Which dump trailer to buy?

[Sandhill Crane]

Truck: 2011 Silverado 3500, drw, 12,800 gvw
Trailer: 15,400 gvw (although axles are 7k rated so there is some overlap)
Even without 1,400 pounds overlap it's over 26,001, by 800 pounds.
cdl shouldn't be a big deal.
DOT isn't either.
It's not the second look, it's if you get in an accident.
The way people drive makes that a very real possibility.
And it doesn't matter who is at fault if your not legal.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Truck: 2011 Silverado 3500, drw, 12,800 gvw
Trailer: 15,400 gvw (although axles are 7k rated so there is some overlap)
Even without 1,400 pounds overlap it's over 26,001, by 800 pounds.
cdl shouldn't be a big deal.
DOT isn't either.
It's not the second look, it's if you get in an accident.
The way people drive makes that a very real possibility.
And it doesn't matter who is at fault if your not legal.

Having a CDL unless needed is a hassle.
BAC is reduced to 0.04% in POV and 0.0% in CMV.
Citations are kept closer track of.
Costs are higher for renewal plus a physical, that's $150-200 every 2 years, or more often if high bp, diabetes, etc.

Running the truck as class A will bring expenses and headaches and lots of weird grey areas.

You'll end up in the position where "by the book" you have to treat the pickup and trailer like it's a semi truck.
DOT number, log book, annual DOT inspection, pre trip log, IFTA, etc.
Insurance is tougher to find and expensive too.
Unhook the trailer and it's suddenly a regular pickup truck.
Good luck keeping it straight if truck is used for other than hauling that trailer.
If you stay local (150 air miles) you can run log book exempt, but will need to keep time card of your working hours and still follow DOT driving limits.
IE, legally can't work a 12hr day cutting wood and then go haul a load to a customer.

Pull into scales and you'll get yelled at, at least in my experience, even though by the book it's required.

A very TINY percentage of 1 and 1.5 ton trucks pulling over 10k trailers are doing it as a class A setup.
The rules are very much designed for a semi truck. And even then, if running a truck not full time, it's a PITA.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I completely agree.
And I've been pulled over by DOT and ticketed with the other truck.
With the times, meaning Covid's effects on the economy, you will probably see a rise in what is commonly called policing for profit.
My truck cleared road inspection, and I explained that the
Sec. of State office said, when I asked, that a DOT registration was not needed for me delivering firewood locally.
I did not get a warning, or a comply and wavier.
I got $500. in tickets for failure to register with DOT, failure to have a fire extinguisher, failure to have emergency triangles.
Failure to have a cdl is a big fine.
I may skip the DOT
Not sure about the truck plates.
I'm 8.5% over 26k
If you consider the 1,400 gvw overlap of the trailer then I'm more like 3% over.
I think I'll email BWise and ask about the gvw and cgvw rating.
I'll never actually be over 26k in practice, just on paper.

 

[rancher2]

Crane nice looking trailer. Around my area you hook you 3/4 or 1 ton pickup on a trailer that has dual 7,000 pound axles and it starts to get tricky with DOT. I would also check with your insurance company now that your using this truck for more that pulling your RV. They may be able to guide you some on the rules. I run farm plates so that falls under a different set of rules and now in my state you can run farm plates on a semi and not need a CDL. I have always had a CDL since they were around. In my area DOT watches the lawn guys and such pretty close.

 

[esshup]

Any thoughts on galvanized trailers?

The only way to go where you see snow and salt.

 

[esshup]

All I know is if you live somewhere where they use salt on the roads pick the one with the least amount of box tubing. I have fixed three dump trailers this year where they rot and rip the hinges off or where the cylinder mounts to the frame

The problem with c-channel frames is that they twist as they bend/flex. A box tube just bends/flexes, and doesn't twist. Less stress on the welds with a box tube vs. c-channel.

