# For the guys with dump trailers



## BamBamm5144

How many square are you able to fit in and what is the tonnage limit on the trailer?

I believe I am finally going to pick one up as I believe it will pay for itself within the next three months, just don't know what weight to go for.


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## lsaver07

I have a 7x12' Suretrac 12k # rated. I can get 30-35 sq in it. Paid like $5800 or something brand new.


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## kubie

we just have a small trailer. 5x10 

7k #

we just put 13 sq in it, had plenty of room left, problem is the felt paper,

we try to take it off in rolls and takes up way too much room.

but it works well for us.


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## Handyman3970

BamBamm5144 said:


> How many square are you able to fit in and what is the tonnage limit on the trailer?
> 
> I believe I am finally going to pick one up as I believe it will pay for itself within the next three months, just don't know what weight to go for.


I think you need to figure a few things out. 
What are you pulling it with is a big one?
What is a common size tear off for you?
What is the highest weight per square, ie 40 yr shingles?
Figure out what your average load may be and go from there. 
There are many different load ratings for dumps.


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## apkole

Bam,

I have a Brimar 614-12LPHD. Rated for 12,000. I usually like to tow no more than 10,000. . . just what I am comfortable with. With the trailer net at 4,000, this is about 3 ton, give or take. I figure about 215/sq/layer for the old shingles and usually hit it pretty close. We did scale 18,500 gross for the loaded trailer and truck last summer. 

I suspect I could easily get a 16 sq, 2 layer rip into the trailer and it would handle just fine. Wood 2 x 10 x 2 rows were added on sides and front. Dumping is handled by twin two stage hydraulic cylinders. If I had to do it over again, I most likely would go with a scissor lift at this weight rating.

The people who know this trailer and towing stuff usually prefer a goose neck/5th wheel towing set up once you exceed 10,000. I dumped the standard factory hitch on my pickup and had a Class V installed and use a solid core insert. Seems pretty solid, and tows very nice, empty or loaded. Tow with a 3/4 ton Dodge with a little 6 cyl diesel.

The unit has been problem free for the past eight years of ownership. Purchased new for around $6200. Paint and components have held up well, other than the floor paint, which would be expected given the use. 

One thought: Whatever your choice, make sure that the weight it's rated for is the weight the lift unit will dump. Weight rating is meaningless if you have to unload part of the load by hand.


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## VinylHanger

If you get a tall side, make sure it is a double ram set up. That makes it a lot more useful. Costs more, but better in the long run. If it is a big single ram they are great as well, but if you fill it with rocks and concrete, it will hold more than it can dump. I doubt you could get enough roofing in one to overload it, but not sure. For roofing I have always had to do it the old fashioned way.

For sure though, if you use one it will make you money. 1 hour or more at the dump compared to 5 minutes. It takes longer to untarp then it does to dump it.


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## Randy Bush

Mine is a 6x10 2' sides and I can get 15 + if just shingles and it is 6000# Don't have any problem dumping. Sometimes a bigger one would be nice , but this one works fine.


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## BamBamm5144

Thanks for the replies so far.

I would be towing with my Chevy 2500hd so I don't think towing a 6 or 7k rated trailer would be a problem, would it?

Most jobs are between 20-40 square. The dump location is 5 minutes from my house and at $20-$25 a ton compared to 325-425 for a dumpster, I think it will quickly pay for itself.


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## lsaver07

I pull my 12k with my 2500 Chevy 6.0 v8. no problems and I go up and down some pretty good hills


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## Morning Wood

I wouldn't get anything less than 12k rated. 7x12 smallest I would do. Deck over will dump better if that matters to you.


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## Greg Di

Dump trailers are the closest thing you can get to a printing press for money.

Buy one. Tomorrow.

I try to buy one per year and sell one per year. They hold their value incredibly well. I just rotate to keep them on the newer side, but a pal of mine had a great idea and took his dump to Maaco to have them do a quickie spray on it for less than $500 and it makes it look brand new.


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## LCG

Great investment.

I have had my carson 6WX12LX4'H bumper pull for 7yrs. I pull it with a 5.4 ford or my v10 dodge no problem. Its a bit slow but i'm not in a huge hurry with 36-40sq of roofing in the back. My guys just finished a 24 sq double layer tear off and it all fit. 48sq of roofing in that trailer. That may be a new record. It also worries me.

We are needing to buy another one and it will be another Carson. Lord knows I have beat the hell out of it!


