Winch dump trailer build

[Unicam]

so after countless years of wanting a dump trailer, ridiculous amounts of time thinking about how what when, I decided to start a build.

I got close when i found a cheap steel snowmobile trailer at a garage sale but after 4 years of the frustration of not a high enuff dump angle and manually unloading my leaves and brush, the axle rusted out. perfect excuse for an upgrade.

I'm starting out with a 4x8' big tex trailer with a 3500lb axle and my old steel snowmobile trailer. been at it for a couple days now and it's starting to come together. most stuff is just tacked and what is welded need to be braced as the old steel snowmobile trailer metal seems it would rather turn to mush than take welding.

I'm basically coming up with it as i go but the $$ is adding up so i hope i'll eventually have something that is functional.

 

[Oldpath05]

You have the planking on the wrong side of the tilt trailer, the leaves are going to fall through those big holes.

I'd consider the front lift pole to be in two pieces so it can be raised and lowed, raised higher so the bed will go more vertical to dump easier, sort of like a support post for basements with multiple holes and a pin.

 

[Unicam]

I don't have any decking on the dumping part yet, i'm at the beginning of the build still. I guess it could be called a dump insert.

I should have explained the pictures. I added them after i made the post from my phone. The winch and pole lifting it in these pictures is just a temporary winch lift that i use around the house, it's not part of the trailer. I just wanted to see how it looked lifted up.

I'm still hypothesising about how to design the winch lift system.

 

[Oldpath05]

A lot of trailer makers use the hydraulic pump lift method but those don't appear to lift that high, I'd like to have a trailer lift nearly vertical, but I cant come up with any hypothesizing idea either.

 

[Unicam]

well... 5hrs today playing with scissor lengths and mounts with unsatisfactory results. i'll try and tag a video below of the design i was trying to emulate. no doubt a sweet set-up... but it won't work for me with my parameters.

I had it soooo close. good angles on the scissors, lifting easy, but i couldn't get it above 32* dump without wholesale changes in pulling required to raise it. in order to hit 45-50*, i was putting stupid forces on the linkage.

very bummed out as i didn't want the 8' pole on the front of this little trailer. but that's the way i'm going now, i've abandoned the scissor. too bad i have a giant hole in the floor of my new trailer now. :duh:

this what i was trying to emulate... dump trailer with manual winch - YouTube

 

[George2615]

Maybe if you go with a hydraulic pump and cylinder method fit into the giant hole in your trailer you could get near vertical lift. Maybe my pic can give you some ideas.
Also, if you haven't already seen it, check the next video in your link for his winch operated scissor lift without hydraulics.

 

[Mysfyt]

You might not be that far off. After watching the video, you'll notice his system actually works in two segments. Initially, it's the pulley on the front that's doing the grunt work and then the scissors take over when it gets past 30 degrees ( just guessing ). Take another look at the video and you'll see what I mean.

 

[Oldpath05]

well... 5hrs today playing with scissor lengths and mounts with unsatisfactory results. i'll try and tag a video below of the design i was trying to emulate. no doubt a sweet set-up... but it won't work for me with my parameters.

I had it soooo close. good angles on the scissors, lifting easy, but i couldn't get it above 32* dump without wholesale changes in pulling required to raise it. in order to hit 45-50*, i was putting stupid forces on the linkage.

very bummed out as i didn't want the 8' pole on the front of this little trailer. but that's the way i'm going now, i've abandoned the scissor. too bad i have a giant hole in the floor of my new trailer now. :duh:

this what i was trying to emulate... dump trailer with manual winch - YouTube

Yes that video is a nice dump set up, it has the dump angle I like, cant believe you got close and no cigar, maybe sleep on it and a light will come on. Was it Edison that said "I just found 2,000 ways not to make a light bulb; I only needed to find one way to make it work"

 

[beeforty]

Also if you look closely at the first video, the dump doesn't pivot off the back end like most do, it is hinged somewhat forward so the rear actually drops down so you don't have to raise the front as much.

 

[Unicam]

ok, no real progress... but i know where things need to be to achieve 45*. So I guess that is progress.

after the words of encouragement I kept at the linkage.

I shortened the arms 4" ( after the hail mary 8" lengthen i did yesterday). I have my hypothetical winch height were i'd like it. ( now it's just a pulley to my atv winch).

I'm getting 45* dump in this picture, maxed out but it's there... but the picture in the mid position is where the trouble is. It binds more than what will work under load. the rest of the cycle i'd go as far as to say is effortless.

I really don't want to raise the winch height anymore but scratching my head as to overcome the bad angle when it comes off the bed and onto the linkage. You can see how long the pole would need to be if I went with the pole method. I'd be scared to pull it around during lightening.

 

[Unicam]

what I can think of is something like this, an arm the extends out to help the geometry. ( i tried to make it in white, off the winch pole)

But i dunno.

 

[jeff9366]

Here is my indestructible MUTS manual dump trailer.

It empties completely, earth, chips, dirt; no matter.

MUTS - Multi-Use Trailer System for your ATV, Quad and 4 Wheeler
- Welcome

 

[Mysfyt]

what I can think of is something like this, an arm the extends out to help the geometry. ( i tried to make it in white, off the winch pole)

But i dunno.

You're on the right track!

 

[Oldpath05]

I dont see how an arm coming off the vertical pole will increase the dump angle, once the scissor arms goes straight, that's it. Maybe lift the trailer to the required angle, make a bigger scissor arm to fit that, then let/make it collapse all the way down, then try to lift it up and see what breaks.

See this is what happens when you didn't spend enough time studying geometry in high school.

 

[bcp]

Make your scissor pieces of 2x4 until you get it right, then copy in steel.

Bruce

 

[mikegt4]

Search the net for "winch tipper trailer".

Look at the "images" and you will find lots of ideas. The Australians seem to have it perfected.

some examples
Sunshine Coast Trailers :: Tipper / Tilt Winch Ramps and Trailers

http://www.greatwesterntrailers.com...per,-Dual-Axle-(Item-333)/KGP27F/details.aspx

Custom Winch Tippers Trailers Melbourne | Blackburn Trailers

 

[kc5dlo]

Taking the bottom of the winch beam and moving the location forward
would tip it's angle to the back some. It still would require some
modification to the scissor. It would allow for a little greater dump angle
without adding height.

 

[Krookz]

Could do it like the military trailers. Engage lock, release 2 levers and back up, they have a pivot point in the frame and its dumped mechanically.

 

[bcp]

These military trailers are not dump trailers. The "hinge" polts at the rear of the tongue are not in line, and something has to twist.

The intent was to unfasten the rear of the tongue, and pivot the hitch upwards on the bolts on the front of the box, for compact storage and transportation.

pivot point when dumping, the angled section of part 11:


Folded for shipment:


Manual download:
www.hummerknowledgebase.com/acc/m101a.pdf

Bruce

 

[jimmysisson]

Last fall I bought for cheap a (barely) used DR VersaTrailer which uses a winch to lift. Unfortunately, it also uses an arm on the winch tower so you can lift a heavy object next to the trailer, then swing it over the bed and lower it in. I used that feature exactly once, but it did work well. It makes the whole contraption tall for driving around my plantings. I pull it with a CC garden tractor, which works most of the time. The trailer itself works well and carries weight (cap. 2,000#) well, too.

I like Jeff's MUTS's lift tower, which I think hinges at its bottom fore-and-aft. I'd like to leave my tower and winch, but remove the awkward (and quite high) boom and replace it with a similar pivoting tower post. It's on the to-do list, though not alone.