# Build a trailer question



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

I saw one of these specialty trailers advertised on the net recently for hauling small amounts ( like 1-2 tons ) of feed. This would work perfectly for me, as I have only a few cows, and one trip a year to the feed store would do me. 

Feed is much cheaper in bulk, and I wouldn't to fool with the bags, and dumping 50lbs at a time in 55gal drums for storage....just keep it in the trailer hopper.










My question is the axle. 

Theirs doesn't appear to have springs, so I guess they are using an internal rubber torsion type axle ? Any tips on using one like that ?

Any other tips from veteran trailer builders ? This will be my first trailer project.

Thanks !


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

I would not want to tow the pictured trailor at highway speeds...its too top heavy, it is too short coupled (tongue too short), the tires/wheels therefore axle appear to be too light to stand up.

i am thinking the pictured axle does not have anytype of spring...the tires are acting as the only springing device.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

Storing feed for a year is not a good idea. By the time the year was over, insects will have eaten a majority of the feed ingredients and all that would be left is dust or meal. Storing bulk feed in a metal container subjects the feed to condensation due to tempature differences due to the changing seasons.

One can use chemicals to supress insect growth. Freezing small amounts of that large amount of feed to eliminate insects and their eggs would be time consuming and expensive, and feed so treated would have to be then stored in air tight containers.

My personal experience with bagged and bulk feed has been that there is a $20.00 per ton difference in cost. This is over many years and different feed suppliers.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

As others have pointed out, storing feed for a long time can cause serious problems, and the savings isn't that great really.

That said, I would use a regular trailer and simply place a feed hopper onto the trailer for filling. Then I would slide the filled hopper off, dropping it where I wanted it to stay.

HarborFreight and the like sell 4x8 1,000 lb tilt-bed trailers for about $200. Darn hard to beat that price.


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## PyroDon (Jul 30, 2006)

For a possibly cheap hopper source you might contact local metal junkers , a combine bin is a great hopper and can be found with capacities of 60-over a hundred bushels . they can also easily be placed on a trailer .

I have a 80 bushel combine bin that later this summer I will be building a trailer a round , Im also going to be building a 9ft dump trailer both of which I will document as construction begins


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

ace admirer said:


> I would not want to tow the pictured trailor at highway speeds...its too top heavy, it is too short coupled (tongue too short), the tires/wheels therefore axle appear to be too light to stand up.
> 
> i am thinking the pictured axle does not have anytype of spring...the tires are acting as the only springing device.


OK.

1. I don't plan to haul it fast, the feed dealer is about 10 miles, and I'll be hauling it at about 30mph max on back roads. Since they make this commercially FOR this purpose, I'd imagine they haven't had to many problems.

2. I would assume on the 1 ton model, the axle is a 3500lb axle, which seems like it would be more than adequate for a ton of feed + bin/etc.

And my question was on TORSION AXLES....

From Dexter Axle website:














_The Torflex suspension system is a torsion arm type suspension which is completely self contained within the axle tube. It attaches directly to the trailer frame using brackets which are an integral part of the axle assembly. The Torflex axle provides improved suspension characteristics relative to leaf spring axles through the unique arrangement of a steel torsion bar surrounded by four natural rubber cords encased in the main structural member of the axle beam.

The wheel/hub spindle is attached to a lever, called the torsion arm, which is fastened to the rubber encased bar. As load is applied, the bar rotates causing a rolling/compressive resistance in the rubber cords. This action provides the same functions as conventional sprung axles with several operating advantages including independent suspension. _


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

oneokie said:


> Storing feed for a year is not a good idea. By the time the year was over, insects will have eaten a majority of the feed ingredients and all that would be left is dust or meal. Storing bulk feed in a metal container subjects the feed to condensation due to tempature differences due to the changing seasons.


Hmmm....well, I already store it in metal 55 gal drums, and never noticed an insect problem, nor a condensation problem.




oneokie said:


> My personal experience with bagged and bulk feed has been that there is a $20.00 per ton difference in cost. This is over many years and different feed suppliers.


Which may well BE the case where you live. 

But HERE, where me and my wallet live, bulk is $90/ton cheaper...PLUS I wouldn't have to fool with the dang bags and lifting 20-30 of them out of the back of my pickup, and pouring in barrels.....and then disposing of the bags.

Now.....back to my question on trailer construction..................


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

foxtrapper said:


> As others have pointed out, storing feed for a long time can cause serious problems, and the savings isn't that great really.


Ok, their opinion, thanks, and the savings is 90/ton.




foxtrapper said:


> That said, I would use a regular trailer and simply place a feed hopper onto the trailer for filling. Then I would slide the filled hopper off, dropping it where I wanted it to stay.
> 
> HarborFreight and the like sell 4x8 1,000 lb tilt-bed trailers for about $200. Darn hard to beat that price.


I could DO that now with 55gal drums....but wrestling a 55 gal drum that will hold 250-300lbs of feed off a trailer, and in the dry, is NOT my idea of fun. I'd imagine wrestling a bin with 1,000lbs of feed ( plus the weight of the bin, which would have to be fairly stout itself to be free standing ) would be even less fun.

