Dump trailer. Scissor lift or multi stage cylinder

[Big_Eddy]

For firewood purposes, what are the pros and cons of a scissor lift dump trailer versus a dump trailer with a multistage front cylinder?

The trailer will be used to deliver split seasoned firewood only.





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[CUCV]

I've had both and they both work great. Typically, multi stage cylinders are single acting, so they are gravity down. I find this an advantage as the bed comes down faster than a power down dump. Since it is not power down, you get more dumps per charge which is also an advantage. Some folks really like power down, which can be good for things like dumping partial loads or loading equipment in the trailer.

 

[rancher2]

I have six dump trailers of different sizes. All but one is home build. All but one has scissor lift. All but one is deck over. One is made out of a old rock pup trailer and it has a multi stage cylinder in the front of the trailer. The multi stage cylinder does take a lot more oil to get the cylinder extended. As far as dumping firewood or anything else they all dump equal. All of mind are gravity down no power down. The one that is not deck over you can't make as high of a pile of what your dumping as you have to pull ahead more to get the trailer unloaded.

 

[Jhenderson]

The upside of s lowpro is a lower center of gravity. Handles better on and off road . Some new trailers offer power up, power down, plus gravity down. It’s an option I’ll be getting when I replace my current dump.

 

[Del_]

I've had 3 dump trailers and have one now, a 6 x 12 bed and 12k gross weight.

They were all hinged at the rear and I don't seen any need for a power down option.

I have a 1987 F-350 4 x 4 with a ten foot long dump box. It has an electric dump system just like the dump trailers and works great.

 

[Jhenderson]

Power down saves shock loading the entire hydraulic system when partial loads are dumped at different locations. The same affect could be gained by installing an adjustable flow restrictor in the return line from the lift cylinder.

 

[Big_Eddy]

Keep the comments coming. I am soaking them all in.

Next question is going to be barn doors or tailgate or what at the back? For firewood specifically? I do not need ramps. I have more than enough other trailers that nothing is driving into this one. I was thinking barn doors, but there have been several places I’m not sure there was enough side clearance to the garage or tree to swing a barn door. Who likes what for a rear closure?

On our small dump truck, we modified the tailgate to raise the hinge points about a foot. Made a huge improvement on how the wood slides out. But the dump truck is much higher off the ground so a tailgate is okay. Not sure what is best on a trailer.

Current plan is to find a used one in decent shape and improve it, but the last 3 trailers I built started out that way too. My wife has already told me to “just build it the way you want”




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[Jhenderson]

You’ll find most trailers come with combination tailgates and ramps standard. When I bring blocks home I open the barn doors . They pin back to the sides of the trailer and that leaves the back wide open .

 

[CUCV]

On my first dump trailer, I built a nice tall gate that hinged top and bottom. When dumping firewood I would just unlock the bottom and dump the wood out like a 10 wheeler. I could also unlock the top and use the gate as a ramp for items up to 1500lbs. I keeps saying I will build a new gate like that for my new trailer but the barn doors have worked out. I have factory 4' sides, so the barn doors are tall but if needed I can just lift the doors up and off the hinges for dumping in tight areas. When loading logs straight in the back of the trailer I like the clear access the barn doors provide.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I bought a telescopic cylinder this year for my dump bed build. Less force and pressure to dump, lighter, less maintenance.

 

[sevensandeights]

I have a 3-stage telescopic with power up and gravity down and it has worked flawlessly for me. I have a combination tailgate that will either open like barn doors or pivot from a hinge on the top like a typical dump truck. Most every dump trailer out there has a relatively low center of gravity so dumping virtually anything leaves long, low piles.

Before I bought my dump trailer I borrowed a friends that had two single stage cylinders. It really struggled dumping heavy loads of stone. However, if you're only using it for firewood I can't imagine that style would be a problem.

 

[sean donato]

Cant really attest to dump trailers, but we seem to like the scissor for the dump trucks better then the telescopic arms for the 10 ton or smaller trucks. 10 plus was always telescopic. Cant really say one works better then the other, save the cylinders are cheaper to rebuild or buy new for the scissor lift.

 

[isaaccarlson]

The reason I chose telescopic for my dump bed on my truck was because it was almost 500 lbs lighter on the rear axle. The scissor was almost 500 lbs and sat over the rear axle. Telescopic is 80 lbs and sits behind the cab, so it only adds 40 lbs to the rear axle. That's a big difference in payload capacity and overall weight. 500 lbs is a lot of wood to leave behind on every trip. It's also a lot of extra wood to bring home with every load. It needs a doghouse, but the new bed will be a little longer to make up for it.

