semi trailer ramp

OkeeDon · Oct 7, 2004

My son-in-law sustained some damage to his house and garage in the hurricanes. I have a lot of stuff stored in his garage, and need some more storage space, plus he's going to have to move some of his furnishings out while repairs are made. I started looking for a shipping container to put in his yard, but ran into a couple of problems. First, they are in short supply in our area right now because so many people have similar problems. And, my s-i-l's property is fairly low, so we're concerned about the possibility of flooding into the container.

However, I ran across a storage company that has a couple of surplus semi trailers for sale. I can buy one and have it delivered for around $2,000, which is less than the current quotes I'm gettting for containers. Plus, the trailer is a little bigger at 48' instead of 40' for the container. The trailer will obviously sit higher, eliminating the worry about flooding, and will be easier to move once we decide to get rid of it.

The disadvantage is that it will be more difficult to put things in it. The obvious solution is a ramp. I looked at some commercial ramps on the 'net, and they tend to be about 30' long, or 36' long if they have a 6' flat area at the top of the ramp (a little easier to manuever).

I can visualize several different ways to build such a ramp, but before I start, I want to submit the problem to the TBN brain trust. I'm sure there will be lots of ideas -- some wacky and some gems, and from experience, it may be the wacky ones that end up being the best! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Some facts: I haven't measured the trailer height yet, but I assume it will be somewhere around 4' to 5', or whatever standard loading dock height is. We do have the TC18 with FEL to get heavy things up the ramp, and I can fashion a set of bucket forks. The trailer will be sitting on an unpaved area. I have given some thought to digging a ditch in which to put the trailer wheels in order to make it somewhat lower to the ground, but I don't want to make it difficult to get it out when we're done with it.

Finally, if anyone has any negative experience with using a semi trailer for storage, let me know right away!

beenthere · Oct 7, 2004

Sounds like a good plan, to me. You likely can recover the cost of the trailer when you are finished with it, and want to sell it.
The forks on your bucket would also be my choice. Put things on pallets, and get a pallet mover to roll the pallets when in the truck. Just have to keep it fairly level.

I think I would dig the wheels in, and then just plan to 'dig' some ramps and plank them ahead of the wheels when time comes to move the rig out. A temporary set of steps to walk into and out of the trailer would be helpful.

Lots of ideas when it comes to someone else doing the work and spend their money. Sorry. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

LarryRB · Oct 7, 2004

the trailer is an outstanding idea,,, To get a ramp, call all your local moving companies, (North american, Bekins, Allied, etc,etc) We use to have heavy steel ramps to move computers off and on the high trailers, Today, they have gone reinforced fiberglass,, there should be a lot of those old ramsps around the various moving companies,, Once it is up on the trailer, leave it there.. You can drive a tractor trailer on them, so structural integrity/strength should be of no concern. They were all 38" or 42" useable ramp width. My machine ramo was 42, most household movers used the 38. Either way, they work awesome.

MikeIA · Oct 7, 2004

Are you wanting to drive the tractor up into the trailer?
That's going to have a big effect on the design.

An aluminum "van ramp" about 18 feet long would be an easy slope to walk up to carry furniture.
(and might be cheaper than building something out of wood...I imagine lumber prices are a bit high down there right now!)

Could you build a heavy, three-sided frame in your unpaved area and pile dirt to make a ramp? That's what the local implement dealers do around here.

jwstewar · Oct 7, 2004

Why not combine the two? Dig a little ditch put the trailer down into - say 1 or 2 feet and then built a ramp to the new lower height? Just now, you've cut or 30 - 50% of your height off and yet the trailer still isn't down so low that it'll be hard to get out.

dummy · Oct 7, 2004

<font color="blue"> Could you build a heavy, three-sided frame in your unpaved area and pile dirt to make a ramp? </font> Exactly what I was thinking. Cinderblock and concrete for the frame.

Mark4510 · Oct 7, 2004

I think Jims suggestion is the way I would go. If you think you are going to be shuttling things in and out of the trailer with the tractor then I would go with the earthen berm to drive on.

You can sure use the dirt you cut out to build the ramp. I think the only downside would be that you will be 2-2.5 feet lower with the trailer and if flooding is a real concern then you may want to reconsider.

Perhaps put some road base on the top to improve traction and keep erosion at bay.

