Looking for thoughts on using an end dump trailer for my business that I started a few years back. I do dozer and excavator work part time. I’m not sure a dump truck would be the right choice since I’d have to have insurance and tag for something else along with my lowboy semi. I’ve pulled 39 ft frameless dumps before. I’m looking at getting something simila, which would help to keep cost down. My concern is using it on smaller job sites, moving brush and stumps, etc? I would be looking for one setup so that the tailgate would swing to the side so bigger items could be dumped. Looking for thoughts and suggestions do’s or don’ts from those with experiences. Thanks in advance
Not sure if you mean semi-trailer for a truck, or heavy gooseneck pickup trailer. I bought a 21k lb PJ triple axle lowboy dump recently. Assembly quality was poor. Screws were loose, booger welds, and they put in the wrong cylinder. I would consider a Diamond C trailer instead. PJ used to be the best out there but they got sold and things are going downhill. I'm starting a thread on the power up/down vs power up / gravity down choice. I don't understand the advantages of each. But from experience I can say that the power down feature is no good if you lower the bed with a load still in it. The hydraulic oil is ejected from the reservoir, and this is not a problem unique to PJ, most trailer makers use the same pump/solenoid setup. I've never seen a tailgate that swings to only one side. Mine will either tailgate out the bottom, hinged at the top. Or split open from the middle, pin each door back on the sides and dump the whole load in a pile.
Demolition boxes and some container bins can have a single swing open gate. I think insurance would be way cheaper just adding an end dump over a complete gravel truck. I've seen some shorter end dumps too that may be an advantage for tighter spaces.
I bought an older 28', steel end dump trailer, for hauling trees and brush. Got it dirt cheap. I had my friend at the local welding/fab shop cut the tailgate into two halves and form side swinging doors, with a big, easy to open center latch. It worked well behind my Freightliner tractor, and I did not have too much money in it. The "one big door" idea is not all that great. I had that on my 22' grapple dump, and it was hard to unlatch and heavy as heck to swing open or closed. Jeff
We have few long end dumps here in Central Texas due to our rocky soil. Texas truckers have all heard the stories about end dumps tipping over because one wheel went over a high spot or rock on a job site. Where you do see them is large site preps, where the cats have already smoothed the soil well, and then end dump simply drops road base etc to finish site prep. Belly dumps are often used with road base to trace roads in subdivisions or business parks. But belly dumps are not common in other scenarios (I considered buying one but decided not to). When this boom economy finally cools off, demand for belly dumps will go away imho.