I wanna build a Dump Bed Trailer

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Ro Grrr 18 years ago

I recently bought a dump bed that came off a 1 ton pickup. It is 6 feet wide and 8 feet long, inside dimensions, with a 42 inch high headache rack on the front. Full control tailgate. My plan is to build a trailer frame under it.

One local scrap yard gets loads of truck frame rail ?rejects? on a regular basis from a truck plant. These rails are 5/16 and 3/8 thick formed into U-Channels 8 or 10 inches wide and 3 inches deep, about 30 feet long. There are the usual holes for rivets all over them.

I plan to get some of it and make/mount a frame on a couple of 7000 pound axles to carry the dump bed. I?ll be using a 12 volt hydraulic pump to run the cylinders to raise the bed. The lift that was under the bed already has 2 2-inch cylinders on it, simplifies what I have to build. I?ve looked around the net and have a general idea what I?m going to build but I?m open to some ideas for my build. I?d like either some pics or drawings, hopefully with some dimensions for my project. I also plan to go to a rental place like NationsRent and look over their trailers.

I?ve been looking at SurplusCenter.com for pumps. Found a couple that look like what I need without extra valves or hoses and fittings.

I plan to have enough frame in front of the bed so I can mount a full size cross-bed tool box on it (also available from these scrap yards. Some real good alum diamond plate boxes show up for under $50). I might put the battery and pump in the box to protect from weather and pilferage.

So, I figured that for about a grand I will have my materials to build it. However, if my time were worth 25 cents an hour, I would make out all right on it.

However, they call this stuff hobby, so I will have fun with it and prolly end up calculating my time out to be around ten cents an hour.

Lessee, The truck rails will cost under $150 each (I might be able to get by with one but I'll prolly have to buy two) and I already have the axles and tires. The bed cost me $400 and I need the pump - another $400.

Well, I guess I'll need a receiver and a jack and some lights.

Hmmmm

Well, by the time I get done, maybe I'll have well over TWO THOUSAND wrapped up in it.

Go back and re read my words - hobby Hobby HOBBY

Uhhh, good thing I'm not married. That being said, looks like I'll have to go down and draw me another draft beer. Shame some woman here caint do that fuh me.

Hmmm Pizza and beer for me RIGHT NOW !

RoGrrr

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Ignoramus5390 18 years ago

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This is a relatively small bed. Wy would you want to have two 7,200 lb axles under it? Would you realistically need to carry that much?

Are you going to get axles (with brakes) at scrap price too?

Sounds about right

I made a trailer, it was fun. Enjoyed especially the welding part.

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To me, a dump trailer is a much riskier project than a fixed unibody bed trailer (which is what I have). A lot fewer attachment points and you sacrifice all that rigidity that you could get. I also thought about making it a dump trailer. Glad I did not.

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Ro Grrr 18 years ago

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This is a relatively small bed. Wy would you want to have two

7,200 lb axles under it? Would you realistically need to carry that much?

The bed is small but alone, it will carry 48 cubic feet of material - almost 2 yards without piling it up in a mound. Then I plan to raise the side rails a foot or maybe even 2 which will increase the capacity considerably. Consider the weight of crushed limestone at 150 Lbs per Cubic foot. That?s about 4000 Lbs per yard. And when I raise the side rails, I should have close to 5 tons on the trailer.

Are you going to get axles (with brakes) at scrap price too?

I already have the axles. They are house trailer axles and have brakes. I got them for about a hundo so I?m ahead of the deal there.

Sounds about right I made a trailer, it was fun. Enjoyed especially the welding part.

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I recall seeeing that when you built it. I have access to those M105 trailers (I work for the USGovt and they have surplus auctions where I work. Those trailers typically bring about $1000) but I also have most of what it takes to build the trailer and I want to build it exactly the way I want it. And I don?t think the 105 will give me what I want. And I don?t know what the total capacity of the single axle 105 is. I?m sure that I can load everything I need with my axles.

To me, a dump trailer is a much riskier project than a fixed unibody bed trailer (which is what I have). A lot fewer attachment points and you sacrifice all that rigidity that you could get. I also thought about making it a dump trailer. Glad I did not.

Living in Chicago, you probably don?t have the NEED for the type of trailer I do. I need to haul gravel to maintain my lane. It is almost a half mile long and this is an ongoing task to keep it in decent shape. The quarry is about 20 miles from me and it is all country roads so I son?t have to worry about Semi?s running over me. I can make as many trips as needed and get exactly what size stone I need, and dump it exactly WHERE I WANT IT.

And I can build the trailer as strong as I need and the lack of attachment points should not be a problem since I will be pulling it fairly slowly over the roadways. Only when I get onto my lane will the lack of attachment points become ANY consideration and at the walking speed I will be pulling it to spread the gravel, it won?t matter anyway.

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Ignoramus5390 18 years ago

Interesting! What is your tow vehicle?

I read here, though I have no way of knowing, that house trailer axles are not made to last on the highway. They are made to move the house once in a while and no more.

The problem with M105's is that they are very tall -- only usable with a full size truck, not pickups. I bought the bed only, and made my own frame underneath. At least it is level when hitched to my pickup truck. A real M105 would be impossible to tow for me. Also it has a weird braking system.

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Pete C. 18 years ago

Yards of materials do indeed get heavy.

Not really. Those axles are not designed for routine service, only a few hundred miles delivery and then a life of rust. They are popular for home build trailers because they are cheap, and they work ok for light trailers, but they'll fail quickly if you try to operate them at their limited rating. Perhaps use four of them so they operate at around

3,000# load max and they might hold up ok. Otherwise you'll be better served buying real 7,000# rated axles which aren't that expensive.

Not for long, as noted above. I think I recall reading a tech bulletin about the mobile home axles on one of the axle manufacturers sites.

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Ignoramus5390 18 years ago

Just a data point. My Dexter (IIRC) 6,000 lbs axle, which included a electric brake, and springs, and tires, cost me about $500 plus or minus some $$.

Not exactly cheap. But it was worth it.

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I wanna build a Dump Bed Trailer

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