Dump Trailer

Dennis.D

Active member

Equipment
L6060, Erskine hydraulic snow blower, back hoe
Feb 16, 2018
146
59
28
Central, ME,USA
I'm getting ready to up grade my dump trailer. I have a 6' X 10' Bri Mar. It's been a good trailer, but now I want bigger. I have looked at a lot of trailers and I'm leaning towards the Big Tex 14LP 12' or 14' length. There are so many options it gets over whelming. I like the cover that rolls out over the load. I think the sizzer lift is better than just a ram. It has the barn door and spreader tail gate. No drop down tail gate option, I'm ok with that. I just looking for opinions of what you have had good and or bad luck with. I know there is no way I will think of everything before I buy. thanks for you experiences and opinions.
 

GeoHorn

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
May 18, 2018
6,052
3,323
113
Texas
I have a Load Trail 10K Dump Trailer and I like their warranty (2 yrs w/4 yrs of road assistance which even includes the tow vehicle). They also included a key-chain remote…which allows me to stay in the truck and command a Dump from the drivers seat while slowly pulling to distribute the gravel evenly. It has a roll-up cover, LED lights, spare tire (all grade E-rated 18” tires) and the gate will swing barn-door/tailgate/or spreader, and it also includes ramps which store beneath so as to load it as a vehicle-hauler. It’s a scissor-lift Ram. It was slightly less than $7K and is built on 8” I-beam constuction, all Powder-coated instead of paint. I”ve had it 3 years now and hauled many tons of granite gravel and the powder-coating is still intact and glossy black.
The seller asked me if I had any ag tax exemptions …and I do have a hay exemption…so he thought of it….and I agreed…. we registered it as a Farm trailer and that saved me sales tax as well as gives it cheap license plates. (y)
 
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mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
5,392
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113
NW Montana
I'm getting ready to up grade my dump trailer. I have a 6' X 10' Bri Mar. It's been a good trailer, but now I want bigger. I have looked at a lot of trailers and I'm leaning towards the Big Tex 14LP 12' or 14' length. There are so many options it gets over whelming. I like the cover that rolls out over the load. I think the sizzer lift is better than just a ram. It has the barn door and spreader tail gate. No drop down tail gate option, I'm ok with that. I just looking for opinions of what you have had good and or bad luck with. I know there is no way I will think of everything before I buy. thanks for you experiences and opinions.
I have two dump trailers both made by PJ, both with front tool boxes and roll up covers which are awesome. I have a 16ft x 7ft low pro with two 7k axles and a 10ft x 5ft with a single 5k axle. Both are excellent and I'd buy both again. I also have a MidSota 14k utility trailer with a front tool box but the PJ tool box is way better and doesn't allow water in when it rains, unlike the MidSota which does.

The 16ft has ramps that stow under the trailer, a combo spreader/barn door rear gate and I opted for the 2ft extension panels (expanded mesh) since I use the trailer to pick up firewood among other things. I think Big Tex owns PJ if I'm not mistaken and either product is a quality US made product, for the most part. All of these companies can be a bit cheap sometimes e.g. not completing a weld to seal up a joint to prevent the ingress of water, but I typically fix those issues myself.
 
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Tarmy

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Equipment
L2800, BH76A, FEL,box scraper
Nov 17, 2009
482
409
63
Lake Almanor, Ca
I have a 6x14 foot dump, originally rated at 14,000…de rated to 9990. I love the cover built in…and I added a few thingies too….I also just recently added a power Jack…love that with a big trailer like this.
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mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
5,392
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NW Montana
I love the cover built in…and I added a few thingies too….I also just recently added a power Jack…love that with a big trailer like this.
Very nice! Is that larger toolbox a factory add-on or custom?
 

Digger.Jeep

New member

Equipment
LX2610SU - GS1560, BB1260, BB20-48, RCR1860, PFL1242
Jul 11, 2020
21
22
3
Northwest Washington
I have a 14' gooseneck made by LoadTrail. I work the crap out of the thing with no issues in the last 18 months.
Unless you already have a Class A CDL, be aware of the license requirements for your state anytime you have a trailer rated over 10,000#. I assume this is the reason for Tarmy's de-rated trailer.
If you will be towing a 14k trailer at capacity very often, I highly recommend the gooseneck for stability.
If I were going to buy it again, I'd get a 16' bed.
 

