Conveyor floor / tarp for trailer

[WinterDeere]

I have need to move large amounts of yard waste (tree trimmings, shrubs with root balls, tens of thousands of walnuts, etc.) from my property to a mulching facility. I have a closed-side landscape trailer (Big Tex TV70) with a 16' x 6' box. I also use this trailer for moving mulch, crushed stone, compost, logs... you name it.

For all but the logs, I'd like to find some heavy tarp-like floor with a pulling bar and ring on one end, that I can lay down in the floor of the trailer before loading it with material. That way, when I reach my destination, I can hook the ring on the end of this tarp to a tractor or loader, and draw the entire bulk of material out of the trailer in one fell-swoop.

I've seen conveyor systems for trucks, trailers, etc. But they're more complex systems which provide their own motive power to withdraw the material, whereas I'm just looking for an extremely heavy tarp (i.e. made from conveyor material) with a draw bar and ring on one end. Can anyone recommend such a product?

Thanks!

 

[MossRoad]

If you do that, won't the tarp land on the ground under the material being unloaded?

 

[2manyrocks]

Why not: 2000 lb. Capacity Truck Bed Cargo Unloader

The key is to not overload it to the point that the weight overpowers your ability to winch it out. The other key is to have a slick trailer floor. One member here put vinyl flooring down on his trailer bed for that reason.

 

[WinterDeere]

If you do that, won't the tarp land on the ground under the material being unloaded?

Yes, but with an FEL, you can simply lift the bucket and the material will roll off. With a pickup truck, you're counting more on speed and inertia, to yank the tarp out from under it.

 

[WinterDeere]

Why not: 2000 lb. Capacity Truck Bed Cargo Unloader

The key is to not overload it to the point that the weight overpowers your ability to winch it out. The other key is to have a slick trailer floor. One member here put vinyl flooring down on his trailer bed for that reason.

yeah, that's the idea, but I need a 16' long x 6' wide variant, that can handle 5000+ lb. I don't need the winch, I have machinery that can draw it out. Really, something like that material with a draw ring on the end to look to a tractor, tree, or pickup truck.

 

[2manyrocks]

This was posted in another thread, but I haven't used one. Yard Glider (Drag Mat, Stone Boat, Yard Sled)

 

[bcp]

Depending on your debris, etc., this might work.

Get conveyor material 3-4 ft longer than the trailer. Fasten it to the trailer at the rear. Put the tow ring on the front. Load it with the front end going up the front of the trailer. Unload by pulling the ring to the rear, over the top of the debris, rolling the debris off the rear of the trailer, with the conveyor material ending up on top.

Bruce

 

[bcp]

This was posted in another thread, but I haven't used one. Yard Glider (Drag Mat, Stone Boat, Yard Sled)

I've been using an old heavy plastic exercise pad, about 1/16 thick, 2 x 6 ft. It is rough on one side and very smooth on the other. Works just like the one in the link, but smaller.

Bruce

 

[ruffdog]

Get a slide in bed liner and cut it to fit your needs. Have a 2x4 bolted to it and attach eye bolts to the 2x4. They are pretty tough and will last for years.

 

[oldnslo]

May also want to consider the weight of this liner since you may have to move it by hand when placing it on the trailer floor.

Old combine or swather draper head canvas might work if you can find 6 ft wide.

 

[nisaacs]

I have need to move large amounts of yard waste (tree trimmings, shrubs with root balls, tens of thousands of walnuts, etc.) from my property to a mulching facility. I also use this trailer for moving mulch, crushed stone, compost, logs... you name it.

With that kind of volume, it sounds like you need a dump trailer.

15 yds of horse manure.

 

[WinterDeere]

This was posted in another thread, but I haven't used one. Yard Glider (Drag Mat, Stone Boat, Yard Sled)

I had forgotten about seeing these things awhile back. They look nice, probably even overkill, but nothing anywhere near the size I need.

May also want to consider the weight of this liner since you may have to move it by hand when placing it on the trailer floor.

