Dump Trailer

marrt · May 27, 2003

I want to purchase a 10’ dump trailer to use around the house and to bring in mulch and stuff. I checked the price on the 10’ “economy” model EZDUMPER and was amazed to find it was over $3600. That’s more than I can afford and I don’t have the welding skills, or welder for that matter, to make one myself. Does anyone know of a source for a less expensive dump trailer? Does anyone sell them “factory direct”? I live in Northern VA.

rancar · May 27, 2003

Does anyone know of a source for a less expensive dump trailer? Does anyone sell them “factory direct”? 

Dump trailers are not cheap. The price you quote is maybe a bit high but it's in the ball park. I too have been looking at dump trailers for use with my JD 4710 CUT. Primary uses will be to haul fieldstone and firewood. I'm looking at the TP610 model DownEaster from Coastal Metal Fabrication. See link below.

Coastal Metal Fabrication, Inc

You may also want to check out products made by Bri-Mar and Foster.

...Bob

JATO_RaT · May 27, 2003

Your going to easily pay that much for a dump trailer. By the time you add up all the steel, about 3000lbs worth, the axles, tires, brakes not to mention all the labor to manufactuer it including painitng it, thats a pretty fair price. I use my neighbors 12 foot by 6'6''' by 4 foot high with the hydraulic dump ability, 2 axle, weight is about 3500 lbs for the trailer alone. He paid around $5500 for it, its made by Harsh. He has extras as well like ramps, extended height sideboards etc. I am considering building one in my spare time. Rat...

CTyler · May 27, 2003

Yep they are spendy for some reason. Try looking for a used one and in the imortal words of Gomer Pyle "Suprise...suprise... suprise" they are almost the same price as new if you can find one!

CTyler · May 27, 2003

This is what gets me on a dump trailer. You can buy a 20' tandem axle 7000# car trailer for about $1600 or a 18' 12000# tandem axle equipment trailer for $3000. But a even a 10' 7000# tandem axle dump trailer is $3600. Whats up with that?

gerard · May 27, 2003

lets see - hydraulic pump, battery, pump/battery box, long throw ram (sometimes two), all steel box and bed as opposed to wood decking, add to that you're really building two frames, one that the axels attach to and then the box and frame, and you can see there's actually more than meets the eye. I wish it weren't so cause I really wanted one to but wound up getting a 16 foot non dumper for $1900 and I just unload with the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anonymous Poster · May 27, 2003

There is a lot of difference between a car trailer and a dump trailer. A 7000# car trailer has a frame with decking. A dump trailer has a frame, no decking and then another entire frame that is the dump box. That's two frames. Plus the dump box has a continuous steel skin for the bed and higher framed sides with taigate (all with contiuous steel skins). That's a lot of metal and framing which means more cutting, welding and painting. Then of course there is the cost of the hydraulic system (pump, reservoir, cylinder, lines, wiring, controls and battery). The frame of the dump trailer must be heavier and with more structural supports than a car trailer because it must withstand the twisting and bending placed on the frame by the raised and loaded dump box.

My 6' x 12', 10,000 GVW dump trailer weighs 2800# empty. I doubt that you will find that even a 20' car trailer comes anywhere near that weight empty.

If you decide on a dump trailer, don't go cheap. Look at the frame and structural supports. If all you are going to load is light weight material such as mulch, not much of a concern. But if you want to haul dirt, stone or other heavy material you can easily overload the trailer's weight capacity before you fill the box. You want to make sure that the trailer has some "extra" capacity to lift, dump and support a heavier than rated load. Nothing worse than having the loaded trailer just sit there and groan.

Well that's my 2 cents worth.

Jeff

Anonymous Poster · May 27, 2003

northern-online has an 8' 2 axle dumping trailer (2 ton) for a little over a grand with the cylinder. Don't know if it will work for your application, but the price is better than $3600.00
just my 2¢
soon to be tractor owner
Steve

JATO_RaT · May 27, 2003

I agree, DON'T GO CHEAP! I went to the dump with my neighbors dump trailer yesterday (Memorial Day). Empty, it weighs 3500lbs. 12' X 6'6" X 4' high. With the load it in I was a GCVW of 16000 plus lbs. Not huge, but this is where I want a trailer with great brakes and lots of beef to handle whatever comes its way. The hydraulics are top notch. The hydraulic dump assembly cost easily $1500 alone. Good tires/hubs, very sturdy doors etc., all add up the weight and the cost. Driving around in traffic the last thing I wanted was a trailer thats light duty. One little problem like a broken axle etc., and the savings may well be over. Whether I build one or buy one, it will have everything this one does and then some. I want even heavier axles and 16" tires. I would prefer 18'+ long by 6'6" x 3' sides so it can be easily loaded or carry my tractor. Perhaps one side that can be removed for easy forklift loading. Rat...

