Dump trailer

[husky455rancher]

Hey guys I got the itch to get a dump trailer.
I want to start selling firewood. I got a real
Nice Wolfe ridge splitter and a Massey Ferguson tlb to help with the work. God knows I got enough saws. My thinking is if I get a 14’ I can move the tractor too if need be. I only have a half ton ram so I’ll just have to be careful not to load it up. My next truck will be 3/4 or 1 ton but I can make it work for now.

This is not my main source of income. I have all the tools minus the trailer and have always enjoyed the work. I figure selling firewood would be good way to maybe get a little payback and more use if my equipment.

Trailer prices are still way high. Have any of you noticed them coming down at all? I’m looking at a 14’ big Tex for 12k. I’m just trying to think of ways I could use it in addition to what I mentioned. I don’t wanna buy something and just have it sit forever either. Anyway I’m rambling now. What are your guys thoughts?

 

[tla100]

Heard guys renting them out for extra $$$. ..I should have bought one 6-8 years ago too, when a 16' was about $6,000 new

 

[Kernal1984]

I’ve been wanting a dump as well but don’t wanna pay new prices. I always keep an eye on marketplace and Craigslist and have noticed used price’s coming way down on trailers so there may be light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[rancher2]

Any thing used in my area is pretty well used up. Usually a contractor has had it and its been in the salt a lot. I have six dump trailers and only the triple axle gooseneck is factory. I like the deck overs because of dumping height. Hauling equipment in them wouldn't be fun. Only things I would make sure of is you buy one with a scissors style hoist and 7,000 pound eight lug axles.

 

[Del_]

If the wood comes from your own land it is going to take many years to pay for the dump trailer.

If you have to go get the wood to bring it home then it may pay for it's over a shorter period of time.

I'd go the first couple of years without the dump.

 

[farmer steve]

I bought a dump for delivering wood. Most times it was tight to get into a delivery. When dumped it doesn't all come out it a nice pile as you have to pull ahead to get it empty. Only plus was hauling wood home and being able to push it in pile with the tractor. Maybe look at a dump Insert for your pickup.

 

[Mike Van]

I too have places I deliver you couldn't get in with a trailer. My F350 is a tight squeeze at some of them.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

what size pickup do you have? with those insert dump beds they weight close to 900 lbs., the EZ dump insert cost about 5 grand too. the advantage is they can dump 6000 lbs. and can fit in tight spots. the downside can't haul a tractor or other equipment in it. so, if you want a more versatility, I would get the dump trailer, and if you can't back into spots because of it being too tight, you can always charge more, and take a wheelbarrow with you.

 

[husky455rancher]

I dont mind buying new im just a little weary incase the prices come down. They probably won’t cuse why would they. Cars aren’t gonna come back down because they don’t have to.

My pickup is only a 1/2 ton and the bed is rotted so a southern bed is on the list too. My next truck will be At least a 3/4 ton. I had a 2wd reg cam ram 2500 and sold that to get a 4 door truck that was better to fit the family into and I could use it in the winter being 4WD. I didn’t think there would be that much of a drop off between what the 3/4 and 1/2 ton could do.

 

[CUCV]

I've had several new dump trailers over the years and have always sold them for more than I paid. I'm not a huge fan of towing equipment in them as it can be hard to get the tongue weight right. That said, my mini excavator and mini skid steer tow well in them. I've had up to a 7ton 14' dump trailer but most prefer the 5ton 6x10 deck over dump trailer with 4' sides I have now. It gets in tight spaces well for firewood deliveries, has great payload to trailer weight ratio and tows well behind our 1/2 ton suburban when it's not behind the 3/4 ton or 4500.

 

[nathan4104]

I have a 6x10, with high side boards. It holds a cord of loose wood. Stacking it in takes time and handling.
I can wiggle that trailer close enough for most people, the rest can use a wheelbarrow. When it's not a living,it's easy to say no, or too bad to people.
Check out the DOT rules in your state and make sure you don't need a CDL or more expensive plates, or safety checks. There's usually a threshold weight of some sort. Insurance also hates the word 'delivery', if you're not doing a lot, it adds a fair cost to the price of a cord in itself.
I wish I had a 12' trailer some days. But if I had a 12, I'd likely want a 14......
Oil undercoat whatever you get. The monkey metal and powder coat paint that gets used is not made to last. A friend has a big tex car flatdeck, it's 5 years old, and just a few winter salty trips, even washing it after, it looks like heck.

