Side Dump "Frame-In-Box" Trailer

Side Dump Frame-In-Box Trailer HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Miscellaneous To build a really big really strong side dump trailer Lowell Weitzenkamp designed his own He wanted it to have enough capacity to handle mile-long fields and the strength to handle anything from ear corn silage to composted manure We had two commercial Smith Co side dumps but when we added sides for more capacity when hauling lightweight material the frame got in the way because the hinges were on the side says Weitzenkamp Weitzenkamp realized that what he needed was a center hinge point That required building a heavier box with an integrated frame The design needed a double swivel in the front over the fifth wheel A similar but single swivel hinge was needed at the rear over the tandem axles Weitzenkamp had one built and it worked so well that he built a second He has used the two trailers for 5 years hauling everything from corn silage to composted manure The trailer boxes measure 8 by 8 ft by 34 ft long They are more than big enough to hold ear corn silage from a full mile pass or a round on half-mile rows We can save a lot of time if we don t have to switch full loads in the middle of a field he says The hinges that allow the box to tilt and dump are made from heavy-duty 14-in dia pipes They are attached to the box and ride inside sleeves on the fifth wheel mount and on the mount over the rear tandems There are a number of advantages to the design including a complete dump in 30 seconds says Weitzenkamp The hinges also allow the trailer driver to tip the boxes toward the chopper We were also able to have a shorter spout on the chopper Being able to tilt the trailers while loading is also helpful when loading materials with a front-end loader notes Weitzenkamp Payloaders often don t go high enough to dump over the side of the box he says With these we can tilt them to load them full He points out that in the field tilting the trailer also saves silage The chopper operator can t see what he s doing with standard side dumps or straight trailers explains Weitzenkamp A lot of times they ll blow as much as 10 percent of the silage over the top in order to fill the box At the dump site the operator can pull up to a pile crab the tractor around at a right angle to the trailer toward the pile and dump Hydraulic cylinders tip the trailer boxes to a 45-degree angle from the ground Once cleaned out the operator is able to back out of the area without backing over the material If the tractor is crabbed 90 degrees the other way he can simply drive away If I had a standard frame I couldn t tilt the box as far over explains Weitzenkamp While Weitzenkamp came up with the idea he turned design and fabrication over to Brehmer Mfg Joe Brehmer says he still has the plans and estimates the trailer would cost around $65 000 to build Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Lowell Weitzenkamp 1870 Co Rd B Uehling Neb 68063 402 567-2285; lowmarw@yahoo com or Brehmer Mfg 825 Main St Lyons Neb 68038 ph 402 687-2655; toll free 888 687-2655; joe@brehmer com; www brehmer com

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