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## wellbuilt home

Ive been doing a lot of roofing and haul roofing in the dump trailer . 
A !0' 10,000lb trailer is easter all the way around . 
Its easier to back into the yard . hauls about 40 sq of roofing @ 7800lbs +- if weight is balanced properly 15% of weight on the truck hitch. 
Lots for sale used on craigslist ebay . 
Your 2500 will need a wt distributing to pull 10,000lbs unless you have a 21/2 " receiver . 
If you have room to maneuver on your jobs a 12000lb trailer is better . 
All my trucks are diesel f250 f 350 and pull OK but most of the time i pull with a cab over dump .
I dumped 40 sq to day at 7800lbs and the trailer was filled 12x7x3' with about 12" to go . Largest roof was 33sq 21/2 layers packing the debreat with a excavator. riding heavy 
A SQ of roofing weighs about 210 lbs . 
I would look in to a roll off dump trailer with extra boxes 
@ 14' 14000lbs goose neck trailer .
Its nice to just walk in the box and dump . John


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## BamBamm5144

So from what I am reading, based with my truck that I would be pulling with, my best bet would be a 7x12 6 ton trailer and I should be able to fit roughly 30 square in it?


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## lsaver07

When my woman finishes her medical school stuff and we move back to the McHenry Co. area I will bring my trailer if you let me work for ya! Haha


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## BamBamm5144

lsaver07 said:


> When my woman finishes her medical school stuff and we move back to the McHenry Co. area I will bring my trailer if you let me work for ya! Haha


Deal but in kind of a jerk.


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## lsaver07

Your a jerk? Well I'm an ******* (so I've been called on a daily basis for 5+ years), so it might be like looking in a mirror.


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## dave_dj1

I have used my brothers 6 x 10 10,000 lb dump trailer for years, I finally built myself one although a little lighter duty. Mine only has 2- 3500# axles but I don't do too big of jobs, if I do I get a dumpster. It has proved to be quite handy, almost on a daily basis. I wish I had one sooner.
Mine is 6x10 with 24" sides.


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## jmiller

lsaver07 said:


> When my woman finishes her medical school stuff and we move back to the McHenry Co. area I will bring my trailer if you let me work for ya! Haha


When your woman finishes medical school, you just stay at home and do a good job babysitting. :laughing:


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## wellbuilt home

BamBamm 5144 said:


> So from what I am reading, based with my truck that I would be pulling with, my best bet would be a 7x12 6 ton trailer and I should be able to fit roughly 30 square in it?


 BAM 
You must have a complete package of the truck, hitch, and trailer that is rated for the 12000lb weight and prove it to the dot . 
You will fit 50 sq hand loaded in a 7x12 x4' trailer. 
By weight you can only load 9500 lbs about 45 sq @210 per sq . 
I do a lot of 20 sq double layer ripped and im only 3/4 full .
On a 2500 you will want a wt distributing hitch to pull a full trailer.
You will need dot #s on the trailer and truck , You get the #s on line free of charge . john


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## BamBamm5144

Well, picking one up tomorrow. A 2011 , rarely used by a guy who used to do roofing.

83" by 14' with a scissor lift and 10# hoist rating.


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## seeyou

BamBamm5144 said:


> Well, picking one up tomorrow. A 2011 , rarely used by a guy who used to do roofing.
> 
> 83" by 14' with a scissor lift and 10# hoist rating.


How high does the scissor lift? Was having dinner last night with some of my imaginary friends from another forum and this topic was being discussed. None of us have ever used one - scissors lift that is.


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## Handyman3970

seeyou said:


> How high does the scissor lift? Was having dinner last night with some of my imaginary friends from another forum and this topic was being discussed. None of us have ever used one - scissors lift that is.


Scissor lifts are great if they are designed properly. They will lift almost straight. 
I had one on a '92 F450 but it was too far forward and wouldn't tilt quite enough. PITA!!


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## BamBamm5144

Here she is


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## Tom Struble

nice bammer:thumbup:good luck and happy trailering:clap:


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## BrandConst

We've got shingle recycling centers around here. Yes, they pay for themselves. The dump centers will charge 100 to rent there's and dump at their site for free or you can dump it with your own trailer and make $


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## Morning Wood

BamBamm5144 said:


> Here she is


That looks clean. Nice find. How much did you pay for it if you don't mind me asking?


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## GRB

Greg Di said:


> They hold their value incredibly well. I just rotate to keep them on the newer side, but a pal of mine had a great idea and took his dump to Maaco to have them do a quickie spray on it for less than $500 and it makes it look brand new.