 

[morewood]

That's a nice trailer you finally ended up with. We ordered a 14k 16'lp with a telescopic hoist and heaver gauge body. Got tired of fixing a friend's trailer just to use it. Should be in within a month. Went out of state and saved a couple grand. Ideally we would have liked a shorter trailer but my tractor with the grapple and winch should be just short enough to fit in there. Every trailer we looked at was nice, but some appear better. Ours is a Diamond C. We would have bought a Big Tex but the dealer couldn't get one in for over three months.

Shea

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Bix Tex was on my list, but would have to pay shipping from Texas to Missouri, and then drive from southwest MI to Missouri.
I think it is Big Tex has the flared side option, along with the telescopic hoist.
Could have saved a lot on the BWise if I picked it up at a Pennsylvania dealer a few miles from the factory.
Figured I'd pass on a very long two day trip, meals, motel room, and fuel expenses.
Kind of closed the savings gap, significantly.
I ordered Sept. 9 and took delivery Dec. 16.
I wrote about my first delivery, but I think I deleted it before posting.
Long time customer bought wood elsewhere because I'm closed for the year, the entire year. They got a load of really wet wood. I wanted to load a cord, four pallets, to check my pallet quantity in a measurable space. So it worked out good for both of us. ( Measured out 16% heavy, which means I'll be stacking the first ten loads or more to get a good average. I have 112 cord based on four pallets/cord. On paper that's close to 130 cord.)
Their driveway is gravel, long, tight, and the last half, uphill with no place to turn a trailer around. Margaret rode shotgun and spotted me where the drive T's going straight, thru a 10' gate to the neighbors, and turns 90°, then uphill for 200'. I turned uphill, backed 90° blind side thru the gate, pulled ahead, backed 90° , then uphill in four wheel low. Margaret is better at backing our 27' bumper pull RV than I am. (I actually attribute that to her having the better spotter )
I think I'm going to get an extra battery or power pack as I don't have electricity in the wood lot to charge the trailer, and the entire thing is electric/hydraulic; the jack, the gate, and power up/power down. For now I'm pulling the battery and putting it on a tender.
Deliveries used to take an hour to two hours hand unloading. I'm really going to like this ten minutes on site, and home.
The customer left a check on the wood shed, and sent us theses photos from the house.
I stayed away from the sandy area by the house with a 5,400 pound trailer and 4k load.

 

[Yarz]

I think I'm going to get an extra battery or power pack as I don't have electricity in the wood lot to charge the trailer, and the entire thing is electric/hydraulic; the jack, the gate, and power up/power down. For now I'm pulling the battery and putting it on a tender.

Have you looked into/used a solar battery tender? If so, I'm interested to hear your thoughts. I've been meaning to look into them because I have a couple vehicles that sit more than they're driven.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I have not looked to see what is available in solar.
It would have to be a tender, so as not to cook the battery.
We do not have solar on our RV.
Some of the YouTube videos show systems that would cost several thousands of dollars.
I do not know if a backup suitcase generator would power the dump, or just send a trickle charge thru the battery tender.
If I recall Honda makes a small 12v generator. Friends bought a sailboat years ago that came with one.
Lots to check into.

 

[nathan4104]

You can get a solar panel with a charge controller for pretty cheap nowadays (a 60watt or 100 watt panel would be more than enough and the controllers that come are made to ensure the battery does not overcharge) but that part is a whole other thread....
I try to carry a spare battery and jumper cables with me just in case....
I also rigged a set of cables (4ga) from my truck battery to the trailer battery (through a solenoid and 40a breaker) that will charge it and put some good power to it.
One other trick I saw someone do is to have some extra hydraulic plumbing so you may disconnect the ‘down’ line from the pump and put it into the tank so you may drop the box without power. (Unless it’s a single acting setup already!) Usually you’ll struggle to get it up and dumped then not have enough juice to lower it, that usually happens at the municipal dump with a line up of people waiting for you to move....

