build... it was also the time I worked at a fab shop... boss was real impressed and it was great having a full tool and machine shop full of equipment...

When I was Mig welding up my dump trailer I simply took the 40,000 pound gantry crane and flipped the trailer upside down... I need to be comfortable when I weld!

 

[KiwiBro]