Dennis.D

Active member

Equipment
L6060, Erskine hydraulic snow blower, back hoe
Feb 16, 2018
146
59
28
Central, ME,USA
Thanks for all the replys. I found a 14' big tex a dealer close by had 1 left and I purchased it. It seems to be so hard to buy anything now-a-days. By the time you decide what you want no one has any in stock. Then when you find one you have to pay full price no dickering anymore. Anyway I got it and I like it. Mission accomplished.
 
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Tarmy

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Equipment
L2800, BH76A, FEL,box scraper
Nov 17, 2009
482
409
63
Lake Almanor, Ca
Very nice! Is that larger toolbox a factory add-on or custom?
That is a Lowe’s truck box…I made the frame for tying the loader down and knew that I wanted all the tie downs, wheel blocks, chains and tools whenever I was rolling…so I dabbed the frame to hold that box too…friggin’ love having that on it. The bucket bracket is set just high enough that when I load 16 or 20 lumber it rests on that in front and can be tied properly.
 
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mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
5,392
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113
NW Montana
That is a Lowe’s truck box…I made the frame for tying the loader down and knew that I wanted all the tie downs, wheel blocks, chains and tools whenever I was rolling…so I dabbed the frame to hold that box too…friggin’ love having that on it. The bucket bracket is set just high enough that when I load 16 or 20 lumber it rests on that in front and can be tied properly.
Function and form all wrapped up in one. I really like what you've done there. Whenever something looks factory it's usually indicative of quality work.
 

GreensvilleJay

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Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
11,671
5,049
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
backup lights !!!
have never seen one from the factory or dealer WITH them installed, even though all trailers have 7 pin RV setup. I asked local BIG dealer about backup lights, he asked 'why would you need then ?' I said 'I'll buy one of yours, ig YOU deliver it to my place , tonight. he couldn't backup 20' let alone 200 ,with a simple lazy curve then a tight 90. He lost a 6K sale by not having 50 bux of white LEDS out back.
 

BigG

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Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
Sep 14, 2018
1,951
770
113
West Central,FL
I had a Moritz 27 foot gooseneck with the little oval backup lights. They were worthless. I back 1/4 of a mile down a dead end street every night and they were not bright enough to even see the edge of the pavement.
 

GeoHorn

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Equipment
M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
May 18, 2018
6,052
3,323
113
Texas
mcmxl, I was informed by a trailer outfit here in central texas that Load Trail and PJ Trailers are actually separate companies owned by brothers who had a disagreement on manufacturing and split-up. The Load Trail is made in Paris, Texas and the PJs are primarily made in Mexico then shipped to Texas to be completed. Their construction is similar but the PJs are made on either C-channel or rect-tubing )(depending on model) and the Load Trails are built on I-beams.
Both brands are sold near me and I inspected both before purchasing and confirmed the design differences.
 

mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
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NW Montana
mcmxl, I was informed by a trailer outfit here in central texas that Load Trail and PJ Trailers are actually separate companies owned by brothers who had a disagreement on manufacturing and split-up. The Load Trail is made in Paris, Texas and the PJs are primarily made in Mexico then shipped to Texas to be completed. Their construction is similar but the PJs are made on either C-channel or rect-tubing )(depending on model) and the Load Trails are built on I-beams.
Both brands are sold near me and I inspected both before purchasing and confirmed the design differences.
I never stated any connection between Load Trail and PJ, simply that there's a connection between Big Tex and PJ and there is. Bain Capital bought Big Tex in 2016 and merged with American Trailer Works who owns PJ. Interesting that PJ has a manufacturing plant in Paris, TX but it's PJ of Sumner, and Load Trail's shipping & receiving address is Sumner, TX. If you want to believe that Load Trail products are exclusively made in TX and that PJ products are made in Mexico that's up to you, but I wouldn't take the word of a "trailer outfit", particularly one that's a competitor to Big Tex and PJ. Big Tex has manufacturing facilities in a number of places in the US so it's quite likely that both Big Tex and PJ products are primarily made there.

ATW Home - ATW Corporate

" A private investment firm, Bain Capital Private Equity, announced it has reached an agreement to acquire American Trailer Works, which owns and operates PJ Trailers of Sumner, one of the larger employers in Lamar County. Headquartered in Southlake, Texas, American Trailer Works makes and distributes utility and cargo trailers in North America, including the PJ Trailers brand, which has a manufacturing plant northeast of Paris on FR 2352."

Also, the frame on my PJ 16ft dump trailer is made from 8" I-beams so I guess you didn't get to inspect the one I bought. You mentioned Load Trail's two year warranty so I'll mention PJ's three year warranty.

14K Low-Profile Dump PRO (DL) - PJ Trailers

At the end of the day, you're happy with Load Trail and I'm happy with PJ (x2), MidSota and Cargo Pro. It's all good.
 
