Trailer Welders Certification

[gemini5362]

Gemini, It is YOUR PROJECT but I'll give you the advice I'd give a close friend... You are building in a repetitive hassle if you are going to road the trailer behind a truck and then have to go get a tractor to hook up the PTO. You'll be walking part of the time or requiring a second person as a driver. It will work, but it will be a PITA!

Lets say yo drive to quarry and get crusher run for the driveway. Now you are home with a load. Can you slowly drive down the drive tilting the dump a little more every few yards? Maybe if you drop the trailer and hitch up the tractor as tow vehicle and connect the PTO.

What if you use the tractor's FEL to load the trailer with dirt from a few different locations. Are you going to hitch-unhitch-hitch-unhitch or use the truck to move the trailer and the tractor for loading? Then when you are ready to go somewhere to dump the load you have to unhitch the truck and hook up the tractor.

I'm sure there may be some combination of operations where it might not be a big pain but if it were me I'd be trying to make it dump without using the tractor hydraulics.

What if you want to haul a load of gravel for a friend/customer. The friend/customer doesn't have a tractor. Now what do you do? Take your tractor to his location and park it, then go to the gravel pit, then to his place to hook up the tractor to dump and then take the trailer home and go back for the tractor.

It seems to me that effort spent in creating an inconvenient solution would be better redirected toward a SMOOTH solution. The $ shouldn't be that big and the convenience would be a very nice thing (and quite a time saver.)

Pat

Actually my idea was to fill it full of crusher dust, gravel whatever I needed and tow it home with my truck then hook it to my tractor and the the PTO on it. This was an only if necessary plan. I was looking last night and found a website that sells wrecker and truck parts. They have a hydraulic power supply that is powered by a 12 volt motor. It has the hydraulic resevoir with it. The flow rate seems kind of low it is only 1.25 gal per minute. The pump relief valve is set for 1750 psi at the factory but can be adjusted to 2500 psi with the pump itself putting out 3500 psi. I think the flow rate might be a bit slow for dumping but it should work. this pump is only 283.00 so that will be the option I will use if I have to. All of this is of course if the hydraulics on the trailer is not working. I am assuming a worse case scenario with the idea that anything less that worse case will be a pleasure

 

[patrick_g]

I wonder how many gal of capacity the ram has??? Surely it wouldn't be more than 2-3 gal at the most. I could wait that long for the $ and ease of use.

Pat

 

[gemini5362]

Patrick that is what I am thinking also. I will probably not be using the trailer for customers so I dont have to worrry about time versus income. If the flow rate is a bit slow that would not hurt me a bit and like you said it will be a lot better alternative than having to hook and unhook etc.

 

[AlanB]

Gem, not sure I have followed everything in this thread or not, but this is what I would suggest you do on your trailer.

Put in one of these.

Surplus Center Item Detail

Then wire a battery too it on the trailer.

Then insure that your 7 pin is wired with a charging wire. Trailer hitch, hitches and bike rack (800)298-8924 has the diagrams, everyone seems to do them just a little different, if you have someone you regularly swap trailers around with then make sure you do yours like his.

Then connect your charge wire too your battery and it will charge from your vehicle anytime it is connected, you can also put in a small trickle type charger and plug it into 110 when available to keep your battery up.

You have to have a resovoir to take the fluid from the cylinder when it is down.

Normally they would be power up, and just gravity down, but there are some that are powered both ways.

You will not want to hook and unhook all the time, it seems like no big deal typing on the computer, but when you are out there swapping it around, it will get old quick.

 

[gemini5362]

Gem, not sure I have followed everything in this thread or not, but this is what I would suggest you do on your trailer.

Put in one of these.

Surplus Center Item Detail

Then wire a battery too it on the trailer.

Then insure that your 7 pin is wired with a charging wire. Trailer hitch, hitches and bike rack (800)298-8924 has the diagrams, everyone seems to do them just a little different, if you have someone you regularly swap trailers around with then make sure you do yours like his.

Then connect your charge wire too your battery and it will charge from your vehicle anytime it is connected, you can also put in a small trickle type charger and plug it into 110 when available to keep your battery up.

You have to have a resovoir to take the fluid from the cylinder when it is down.

Normally they would be power up, and just gravity down, but there are some that are powered both ways.

You will not want to hook and unhook all the time, it seems like no big deal typing on the computer, but when you are out there swapping it around, it will get old quick.