The new bed will add 400-500 lbs by itself, so a scissor is out.

 

[Jhenderson]

I have a 3-stage telescopic with power up and gravity down and it has worked flawlessly for me. I have a combination tailgate that will either open like barn doors or pivot from a hinge on the top like a typical dump truck. Most every dump trailer out there has a relatively low center of gravity so dumping virtually anything leaves long, low piles.

Before I bought my dump trailer I borrowed a friends that had two single stage cylinders. It really struggled dumping heavy loads of stone. However, if you're only using it for firewood I can't imagine that style would be a problem.

There’s a big difference in center of gravity between a low pro and a deck over trailer. It’s not just the height. It’s also the narrow axles as compared with the wider ones on a low pro. Particularly noticeable when loaded with bulky materials, either on crowned roads or while dumping.

 

[isaaccarlson]

I like to have as wide of a base as I can get. My dad drove an end dump for several years and that thing was touchy. The ground had to be perfectly level, hard, and dry. There were quite a few times he almost went over when the load didn't empty properly. The extreme length made the base effectively shrink as it was raised. It looked like a silo when it was all the way up.

 

[SamT1]

Keep the comments coming. I am soaking them all in.

Next question is going to be barn doors or tailgate or what at the back? For firewood specifically? I do not need ramps. I have more than enough other trailers that nothing is driving into this one. I was thinking barn doors, but there have been several places I’m not sure there was enough side clearance to the garage or tree to swing a barn door. Who likes what for a rear closure?

On our small dump truck, we modified the tailgate to raise the hinge points about a foot. Made a huge improvement on how the wood slides out. But the dump truck is much higher off the ground so a tailgate is okay. Not sure what is best on a trailer.

Current plan is to find a used one in decent shape and improve it, but the last 3 trailers I built started out that way too. My wife has already told me to “just build it the way you want”




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I never dump at a customers home. Just raise the box and then unload over the tail gate. Unless of course they allow you to just dump in a pile and go. It feeds wood to a nice height where my back doesn’t work u loading.
I don’t like the barn doors. You screw up and they get ripped off. Tail gate all the way.

 

[Big_Eddy]

I never dump at a customers home. Just raise the box and then unload over the tail gate. Unless of course they allow you to just dump in a pile and go. It feeds wood to a nice height where my back doesn’t work u loading.
I don’t like the barn doors. You screw up and they get ripped off. Tail gate all the way.

We dump and go. Stacking is not part of our offer. We are clear up front so there is no disappointment.


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[isaaccarlson]

I never dump at a customers home. Just raise the box and then unload over the tail gate. Unless of course they allow you to just dump in a pile and go. It feeds wood to a nice height where my back doesn’t work u loading.
I don’t like the barn doors. You screw up and they get ripped off. Tail gate all the way.

I just fixed a barn door trailer for a friend. He dumped a load of stumps and tore one of the doors off. The hinge itself is about 3/8" steel, but the steel it's welded to is sheetmetal. They need to do some proper engineering on these trailers.

 

[SamT1]

We dump and go. Stacking is not part of our offer. We are clear up front so there is no disappointment.


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I think I’d want the gate that flips up like a rock truck. Usually those have barn doors and the rock gate together. Remote unlock a plus too. If your not loading it full you may not even need to have it latched for travel.

 

[SamT1]

I just fixed a barn door trailer for a friend. He dumped a load of stumps and tore one of the doors off. The hinge itself is about 3/8" steel, but the steel it's welded to is sheetmetal. They need to do some proper engineering on these trailers.

Before I had my dump truck I borrowed a 16’ dump trailer from a friend to make the kids a sand box at a new house. While I had it I hauled off 2 loads of crap from around the house. On the final load I didn’t latch back the barn doors and dumped in my grandmas dump pit. I needed to pull foreward to get everything out and I ripped one of the doors off. Your right good hinge attached to very thin tube. This friend is picky and this trailer was very nice. So I took it to the trailer shop so it would look perfect. $800 later I’m out. It was 100% my fault, but it was way too easy to do. IMO they built them for occasional use and not to make a living with. Dump it once or twice a day. I bet I’ve dumped my truck over 1000 times in 2020. I accidentally got into my tail gate loading feed with a sky track the other day. No damage