Dump Trailers for Transporting Coal

I have access to both. My family has a 1978 one ton chevy dump truck, and my father in-law has a 10Klb trailer. I grew up using the dump truck and even made a living with it for a few years.

For some things you just can't beat a dump truck, for most things the trailer is plenty good enough.

We've often talked about buying a dump trailer, but we figured it would be about 7 years of dump truck costs to pay off the dump trailer. When you already have the truck, it's hard to justify the trailer. But if buying new, and your not using the truck at least a few times a month, there arn't many reasons a trailer doesn't make better sense.

Just keep in mind if you get one over 10K lbs you must also have combination plates on your truck pulling it. I have my truck registered at 22K lbs combination @ $405 a year in PA. No matter how you look at it they will get you somewhere.

On the average, how much would one of those dump trailers weigh empty?

coalkirk wrote:Finally found one and made the deal. It's a 2007 Bri-mar DT610LP-10. ...

Welcome to the Coal Pickers Club coalkirk Nice find.

beemerboy wrote:On the average, how much would one of those dump trailers weigh empty?

That was a consideration for me too. I found that for a 6x10 low profile 10,000 lb trailer it varied quite a bit between manufacturers. It depends on what engineered in structure you really need for what you want to do and how much of the total GVWR it consumes (tare @ 2,500 lbs = load @3.75 ton). Sure it'll haul more but if you get stopped they'll judge on the lesser of your registration weight, the GVWR or GCWR. In general, the 10k LPs tare out at 2250 Lbs+. Been over a year since I looked but IIRC, they ranged from 2080- 2800 for a 6x10 low profile. IIRC, the deck overs weighed less.

My Pequea C-1500 weighs 2700 lbs empty according to the manufacturer. But, it really it weighs closer to 3500 lbs. I've had 4 tons of coal in it with no issues. It was slightly overloaded for it's registered weight (9999 lbs) but being a drop axle it looks like there is less of a load on it. Maryland cops have told me drive it responsibly and it's very unlikely they would pull me over.

Shipping weight on my pickup was 6312 lbs. It's spec is GVWR = 9200 lbs. I don't have combination tags nor a CDL license, just a class C. I'm unclear if I shoveled coal from the trailer to the pickup if I could be 100% legal. Some Maryland cops tell me going by the book they would weight the trailer and pickup separately, because I don't have combination plates or a CDL. It's all confusing to me.

I'm also very confused about the laws and restrictions. I'm just going to take the good advice I've received from VigIIpeaburner and get a weight distribution hitch, a good mesh tarp, make sure the rig is level and safe and drive like my mother is in the truck. That last part was mine.
This trailer weighs 2215 empty per specs. Rated at 9990 GVW. I'll put 4 tons in the trailer and a ton in the truck bed per trip.

Just sent off my paperwork for a Maine Registration. Had to pay 5% sales tax and $90.00 for a 5 year tag. Best deal in town.

Are you sure you want to put a ton in the bed?????? You'll have to see how she handles the 4 ton in the trailer My son lives about 500 feet down from the bri-mar factory in Chambersburgh, I stopped in there and they gave me a tour of the place, nice. you should see some of the other trailers they make there.

I do have a heavy duty weight distribution hitch and it works well. The weight law that has me confused is illustrated by this example. Suppose I overload a trailer by 500 lbs, so 10,500 lbs gross. Then assume my weight distribution hitch transfers 501 lbs to the pickup. Am I now legal? Some Maryland state cops say no. Because of my class C drivers license I'm limited to a 10K trailer. So by the book they would disconnect the trailer from the pickup and weight it separately. If the total vehicle truck and trailer were weighed together it would be legal. This is the way it would be weighed at a weigh station or portable scales. Any one else have an opinion? Remember I'm talking about plain Jane homeowners driver's license and tags. Is it different in other states?

Here is about 2 1/2 ton in a trailer,,,,

Weight distributing hitch (WDH) confused me for a long time. I think e-trailer.com had the best explanations along with some trailer forums.

