What kind of steel to rebuild 6x12 dump trailer?

[GeeVee]

I have a typical 6x12 6 ton dump trailer I haul my skid steer with, and I need to replace the bed skin, and the sides/gate. I replaced the bed skin and the dumping tray in 2011, but merely cut the sides three inches shorter and got fresh metal and re-used them.

The dump tray was 2x3 rectangular tube and was rotted, so we built new, and it is in fine shape now to re-use- leave in place. The trailer chassis is solid, nice thick C-channel that is still in very good shape.

I have Alro Metals an hour away, and am wondering if I can use A1011 CS, or should I be getting it "pickled and oiled".

I want to go with a bit thicker bed, perhaps 1/4", and use 1/8 for the three sides and gate. I don't recall what thickness we put on the bed in 2011, but it is swiss cheese now. Might have been 1/8 or even a gauged thickness. The underside is in good shape, with only small pocks or rust, but the top side suffered and I had large areas of flaking section loss. I did paint all surfaces with a rustoleum I thinned and sprayed, and the deck side I rolled six months l later, as I could see the thin sprayed coat was "too Thin" The after a few years I quit bothering, knowing I was going to replace the bed skin and sides the next time. The time is now.

I will be prepping the chassis, dumping frame, and the new superstructure, and painting it well with POR 15 this time, and multiple coats I am sure.

I do not really use it to dump soils. Four yards of dirt will stick to the bed. (third dump trailer I have owned, and None have EVER had a steep enough dump tilt angle to dump soils. Doesn't; matter, four yards of material is no match for my skidders productivity, if I want dirt, I have dump trucks bring it, and even then, 18 yards of dirt gets moved before the truck leaves the driveways.....

 

[AllDodge]

Had my dump truck re-skinned last year and they used 2 - 1/8 sheets on the bed and 1 on the sides.

 

[davedj1]

I would think 1/8" on the bed would be sufficient but I don't know, that's what I'm building mine with.

 

[crashz]

The floor of my dump truck is 1/8" and is rotted through in many places. But the entire thing is rotting away and will need to be replaced soon. I'm guessing your issues are with rust and not punctures? What is your trailer used for? If not dumping soil, I'm guessing you use it for crushed rock or rock that you pick up on a jobsite?

Do you use it in inclement weather and get a lot of salt spray on it?

1/4" would be nice, but I think you'll have a weight penalty. Might outlast the rest of the trailer though.

 

[ArlyA]

Why not use diamond safety plate? I'd use that at .125 thickness.

 

[3Ts]

The thickest I've ever seen for a floor on a dump trailer is 7 gauge (3/16"). Mostly they are 1/8" with the option to upgrade to 3/16". I think all you'll be doing with 1/4" is spending money needlessly and giving yourself a weight penalty.

If the trailer floor is not sagging between supports, you don't need to go thicker. If it is sagging between supports, I'd add supports before I went thicker than 3/16" for the floor.

 

[GeeVee]

Thanks Yall. I researched, and the manufacturer only put 12g on the bottom to begin with, then I replaced it with the same when I rebuilt the dumping frame. After this research, I agree, 1/4 is just not necessary and will be going back with 11g for the deck and sides. The deck skin does not sag between framing members it was merely top down rust.

I don't use this for work, per se. I have a career managing road and bridge design projects for FDOT, and my tools are for my own stress relief, I sold my landscaping and environmental engineering/construction companies in 2003.

Thanks again for your responses, it gave me validity to my thnking.

Each of you made good points- I don't haul soils anyway, or much of anything other than my skidder. I do haul lumber and IBC's full of water from my home on the beach (good City water) to my Ranch off grid water tower. Like I said- they just don't dump out material unless it is rocks. MULCH can stick....

I do live on the beach, but I have been enclosing my pole barn down at the ranch 16x32x13h with garage doors on each end, and I have been keeping my things down there more and more.

 

[BlueKnife]

I don't haul soils anyway, or much of anything other than my skidder. I do haul lumber and IBC's full of water from my home on the beach (good City water) to my Ranch off grid water tower. Like I said- they just don't dump out material unless it is rocks. MULCH can stick....

Sounds like you'd be better off just selling it and getting a deck over. Lots easier to load and unload the type of things you mention.