Converting small utility trailer into dump trailer?

[muskieken]

Very simple. Build a 2 foot high Box inside Your utility trailer Take the Folding part off the back That way when you go unload your gravel You can just pull it out with a hoe off the back into your driveway. Reason I say 2 foot high is You're only gonna take a yard at a time 'cause that's gonna be about 2000 pound... Don't get greedy,,,,, You say you have more time than money,,, So it's only 6 miles from your house,,,,, You're not going to spend a ton on gas,,, In the reason I say a yard time is so you don't ruin your trailer... Make the rear part of your box Very simple so you just lift up The last panel It's only gonna be 4 foot wide That way you can spread your gravel... So Figuring you use 3 sheets of plywood, One for the floor One for the the sides Then The other one For the front and back Course that will leave you with a half piece leftover some 2 by 4 down the sides And in the corners Then some screws You're probably looking at 80/90 dollars to build the box At most.. And if you don't like it That's all you're out....

 

[HCJtractor]

You need 150 tons? So with your small trailer that’s 150 trips. That’s really foolish. I understand saving money, but factor in the wear and tear on your truck (obviously you don’t have a diesel with a tow package), wear on the trailer, tire wear, your time, having to spread it whereas a dump truck would go that. I can think of no reason to even attempt that. Heck, get a part time job for the hundreds of hours you will spend and pay someone to haul it.

 

[4570Man]

Converting a trailer to a dump trailer isn’t as easy as you seem to think. You’d be in less work to completely build it from scratch. With that out of the way it’s a completely ridiculous project. My dump truck will haul about 4 tons of rock way more than your trailer and when I need rock hauled I hire a bigger dump truck.

 

[tomplum]

I feel your pain. For me and hauling yard supplies it was always the area was too small to get into, or my equipment was non existent or too small to really get the job done. The load handler really did help quite a bit. I could get 3 yards of mulch, crank the stuff off for the crew to smooth out and be back in line for more in 20 minutes. Gravel will tear at the sheet and the weight is pretty concentrated to roll it off the bed easily. The little LS has helped a lot. So maybe tell us more about the road that needs all the gravel. Are you down to the base or will a certain amount of grooming refresh things? Are there other issues that make it problematic?

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I feel your pain. For me and hauling yard supplies it was always the area was too small to get into, or my equipment was non existent or too small to really get the job done. The load handler really did help quite a bit. I could get 3 yards of mulch, crank the stuff off for the crew to smooth out and be back in line for more in 20 minutes. Gravel will tear at the sheet and the weight is pretty concentrated to roll it off the bed easily. The little LS has helped a lot. So maybe tell us more about the road that needs all the gravel. Are you down to the base or will a certain amount of grooming refresh things? Are there other issues that make it problematic?

Cost is basically the biggest deciding factor here. By driveway, To clarify, is really a shared road, accessible to 8 homes. Of those 8 homes, 3, maybe 4 could contribute to the gravel. 1 other person will be able to contribute to any "labor" that is needed. The total road is just shy of a mile to the end. All of the "contributers" live on the first half. The road has not had any maintenance or additional gravel done to it for 25 years. It is down to the 'base' (which actually is very good condition), pretty much no crown, no top gravel.

With the wind happening over the past 2 years, and the irresponsible grazing and lack of any ground cover on adjoining properties, dirt has literally blown to our properties across the road. The drainage ditches have filled in and a 3' berm of dirt has formed. (I will dig that out and reform the drainage). Due to this dirt coating and lack of drainage, the road is a mud track every time there's just a little bit of moisture.

We will attempt to regrade the existing stone when fixing the drainage, but equipment is also limited (my small SCUT w/ boxblade and a neighbor's old articulated loader) (the neighbor was considering buying one of those DR graders or a land plane). We had contacted a local 'road contractor' who does maintanance on the county roads, he said he wouldn't even attempt to "regrade" the existing base....just rebuild 'a new road' on top. He ballpark quoted "about $60,000" .....forget that.

The objective is to eventually lay down 3-4" of stone on top of the existing base, naturally making sure it has a crown. This would be done gradually, we were thinking just to keep applying whatever we can, when we can, even if it's only an inch at a time (just to get a little bit down for traction). Eventually we would get done.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Very simple. Build a 2 foot high Box inside Your utility trailer Take the Folding part off the back That way when you go unload your gravel You can just pull it out with a hoe off the back into your driveway. Reason I say 2 foot high is You're only gonna take a yard at a time 'cause that's gonna be about 2000 pound... Don't get greedy,,,,, You say you have more time than money,,, So it's only 6 miles from your house,,,,, You're not going to spend a ton on gas,,, In the reason I say a yard time is so you don't ruin your trailer... Make the rear part of your box Very simple so you just lift up The last panel It's only gonna be 4 foot wide That way you can spread your gravel... So Figuring you use 3 sheets of plywood, One for the floor One for the the sides Then The other one For the front and back Course that will leave you with a half piece leftover some 2 by 4 down the sides And in the corners Then some screws You're probably looking at 80/90 dollars to build the box At most.. And if you don't like it That's all you're out....

Exactly my thinking, but just a bit wider (my FEL bucket is 50") so I could use the FEL to unload. They sell by weight at this quarry, so a ton to 1 1/2 would be my target.

 

[4570Man]

My experience at the rock quarry is they aren’t very precise loading small volume with a big loader. I still think it’s an insane project. Go apply at McDonald’s and you’d make more money than you stand to save here.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

My experience at the rock quarry is they aren’t very precise loading small volume with a big loader. I still think it’s an insane project. Go apply at McDonald’s and you’d make more money than you stand to save here.

At this quarry, they will use small bobcat skid steers to load small loads, pretty much on the money (w/in 100#) of what you want.

Do you have experience working at McDonald's? Tell me about your secret....

It might be "insane" to you, but just call me crazy then.... Nobody else is going to fix it, nobody else is going to pay for it...

 

[4570Man]

So you stand to gain $15 a trip before expenses are paid and you count the hour trip to go get it and an hour to spread it. So you’re working 2 hours for $10 really a little less assuming you don’t tear anything up? I’m pretty sure McDonalds pays like $9 an hour so yea I stand by my statement.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

I can almost get 2 trips in an hour (about 35 min each) ( 1 1/2 tons each = 3 tons) so bump it up to saving $45/hr. ($15 per ton). I actually don't know how long it will take to unload, but my neighbor has hand shoveled a ton off his truck in <20 minutes. (He is definitely younger and stronger than me). I think I could have a ton and a half unloaded with the tractor in under 15 minutes. So even at an 1 1/2 hours ($45/1.5=$30), that would take 3.3 hours working at McDonalds... Oh...less taxes...so 4 hours to make the "savings".

8 hours x9/hr =$72 minus 30% taxes ($21) = $51.
8 hours hauling (8 hrs/60 min per trip and unloading)= 8 x 1 1/2 tons (12 tons total) equals to savings of $180. Maybe won't make 8 trips, we'll say only 6. That's still a savings of $135.

I think my math works out.