dump trailer tailgate

[SkidSteerSteve]

Until it was stolen....don't get me started.....we had a 14yd3 tandem 7Klbs bumper pull dump trailer. Its doors were of a two piece, side hinged variety. In the center, there was an overlapping piece of angle on the back of one door that the other one closed against. They were only pinned by a 1" pin on the bottom of each door into the rear most cross member. As with your set up, we hauled just about anything you could imagine in it. Dirt, rock, concrete, equipment, so on. We used it very regularly and never really had any trouble out of it. Even when material would push up against the doors, it was usually only on the lower half of the doors just due to the mounding effect of material when you load it. After all, if it was dense material, then you couldn't load a whole lot, and if it wasn't, then it might build up, but wouldn't pose too much of a problem. We always kept a small (10"ish long) sledge hammer in the tool box and would on occasion have to "persuade" one of the pins to come up because of lateral pressure on the doors. Just always open it while standing at the side so that the door will shield you somewhat from debris. Like I said, we had it for almost six years and worked the daylights out of it and never really phased it.

SSS

[Jim-TX]

The semi trailer kind idea woudld work if I could utilize a top bar, but I can not.
Please keep passing ideas, ALL are more than welcome.
Thanks to all.
Tim.

I was thinking about this today. What about a top support that would swing out of the way to haul the skid steer, etc? It would allow you a good solid latch for dirt but when necessary you could move it and have unliimited access. You wouldn't need it when hauling the skid steer or other equipment..... and pigs.

[JBFab]

You could go with the semi latch idea, with a removable top bar (this would require a couple of brackets inside the bed to secure it when hauling loose material) Or you could change it up a little bit, and make the gate one piece, and fashion it to swing in either direction. I did somthing similar to this on a farm once, where the aptly named it the "bi$exual gate". Anyway, you would be able to swing it open to either side, open it like a tailgate, or be able to spread with it using spreader chains or bars. If you need help visualizing, let me know and I will do a quick model of it.

[HMW]

SSS Thats how our trailer gate at work is and works fine.

[tnjind]

Like I stated in another post I am very new to online posting, I have never added pictures, I realize a pic of this beast is needed. I will try this weekend to get some posted, it will probably take all weekend, Sat. I am going to a gun show for ammo and to an auction, ac/dc stick welder I don't need but will try to buy also a generator I do need.

Thanks to everone that has suggested all of the different ideas and offers of drawings.
It sounds like SSS had a very similiar trailer with the gate I am after.

I will try for pics soon.
Later,Tim.

[I Bleed Blue]

Hey guys here's some food for thought. I've driven a truck for 18 years and those doors can be very nasty with a little weigth pushing agains them. Little own dirt or hot asphalt.

Sometihng to consider is a dual tailgate system the regular dump tailgate would close firs the the swing doos would close??? Just a thought. and with a little planning it could fold in to the bed when not needed.

[Jolly Roger]

Replace the chain and boomer with a heavy strap and ratchet binder. Problem solved. I am down in New Orleans and as you can imagine I have worked on more than one dump trailer. Why is it always the doors that get messed up? It's because operators don't have to rebuild them after they crunch them.


I actually set one up that used one pin at the bottom for both doors and the ratchet binder across the middle but cannot remember how I set the pin up. It worked better than any of them.