CTyler · May 28, 2003

The hydraulics are not that much money and there isnt that much more steel in a 20' car trailer vs a 10' dump trailer, not $2000+ dollars worth.

Anonymous Poster · May 28, 2003

Have you ever priced a stand-alone hyd system????? Spendy stuff. You are getting good advise - 2 frames, beefier for no twisting, & hydralics - seems like a normal price increase to me.

Surprised it's not a bit more, really. When I first read this thread, I was thinking just a hyd cylinder & quick-tach hose for the tractor, but if you folks are getting a whole battery hyd system with the pump, you're getting good buys for $3600-5500 for the whole trailer/ system!

--->Paul

CTyler · May 28, 2003

Yes stand alone sytem is about $500.

CTyler · May 28, 2003

I saw, what I thought, was a really nice trailer. The trailer was 19'. The dump bed was 13' and the front part had a wood deck. So you could this trailer as a car/equip/dump trailer.
Then I saw the price...cough.... about 5 times the price of a car trailer.

My thought on dump trailers is this. The people buying dump trailers are business' for the most part. If your in business and you "need" something you get it. You'll pay the price because there is a return. As such they will command a higher price. So for a user like me its "Tuff Nuts", put up or shut up.

With the price of used dump trailers being selling for new prices, again nuts. Maybe I should just shut up, buy one, use it for a year and sell it.

wroughtn_harv · May 28, 2003

This is what gets me on a dump trailer. You can buy a 20' tandem axle 7000# car trailer for about $1600 or a 18' 12000# tandem axle equipment trailer for $3000. But a even a 10' 7000# tandem axle dump trailer is $3600. Whats up with that?

Even a light duty dump trailer will have fifty two hundred pound axles. The dump mechanism will run from just under a grand to fifteen hundred dollars.

Five hundred dollars for two seven thousand pound tork flex axles with brakes. Another five hundred for four take off sixteen inch eight lug wheels with ten ply tires. Then add fifteen hundred for a dump unit from Harsh, nice scissor type with good componets. Now add your steel box, frame, coupler, wiring, lights, break away set up etc, I wouldn't make one to sell for thirty six hundred dollars.

They're not cheap for a reason.

But if you want to spend a lot of money for something that will break your heart, go cheap on a dump trailer.

rancar · May 28, 2003

Maybe I should just shut up, buy one, use it for a year and sell it. 

There you go. With used trailers selling for the same price as new you could use it more or less cost free for a year, then sell it hopefully for what you paid for it, and get a year's worth of this piece of equipment for free. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

...Bob

rancar · May 28, 2003

Here's another link I just came across to show some examples, specs, and prices on various types of dump trailers. Bottom line: THEY ARE NOT CHEAP!!!!

Dump Trailer Specs

Anonymous Poster · May 28, 2003

I guess I'm in the same boat as the orginal writer on this thread. I don't need a dump trailer that can safely travel down the road. I don't give a hoot what it looks like. I really don't care how it works. All I want is something that is almost as easy to unload as it is to load. Anything that could carry more than one bucket-full of dirt or one rake-full of brush would increase my speed of moving things on my property by an order of magnitude, if it didn't take so long to unload it at the other end. I can build it myself if anyone has a clever ideas...

MadReferee · May 28, 2003

I too have been looking for an inexpensive (the operative word) dump trailer. The best bang for the buck for a light duty unit appears to be the one from Country Manufacturing. However I have not had the opportunity to see one up close to check out the quality. Maybe someone on TBN has one and could comment.

www.countrymfg.com

Anonymous Poster · May 28, 2003

What about a self-dumping hopper trailer? Surely something like this would not be all that difficult to build as long as you're going to be using it on your own property and not too worried about OSHA /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

This might be my answer. I'll have to think about the locking mechanism and look around the junk pile. I have an VW Rabbit rear axle assembly that might work...hmmm.