Trying to build custom dump/chipper/equipment trailer like Holmen Tree's

So, I'm moving this to a new thread hoping that holmen tree and a few others might see it and reply. I was previously posting in the "20' Bri-Mar Trailer' thread about wanting to build a custom trailer like that of Holmen Tree Service (http://arboristsite.com/showthread.php?t=84123) but, I am running into problems with my local welders and trailer shops.

The trailer place doesn't want to supply a custom frame and hoist because of liability issues and the welding shop doesn't want to build the whole trailer from scratch because of time and liability issues so, I am looking at having to build this thing myself this next winter unless I can find another dealer to build me a frame and hoist assembly that I can build on from there.

What I need is a 20' frame as wide as possible including fender wells (not deckover) with an 8' side dump hoist and bed frame on the front and a 12' open frame (no decking on the back). Either dual 10k axles or triple 7k axles. If I get the aforementioned as a base, I can have my local welder build the chip box on the hoist assembly and mount my chipper onto the rear frame on one side and build me a ramp and platform for my mini skid on the other side.

Anyone got any suggestions for a trailer place that can hook me up with the frame and hoist for a fair price? I have found a couple of trailers online with dual 7k axles, a 14' rear wood platform and a 5x8 front dump box but i need heavier axles and a bigger chip box area and smaller rear bed area.

Thanks for any help. I will attach photos of my equipment and holmen tree's trailer in case the aforementioned link to the other thread doesn't work right.

Y not just get one from morbark or bandit they both make one real colse to what you are looking for.

ASD said:

Y not just get one from morbark or bandit they both make one real colse to what you are looking for.

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They won't hold his mini.

I bet they would build you a rack for the mini If you contacted them about it. Actually the bandit is an end dump so you just throw some ramps on the back.

arborworks1 said:

I bet they would build you a rack for the mini If you contacted them about it. Actually the bandit is an end dump so you just throw some ramps on the back.

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That's a pretty cool idea but how do you transport the mini when box is full of chips?

I do really like the Bandit combo unit.

this is an idea I have been trying to talk my F.I..L. into making, not for me but to market, the guy is a genus to me when it comes to fabrication. he made his own saw mill, fire wood processor and also a helicopter(belt driven may I add as for the helli). I am glad you posted this as I feel there is a market value to something like this. He doesn't seem to beleave me.

ASD said:

Y not just get one from morbark or bandit they both make one real colse to what you are looking for.

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I don't need a new chipper. I have a bandit 200+. If I got a combo unit from morbark or bandit, i presume it would come with a chipper.

And, like scott said, I rather like holmen's setup where the mini skid is hauled next to the chipper rather than in a box that is to be filled up with debris at some point and then you would have to make a return trip for the mini.

Thanks for the ideas though.

You could sell your chipper. Buy the combo unit and put the mini in the back of your truck. I like holmen's setup to but getting some one to build it is going to cost BIG $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

ASD said:

You could sell your chipper. Buy the combo unit and put the mini in the back of your truck. I like holmen's setup to but getting some one to build it is going to cost BIG $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

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While I could put the mini in the back of my truck, I prefer not to. I've got a guy out of Nebraska looking into it. He said he can build anything. We'll see what kind of a price he comes back with.

I'll tell him that if he builds me one for a good price, I can steer him towards a dozen more guys who also like the idea...

I like the idea of being able to haul it all at once but you are going to be pushing some serious weight with all that iron and a full load of chips.

If you loaded mini on your truck, then you could get more chip capacity with a bigger dump box.

Maybe I've missed some discussion on this, but im curious. What advantage is there to a setup like that? Why not just use a chip truck and tow behind chipper? You could probably rig up something to haul the mini skid on the chipper if you wanted to. Would probably require a lot a modifications but it seems like it would still be less than a that rig. Here's a pic of the "poor mans mini skid" we used on a job a while ago.

Bearcreek said:

Maybe I've missed some discussion on this, but im curious. What advantage is there to a setup like that? Why not just use a chip truck and tow behind chipper? You could probably rig up something to haul the mini skid on the chipper if you wanted to. Would probably require a lot a modifications but it seems like it would still be less than a that rig. Here's a pic of the "poor mans mini skid" we used on a job a while ago.

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What you missed is where he is going to put his stump grinder.

arbor pro said:

While I could put the mini in the back of my truck, I prefer not to. I've got a guy out of Nebraska looking into it. He said he can build anything. We'll see what kind of a price he comes back with.

I'll tell him that if he builds me one for a good price, I can steer him towards a dozen more guys who also like the idea...

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The only other idea I have is to get a chipper on tracks. Then you can pull your mini, stump grinder and chipper on a trailer with a big enuf truck that has a chip box on the back.

This is the dirrection that I am wanting to go.

Bearcreek said:

Maybe I've missed some discussion on this, but im curious. What advantage is there to a setup like that? Why not just use a chip truck and tow behind chipper? You could probably rig up something to haul the mini skid on the chipper if you wanted to. Would probably require a lot a modifications but it seems like it would still be less than a that rig. Here's a pic of the "poor mans mini skid" we used on a job a while ago.

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What you missed is what I'm going to do with the bigger logs that won't go through the chipper. I plan to pull the new trailer setup with my 1-ton with 12' dump box. I can chip the brush into the box on the trailer and throw the bigger stuff into the 1-ton without having to make a seperate trip to get a dump trailer. My 1-ton is set up to carry either the mini skid or my sc252 behind the cab of the truck (sideways) and still have an 8' bed for holding logs, stump mulch, whatever.