Old combine or swather draper head canvas might work if you can find 6 ft wide.

That's an interesting idea, but would mean needing a material that can not only withstand dragging, but actually partly lifting the weight of what's in the trailer. It would have to have a very strong attachment at the rear, and I'd have to remove it everytime I use the trailer for moving logs (primary use) or my tractor or mower.

My original concept was to lay this down flush with the tailgate, and maybe buy something 3 feet longer than the trailer, so I could lay it up and over the front wall. This way, when dragging out, there's a "tail" of material to catch what will inevitably drag on the trailer sides. Not perfect, but I'd bet it gets 90% to 95% of every load out and onto the ground.

Here's the trailer, BTW:

 

[WinterDeere]

With that kind of volume, it sounds like you need a dump trailer.

lol... occasionally. But I already have FOUR trailers, I'm running out of places to park them. This little landscape trailer is a good compromise, when I need to move a tractor or mower, and for hauling logs (my primary use of it), as well as this yard debris duty.

Also, dump trailers are pretty heavy, I think. Might force a vehicle upgrade. This 7k landscape trailer tows pretty comfortably behind a 1/2 ton with brake controller.

 

[WinterDeere]

Get a slide in bed liner and cut it to fit your needs. Have a 2x4 bolted to it and attach eye bolts to the 2x4. They are pretty tough and will last for years.

May also want to consider the weight of this liner since you may have to move it by hand when placing it on the trailer floor.

Old combine or swather draper head canvas might work if you can find 6 ft wide.

oldnslo beat me to it, but a bed liner is awful big to store when not in use. This thing will probably get used just a few times per year, the trailer is used for other stuff most of the time. I'm thinking something I can roll up and stuff into the rafters in my barn, out of the way.

Will check out combine or swather draper head canvas. Never heard of this stuff!

 

[WinterDeere]

I just contacted Rowe conveyor, as they make conveyors with 72" wide belting. Let's see what they have, and what it costs. Also thought of regular chain link drag mats for tractors, but I've never seen one 72" wide x 20' long, and can't imagine rolling that up and stuffing it into any small space.

 

[2manyrocks]

I once unloaded a 16' utility trailer of manure by dragging a long piece of carpet out from the trailer. I got the carpet free from a carpet store that had removed it from a customer's house to take to the dump. The trick was to lay a piece of chain under the carpet before loading the manure. Then I wrapped the chain around the whole thing to make a big loop I could pull out.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Why don't you just cut a six ft log and lay cross ways in front of trailer with a chain tied to center and run to rear. That and a push broom will clean your trailer every time. It will mostly clean that trailer out every time. It doesn't do too good with plain dirt.

 

[travisbb]

I've had success in the past unloading brush by putting a pallet with two sturdy ropes, several feet longer than the trailer bed, tied to it. Before loading stand the pallet up at the front of the trailer and lay the ropes on the floor out the back.

To unload hook the rope ends to something, I used a tree. Then drive away or I'd guess pull the ropes.

 

[WinterDeere]

Why don't you just cut a six ft log and lay cross ways in front of trailer with a chain tied to center and run to rear.n dirt.

I've had success in the past unloading brush by putting a pallet with two sturdy ropes...

Combining these two ideas, I think we have a solution. Next time, I'm laying a pair of pallets on the floor in the front of the trailer, with a chain looped thru them. When I get to the dump site, just tie loader or truck to chain, and drag the whole mess out.

I welded drop stands to the rear corners of this trailer, so with the tongue jack I can jack it up on three stable corners. This lets me disconnect it from the truck, if a loader isn't freely available, to do stuff like this. I always chock the trailer wheels when pulling on it, whether it's connected to the truck or not.

 

[2manyrocks]

Another friend of mine does the same to unload roofing shingles at the dump, but he uses 2 tires instead of a pallet. His method is also to drive a steel rod in the ground to chain off that and pull the entire trailer with his truck. I should have asked how he gets the rod out of the ground, but forgot to ask.