Suppose your 10,000 GVWR trailer is loaded to a GVW of 10,000. Trailer tongue weight is typically 10-15% of the trailer weight if distributed evenly. That would mean a possible tongue weight of 1,000 to 1,500 Lbs. Most class IV pickup hitches are rated at 5-600 Lbs straight or 1,000 Lbs with a WDH. With this load, you can see what your pickup's hitch is asked to bear.

As I envision a working WDH, it acts much like an inverted strung long bow - pushing both ends of the bow away from the string. A WDH uses spring bars with specific weight ratings, typically 400, 600, 800, 1,000 and 1,200 Lbs. The weight rating is the maximum up-push they provide. Pick the set that you need. They act as the bow. The trailer tongue to trailer's axles and the pickup behind the rear axle is the bow string.

Once the WDH is set up, the weight load that is in the zone of the "bow string" is distributed between the trailer axles and the pickups front & rear axles. The goal is to more evenly load both truck axles rather than having the rear axle overloaded (sagged springs) and the front axle lifted (to where the headlights are pointing to the raccoons in the trees ). The trick is to distribute the weight to every axle so as to load each as evenly as possible and the rig will ride level.

I'll work an example as I understand it. Nothing exact here. In this example assume the weight behind the truck's rear axle is 500 lbs and the trailer's tongue weighs 1,100 lbs. for a total 1,600 Lbs. If we use 1,000 Lb spring bars and have the DWH head set up correctly, 1,000 Lbs of that 1,600 Lb load is moved between all 4 axles of the rig. The weight on the pickups class IV hitch is within design specification - closer to an actual weight of 600 Lbs. Some of the trailer"s 1,000 Lb tongue is shifted onto the two trailer axles. The 500 Lbs behind the pickup's rear axle and the ~600 Lbs tongue weight on the class IV hitch is evenly carried between the pickup's two axles. The goal is to have each axle of the truck evenly loaded and the same for the trailer.

Yanche wrote:...8<... If the total vehicle truck and trailer were weighed together it would be legal. This is the way it would be weighed at a weigh station or portable scales. Any one else have an opinion? Remember I'm talking about plain Jane homeowners driver's license and tags. Is it different in other states?

This question gets me too. The NJ trailer dealer I bought through answered it the way you describe: In NJ, the tow vehicle and trailer are weighed separately for "plain Jane homeowners driver's license and tags". If comercial registry, then it's combined and different limits apply. I try to stay withing my truck's weight, counting tongue wt and coal in the bed. My truck is rated to tow less than what the trailer can max out at. If I tow more in the trailer than what the tow capacity of the truck is but I'm still inside the registered wt. and GVWR of the trailer, is my goose cooked? Would they even look at what the truck's tow capacity is?

Here is the law in PA Class C license and class A B And M C holder can tow up to 26k combined over 26k you need a Class A

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/driverLicensePhotoIDCe ... sses.shtml

coalkirk wrote:Finally found one and made the deal. It's a 2007 Bri-mar DT610LP-10. I have had several in my sights over the last couple months but missed out before I could close the deal. This one was about 3 hours away near Ocean City Md. Has a little rust from the salt air but not bad. Has had very little use. Original tires and brakes in very good shape.

Brimar.jpg

Read about trailer tires there not like car or trucks they may look good but they might be safe and to buy any tires try the second
link put the size in the search
**Broken Link(s) Removed**http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/home.do?

At least you guys have laws in your state. In MA the law is whatever the cop tells you it is when he pulls you over. This changes depending on his mood.

I'm not joking either ... This applies to pretty much everything. We have laws so confusing that not even the police know them!

Also check your truck manual, should give you a formula to go by to see what your truck is capable of towing. Get a good brake controller if you don't have one.

I'am really not sure but I would say I have about 4-5 tons on here. It's a load for the old truck. Pulled the Coal Bin Out Today!!