Dump trailer doesn't have enough power

[4570Man]

The biggest downfall of a single cylinder set up is the low angle at start up. I have often thought about installing one or two short cylinders vertically at the front of the trailer to get the initial lift into motion. I have built two dump trailers and two dump bodies on F350's, all dump fine but the first dump trailer was 5'-8" x 10' with a single 4" cylinder, it would struggle for the first foot or so with a generous load of firewood or gravel. The second one I built I used a 5" cylinder, much better but it was also a 6'-6" x 12' trailer. Both of the Fords got 68" x 9' dumps, the first one had a large (guessing 6" bore) and never struggled, this one I have now I used a 4" cylinder, I suspect it will behave just like the first trailer I built (I haven't tested it with anything heavy yet)

Some good advice about taking more trips with smaller loads, you have to respect it for what it is. Turning up the pressure or upsizing the cylinder will just transfer the weak link to somewhere else.

My dads dump trailer is a single cylinder dump trailer and it’s not very strong. I have a ton dump truck with a cylinder cylinder and it will dump anything. The truck is a 5” cylinder and the trailer is like a 3.5” though.

 

[LD1]

With a dump trailer in the down position....then angle of the cylinder.....most of your force is trying to rip the trailer apart instead of dumping it. So I'd use caution increasing any capacity.

Perhaps post a pic of the current trailer with it dumped so we can see what we are looking at. What is the size of the current cylinder? And what is the empty weight and GVWR of the trailer?

 

[BeezFun]

A friend mounted a 4X4 on the front frame to give it a "head start" on the lift. I think it rattles loads to the back on long trips, but, it does make it easier to lift.

That would work good for me, I just use mine on our property behind the tractor.

 

[4570Man]

With a dump trailer in the down position....then angle of the cylinder.....most of your force is trying to rip the trailer apart instead of dumping it. So I'd use caution increasing any capacity.

Perhaps post a pic of the current trailer with it dumped so we can see what we are looking at. What is the size of the current cylinder? And what is the empty weight and GVWR of the trailer?

I’m actually surprised how well my ton dump truck has handled that. And it’s like a 5” cylinder so that’s a lot of force trying to rip it apart. But it’s been like that since 1992 so it apparently works.

 

[LD1]

I’m actually surprised how well my ton dump truck has handled that. And it’s like a 5” cylinder so that’s a lot of force trying to rip it apart. But it’s been like that since 1992 so it apparently works.

Cylinder that big is probably a scissor hoist. So on yours, it would be trying to rip the hoist itself apart and not so much the truck.

Steel has tremendous tensile strength. But With age and corrosion, I have seen scissor hoists ripped in half

 

[4570Man]

Cylinder that big is probably a scissor hoist. So on yours, it would be trying to rip the hoist itself apart and not so much the truck.

Steel has tremendous tensile strength. But With age and corrosion, I have seen scissor hoists ripped in half

My other trucks have a different setup but the ton truck just has the single cylinder with no hoist.

 

[endurodad2019]

anyone ever attempt a gas powered swap.....i have a 16' dump trailer and two battery setup .
some days i get one dump some days have a dump so looking to swap in a gas powerd unit

 

[LD1]

anyone ever attempt a gas powered swap.....i have a 16' dump trailer and two battery setup .
some days i get one dump some days have a dump so looking to swap in a gas powerd unit

I wired mine right to the truck battery with heavy gauge cable. Like 1/0 or 1ga or something.

They are made for winches and stuff. Have anderson connectors on the ends. I no longer worry about the trailer battery

 

[Fxfymn413]

Our OP seems to have fallen by the wayside. I'm a little surprised he would give a lift capacity of 3K with a tandem axle 6x10 trailer. It seems that it would be more like 3 tons. With a quick look at what pops up on-line the least net weight I could find was 4400 lbs. with most running over 7K.

 

[grsthegreat]

Weird….i have had my 6x10 dump full of sand, and it dumped just fine. No issues at all.