 

[husky455rancher]

Whenever I decide to get something I’m either gonna do fluid film which I do have experience with. I also bought some por15 for a project I decided against doing. I could use that aswell but I have never used it as of yet personally.

 

[husky455rancher]

My other thought a while back was to get either a car trailer with stake pockets and use that for wood and moving my tractor and occasional car around. Then I though I could get a tilt trailer as like a kinda sorta not really in between. My charger and challenger would appreciate the tilt trailer should the need arise. There’s too many variables damn it hahaha.

 

[StihlPotlicker]

I dont mind buying new im just a little weary incase the prices come down. They probably won’t cuse why would they. Cars aren’t gonna come back down because they don’t have to.

My pickup is only a 1/2 ton and the bed is rotted so a southern bed is on the list too. My next truck will be At least a 3/4 ton. I had a 2wd reg cam ram 2500 and sold that to get a 4 door truck that was better to fit the family into and I could use it in the winter being 4WD. I didn’t think there would be that much of a drop off between what the 3/4 and 1/2 ton could do.

I have borrowed my neighbor's 14k 16ft deck over, Load Trail dump trailer, I have hauled sand, stone and firewood. and I have a 1/2-ton GMC, wish I had a 3/4 ton. i know for a fact I was way overloaded for the 1/2 ton. that trailer empty is pushing 4000 lbs. I would love a 3/4 ton not only for the towing increase, but also for the stopping power. Thankfully the gravel pit is only 3 miles down the road, and it is all back road. on the scale, after I got the stone, the combine weight was close to 25k. i only did that once. lol

 

[StihlPotlicker]

Whenever I decide to get something I’m either gonna do fluid film which I do have experience with. I also bought some por15 for a project I decided against doing. I could use that aswell but I have never used it as of yet personally.

wish i would have done that on my 18 ft trailer

 

[SS396driver]

My dump trailer is 8 years old very little rust and it’s surface rust not rot . I don’t use it in winter so no salt to deal with . I plan on blasting the rusty areas and spot spray them no need to repaint the whole thing . The bed is bare metal inside no way to keep paint on it

 

[Del_]

I've got a removable extended tongue for our log splitter. Saves lots of time. I've delivered hundreds of 1/2 cord loads in my 1996 Dodge 2500 4x4. I don't stack firewood and make it clear to the buyer that I toss it in a pile as close as I can get my truck to where they want it. Takes about 15 minutes to toss out in a pile. A half cord load ready to go.

 

[unclemoustache]

I prefer a dump truck over a trailer.

 

[Lightning Performance]

what size pickup do you have? with those insert dump beds they weight close to 900 lbs., the EZ dump insert cost about 5 grand too. the advantage is they can dump 6000 lbs. and can fit in tight spots. the downside can't haul a tractor or other equipment in it. so, if you want a more versatility, I would get the dump trailer, and if you can't back into spots because of it being too tight, you can always charge more, and take a wheelbarrow with you.

I bought a used EZ Dumper 8ft insert a month ago. Had to travel some and knew it needed a pump. Floor was replaced already because it was a salt spreader years ago. It sat for eight years and only needed a pump to be in operation. Trailers here were 4k for a used single axle dump. 5-8k for twin axles all rotten and beat up locally-owned. I got mine for 700 complete. It dumped 4k like nothing and it's going on it's own trailer frame as twin axle eventually built as lowboy. My 3/4T pickup bed trailer hauls it just fine and so will my F350 if I want it in one of the trucks. Pulled it 70 miles home with my 1/2T Z71 in the old square body pu bed trailer. Best investment in years and I should have bought one sooner. Too old and broken to load fire wood as logs or even cutup big rounds or four foot short logs. They load me, I go dump and can alway toss in firewood already ordered to be moved elsewhere anytime. Tree serice used to load just the trailer if I delivered it onsite to them as they do removals.

The underside is near mint and it is definitely the best insert dump made imho. Well designed, well built and could handle 6k in weight no sweat.

Also bought his old concrete forms and the salt spreader for another hondo. Good day good find. Got two complete pumps used locally just incase one takes a dump. All in all done for 1k plus fifty bucks in fuel. It only took a weekend to accomplish and plenty of running around. I'm calling it a win win.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I prefer a dump truck over a trailer.

I prefer a dump trailer over owning and maintaining another truck for road use.