Who's that? :whistling


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## BamBamm5144

Morning Wood said:


> That looks clean. Nice find. How much did you pay for it if you don't mind me asking?


Little less than 5k.

It's a 2011 14k gross although I'll never fill it that full. Scissor lift, tarp, dual action gate. I think I got a deal.


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## dougger222

Nice find, Load Trails are nice trailers. $5K for an 11 is a good deal.

That's a lot more trailer than what you can tow with your truck but if you keep it under 40sq you'll be totaly fine!

I've basicly got two of the same trailers with 2ft steel removable side walls. The newer one is slightly wider than the old one and have gotten 60 squares of shingle debris in the newer one and 55 squares+ in the older. Yes, I'm way overweight.

If you stay within the recomended weight specs your truck will be fine. I tow with a F250 and F350 DRW diesel and once in a great while my wifes Excursion diesel. The dually hands down tows the trailers the best.


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## dougger222

As far as double versus single lift. Some double lifts are cheaply made as you see them on really cheap dump trailers. A good double lift system will dump better than a scissors lift system.

On really big shingle loads for example 50sq+ if more of the weight is in the front it won't dump. A few times when I get my shoulder into the trailer it lifts it enough to get up a foot or so then it lifts just fine. Some huge loads however require hand unloading on the front of the load.

It's a wise investment and you won't regret it. You'll now have a trailer to haul ladders, scaffolding, wheel barrows, tarps, plywood and boards too. In addition you can haul lots of other things!


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## MJW

The 2500HD will handle it great if it's a diesel. If it's a 6.0 it will be chuggin hard if it's at max capacity.

Except for very recently there isn't any stock tow hitches rated over 12K. I've heard of people losing heavy trailers with stock hitches. Make sure you have the correct hitch and ball set up also. Most are only rated for 6K. 

You are really limited by the tires when it all come down to it. Make sure you take into account for the trailer when calculating GWR, and take into account the weight of the pickup for GCWR (gross combined weight rating).

Some people think a 14K trailer can hold 14K worth of weight. Simply not true. They usually can only handle about 10K because the trailer already weighs 4K empty.

With the newer trucks that are rated over 12K GVWR (F350 duallies, etc) and pulling a 14K trailer, you would legally have to have a class A license in most states. I think most dually's were rated at 12K until recently. The 2500HD is rated at 9800 I believe.

It's confusing if you aren't really into the trailering thing. I've pulled 24K with my old 2500HD Dmax on a goose neck. That was pretty much maxing it out for the HD, but it handled it fine many times. A dually would have been more adequate.


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## BamBamm5144

Once I get it figured out to how full we can fill it, I will know where we can max it out. I try to never buy things to max them out but the lift is good for 10k on this thing. I have a feeling by the end of the year, I will be looking for a bigger truck for it.


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## Morning Wood

BamBamm5144 said:


> Little less than 5k.
> 
> It's a 2011 14k gross although I'll never fill it that full. Scissor lift, tarp, dual action gate. I think I got a deal.


That's a sweet deal. 5k around here will get you a trailer that is rusted, needs brakes, and probably has some other issues. And 10k trailer too.


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## dougger222

My 14ft dump trailers with 2ft steel sidewall extension weigh around 4,650 lbs. Although they are 5 model year aparts and slightly different they only differ in weight by 20 pounds. I've made several same day trips to the dump so able to verify the weight difference.

As far as dually's GVWR my 99 F350 dually is rated at 11,200 lbs. The 99 F250 is rated at 8,800 lbs and the 00 Excursion is rated at 9,200 lbs. Both dump trailers are rated at 14K lbs. 

Here's the kicker, I've been pulled over by MN DOT in all three tow vehicles with the dump trailer. The officers have all looked at my factory receiver hitch, pintel hitch, and the gvrw of the truck(s) and trailer (along with a ton of other things!). None have told me my truck is underweighted to pull the trailers. If it were an issue one would think it would have been made clear on the side of the road with the DOT officer.

A good friend of mine a self proclaimed storm chaser owns three dump trailers. He's got two 14K lb rated dump trailers he bought for $2K each. They are not perfect but are not terrible either. He's also got a 10K lb rated dump trailer he bought for $1K. Yes, they all dump!!!

A couple years ago on CL saw a guy selling a almost new 14ft 14lb rated dump trailer with side walls for $3K. I called a couple hours after the listing and was too late. 

Although I paid $6K for my 04 I'd not let it go for a penny less than $4K. It's been to the dump hundreds and hundreds of times! The 09 was $7,500 and wouldn't let it go for a penny less than $6K.