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GeoHorn

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M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
May 18, 2018
6,052
3,323
113
Texas
Well, mcmxl, it’s apparent your feathers got ruffled somehow by my comments based upon my personal observations. Your reliance upon promotional literature by an affiliate is fine but it doesn’t explain the flat-cars of PJ trailer frames that are seen to come across the border down here in Texas…. since their claim that they “distribute” trailers doesn’t mean the product is entirely manufactured here…. I suppose their claim is merely intended to imply that.
Glad you like your trailers. You ought to have that privilege …. you certainly paid for them I presume.
The main reason I didn’t like the PJ was the poor quality welds. I’m not the only one:
I was sad to hear about the merger between Big Tex and PJ because BT has a had a declining reputation also and that doesn’t bode well for PJ: https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/pj-trailers-decline-in-quality.82456/

I’m not saying they’re all bad… they’re just not consistently good. (And they have a preference for straight ram lift systems and use undersized rams.). Hopefully you got a good one before their quality declined.
 
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mcmxi

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***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
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NW Montana
I’m not saying they’re all bad… they’re just not consistently good. (And they have a preference for straight ram lift systems and use undersized rams.). Hopefully you got a good one before their quality declined.
I think you're simply stating what you've read on a forum rather than actually looking at specific trailers. You state " the PJs are made on either C-channel or rect-tubing )(depending on model)" and yet all you have to do is look at PJs website to see that numerous trailers are built on an I-beam frame, my 16ft dump trailer is and so are many others.

Then you say "And they have a preference for straight ram lift systems and use undersized rams." and yet my 16ft dump trailer has a scissor lift with a 5"x21" cylinder. Numerous PJ trailers use a scissor lift arrangement if it's warranted. Are you right about anything?

Please provide evidence that the rams used by PJ are undersized. Which models have undersized rams? What ram should PJ have used?

Welcome to the age of saying anything on a forum without any evidence or data. I worked as a welder for 14 years on all manner of projects both in a fabrication shop, construction, steel erecting, underwater etc. and have passed numerous welding tests including a 5G pipe test so I'm confident in my ability to identify good and bad welds. I certainly don't look to someone on a internet forum to tell me if brand X has good or bad welds on their trailers but clearly you do. Your intent was to ruffle feathers so why the feigned surprise at my reaction?
 

NvRudder

Member

Equipment
L2501DT, LA525, R14's, Bison NVHA210 84" RB, Allied 60" SB, Diamond C 10k Dump
Jun 15, 2021
78
88
18
Northern NV
Wanted to share info about my Diamond C 10k 7'x12' Dump...(hopefully I don't rub anyone wrong. Wish we could be a bit more tolerant of other viewpoints before we start head-butting each other...got enough of that going around in our country already).

I bought a Diamond C due to features/options better fitting my needs vs Big Tex & PJ. Its optioned for 44" 10 Ga sides, 10 Ga floor, 3/16" Fenders and 3 way gate. Also got it in Silver, as the black dumps I have used get so darned hot in the summer sun, that you need gloves to use them.

I added a front hydraulic jack kit from Bailey Hydraulics. It was not plug-N-play...as the Stillwell hydraulic jack has a horizontal mount orientation, whereas the hand crank was vertically mounted. Fabbed a mount bracket out of 6" channel and 1/2" plate. Also had to add a double acting pump unit (KTI Hydraulics) to be able to power the jack ram cylinder up and down. Kit included a 2-way selector valve to switch between dump and hydraulic jack. Works like a charm!

Lastly, I deleted the dump floor D-Rings... as I didn't want materials to get hung up while dumping or me tripping on them when loading the tractor. Ended up drilling the floor and bolting 5/8" coupling nuts to cross members to be able to screw in a 5/8" Eye Bolt for equipment tie-down or just inserting a 5/8" socked head bolt when dumping. Bolts have 4,000 Lb vertical load rating, so using 4 (four) of them should be plenty for securing the tractor.

All-in-all, happy with the trailer. We'll see how it handles the L2501 when I go to finally pick it up from the Dealer this week! Will post pics of "Tractor on Trailer" for that thread.
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GeoHorn

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Equipment
M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
May 18, 2018
6,052
3,323
113
Texas
mcmxl, now you’re calling me a liar? Must be a practice you’re personally fond of so you attribute it to others.
.
You think I didn’t go and look personally at several. brands/models of trailers before I bought one?
They sell PJs only 14miles from my house. I drove 80 to buy a Load Trail after I saw how PJs are made.
Clearly you did not even read the second link I provided.