AlanB thank you for the advice. I agree with you that swapping things around will get old very fast. When I made that post I was thinking of that as a last ditch effort to get it working If I had to. I found another site with almost the same type of setup as the link you sent me. The other hydraulic pump system had pretty much the same specs but I think it had a slightly smaller resevoir. It as 284.00 versus 360. I have not looked at shipping costs to compare the two yet. Right now I am still waiting to find out what I need. The weather for our area calls for a very severe thunderstorm system this weekend. I am supposed to go pick up the trailer saturday. It will have to be a really really bad system to keep me from doing that I am anxious to get it and see what it needs. There is a possibility that the hydraulics will work fine. The seller told me that they did but I am a bit of a pessimist. When I buy something that I cant see work I assume it doesn't and see what I need to do if that is the case. If they work all I need to do is to get a motor for them and I am in buisness and very happy. If they dont work I will get a system from the link you showed me or the other one that I found and put a new system on there and be very happy. Either way I am getting a dump trailer so I am going to be very happy.

I pointed out to my wife that when I was a kid I did not have as many toys as I have now. I have a diesel powered heavy duty pickup. I have a tractor with a front end loader (and a cab with a/c heat and a stereo) and I have a dump trailer, Life just does not get any better than this All I need to do now is to retire so I can go out and play in the dirt.

 

[AlanB]

I just grabbed the first one I saw at Surplus Center. Surplus Center - Hydraulic Equipment Electric Motors I did not look for the "best deal" I just wanted a picture to show what I meant. Sometimes they have some pretty great deals.

We have a 6X10 dump trailer, that we use in my wifes landscaping business. It is another of those things that my DW fought me on tooth and nail that we did not need it. Now that we have it, she is pissed I did not buy one earlier... Go figure.

Did I understand correctly that your's is single axle?

Be EXTREMELY carefull loading rocks. A very small pile is a LOT of weight.

Tomorrow morning's project is to make my spread / drop tailgate into a barn door on ours.

 

[jarokoro]

GEM,

Check out eBay here is one for 75.00
eBay: Recondioned 12VDC Single Acting w/ Remote Control (item 250087315660 end time Feb-25-07 06:01:41 PST)

Not sure how familiar you are with eBay but if you read the profiles and the posts of what others say you will be ok. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. However, you can find just about anything for a decent price. Just look out for excessive shipping charges.

I watch items for a few days then that will rather give you an idea of prices. Most things are less expensive by 10%-30% than a Local Purchase and it can be delivered to your door.

I have made several large purchases from eBay. I bought a 14,000lb Brand New GN Load Trail Dump Trailer for around $5100 (couldn’t get one with in 250 miles for less than around $8500), a John Deere 8A Backhoe attachment for $2900 (couldn’t find one that was factory in my area, just new around $7,800). I have bought a couple of chainsaws and other tools and equipment for far less than new prices and its always hard to track down good used equipment locally without paying a retailer here 50% mark up.

If you think the seller may be shady pay through pay pal with a credit card. My rule is if they do not take pay pal, I probably will not buy unless they are a legit regular business. (Example is united Rental sells used equipment on eBay and I would just pay them with CC) The Credit Card Company (Visa or MasterCard) and pay pal have departments to fight on your behalf and most CC Companies have automatic refund/warranty policy already on your account you may not even be aware of. So worst case you get your money back if things went south. I always try to pay with CC for purchases even locally because of the buyer beware support.

 

[AlanB]

Man, that looks like a good deal, from folks in that business. Ocala is also home of U-dump trailers, one of the originals in that field.

 

[gemini5362]

GEM,

Check out eBay here is one for 75.00
eBay: Recondioned 12VDC Single Acting w/ Remote Control (item 250087315660 end time Feb-25-07 06:01:41 PST)

Not sure how familiar you are with eBay but if you read the profiles and the posts of what others say you will be ok. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. However, you can find just about anything for a decent price. Just look out for excessive shipping charges.

I watch items for a few days then that will rather give you an idea of prices. Most things are less expensive by 10%-30% than a Local Purchase and it can be delivered to your door.