Now, anybody ever build a trailer with torsion axles ?


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## haypoint (Oct 4, 2006)

Around here, you can get a "real" grain storage gravity box for less than that bin would cost. If you have a hay wagon, it fits on that running gear.

Those torque axles are simple to build trailers with, but generally more costly than spring style. Around here you can get house trailer axles cheaper than anything you can buy new. Torque axles flex by squeezing hunks of rubber inside the tube. Not sure if that gives them a limited life span or not.

I like the idea of using a combine hopper. Those would have an auger, so with the skill to build a trailer, you could rig up a mobile self- unloading feed trailer.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

I wouldn't bother with a suspension myself. Just put the axle under the trailer. Sidewall flex of the tire is more than sufficient for this trailers needs.

I figured if you were feeling creative enough for trailer fabrication you were probably skilled enough to understand mounting roller wheels under something or slipping it off a smooth tilted deck, the use of skids, etc. 

I've built trailers, I've towed trailers. I do not like towing short little top heavy trailers.


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Yeah, I don't want it TOO big. The farmer's Co-op here actually sells a gravity style "creep feeder".....trailer unit about 12' long with a "V" shaped bin that looks like it would hold several tons, and feed several dozen cows at a time as the feed flows out into a trough on either side.

I wasn't looking to build anything that big. What I want is just what is pictured above, there is a chute on the back side that you raise the lever, and let the feed flow out into a bucket, then throw a bucket of feed into their feed trough, which is what I do now, only using barrels to dip the bucket in.

I figured to actually build the bin out of 3/4" plywood, and line the inside with 22-24ga sheet metal so the feed would not stick to the sides. A 4'x4'x5' tall box is 80 cuft, and that would hold about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 ton of feed, based on what a 55 gal drum holds. ( 275lbs, 7.3 cuft in a barrel ).


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## DaleK (Sep 23, 2004)

If that's what you want, the main difference I would make to what you pictured is to make a longer, A-frame style tongue reaching back under to the axles instead of a flimsy single tongue like they have on it.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

I would use a solid axle because you only go on the road once a year and you'd have to jack the traielr up to save the torsion axles. Not a terrible idea just an extra expense. I've stored feed for years with no problems, it will lose vitamins though.


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## Tarheel (Jan 24, 2010)

TnAndy, Brother in law is a veteran trailer builder, I will pass this thread on to him for his thoughts and post or pm them to you.


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## mightybooboo (Feb 10, 2004)

cool trailer!


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

ok then,,,,since you want to know about the torq axle...no, i don't think the trailor pictured uses the torq axle....the hub of the wheel would be offset from what appears to me to be a full length axle. and while i am no trailer expert (i have only built 50 or so of them in my short lifetime.) 

like DaleK said the single tongue is weak, "A" frame tongue is much stronger. if you look at the front crossmember you will see an open square tube with the lognitude tube welded to the open tube...poor use of metals, weak. it would be much stronger if the tube were mitered or at least cap welded.

I will stand by my statement that the trailor will be top heavy, too close coupled and i will go further to say it will probably be holy hewl to tow at any speed above about 30. and may even be unstable at 20 when fully loaded...but like you said if you have seen it, you would best know if you think it will meet your needs.

...if it were me...i would put that trailor on a real trailor, bind it down so it does not turn over once loaded. , drive it to purchase the feed, then use a tractor to pull the bulk trailor off the real trailor and around the farm.. i'm just saying....


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

Thanks. I agree, I don't see an offset, so it looks like they simply used a regular axle with no springs.

I have a couple sets of mobile home axles.....without cutting them down, using one of them would give a fairly wide track to the track to the trailer, and I may try to get the bin lower.

Also, I agree with the tongue....an A frame and longer length. I have a wood splitter I built some years back, and it is very short from the hitch connector to the axle, and I find it almost impossible to back it up, even when hitched on my 4 wheeler. I usually just tow it close to where I want to work, then unhitch and wheel it around by hand, it's so hard to back without turning the wrong way. No doing that with this grain trailer.

Thank you all for the replies.


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## ace admirer (Oct 5, 2005)

yeah, the backing of a close coupled trailor makes even the best backward drivers look inept. the MH axle is what 6,000 lb axle? they are too long to be used in virginia...by 6" if i remember... they are also against dot laws in virginia....but in the past i have built a bunch of trailors using MH axles,,,,,and to the best of my knowledge, there has never been a problem. (one of the trailors i build a few years ago with MH axles went throught a DOT road check.) and although the guy towing the trailor booked several tickets, they delt with too light a truck, no brake controller stuff like that.. so i'm not really sure VAS dot's stance on MH axles....heck three years ago dot did not care if the trailor had tags or lights ,,,behind a farmers truck anyway.....they cut the farmers some slack....i think those days are gone...

anyway. what i see is a purchased bunker hopper and then weld up a decent frame and axle around it....

I wonder,,,,if the bulk hopper had an attached feeder,,,would it be considered a trailor or equipment with wheels? if equipment with wheels, it does not have to be liscensed in virginia...


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## Allen W (Aug 2, 2008)

Or you could just buy or build a pick up bed trailer.


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