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Some solenoid valves have a manual override, and if you don't have one not hard to add if a name brand. You just press the manual button on top of the valve stem and it should lower it. Many of them have that. Hard if the pump is under the dump box though.

 

[Jhenderson]

The trailer should charge from the 7 pin umbilical cord. While it won’t charge like a battery charger, it will do more than a solar unit. I sometimes make as many as 5 deliveries a day with less than an hr between each delivery and have yet to run out of battery.

 

[esshup]

The trailer should charge from the 7 pin umbilical cord. While it won’t charge like a battery charger, it will do more than a solar unit. I sometimes make as many as 5 deliveries a day with less than an hr between each delivery and have yet to run out of battery.

I rented a dump trailer earlier in the year to bring wood in rounds from a customers place to mine. I made 10 trips in one day (12 miles each way, had a grapple bucket on the tractor to load the trailer) and never ran out of juice. A buddy has a dump trailer and has the battery hooked to the truck's charging system via the 7 way plug and he says he has never ran out of battery.

 

[sean donato]

I think most of the break away systems have a current limiter built in nowadays, 14 amps or so. Should give plenty of charge for moderate use if hooked up like this. I have a 12k lb winch on my trailer, 2 group 31 batteries in the box, and generally dont have an issue dragging logs up and on letting them charge wile I'm on my way, or letting it run for a wile in between hard pulls. I cant imagine it would be terribly different for a hydraulic unit, should keep up fine, the way I see it.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I've downloaded the owner's manual, but it is generic, and I've just skimmed it so far. Enough to know it's worth an in-depth read.
It is somewhat frustrating that it is not more specific, or a trailer build spec sheet isn't supplied with each order.
For example, the Dexter axle section. Do not lift trailer via the suspension or axles, yet there are no lift points noted that I'm aware of yet.
Have not read the pump/charging section yet.
It's a 5,400 pound trailer, and box tubing frame.
Lot's to learn. They do talk about compatible grease.

 

[rancher2]

Sandhill Crane That one ton Chevy looks to be home on that new dump trailer. Years ago when I sold wood the dump trailer I used to haul wood in didn't even have a battery on it I just had a long piece of welding cable on the trailer hyd power unit and hooked it to the pickups battery worked great. Later I put a battery on it and left the cable on the trailer in case the battery was dead you could just hook up the cable. I think you find your 7 way RV plug will kept the battery charged up.

 

[milkie62]

I've never seen a parking pin sheared from something like that.

Using the parking brake while loading and unloading is more than what 90% of people do.
I usually put my truck in 4wd. Took a ride once with the truck's rear tires off the ground and a 5 ton mini excavator on the trailer ramps.

Why are you needing a class A CDL?

Is your setup over 26,000 GCVWR?
Most 1 tons are 10k GVWR, so that allows for a 16k trailer.
I'd not go CDL route for a pickup and trailer unless absolutely necessary. It's a headache that'll likely turn into quite the rabbit hole.

Many trailer outfits derate trailers to 10k for that reason. A pickup and trailer wouldn't get a second glance around here unless it was very obviously overloaded.

I do not ever plan on overloading mine with gravel pit material since the loader has a scale built into the bucket and I am weighed. And wood on the other hand will be mostly thrown in so max should not be reached. Just wanted the bigger axles just in case a short haul wood load. Also I want the arch in case I get a mill I can winch logs in.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

In the photo above I was on a hill. Having put it in park, it made a rather large pop pulling the automatic shifter into drive. I'll be using the parking brake next time, and leaving it in neutral to dump.
And looking for some wheel chocks to have along. We have X chocks for the RV but that's not practical for this application.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

In the photo above I was on a hill. Having put it in park, it made a rather large pop pulling the automatic shifter into drive. I'll be using the parking brake next time, and leaving it in neutral to dump.
And looking for some wheel chocks to have along. We have X chocks for the RV but that's not practical for this application.

You aren't dumping while in the driver's seat?