Dump Trailer Powered By Drill

Dump Trailer Powered By Drill WAGONS/TRAILERS Conversions 26-2-18 Hauling and dumping heavy loads of dirt, sand or gravel is a breeze for Bill Trettin, Superior, Wisconsin, thanks to the handy dump trailer he put together in his shop. The 6 by 8 by 3-ft. deep trailer easily hauls 2 1/2 tons. What makes it unique is that he uses a cordless drill to power the dump box. He built the trailer on floating rear axle from a 3/4-ton Dodge pickup. He cut out the differential and left the hydraulic shoe brakes in place. On top of the axle, he built a fixed frame of 4-in. channel iron. The dump box was made from 3-in. channel iron, reinforced with 12 gauge sheet metal in the front corners. He built the hinges for the box by welding 1-in. round stainless steel pins to steel plates on the box and mounting them in greasable bushings in the frame. The box sides are made of 1 1/2-in. sq. steel tubing uprights, topped with 12 gauge sheet metal that Trettin bent into an L shape and welded in place. The box is lined with 1/2-in. treated plywood. The tailgate, made just like the box sides, is hinged at the top and latched at the bottom. "It works just like the tailgate on a dump truck," he says. The dumping mechanism consists of a ball screw drive which consists of a ball screw nut that moves back and forth along a screw shaft. Ball bearings rather than threads inside the nut keep it on the shaft. Trettin put a reducer on front of the shaft to gear it down enough so he can dump a heavy load with either a hand crank or a small cordless drill. A tongue jack built into the trailer's 4-in. sq. tongue can also be raised or lowered with a cordless drill. He hooked the hydraulic brakes into a surge brake controller so the trailer has working brakes. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, William Trettin, 1630 E. 10th St., Superior, Wis. 54880 (ph 715 398-3018).

To read the rest of this story, download this issue below or click here to register with your account number.