dump trailer project

[yardboyltd]

I'd like to get a hold of a dump trailer. I don't need it immediatly, and my welding skills are good, and I take pride in my work so I'm pursuing to build a dump trailer. 5' or 6' by 10' or 12' tandem bumper pull. Electric brakes.

I'm looking for plans. I'd could design some, but I'm eager to jump in and don't want to have to engineer it and besides, I always leave out the nifty things I hadn't thought of afterwards.

Does any1 know of any plans? Anybody here have expierence? Also, can anyone estimate the materials cost? I plan on buying from a scrapyard who sells stock metal, just a little rusty for 1/3 cost of that shiny stuff....

[stslawncare]

northernt tools has lots of trailer plans, not sure if they do for dump or not

[jkkalbers]

I build trailers in the winter when I'm not plowing, trailerplans.com has about anything you could want for plans. i've never built the dump trailer, I may next winter. If you do it, let me know how it goes and if it's worth the trouble.

[75]

I can't help you with the cost of materials estimate - 'cause I'm from Canada - as far as experience goes most of mine has been with repairing trailers small and large.

Based on that, one suggestion I would like to make is to avoid the use of tube as much as possible, especially if you encounter a lot of road salt in the winter. Largely because of the fact that it often becomes a dirt/moisture trap and rusts from the inside out. I have had the (not) enjoyable task of repairing cracks on large dump trailer frames: the visible crack is the end result of the rust thinning out the metal from the inside. Strike and arc and POOF - no more metal. :mad:

Obviously, using a heavy wall tube such as .250 wall would go a long way toward solving the rust problem but the addded weight defeats the purpose of going with tube in the first place.