Dump Trailer

Iplayfarmer · Sep 14, 2007

dangier_VA said:
Great picture! Nice stout little trailer! What did your dump angle end up being? You had frost already? Signs of fall.... Being from New England, we are spoiled in Virginia with the longer growing season.
Take care.
David

I had to go measure the dump angle last night before I answered your question. When fully dumped, the bed is about 53 degrees from horizontal. That should be sufficient to handle anything I'd need to dump.

patrick_g · Sep 15, 2007

Iplayfarmer said:
When fully dumped, the bed is about 53 degrees from horizontal. That should be sufficient to handle anything I'd need to dump.

Provided:
1. don't mind using a hoe, rake, or shovel to assist and/or
2. it isn't wet or sticky

Rocks and dead dry sand will dump at that angle. Wet clay, some wet sands, and a host of other junk is highly resistant to exiting a dump bed, almost defying logic and getting into metaphysics.

The good news is that the bed capacity is small enough and close enough to the ground that you can reach it all without climbing up to it.

Pat

dangier_VA · Sep 17, 2007

Iplayfarmer,
I have been wanting a dump trailer for a long while. I even contemplated building something and then found the attached this spring. Great little unit for firewood and general hauling. Small enough to get in the woods. Even set up a brake controller from my Kubota L3130. Had too many wild rides without brakes...
Keep up the great work!
David

patrick_g · Sep 17, 2007

Dangier, Just what I was looking for, bring it on out! I don't understand, for sure, what the extra height is on the tail gate. It that a ramp for multiple use on the trailer?

Is it fair to ask what the empty weight and allowed payload are and a hint on the price?

Oh, and I will pay half your fuel, BOTH WAYS!

Pat

dangier_VA · Sep 17, 2007

Pat,
It's a 12' premier (2005). Brakes on both axles. Came with a landscape ramp. Don't think I would have requested it though. That sucker is heavy! Empty weight is around 2300# and max weight is 10000#. New was at $5600. I paid around $3500 with very little use. Don't think I will be parting with it any time..... I can haul my L3130 with the front loader attached. If I remove the tailgate, I can have the backhoe attached. Trailers very well with my dodge 2500 diesel.
If one keeps their eyes open, a good deal can be had on ebay.
David

patrick_g · Sep 17, 2007

David, I am ever so envious. I'll give you $4500 delivered.

Yeah, I look on eBay and Craig's list but never seem to look when something like that is available. I live less than 2 miles from a really good small trailer manufacturer but they don't do dumps and I don't want to pay them to experiment.

I did find a 15 inch subwoofer for a good price a couple days ago on eBay b ut it won't haul dirt!

Pat

dangier_VA · Sep 17, 2007

Pat,
Looks like we are derailing Iplayfarmer's thread. Would like to see a picture of his trailer full of dirt. Great dump angle! Very little will stick to that. You might want to oil it up once an awhile.
David

PS-I did but the premier trailer off ebay....

dangier_VA · Sep 17, 2007

Oops
PS-I did buy the premier trailer off ebay....

Iplayfarmer · Sep 17, 2007

dangier_VA said:
Iplayfarmer,
I have been wanting a dump trailer for a long while. I even contemplated building something and then found the attached this spring. Great little unit for firewood and general hauling. Small enough to get in the woods. Even set up a brake controller from my Kubota L3130. Had too many wild rides without brakes...
Keep up the great work!
David

Nice!

My goal in building the "Mother of all Garden Carts" Dump Trailer is to get some experience and make some mistakes on a small scale to someday build a full size dump trailer that I picture being very similar to what you just posted here. Thank you!

I want something that will haul my litte Iseki to and from a project and then be usable as a dump trailer when I get there. The specific job I have in mind is when I go to clean my Dad's corral. I always have to trailer my tractor on a flatbed, and Dad has to rent a dump trailer and haul it separate.

How does that tailgate ramp work? What do you do with it when you are dumping? Post more pics if you have them. I'd like to see you loading/unloading and what it looks like when it's dumping a load.

Since you mentioned brakes, I'm still wondering if there's a way to rig my mechanical brakes that are integral in the axles I'm using so that they can be useful on this trailer. If anyone has ideas, let me know.

patrick_g · Sep 17, 2007

There are "Atwood" type brake actuators for hydraulic brakes. Never try to come up with a scheme that mixes hydraullic fluid of two vehicles (tow vehicle and towed load.)
An Atwood actuator goes on the tongue and connects to trailer hydraulics. If the trailer tries so outrun the tow vehicle it puts on the brakes.

You said mech brakes so you need a hydraulic actuator to put on the mech brakes. The Atwood may not flow enough fluid to actuate a large enough cylinder to adequately apply the brakes. Here is where you need someone with more hands on experience than I have.

A reversible DC gear motor could be used to apply and release the brakes but it would not be as smooth as electric trailer brakes or hydraulic with Atwood system. Still with mechanical brakes if the force and "throw" requirements are very substantial the reversible DC gear motor would get 'er done economically.

I recommend quantifying the force required to fully actuate the brakes (how many pounds of force) and applied over what distance from no brakes to full brakes (in inches.) With that in hand I'd be looking for a surplus outfit with DC gear motors and try to find one at a decent price that meets or exceeds the force requirements. Then it is just a little DIY project to cobble it together (properly waterproofing the installation. You can recycle a piece of truck inner tube as a dirt/water boot.

The brakes will be slower coming on and off than hydraulic or regular electric trailer brakes but this may be the least expensive option for using the existing brakes.

Pat