Mark

KubotaSteve · Oct 7, 2004

Since it is mainly for storage and wouldn't be used on an everyday basis, I think I would make the forks for the tractor and load stuff on a pallet to put inside the trailer. Then just make a set of steps to get in and out if you would need something. If you really want an in expensive ramp, you could check out some of the walking picks used with pump jacks. Depending upon the weight that the ramp would be required to hold, you could use an old extension ladder and put some of the rough OSB sheeting on it.

aardvark · Oct 7, 2004

Jim's idea is a good one. If you dig a hole to a depth that is half the height of the trailer (or slightly deeper), you could then take that dirt you dug out of the hole and pile it to make a landing at about the same height as the trailer. The landing would be about the same area at the top, as the hole you dug to fit the tires at the bottom.

Gary_in_Indiana · Oct 7, 2004

Don,

Before you buy it, get inside it on the brightest sunniest day you can and have someone close the doors and latch them. Wait a few minutes to let your eyes adjust then walk the length of the trailer looking all around you with each step. When you get to the end do the same thing coming back. That is the best way to find out if you're likely to have any water leaks. I used to lease semi trailers out (road trailers, not storage) and that was the best way we found to look for leaks.

Also, if you can find one with one or more side doors try to get that one if all other things are equal. You'll never regret having the extra access point. Lastly, if you can, try to find an old household goods moving van trailer (like North American, Allied, Bekins, etc) because they'll have the extra door and a lower floor so you don't have to go up four feet AND have extra storage room inside.

PS You could always just come up here (home office of NAVL, Allied, Global and others), get one of their old trailers, mount a fifth wheel in the bed of the F-350 and take everything home. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OkeeDon · Oct 7, 2004

Great replies! I've been gone all day, so I'm seeing them all at once. I went to the storage yard to see the trailers, and followed Gary's exact procedure to see if they looked watertight. Another test was that they had been sitting on the lot through both hurricanes; one was damp inside from the wind-driven rain; the others were dry.

A problem arose with this local office, however; they're part of a larger company, and it turns out the fellow I spoke to on the phone is new, and didn't realize he had little room to negotiate. When I arrived today, they called the home office and got some prices, and they were higher than I had been led to believe. A trailer with a rollup door was $3,000 plus tax and delivery; with double barn doors (like a container) they had one for $2,200 plus tax and delivery. The delivery was $130 and the tax is 7%, so the total would be $2,484, which was almost 25% higher than I had expected to pay. They are also higher than others on their container prices, so I've gone back to the drawing board. I may end up getting one from them anyway if the prices from others are within a couple of hundred dollars, because this outfit is the closest and their freight is lower -- $130 instead of around $350. It just takes me a littke time to get my tongue around a higher than expected price; my CFO has turned me into a miser. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Of all the ideas, the best combination for me is digging a sloping trench for the axle wheels about 30" deep and using that dirt, plus more if necessary, to build an earthen ramp. The best idea to make that work is the 3-sided bulkhead, especially when you consider that I have a supply of used PT wood that I can use for the bulkhead. I had considered making some sort of trestle ramp from my wood, but I trust the earthen ramp a lot more than any engineered ramp that I would design, /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif and it should take less wood.

We will want to drive the tractor up the ramp, so full width is good, eliminating the furniture ramps, although they were a good tip.

The ramp should end up being about 30" high or so, which means that it will only have to be 15' or so long. This is do-able. Flooding hasn't gone much above 6" to 12", so that will be high enough.

Thanks, guys, I feel much better about it, now. No one came up with any negatives, and I have a solid plan for a solid ramp (pun intended). Best part of it is, my son-in-law will have to do the work while I sit and superviise -- these health problems have certain advantages /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif.

wroughtn_harv · Oct 8, 2004

I'm glad to see you've got the mind getting after it even if the body is only able to follow at a distance Don.

Here's what I'd do. I wouldn't bury the wheels. I think that might end up being more trouble when it comes time to move it than it's worth right now.

What I would do is get a bunch of pallets and put everything on pallets. I'd bolt three pulleys to the floor of the trailer at the front. That way I could use the tractor to pull the pallets into place. It would also enable you to pull them out when removing them.

Keep us posted. Just hearing from you occasionally makes us feel better.

bczoom · Oct 8, 2004

Don,

Is an option for you to take some or all of the stuff from your SIL's and put in storage elsewhere?
Around here, there are places that rent these trailers for $1 or $2 per day but it stays on their lot. You just take your stuff there and load up the trailer.