Let me post the PJ owners’ comments directly (I see you admit YOUR PJ has a 5” ram. My Load Trail has a 6” ram.)

PJ were great trailers, family owned, and a lot of thought went into their design. I have two of them. My 2016 14k tandem dovetail is a workhorse and has never given me any trouble except normal wear on the brakes.

My 2019 21k triple axle lowboy dump has been trouble since I drove off the lot. PJ put in a 5" hydraulic dump cylinder that it would only lift 5 tons instead of the 6" cylinder I paid extra for. PJ forgot parts. Welds are sloppy. The powdercoating has numerous bad areas, the dealer spent 2hrs touching it up before I even saw it. The brakes were weak, would not even lock up unloaded on a dirt parking lot. It turns out that the wiring harness was damaged when installed. There was grease smeared around randomly, like somebody wiped off their hands on the trailer. Many nuts and bolts were only finger tight, including grease nipples which would have fallen off the first time I towed with it. The handle to crank the gooseneck jacks hit the tarp shaft every turn, making it very slow to crank up or down (see pic below). The dump doors would not lock open. There was daylight and booger welds under the bed. The center pin on the dump gate bent the first time I tailgated a load of gravel. The extended bed side stakes fit poorly in the pockets, and several cracked within 3000 miles of use. I had to reinforce the stakes with angle iron. The welds on the front corners of the dump bed are cracking too. I never overload, the quarry gives me a weight ticket for every load.

The new PJ trailer has been nothing but trouble. I was amazed at all the assembly errors. What the heck happened to PJ quality? I decided to ask around, and do some internet investigation. I found sites where employees rate their companies. Many employees seem to dislike PJ intently. I found that PJ pays workers by the piece, not by the hour. The faster they work, the more they make. But then I found the real reason why PJ quality went downhill, talking to other trailer companies.

So, what happened? Two words: Mitt Romney.


Romney's vulture capital firm is named Bain Capital. Bain bought PJ and Big Tex in 2016. Vulture capitalists cut costs, lay off senior workers, outsource parts and jobs overseas, then sell out a few years later, at a profit. The R&D budget goes to Marketing instead. PJ has some great Marketing about quality, but that quality is gone.

I knew I'd never buy another PJ.”—-posted by RenoHuskerDu
 
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Henro

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Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
5,803
2,994
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
(I see you admit YOUR PJ has a 5” ram. My Load Trail has a 6” ram.)
Mine is bigger than yours! LOL

All I can say I am embarrassed about my size...little 5x8 single axle and I only can claim probably 4 inches!

No movie career for me...don't watch those kind of movies anyway...LOL

Can't we just be friends...? An expression that just popped into my mind... ;)
 

nbryan

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Equipment
B2650 BH77 LA534 54" ssqa Forks B2782B BB1560 Woods M5-4 MaxxHaul 50039
Jan 3, 2019
1,240
773
113
Hadashville, Manitoba, Canada
All I have to add about PJ vs Load Trail trailers, I have a Load Trail 5x8 5k single axle dumper trailer, and a 3 year old PJ 18' beavertail car hauler.
The Load Trail by 3 years old had less of its original "powder coat" black paint job remaining than rusty steel. The paint started peeling off within the first year. Terrible powder coat job.
The PJ at now 3 years old has barely a rust spot showing.
 

mcmxi

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
***Current*** M6060HDC, MX6000HSTC & GL7000 ***Sold*** MX6000HST & BX25DLB
Feb 9, 2021
5,392
6,474
113
NW Montana
@GeoHorn, you're the one that started this "my trailer is better than yours". Read this thread from the beginning and I made no claim that PJ was better than any other brand, simply that I'm happy with the two I have. You chose to make it all about how you make better choices but you and I have been down this road before.

Clearly you did not even read the second link I provided.
I did read through the links you provided and if you had read them thoroughly rather than cherry pick what you wanted to see, you would notice in one of the links four separate PJ owners that are happy with their trailers. The two complaining don't own PJ trailers.

Let me post the PJ owners’ comments directly (I see you admit YOUR PJ has a 5” ram. My Load Trail has a 6” ram.)
You specifically stated that the PJ cylinders were undersized so where's your evidence? Show me some calculations or some other compelling data rather than "my trailer has a bigger cylinder so your trailer cylinder is undersized".

As for internet complaints on products, it's easy to find complaints on just about anything. 15 second search turned up a video and BBB complaints specifically re Load Trail trailers. Give me 30 minutes and I can probably find hundreds of complaints.