Channel iron strength

[Steve C]

Spiker, thanks for the detailed info. I was thinking 45deg but 50 would probably be better. The dirt I have piled up will probably be fairly damp.


Steve, I am figureing it will hold 4-5 buckets with 2' sides. I didn't want any thing bigger or I would get a trailer like JB has.


JB thanks for the pics. Now I know how to hook the chain to limit the TPH lifting while dumping.
Bill

A 5 x 8 can hold a lot of weight. 3" channel is pretty wimpy stuff. I use my little 3 x 4 dump trailer to move rocks and I can almost crush it if I am not careful. It works much better with dirt...

Since you are building it, it is fun to use whatever you have at hand, but if you use 4 inch channel it will be much stronger, and if you use 6 inch it will be almost unbreakable and it will weigh very little more. The strength comes from getting the upper and lower flanges of the channel as far from each other as possible. The web in the center is much thinner and doesn't do much in the grand scheme of things

It is fun to build stuff so have at it! I always tend to try to make it break resistant, but maybe I just think to much and weld to little.....

 

[SPIKER]

one thing on mine with the single axle will flip backwards onto its tail if loaded incorrectly or when you attempt to re-attach to the trailer after parking & loading it with the single jack up front, I'm going to add a trailer screw jack to the back end of mine so when loading it wont flip up. this is a real pain.. I've had this happen too many times lol...

I have the jacks just have not gotten around to it

Mark

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

A 5 x 8 can hold a lot of weight. 3" channel is pretty wimpy stuff. :.

Steve, have you looked at any manufactured trailers lately. 3 x1.5x3/16 channel iron is over kill compared to them. The frame and tongue is going to be box tubing and the frame for the bed is going to be channel.

Spiker, Here is a pic of some stabilizer jacks I was going to use on the rear if necessary. They are about $40 a pair and thy fold down.
Bill

 

[Leejohn]

Here is the one I made. It's made with 4" C , 3'' cyl. At the time I had a L3010and that is all the trailer (when loaded) you want behind it. It's not the pulling, it's when you have to go down a hill. Put your axle back far enough then you can unhook and load, just make sure you don't forget to put something under the front jack. You well not need a rear jack then. The dump angle is 54 deg. when all the way up. If the load hangs up it just pulls up on the front about 20 t0 50 lbs.
I went with one axle because when loaded I wanted to be able to jackknife without any trouble. I sure can tell you for sure that little traler well hold alot of weight. I run with around 70lbs of air in the tires and when its loaded with the old wet pond dirt the tires well look like they about 1/2 full.

 

[Leejohn]

I forgot to say, make the tail gate so you can remove real easy. I didn't mine. That is what I got to do with this one. Got in a little trouble with large rocks hanging up. Other then that it has work out well.

 

[Low Bucket]

I have started one about two years ago but haven't finished yet. Is 5'X8' here is picture

Looking good Oldmax!

I notice your using 'hubs for a mobile home'.- What kind of rims are those?

 

[SPIKER]

Steve, have you looked at any manufactured trailers lately. 3 x1.5x3/16 channel iron is over kill compared to them. The frame and tongue is going to be box tubing and the frame for the bed is going to be channel.

Spiker, Here is a pic of some stabilizer jacks I was going to use on the rear if necessary. They are about $40 a pair and thy fold down.
Bill

Bill:

I have 2 of these http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa...o?itemid=42950&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=

which I think I paid around 20 each for on sale at the local store.

I just have not put them on as i have been using it for wood mostly lately and there is no worry about getting too much on the back as it stays on the tractor and I hand toss wood in then pull out of the woods.

The problem only lays when I disconnect the trailer park it and start loading it with the tractor bucket. I usually do this with gravel and sand out of the creek bottom or with dirt. even then loading usually is not hard, just need to load front half first. real problem lays if loaded pretty full and re-attaching to the 3pt. the coupler would raise UP if not right on the BALL this raises tong up and if the load shifted much then it would go backwards. I wanted the crank down/up as when loaded with 2.5 yards of gravel the 7K mobile home axle compresses enough to maybe bind up a solid mount, i have been simply sticking a hunk of firewood under the back. works well & just drive off not worry about it needing cranked down.
Mark

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

I forgot to say, make the tail gate so you can remove real easy. I didn't mine. That is what I got to do with this one. Got in a little trouble with large rocks hanging up. Other then that it has work out well.

I haven't decided if I am going to put a tailgate on it or not. Do you have any thing over the wood floor on the inside. I wasn't sure how well dirt would slide on wood. I was thinking of using wood and putting a piece of liner like we use in the dump trailers at work over the wood. I wouldn't have to lift as high with the liner.
Bill

 

[SPIKER]

Steve, have you looked at any manufactured trailers lately. 3 x1.5x3/16 channel iron is over kill compared to them. The frame and tongue is going to be box tubing and the frame for the bed is going to be channel.

Spiker, Here is a pic of some stabilizer jacks I was going to use on the rear if necessary. They are about $40 a pair and thy fold down.
Bill

Bill:

I have 2 of these http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa...o?itemid=42950&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=

which I think I paid around 20 each for on sale at the local store.

I just have not put them on as i have been using it for wood mostly lately and there is no worry about getting too much on the back as it stays on the tractor and I hand toss wood in then pull out of the woods.

The problem only lays when I disconnect the trailer park it and start loading it with the tractor bucket. I usually do this with gravel and sand out of the creek bottom or with dirt. even then loading usually is not hard, just need to load front half first. real problem lays if loaded pretty full and re-attaching to the 3pt. the coupler would raise UP if not right on the BALL this raises tong up and if the load shifted much then it would go backwards. I wanted the crank down/up as when loaded with 2.5 yards of gravel the 7K mobile home axle compresses enough to maybe bind up a solid mount, i have been simply sticking a hunk of firewood under the back. works well & just drive off not worry about it needing cranked down.
Mark

 

[joes_427_vette]

Bill;
I also have a need for a dump trailer. Pricing them sends me to another level. It seems a sturdy 6x10 or 12 hits the 6k price band rather quickly. On one of my tours to a salvage yard I found a 7' box blade for a good price. Checking a little farther in the pile I located 10 pieces of 5 x 1 1/2 channel in 10' lengths. At twenty bucks a piece I thought they were a bargain for one project or another. I feel these would be strong enough for the frame as well as the box sub structure. 5 x 10 pieces of 1/8" floor and side wall ( 2 pieces will give me 6' wide and 2' sides with one bend ) are $150 each. An additional 4 x 8 piece will build the front as well as the tailgate with some small flat pieces for braces left over. A couple 10k Dexter axles with springs and tires combined with left over surplus stock I have should complete the build. For less than 2k I think this project will be 90% complete.
Some of these fab places don't exactly shower their employees with high wages and seem to weld only where its really necessary. I know it costs alot to set up manufacturing. I'm seriously considering taking on the task myself. A deal on axles would put the plan in action.