I have made several large purchases from eBay. I bought a 14,000lb Brand New GN Load Trail Dump Trailer for around $5100 (couldn’t get one with in 250 miles for less than around $8500), a John Deere 8A Backhoe attachment for $2900 (couldn’t find one that was factory in my area, just new around $7,800). I have bought a couple of chainsaws and other tools and equipment for far less than new prices and its always hard to track down good used equipment locally without paying a retailer here 50% mark up.

If you think the seller may be shady pay through pay pal with a credit card. My rule is if they do not take pay pal, I probably will not buy unless they are a legit regular business. (Example is united Rental sells used equipment on eBay and I would just pay them with CC) The Credit Card Company (Visa or MasterCard) and pay pal have departments to fight on your behalf and most CC Companies have automatic refund/warranty policy already on your account you may not even be aware of. So worst case you get your money back if things went south. I always try to pay with CC for purchases even locally because of the buyer beware support.

Rob thank you for this post. I have the item to be watched and see what it does before I big on it. That is actually a very good price for a double acting cylinder. I have used ebay quite a bit. I have bought 1 motorcycle, 1 car, 1 5 speed transmission, 1 garage door opener, and several small items. I check the sellers feedback listing. and I always pay with paypal. The car I bought was near an old navy buddy and he went and checked it out before I bought it. They did not take pay pal for the car but it was a dealer and he accepted master card. I have bought about 40 items and have had two problems 1 i had was a 15.00 motorcycle speedometer did not work. The other was the guy with the transmission I bought was a bit slow about sending it, he had a problem with packing it and actually I believe decided not to mess with it. He also did not take paypal. If I have to send money I send a USPS money order. When the guy did not ship the transmission I told him that if i did not get it within a week (this was after argueing about it for a month) I was going to notify the Postal Inspection Service. That is why I use USPS money orders. If someone cashes one of them and does not send your merchandise then they get to deal with the Inspection Service. That is very similar to dealing with the FBI. Postal inspectors can go anywhere in the US that mail is delivered to. Other than those two instances all the rest of my transactions have been very good.

 

[gemini5362]

I just grabbed the first one I saw at Surplus Center. Surplus Center - Hydraulic Equipment Electric Motors I did not look for the "best deal" I just wanted a picture to show what I meant. Sometimes they have some pretty great deals.

We have a 6X10 dump trailer, that we use in my wifes landscaping business. It is another of those things that my DW fought me on tooth and nail that we did not need it. Now that we have it, she is pissed I did not buy one earlier... Go figure.

Did I understand correctly that your's is single axle?

Be EXTREMELY carefull loading rocks. A very small pile is a LOT of weight.

Tomorrow morning's project is to make my spread / drop tailgate into a barn door on ours.

Alan you need to hurry with the fun projects like making new tailgates. when you get your new house you wont have time to do stuff like that for a while.

Yes it is a single axle. The axle is a dually however so I do have 4 tires carrying the weight. What is funny is that I went and looked at new tires for it. The new tires will cost me half as much as the trailer. Thanks for the tip about rocks. One of the conversions I have to make to it is electric brakes I like to have them when I am carrying weight. My wife did not have a chance to factor into the decision to buy it. I bought it then called and told her I bought it. I did not tell her right away though. I called on my way home and she was with her daughter looking at jewelry. I told her she needed to just buy whatever she wanted to. She got suspicious and and asked me why. I told her because she was such a good wife. She said ok, what did you buy She was just relieved it was under a 1000.00 I have been known to tell her I was going to fax her some papers to sign because I just bought another house. The person that I bought the trailer from had a small salvage/used vehicle buisness. If I understood him right he took a dump bed off of a truck and put it on a trailer. That is why I can not check the hydraulics. When it was on a truck it ran off of the power takeoff. When he put it on the trailer he did not add a motor to it so I cannot see the hydraulics run. The owner told me that he just used a starter motor on them and that worked well. I am going to try that and see what happens first. The next post after yours I was advised of a good buy on ebay for a
remanufactured unit. That might have some advantages. For one thing it has an electric solenoid to control the dump with versus the mechanical one that is on there now. If the starter Idea does not work it looks like someone on ebay remanufactures them for less than 100.00 I would have trouble getting a DC motor that cheap. I am looking forward to getting it home tomorrow so that I can see what it needs. We are supposed to get a severe thunderstorm tomorrow. I just built a new garage and I still have half of it full of building materials to finish the inside with. I wonder if my wife will let me park her new porsche out in the rain so that I can take the trailer inside and play with it.