[Nathaniel Carr]

Hi, I have been lurking around this site since I discovered it this winter. I am glad to know that there are a bunch of pros out there willing to be virtual mentors to those uf us climbing up the ranks.
I run a small company and I am trying to figure ways to make more $. I have seen advise on GTX to "find your time consuming tasks and equip to do them faster". Makes sense!
So, this spring on maintenance clean-ups, instead of hauling debris away from my job site the old fashion way (wheelbarrow up springy, slippery ramp into 1ton dump) I figure we could get a dump trailer to dump the junk in, that would have to be easier ie. more productive than the old fashoin way.
And instead of renting a skidsteer for two weeks each month during the summer, I should buy one. That would help us out in many way not least of which would be using the machine to move small quantities of material that previously we would not have rented a machine for.
So I am wondering if I got the right gvw dumper is it actually practical to use for moving the rig also?

[cutntrim]

I have the set-up you're thinking of. I purchased a 12,000lb dump trailer and 453 Bobcat in the fall of 2004. The dump trailer is a great investment for a maintenance company that also does some install work. If you only use a skid for a couple weeks a season, I'd continue to rent. Frankly, if I didn't also use mine for snow I would still be renting myself. Regardless of whether you decide to buy or rent a skid, you will not be disappointed with the trailer if you get one.

[Nathaniel Carr]

Thanks cutntrim. But I think I should buy a skidsteer because I rent one for a couple of weeks EACH month of the construction season. Are there any issues with the enclosed trailer and fitting the skidsteer and attachment inside. Are you always under weight?

[cutntrim]

Sorry, thought you meant two weeks all season. I've got an open dump trailer, not an enclosed trailer. There are some members on here that do transport skidsteers inside enclosed trailers, but I'm not one of them. I thought you were asking about a dump trailer. I'm not aware of any "enclosed" dump trailers.

[Dale Wiley]

We run our Vermeer S600 compact skid loader up in our Load Trail dump trailer all the time.

The trailer is 14K GVW, so we have plenty of carrying capicity. Dry weight is 4000, so we have a 10,000 payload, which is PLENTY in that trailer.

[Nathaniel Carr]

Cutntrim, sorry for the confusion. Dump trailers have, like, box sides right? To hold the stuff in.
What's your brand? Is it holding up pretty well?
Thanks for sticking with me, the baby is teethin not sleepin!

[cutntrim]

Mine was custom-built from a company called Nando Trailers in Hamilton. They've built 5 trailers for me over the years and they've all been solid. I'd look for a local trailer manufacturer that can build one to your specific needs.

[synner]

a company called Nando Trailers in Hamilton. They've built 5 trailers for me over the years and they've all been solid

I'll second that. We used to have a 12 000lb Nando dump trailer. Its probably still working somewhere, someone borrowed it late one night and never returned it. They make a really tough, clean product. No fancy chrome or LED lighting, just a solid trailer you can make some $ with.

[Nathaniel Carr]

Thanks,
I have A 14K BRI-MAR heavy duty on order.
Now hopefully I will learn toback it up with out too much embarassment.

[synner]

Backing up a tandem is usually a lot easier than a single axle. Its one of those things that comes with practice.

[Nathaniel Carr]

The only thing I have experience with is backing up a hay wagon with steerable front axle. WOW that can't be done.

[cutntrim]

I had to have my dump trailer custom-sized at slightly less than the nominal 6' width just to fit into the storage garages that I rent. Backing into, and pulling out of them each day is an adventure for the inexperienced, believe me. Frequently, if both trucks arrive at the same time (dump trailer and landscape equipment trailer) I'll just tell the other driver to get out, and I'll back them both in myself. It takes a long time to get comfortable pulling in-and-out with only 2" clearance on either side.

[familyguy]

our ez dumper trailer is a 9,999 gvw 6'x12' and is probably the best purchase we ever made. if you can pull your dump body ONLY when you need it then why not?

[Nathaniel Carr]

Thought I might share an update.

So we got the Cam Superline 14 k dump. It functions as a debris and material hauler and as an equipment trailer for the CAT 277B.

For hauling matreial to and from the job site it is super. We are pulling it with a 03 F-350. We also have a F-350 1tn dump with a gravel body. Having those two haulers is great cause we can have one coming and one going. For our spring work it usually works like this; the crew heads out to a garden clean up with the truck and trailer. The dump truck heads to a landscape yard for mulch. The crew is ripping and tearing along, and the driver gets there with the mulch and we just keep working. In the past we would ramp debris into the Dump truck (sketchy) and send it on a dump run and pick up, and then take lunch while we waited for the driver. Now every thing is happening much more efficiently. (Unfortunately this pick up in efficiency is in a division of the company that only makes up 10% of our total nut.) Plus the trailer is so big that we can get a load of mulch toward the tongue and a load of compost at the tail gate. Speeding up installs.

The equipment hauling uses for the trailer have had more mixed results. As I said it hauls our 277B which is about a 9999 lb machine. The trailer is 3999, and the whole thing is rated for 14000 lb. And we still have to haul the forks and bucket. Not only is it maxed out in weight, it is actually too short to center the 277 over the axles with the bucket on. (not to mention that there is 3/4 in clearance on the left and right when putting the loader in) So the bucket goes in to the bed of the F-350, the forks slide up to the tongue end, with the loader straddling the tines. The ramps slide under the bed but they are only about 5 feet long which makes for a tippy ride up, usually lifting the tires of the P/u off the ground. (and even though I trained the driver to ONLY load/unload on a level site he still managed to stain his BVDs in a customers driveway when he loaded the trailer on the down hill portion. ) The 350 P/U is plenty truck to haul the load but, it is also maxed out on its registration weight pulling that load. It looks like I will be getting my CDL this winter so I can hook up the Dump truck to the trailer.

All in all getting the trailer was a good move, but there were plenty of things to be learned, that I didn't anticipate.

Oops, my wife is feeling like a GTX widow, gotta go.

[ckstone]

I also made the decision to purchase a loader instead of renting.Would have liked to buy a 1 ton dump but instead,bought a 14' Corn Pro low profile dump trailer. I haul my Cat 232B (7,000 lbs w/ bucket) I would reccomend 14,000 lb axles. Think that only cost me $400 extra.