LWFrisk · Oct 8, 2004

OkeeDon

Sure hope you are feeling better. Hang in there, I have a feeling you are a fighter and will win the battle.

I had a container here in San Diego for years (My son has it now). The only problem we had was it was too tight. Moisture would collect inside and metal would rust, other items would even accumulate a bit of mildew. We put a rotating vent on the roof and made a hatch inside to close if we got a blowing wind. Turned out we did not need the hatch here as we never got enough wind to blow the rain through the rotating vent. Sure was handy and wish I could have it where I live not (against the rules to have containers in our association)

Good luck

Leo in San Diego

OkeeDon · Oct 28, 2004

Well, after all the help and advice I got to build a ramp for a storage semi trailer, I went with a container after all. Why? Simple, price. The least expensive container I was quoted previously was $2276 with freight and tax but was not available after the hurricanes hit and everyone needed storage (We've got houses all over town with containers in the driveway while they rebuild their drywall inside the house). The best price I got after the hurricane was $2,900.

So, when one company suggested a trailer for a total of $2,484, I started to rationalize the advantages of a trailer. But, deep in my heart, I really wanted a container, because as bad as they look, they just look better than a trailer, and because there would be fewer issues with access.

Fortunately, one of the companies to which I had spoken called me back last week with an offer of my choice of several damaged containers at decent prices. They were a local company, so I looked at them and chose one. It has a dent near the roof that has split the roof very slightly. I have a 10 ton hydraulic Porta Power unit and can push out the dent easily; I don't have a portable welder that can close up the split, but I can easily pop rivet a patch with sealant under (or, I should say, my son-in-law can climb up there and patch it; he's sharing the storage so he can get dirty /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif).

They quoted $1,500 for the container; plus tax and $225 delivery; total $1,830. For $650 less than the cheapest trailer or over $1,000 less than the cheapest container (at post-hurricane prices), you betcha we can patch it.

Attached was taken directly into the sun, so it shows my dirty camera lens /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif . It also shows the dent at the top of the third rib, and the popped up roof from the dent, which we will hammer down as we push out the dent. I plan to use an 8' 4x4 along the inside top of the opposite wall as a base for the porta power to spread the force, use an appropriate length of 4x4 to reach across the trailer towards the other side, and place the Porta Power between that spacer and the dent.

For those not familiar, this is a Porta Power in the case -- consists of a manual hydraulic pump, hydraulic ram, and accessories such as extensions and variously shaped ends:

We placed the container on railroad ties to get it up off the ground in case it floods again; it's higher than the highest water we've seen, which was right after the hurricanes. The floor is about 20" off the ground.

Now, all I have to do is get the stuff transferred into it... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

{Edit} I should add that I wish I had my camera with me when the truck delivered it. He must have felt like he was in the jungle. We bush hogged a path for him. He came down my driveway, turned into the grass and got it lined up, then backed into place. The unloading is interesting -- they use a hydraulic chain drive that runs in a channel down the center of the trailer to drag it back about 15', then hydraulically tilt the trailer and drive out from underneath it. We had also mowed a path through the high grass for him to turn and make a circle back out to my driveway. We knew the truck and trailer would be about 60' long; what we had not anticipated was that it was a long wheelbase and long nose Freightliner that was almost 10' longer than we had anticipated. He made it, but it was very tight.

We also found a manifest inside the container door. It was originally shipped in October, 1999 and carried a load of oak toilet seats. The trip took almost a month.

mikim · Oct 29, 2004

Don - are you going to put some type of ventilation in it and if so how? I understand there can be moisture issues with them.

OkeeDon · Oct 29, 2004

I have read the same thing about ventilation. Frankly, the answer is, "I don't know." However, I don't think ventilation will be a big issue, because this thing will see a variety of uses. The stuff I won't need for a couple of years is going in the back. Stuff we will be storing for shorter term will be in the middle. But, the front (closest to the doors) may end up being tool storage and, as such, is likely to be opened up almost every day. My guess is that it will be similar to my garage at home, where we open the door in the morning and leave it open most of the day. We get mildew buildup if we leave it closed for a week or more, but we don't get any mildew/mustiness if we open it often.

In fact, regarding ventilation, our discussion has been more towards thinking about fans that would make it more comfortable to have a small workbench just inside the doors. It's located close enough to the back of my son-in-law's garage that we are planning to run an electrical circuit to it so we can have a couple of lights inside.