Wanting to build hydraulic dump trailer

[hackberry jake]

I have been browsing cl for used dump trailers and their isn't many locally and they either want too much for them or I call and they have already been sold. I can see where one would come in handy for hauling slabs, logs, firewood, gravel, etc. The new prices are too rich for my blood. I also don't like the self charging 12 volt design. I would like one with its own gasoline engine and quick disconnects so I can run other hydraulic equiptment off of the trailer with no fear of draining the battery or having to replace the battery every other year.  I recently built a hydraulic log turner for my mill and it isn't rocket science. I have a couple old jeeps that could donate axles and I am a metal hoarder so I have most of the metal I would need. I would just have to buy hydraulic parts, a hitch, and lights.  Have any of you guys built one or thought about building one?

[thecfarm]

I want one too,but just on my land. I have ford trucks rear axles. I have a remote on the back of my tractor. good idea about putting a motor on the trailer than use it to power your hyds in other places,

[muddstopper]

A few years back I built a 6x10 dump trailer. I wanted a flatbed dump and couldnt fine one. I used 2x4x1/4 tube for the trailer frame and the dump bed. 1/8 steel for the floor. My cylinder was a 24" stroke x 4in bore. I used an equipment emergency 12v electric hydraulic pump. I had to make a 5gal hydraulic tank and screw on filter. I used thin wall 2x4 tube to make the stake pockets for side boards. Axles where 2-3500lb. I measured my brothers 6x10 factory trailer to get the cylinder mounts right, but moved my bed hinge a little futher forward to give more dump angle and increase the lift capacity. I have hauled and dumped 5tons of gravel with this setup. Yes it was overloaded and I did get stopped, but no ticket.

I would think a similar setup as mine would work well with a small gasoline engine. A 5hp B&S engine and maybe a 2 gpm at 1500-2000psi pump would be all you need. Mount it on the trailer tounge. I incorporated an electric over hydraulic valve for my dump. This allowed me to use a long cord I could operate from the cab of the truck to raise and lower the dumpbed. I wired the valve where I had power up and gravity down, but by connecting another wire i could also power down if I needed to. Never did, but had the capability if I wanted it. Dont know how you would make that work using a gas engine but a single acting cylinder would work for gravity down without having to have power on the down stroke.

I took the cylinder off a year ago to build my woodsplitter or i would raise the bed and take a few pics to show how I mounted everything. I plan on putting the cylinder back on the trailer as soon as I find a 5incher for my splitter

[hackberry jake]

Thanks muddstopper. It would be nice to see one first to get the lift geometry right. I'm pretty good with a victor eraser though  8)

[muddstopper]

I would take a tape measure to someone that has one and do a little measureing. The dump angle isnt that hard to figure out if you have something to go by. One other thing I would do is add a little metal to the trailer frame. Most of the factory jobs I see seem a little light. I added 2 extra frame runners from front to back where the dump bed hinges to the trailer. My brothers factory trailer ( that I used to pattern mine off of), didnt have those and I noticed his frame flexing at those points when raising a full load. My trailer will dump a heavier load than my brothers factory trailer and I actually bent my trailer at the hinge points before deciding to add the extra tube. My bends werent hard to fix. I just reversed the hoses on the dump cylinder so I had pressure to retract the cylinder. Removed the pin and hooked a chain from the cylinder to the rear frame section. Pulled the frame back in place and left the cylinder hooked to it until I welded in the extra frame runners.

Another thing I have considered if I ever need to build a larger dump trailer is to use twin lift cylinders. I have noticed that dump beds with just a center mounted lift cylinder tend to twist when lifting if not loaded evenly. I think  two smaller cylinders mounted on alternate sides would make the bed raise more level and would probably reduce the need for the extra support in the trailer frame. With the price of new 2x4 tubing, the extra cylinder might actually be as cheap or cheaper than the cost of the extra metal for the bracing.