If you upgrade your truck try a dually out, they pull very nicely!


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## MJW

dougger222 said:


> Here's the kicker, I've been pulled over by MN DOT in all three tow vehicles with the dump trailer. The officers have all looked at my factory receiver hitch, pintel hitch, and the gvrw of the truck(s) and trailer (along with a ton of other things!). None have told me my truck is underweighted to pull the trailers. If it were an issue one would think it would have been made clear on the side of the road with the DOT officer.


I wouldn't doubt that one bit. They seem to like to give out tickets for licensing, burnt out lights, checking fuel for die....things like that. Stuff they can bring in money on.

I know a few DOT officers personally and they don't know squat about trucks. One of them actually went camping with us 4 hours away. He pulled a 30 foot camper with his 1500 Chevy. The truck did not handle that at all. He admitted it was not right after some of us informed him on a little trailering info. He didn't really care too much. Another person I know is a State Trooper and pulled a 30 ft camper the same distance year after year for camping with a Durango.


Some don't know either that if you are driving a truck with Y plates (10,000 lb + GVWR) you need to have a medical card.


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## MJW

dougger222 said:


> As far as dually's GVWR my 99 F350 dually is rated at 11,200 lbs. The 99 F250 is rated at 8,800 lbs and the 00 Excursion is rated at 9,200 lbs. Both dump trailers are rated at 14K lbs.


I'm sure the trucks both have hitches that are rated at 12K. The Excursion probably has a class 3 hitch on it, but not sure.


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## dougger222

I'm not sure on what class hitch is on the X but it's about as big as the other two trucks. I think with a WDH max is 10K lbs. The biggest drawback with the X hitch is there are no aftermarket options for upgraded hitches. It is odd the X has a higher GVRW than the F250.

Not shocked either the DOT's are running a bit overweight on vacation. They know there is little to no regulations on private trucks/trailers.


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## MJW

dougger222 said:


> It is odd the X has a higher GVRW than the F250.


Probably has to be in order to carry any passengers. I bet those pigs weigh in at 8000 empty.  Awesome vehicle, but it's humongoidly large.

In case of anyone who is confused......

Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is max capacity including vehicle, passengers, and all cargo. 

Gross combined weight rating(GCWR) is vehicle GVWR + trailer GVWR.


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## wellbuilt home

MJW said:


> Probably has to be in order to carry any passengers. I bet those pigs weigh in at 8000 empty.  Awesome vehicle, but it's humongously large.
> 
> In case of anyone who is confused......
> 
> Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is max capacity including vehicle, passengers, and all cargo.
> 
> Gross combined weight rating(GCWR) is vehicle GVWR + trailer GVWR.


 My f250 350 and EX have the same hitch toe package and 6.0 diesel and they are 6500lb / 12500 WT distributing . 
A hitch that is rated for 14000 lb needs to be 2 1/2" receiver . 
You can get a 2 5/16 ball on a 14500lb WT hitch . 
My 14 16000lb trailers get pulled by my dump with pintle hitch .
The dot is not interested in your gcwr for some reason . 
I cant remember if the gcwr is on your door sticker but it is in the owners manual . 
The thing is If you get in a wreak the lawyers will be reading all your specs and checking every little thing . 
All I know i'm always riding around maxed out , there is only one way to go UP John


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## dougger222

MJW said:


> Probably has to be in order to carry any passengers. I bet those pigs weigh in at 8000 empty.  Awesome vehicle, but it's humongoidly large.
> 
> In case of anyone who is confused......
> 
> Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is max capacity including vehicle, passengers, and all cargo.
> 
> Gross combined weight rating(GCWR) is vehicle GVWR + trailer GVWR.


Ya, it's got a 8K lb curb weight! Not sure if that's adding 44 gallons of fuel or not. It's my wifes daily driver and she went from a full size 5.8 litre Bronco so was a little nevous about the size at first. Our first impression was it seemed smaller than the F250. My thoughts are because it's got softer springs/shocks, tighter turn radius, better seats, and more sound insulation than the F250 it more suv like than truck like.

The X has been a very good vehicle for us. 250K miles never touched the motor or tranny and it's gotten as high as 19.8 mpg. On average though it's more like 17 mpg. It's got the forged rod 7.3 best one...

For the record the X is said to be a whopping 7 inches longer than a suburban and only a couple inches taller.

What would really be nice would be a blacked out 05 X with a 7.3 motor!


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