Dump Trailers, Frame Vs. Frameless

Years ago I remember someone had a frameless trailer that the tandems both stayed on the ground. It had draft arms like whats on the front hooked to the front of the tandem assembly. The back of the trailer stayed the height of a frame type to dump in hoppers. It was a little heavier than a frameless but lighter than a frame type.

Best dump I ever pulled was a City with a triaxle. The center axle was on springs, the other two in walking beams. It actually didn't ride bad but the more weight you put on the better it got. It was the most stable trailer I ever pulled, frame wise. Never pulled frameless.

 

Those are called "quarter frame" dumps. Again just a gimmick, there's a reason you don't see more of these around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=295awAg4wUA


Regardless of which trailer you pick be prepared to get that uneasy feeling when you look up and see the clouds blowing by, and for a second you think it's the trailer is going over.

 

Framed dumps just don't seem to hold up very well, Just my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqDglpujgl4

 

Or a load of coal comes out in the form of a brick! I swear I was standing next to the door when it hit the top of the hoist. 32 ton o fcoal will push a truck, regardless if the brakes are on....

 

They aren't a gimmick. Quarter frames are about the only type of end dumps used for construction materials in my area. I own two of them.

 

with the frameless dumps i have seen some guy put a block of wood under the fifth wheel, when the needed it block and didn't have the pin or the loops to pin it up.

 

Must be consistantly more un-level terrain out there? Here in CA, primary for construction use is frameless. Interesting, I like hearing how different regions use different equipment for the same general task due to contributing local factors.

 

Are they all as short as the one in the video? I've seen several of the short 26-32' ones but NEVER seen a 40' large quarter frame. By the time you add the extra parts your might as well just buy the full frame.

 

My trailers are 26'. Travis trailers says they can only build them 35' feet long before the geometry of the two sets of draft arms no longer works correctly. I don't really understand why that is, but I have never seen a quarter frame longer then 35'.

They are just a lighter weight trailer than a full frame that still has the ability to dump straight into a asphalt paving machine because the back stays at a constant height while dumping. They can still turn over like any of the other types and almost always take the truck over too.

It kind of fascinates me how much dump truck configurations vary from one region of the country to another just because of state weight laws.

 

My trailers are 26'. Travis trailers says they can only build them 35' feet long before the two sets of draft arms no longer work correctly. I don't really understand why that is, but I have never seen a quarter frame longer then 35'.

They are just a lighter weight trailer than a full frame that still has the ability to dump straight into a asphalt paving machine because the back stays at a constant height while dumping. They can still turn over like any of the other types and almost always take the truck over too.

It kind of fascinates me how much dump truck configurations vary from one region of the country to another just because of state weight laws.

Sorry for the double post. Hopefully a Mod will fix it for me.