2013 - Volume #37, Issue #6, Page #28
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Dump Trailer's Tailgate Opens Hydraulically
�����It can be dumped as quickly or as slowly as I need,� says Janssen. �It�s designed to be pulled by a 3/4 or 1-ton pickup because I wanted something that I could pull behind my pickup if I had to haul scrap metal to the junkyard.�
����The 10-ft. long by 8-ft. wide dump trailer has 30-in. sides. It�s equipped with a 12,000-lb. axle, dual wheels, and hydraulic brakes. It�s made from a 1/8-in. thick steel plate bent for strength and has stake pockets inside the box that allow for side extensions.
����But what makes the trailer unique is the hydraulically-operated tailgate. It�s operated by 2 small lift cylinders off an old self-propelled swather. The cylinders are attached to a length of 1 1/2 by 3-in. rectangular tubing that�s bolted on top of the tailgate. As the cylinders are extended they slide the entire tailgate assembly up above the trailer.
����A metal box bolted onto the trailer�s tongue contains a 12-volt pump, battery and a pair of valves. One valve is used to dump the box and the other to raise or lower the tailgate.
�����It works similar to the hydraulic-operated tailgates found on manure spreaders,� says Janssen. �I burn a lot of wood during the winter and plan to use it to haul and dump logs and firewood. The raised tailgate provides a lot of clearance, which will let me fill the trailer with odd-shaped material such as firewood or construction materials, and dump them without worrying that anything will catch on the tailgate.
�����I don�t understand why manufacturers don�t build hydraulic-operated tailgates like mine on their dump trailers�the hydraulic power is already there to use anyway. Why fight with a tailgate when you can pull a hydraulic lever to open it?�
����The trailer has a 75 degree dump angle. �The steep angle is important if you�re hauling sticky material because it slides out better,� says Janssen.
����A hydraulic reservoir is mounted behind the box and underneath the trailer. Expanded metal steps on both sides of the trailer make it easy to get inside.
����Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Brenden Janssen, P.O. Box 75, Vega, Alta., Canada T0G 2H0 (ph 780 674-0033).
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