Want to Buy Dump trailer

[kcurbanloggers]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum. I opened up a tree care business a two years ago and I am now looking at purchasing a dump trailer for the business. Are there any specific brands you guys have been happy with? What should I be looking for? What should I expect to pay? Etc. I’m planning on a 7x14 bumper pull.

 

[chipper1]

@CaseyForrest

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

I have 2 PJ dump trailers "14' and a 10'" and besides the crappy powder coating jobs they have been very good to me. The 14' has a scissor style lift on it and I prefer that over the dual rams some trailers come with.

Here is a description of all three lifts

http://www.bigtextrailers.com/hoist-comparison/

Also if you are going to be dumping alot every day, look for one that is Power up/down along with Gravity Down. The gravity down will save your battery for lifting, but will power down in case it does not gravity down.

Another thing to consider is goose neck vs standard ball. The way most dump trailers are built, they put very high tongue weight on the tow vehicle. When mine is loaded with 14k on the trailer axles it is putting 2200lbs on the ball according to the CAT scales. This was enough to break the factory 2003 Silverado 2500hd hitch.


Another good company to look at and will probably be my next is CornPro. I have a buddy with one and it is built very tough and has a paint job that has held up through the salty winters of Michigan.

 

[chipper1]

I have 2 PJ dump trailers "14' and a 10'" and besides the crappy powder coating jobs they have been very good to me. The 14' has a scissor style lift on it and I prefer that over the dual rams some trailers come with.

Here is a description of all three lifts

http://www.bigtextrailers.com/hoist-comparison/

Also if you are going to be dumping alot every day, look for one that is Power up/down along with Gravity Down. The gravity down will save your battery for lifting, but will power down in case it does not gravity down.

Another thing to consider is goose neck vs standard ball. The way most dump trailers are built, they put very high tongue weight on the tow vehicle. When mine is loaded with 14k on the trailer axles it is putting 2200lbs on the ball according to the CAT scales. This was enough to break the factory 2003 Silverado 2500hd hitch.


Another good company to look at and will probably be my next is CornPro. I have a buddy with one and it is built very tough and has a paint job that has held up through the salty winters of Michigan.

Howdy neighbor .

 

[CaseyForrest]

PJ, DR, load trail, big tex, Griffin.....

They're all decent. Find an honest dealer.

sent from a field

 

[chipper1]

PJ, DR, load trail, big tex, Griffin.....

They're all decent. Find an honest dealer.

sent from a field

Hey other neighbor .
I agree totally BTW.

 

[mijdirtyjeep]

Howdy neighbor .

Good afternoon neighbor

 

[chipper1]

Hi all,
I am new to this forum. I opened up a tree care business a two years ago and I am now looking at purchasing a dump trailer for the business. Are there any specific brands you guys have been happy with? What should I be looking for? What should I expect to pay? Etc. I’m planning on a 7x14 bumper pull.

Good afternoon KC.
I did have a lot of time for a response before, so I just did what I could to direct someone here for you.
Hopefully your getting some answers you were looking for. I usually try to buy the best equipment I can afford to buy and then maybe wait a bit and buy something that cost a bit more. I try to buy what I want, but resale is always a major consideration as things don't always go as planned and it's nice to be able to sell one piece of equipment to buy another if that need arises. Being a patient buyer is always a bug help as that way I can get as much info to make a more educated decision on what to buy(like starting a thread asking for advice ). It also allows me to get a better deal than I would other wise.
Another thing that happens to me is as soon as I make a decision to buy something and do it, something else will normally get in the way of that happening and I have to make a tough decision. Also right after I buy an item I always find 2 or 3 for a better price, I like to but then all and then keep whichever one works best for me, it's not always the nicest or cheapest but having a few to compare really helps to figure out what will work best for me.
Having driven truck for 20 yrs and hauling flatbed/covered steel trailers a large portion if that time securement points are always a major consideration on any trailer purchase.
Welcome to AS,
Brett

 

[kcurbanloggers]

I have 2 PJ dump trailers "14' and a 10'" and besides the crappy powder coating jobs they have been very good to me. The 14' has a scissor style lift on it and I prefer that over the dual rams some trailers come with.

Here is a description of all three lifts

http://www.bigtextrailers.com/hoist-comparison/

Also if you are going to be dumping alot every day, look for one that is Power up/down along with Gravity Down. The gravity down will save your battery for lifting, but will power down in case it does not gravity down.

Another thing to consider is goose neck vs standard ball. The way most dump trailers are built, they put very high tongue weight on the tow vehicle. When mine is loaded with 14k on the trailer axles it is putting 2200lbs on the ball according to the CAT scales. This was enough to break the factory 2003 Silverado 2500hd hitch.


Another good company to look at and will probably be my next is CornPro. I have a buddy with one and it is built very tough and has a paint job that has held up through the salty winters of Michigan.

I considered a gooseneck, but I really don’t have the space to store it. A 7x14 bumper pull is already pushing it. Though I see your point. I have a 3/4 ton 7.3. I thought I could put a distribution hitch on if I find myself loaded down too much. I’ve heard these 3/4 tons can strain to pull that much weight. How has yours held up?