In one equipment setup, a single guy could haul a dump truck, chipper, chip box, mini skid and stump grinder to a job site in a single trip. As I see it, for a one-man operation, it's the most efficient setup I can think of. I realize that a larger tree service that runs 3-4-5 man crews will be more efficient by using a different equipment setup. I think the trailer combo Holmen Tree has and that I am wanting to build is better suited for a single operator or small tree service. For me, it's all about efficiency and figuring out how to get the job done the fastest and the most economically while still ensuring that the work is done right.

Sounds interesting. I'd love to see pics once you get it built.

Still working solo huh? I would say hiring one good employee to drive a seperate truck that hauls your stump machine/dingo. Put logs in this truck and take this truck out to all your removals. Even if its part time. Have this guy come in on all your removal work 3 days a week. Get it done twice as fast and be able to hold twice as much

Take your chip truck and build a bigger box. Take this truck to all your trimming/pruning work. And if you need the dingo mod your chipper for the dingo to mount on.

Twice the trucks and another employee, for the small investment you would make twice as much profit or more. I think we spoke about this before, but I am not a fan of anyone doing this kind of work(anything beyond hedge trimming) without atleast one employee, just unsafe and inefficient in my humble opinion.

John464 said:

Still working solo huh? I would say hiring one good employee to drive a seperate truck that hauls your stump machine/dingo. Put logs in this truck and take this truck out to all your removals. Even if its part time. Have this guy come in on all your removal work 3 days a week. Get it done twice as fast and be able to hold twice as much

Take your chip truck and build a bigger box. Take this truck to all your trimming/pruning work. And if you need the dingo mod your chipper for the dingo to mount on.

Twice the trucks and another employee, for the small investment you would make twice as much profit or more. I think we spoke about this before, but I am not a fan of anyone doing this kind of work(anything beyond hedge trimming) without atleast one employee, just unsafe and inefficient in my humble opinion.

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I do have a part-time guy who helps me with removals and aerial prune jobs. However, he usually drives the truck that pulls my genie towable aerial lift so, unless I hire a 2nd guy to drive a chip truck or pull a grinder, we are usually one truck short to get everything to the jobsite.

Further, sometimes, I do work alone when taking down hedge rows or prune jobs that don't require the aerial lift. When that's the case, it would be nice to take my chipper, chip box, mini skid and stump grinder all in one trip. That's why I'm looking at this option.

Believe me, I've looked at the option of selling my towable lift and buying a forestry truck with chip box but I have created a niche in my local market with the towable lift. I can get into back yards where big trucks can't go and am doing a lot of difficult removals and prune jobs where others can't do them and climbing would be difficult (rotten willows, storm damage, etc).

hmm i see. Sounds like you need another truck. You have too many toys and not enough drivers/employees. I usually have the spiderlift on one 20ft roll back trailer being towed by a log truck. The grinder and skid loader on one 20ft equipment trailer being towed by a log truck. The chipper behind the chipper truck. Then again I run crews of 5-7 men with the same amount of toys. I think 3 employees and 3 trucks would make you more profitable if you have the work to fit the added expense. Sounds like you have all but 1 truck and 1 employee to make some serious $$$$.

John464 said:

hmm i see. Sounds like you need another truck. You have too many toys and not enough drivers/employees. I usually have the spiderlift on one 20ft roll back trailer being towed by a log truck. The grinder and skid loader on one 20ft equipment trailer being towed by a log truck. The chipper behind the chipper truck. Then again I run crews of 5-7 men with the same amount of toys. I think 3 employees and 3 trucks would make you more profitable if you have the work to fit the added expense. Sounds like you have all but 1 truck and 1 employee to make some serious $$$$.

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Two things missing to do what you're suggesting:

1) work load to support it - don't have it at this time
2) enough time to go that big. This is my part-time gig. I have a full-time job that pays too good and has too good of benefits to go into tree work full-time.

I do have a lot of equipment for a part-time tree service but I manage to do a LOT of tree work during the 20 or so hours a week that I'm using it. I probably do more in that 20 hours than most of the other local tree services do in 40. part of it is the equipment setup I have and part of it is motivation. I work my butt off and I pay my part-time ground guy enough to where he knows I expect him to work his butt off too. Most guys around here pay their ground guys $10-12/hr. I pay $16/hr and the clock keeps running during lunch. If, by the end of the day, my helper and I are dead tired and sore from head to foot, that tells me that we worked a good day.

Since I don't need a lot of income off of my tree service, i put most of my profit back into upgrading my equipment. Better equipment makes me more money which I continue to put back into getting even better equipment. Eventually, i will have the 'perfect' equipment setup and will start puting more of that money into my own pocket. Until then, I'm looking at the big picture and trying to utilize the right equipment so that I can do the work of a full-time tree service with only a two-man crew and while working only 20 hours a week. It takes a lot of pre-planning and careful scheduling of jobs but last year I had one heck of a year and can only hope that this year and the next are even half as good...

That makes sense sticking it out for the benefits and such. Sounds like you have a busy schedule owning a tree service and working full time at another job. Hats off to you for hustling like that! I saw Homlen's and while its nice, doesnt hold enough and would get filled in 10 mins. Keep running to dump. Im definitely going to keep an eye out for your new custom built setup. Id love to see the tall version 14ft arbortech chip body mounted on a trailer/12"chipper combo. Not sure its possible unless you are pulling it with an over CDL vehicle. GMC 8500 rounded over with a load of logs pulling something like that would be sweet, but would not be something id send out everyday due to the cumbersome manuevering it would require on a lot of residential properties. Id need 4 men just watching me trying to point the chipper to the staged brush.