What To Look For With Your Next Dump Trailer
A dump trailer is a great tool to have if you are in the landscaping, construction, or similar type of business. With a dump trailer, you can handle your own pickups and delivery of materials and hauling away construction debris. Here are some features to consider when you are looking to buy or rent your next dump trailer.
Tarp Protection Coverage
One of the first things you will need to consider on a dump trailer is the type of tarp system or kit it is installed with. A rolling or manual tarp system on your dump trailer will ensure your load does not blow or bounce out of your trailer while you are traveling to and from a worksite. In many areas, it is illegal to carry a dump trailer load that is not protected with a tarp covering, as the debris can fall onto the highway and cause accidents, damage, or personal injury to others.
The type of tarp covering on your trailer can make the process of covering your load easier or more difficult. For example, if you choose a steel arm or cable rolling tarp system, it will be easier to secure your load than if you have to manually cover it with a bungee-secured tarp. Before you select a trailer, check to see if the dump trailer is installed with a rolling tarp system or has a tarp kit with rings along the sides of the trailer to help you secure your tarp. But either process will keep your load legal and prevent roadway accidents from an unsecured load. Talk to a company like Glider Systems Inc for more information on tarp systems.
Hydraulic Lift System
Another important detail you need to consider on your dump trailer is the type of lift system. The lift system that raises and lowers the dump trailer's bed is going to determine the ease in which you can unload certain types of materials. And if you commonly haul and dump heavy materials, such as gravel or sand, both are quite heavy (gravel can weigh an average of 2,900 pounds per cubic yard and sand weighs up to 3,000 pounds per yard) and you will need to account for this weight in your trailer's lifting ability.
A hydraulic lift under your dump trailer's bed may be either a scissor lift or a single ram lift. A scissor lift will provide you more lifting power compared to a single ram, but dump trailers are more commonly equipped with a single ram. So if you are considering purchasing a trailer with a single ram, make sure the ram is positioned and installed at an angle beneath the trailer instead of horizontally. The ram positioned at an angle will give your dump trailer better leverage to push up a load of gravel or sand, especially when first lifting the load, which is the most difficult part of the trailer's lifting of the load.
Efficient Gate Access
The type of gate access your dump trailer is equipped with is also going to make your work easier or harder. Your dump trailer may come with a rear gate that opens in a barn door style or a spreader gate. The barn door–style gate will allow you to fully open the back of your trailer when you need to empty its load. And this allows for you to climb into the dump trailer if your load is excessively heavy and you need to manually move the material off the bed. A barn door access will also allow you to raise your dump trailer and unload all its contents at once.
But if you want to unload your dump trailer and spread it over a certain area, you can install a spreader gate on your trailer. A spreader gate opens at the floor of your trailer to disperse its contents slowly rather than in one lump dump. A spreader gate is good to lay down a load of gravel, which you will need to spread over an area, so it helps you shorten the work.
However, you can also choose a gate that is a combination barn door and spreader. This type of gate allows for a full dump or will spread your material in an even manner.