My new equipment trailer...

[Redbug]

Hello Tom,
I have also noticed the BMF trailer site seems to be off line, also. However, the fellow I worked with, (ordering and customizing it the way I wanted it), also works at Double H Trailers which is less than 10 miles down the road from the BMF plant. The standard size they make in that trailer is 18 feet. They also make them with the back half dump, front half stays flat. I had them make mine a 20 foot bed whole bed dump. The bed is 8 feet wide, and you really can drive over the fenders. I will PM you who to contact, at Double H for further information and leads. I am real happy with the quality and what I got. They also make a trailer that will dump sideways!

Hey there Pat,
I have attached a pic of the stake holders I welded up to fit the stake pockets. I used 3 inch "C" channel, (like my older trailer). The stake holders, (sides), are 18 inches tall on my trailers. C channel comes in even sizes...3 inch, 4 inch, 5 inches wide, etc. But many stake pockets are odd sized and do not readily fit. Most trucks, many other trailers, including mine, have stake pocket openings of 3 3/4 inches by 1 3/4 inches. The C channel I used was 3 inches, by 1 1/2 inches (wide). I welded flat bar on the edges and one side to make the holders fit into the holes, and ground them for smoothness. On one bottom edge, I made a little longer, drilled a hole and used an implement pin to hold the stake in the pocket...the type of pin with the round part that snaps against the pin body to hold it onto the part it is supposed to hold. See my previous post on page 6...4th image down. The stake holder steel is probably 1/4 inch thick.

 

[Redbug]

Also Pat,
I forgot to answer your other question...the tailgate. Yes it opens and can be taken off. I made hinges that separate by pulling a long pin up and out the top on each side. I used 1/2 inch (inner) diameter heavy pipe for the hinge, and 1/2 inch round bar for the pin. The pin part slides into the pipe pieces to make the hinge. You can cut the pipe (hinge portions), as long as you want for strength.

I welded a piece of angle iron on top of the pins for a handle on each. Pull up on the pin...the hinge separates! See the 5th and 6th pics on page 6, (my post with the pics), which shows the tailgate closed, and one with the hinge separated.

I cut the pipe pieces, then slid them into the 1/2 inch round bar. Then... clamped and welded half of them onto the stake side. I set the tailgate and welded the remaining pipe pieces to the tailgate side making a true hinge, and making sure everything was square and not binding. I did the other side of the tailgate, then. It's a lot simpler just doing it...than describing it...

 

[patrick_g]

Redbud, My hat is off to you sir! I have been making some 5 ft long piano hinges from 1 inch iron pipe and 3/4 inch round bar. I started out cutting the pipe into 3 inch pieces and welding the odd numbers to one item and the even to another with wooden toothpicks as spacers between the 3 inch pipe pices.

Between metal distortion from my poor welding technique and the less than perfect allignment of the 3 inch pieces I ended up with some hard to operate hinges and considered a 5/8 pin but have cleaned most everything up and the worst I would have to do is use an 11/16 which I bought for just in case.

I have developed a more sure fire way to get allignment (within my poor abilities.) I lay out the two pieces of metal to be connected by piano hinge horizontally and seperated by a strip of corrugated paper (cardboard box scraps.) I then lay a piece of pipe (5 ft) on the two edges of the metal pieces. I mark the pipe into sections (as if it were to be cut prior to welding) and tack weld the odd sections to one piece of metal and the even sections to the other.

Now, essentially you have one rigid piece of metal (three pieces of metal welded together of which one is the pipe.) I then used the abrasive cutoff saw to cut on the marked lines every 3 inches. Then you can slip in the pin and voila, a piano hinge that is essentially in perfect allignment (+/- heat distortion.)

I did manage to weld too much stuff onto the one assy and couldn't get the total assy into the chopsaw.... ARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!! Then I recalled a friend with a Milwaukee electric hand held band saw (electric hacksaw.) No sweat, cut it easily. Now I will buy one of the HF versions of that saw for $69 on sale right now.

My stake pockets are a fairly tight fit for what is called 2x4 dimensional lumber which is, as youi know, smaller. I see what you did with the shims and will do something like that. I may use rectangular tubing if I can find what I want. Otherwise it is channel iron. I think for the stock trailer accessory option on my "Swiss Army" trailer will have holes drilled across the long dimension of the stake pockets (holes in the short sides, fore and aft) to accept pins and keepers. I will have so much steel involved that I won't be able to make the sides in one piece due to weight vs my strength considerations and will use some variaton of the piano hinge or portable cattle panel connectors sort of thing.

Thanks for the info and pix.

Pat

 

[Redbug]

Finished with the trailer...Each side is partitioned in 2 parts for easier one person removal, and the back door has 3 grab handles and weighs about 60 pounds.

 

[BTDT]

Looks real good. I know your work will pay off.

 

[patrick_g]

I will be thrilled if my stock trailer accessory comes out looking anywhere near so neat as your trailer job!

Pat

 

[workinallthetime]

Dude thats a sweet trailer !!!!!!

as for all this talk about loading it and axel placement here is what i did on my 18 foot dove tail. make you front gate where it can go in multiple locations on the trailer, foreward or back depending on load. I did this and since you can only haul so much it helps you from over loading it. I just unhook mine and block it up then use the tractor to empty it but i really love your trailer. We had a problem getting trucks on and off a drive on lift when the ramps were wet so we put they painted them with an abrasive paint. when that wore off they put grip tape on them, and when that wore off i welded expanded metal to the ramps, no wear so far. i would think wear would be a concern with any paint or tape on your trailer.

sweet trailer,