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[CaseyForrest]

If you have the funds to purchase a goose neck, do it. When you get longer than 12', the percentage of weight on the ball increases quite a bit. My 7x14 had 500 pounds on the ball, empty. That's right in line with around 15 percent, but put a load in it and it gets heavy. Yea, with 14' you have the ability to place loads over the axle, but then you aren't using 14' of the trailer. I'd see if a dealer would put 7000 pound axles under a 12' trailer for you. That would be an ideal dump set up for bumper pull.

sent from a field

 

[CaseyForrest]

Oh, I had mine loaded (overloaded on occasion) and my 6.4 Hemi had no issues pulling it as long as I drove it like I had a loaded dump trailer.

Some people believe if their vehicle wont pull a trailer loaded like it will when it's empty then the tow vehicle is worthless.

sent from a field

 

[RyeThomas]

I have a 7x12’ 12K bumper pull Griffin dump with equipment package, d-rings in the bed, HD ramps and tarp kit. It’s a dual cylinder lift, power down. I have been very happy with it since I purchased it 7 years ago. It’s great for firewood.
I paid $5400 for mine.
Check them all out and compare specs carefully. Best of luck.

 

[kcurbanloggers]

If you have the funds to purchase a goose neck, do it. When you get longer than 12', the percentage of weight on the ball increases quite a bit. My 7x14 had 500 pounds on the ball, empty. That's right in line with around 15 percent, but put a load in it and it gets heavy. Yea, with 14' you have the ability to place loads over the axle, but then you aren't using 14' of the trailer. I'd see if a dealer would put 7000 pound axles under a 12' trailer for you. That would be an ideal dump set up for bumper pull.

sent from a field

Storage is also a problem. I barely have the room for the bumper pull, so I definitely couldn’t store a gooseneck. Couldn’t a distribution hitch fix the tongue weight problem?


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[RyeThomas]

What are you pulling it with? I run my trailer to it’s max weight, I did so with my Ram 2500 and my Ram 3500 DRW. Neither have ever had a weight distribution hitch and neither has made me feel like it was too pin heavy.
I couldn’t go goose as well due to overall length, I wanted something that could fit behind my truck in my driveway.

 

[kcurbanloggers]

I have an 01 f250 with the 7.3 diesel


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[CaseyForrest]

Storage is also a problem. I barely have the room for the bumper pull, so I definitely couldn’t store a gooseneck. Couldn’t a distribution hitch fix the tongue weight problem?


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Let me preface this by saying I like my trailers to carry the weight of a load.

Keep in mind that as the length of a trailer increases, the percentage of the load placed on the ball increases on a progressive scale because the axles are getting farther away from the ball. If we go by the 15% rule, a 14,000 pound trailer should have 2100 pounds on the ball. My 2500 RAM is rated at 1800 pounds on the ball and its a Class 5 receiver. With a 14' bumper pull trailer, it IS NOT difficult to overload the tongue due to the proximity of the axles in relation to the coupler. But with a gooseneck, your pin weight can be equal to the payload of the axles. IIRC, mine would be 3300 pounds, or there abouts.

All that being said, and recognizing your space restraints.... I wouldn't consider the tongue weight a problem, its simply something to keep in mind as the trailer length increases. I was never dissatisfied with the performance of my 14' dump trailer. I once scaled out of a pit with ground asphalt at just over 26,000 pounds. Truck pulled it, trailer dumped it.

The only reason I went with 14' was to get my tractor in it. Aside from that stipulation, I would have opted for a 12'. But even after buying, I consistently kicked myself for not getting a gooseneck. Dump trailers, by design, carry alot of weight on the ball. Just keep that in mind.

And take all this with a grain of salt. I tend to over analyze things like this.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Looks like the 2001 F250 with 7.3 is rated at 10,000 towing and 20,000 GCWR, bumper.

Fifth wheel/ gooseneck gets you 13,200 to 14,000 trailer depending on body style and transmission. GCWR stays at 20,000
FWIW.

 

[kcurbanloggers]

Looks like the 2001 F250 with 7.3 is rated at 10,000 towing and 20,000 GCWR, bumper.

Fifth wheel/ gooseneck gets you 13,200 to 14,000 trailer depending on body style and transmission. GCWR stays at 20,000
FWIW.

So in theory then, all I need to really worry about is suspensions. So long as I am well under The GCWR, I wouldn’t be over working the tranny or motor. Am I correct in this thinking? I hear of people pulling well over 12k with those 3/4 ton 7.3s, but maybe I need to reconsider the gooseneck anyways.


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[CaseyForrest]

So in theory then, all I need to really worry about is suspensions. So long as I am well under The GCWR, I wouldn’t be over working the tranny or motor. Am I correct in this thinking? I hear of people pulling well over 12k with those 3/4 ton 7.3s, but maybe I need to reconsider the gooseneck anyways.


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I personally wouldn't get to wrapped up in manufacturer ratings.

However, GCWR means EVERYTHING the truck is carrying, including the truck itself, the trailer, what the trailer is pulling. So you have to figure in the weight of the truck, you, your gear, fuel, payload etc. Its feasible to have your truck net out at 10,000 pounds which only leaves 10,000 for trailer. Your 7x14 dump trailer is going to weigh right around 4,000 pounds. Which only leaves 10,000 of payload for the trailer.

Also, if your doing this for hire, you need to look into the DOT laws in your state. Here in MI, if a trailer has a GVW of 10,000 pounds +, that's class A territory. Doesn't matter whats pulling it.

 

[RyeThomas]

Just a little dump trailer p*rn to motivate you, lol.