Muck trailer body

[Andrew]

We have 2 muck trailers, built by Gull for Bartlett carrots in about 1995. They have done a lot of miles at Bartletts, and moved an awful lot of cow muck for us. The chassis are in really good nick, and very high spec, but the skips are rotten.
I am wondering about making new skips for them, but what do I make them from?

Steel, (as they are now, which has lasted 25 years). I have good contacts for aluminium and stainless fabrication as well. A lot of tipper trucks are aluminium, for weight reasons, but I’m looking at it for it’s anti corrosion properties.
Alternatively would stainless be better again?
They are 14t trailers and once in a while the forklift has hit them with the grab, so they need to be strong

I know 25years is a good lifespan, but steel doesn’t seem as good quality now, and due to our system they will sometimes be left half full of cattle slop etc etc. Any recommendations?

 

[davedb]

Steel body and galvanise it? Might have to bolt the sides to the bottom tho to fit it in a tank

 

[Andrew]

Steel body and galvanise it? Might have to bolt the sides to the bottom tho to fit it in a tank

I did wonder about that, we are only a few miles from the local plant with an 8x1.3x3.1m bath (when it’s rebuilt after a fire). But what happens if it gets caught with grab, or loaded with stones? Wouldn’t that scratch it off?
Also causes a lot of heat distortion problems I’m told, but never had much to do with it.

 

[davedb]

Thick metal doesn’t distort too badly normally, and a scratch would be a long time letting rust in I’d say it’ll be a good compromise between cost and longevity
I hire a Pichon rear discharge sometimes that’s galvanised and that stands it well that’s made in sections and bolted together

 

[davedb]

Also IAE at stoke have a big galvanising bath maybe not as long as some but a lot wider I’ve seen storth slurry equipment and Marshall rotor spreaders there being done

 

[Chae1]

Could you not just cut out and patch up the bits at top thats rotted through?
Looks a good trailer by my standards!

 

[Andrew]

Could you not just cut out and patch up the bits at top thats rotted through?
Looks a good trailer by my standards!

Thats just a couple of pics. Bottom is rotted as well, tailgates are cracking up and bent, floor is nearly worn through, floor rails are rotten as well. I could patch it up but in a few years time I’ll be patching in between the patches so be cheaper to do it right first time.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Stainless would be perfect but my god they would cost an absolute fortune

 

[HarryB97]

We had the same issue with our horse muck trailer as it has muck in it every day of the year. Had the body completley redone in stainless which we should of done from the start. I would avoid galvanising myself the modern stuff doesn't last in muck at all compared to the old galvanise. Thicker steel plate would probably be your best bet as by the time that goes home the rest of the trailer would probably be worn out to.

 

[Chae1]

Stainless would be perfect but my god they would cost an absolute fortune

Artic bulk trailers always look cheap compared to agri spec


https://www.trucklocator.co.uk/list...89658563/2006-fruehauf-3-axle-tipping-trailer

 

[335d]

Steel body, but line it with thin stainless sheet? Fold it over the top and weld the seams inside

 

[bitwrx]

I did wonder about that, we are only a few miles from the local plant with an 8x1.3x3.1m bath (when it’s rebuilt after a fire). But what happens if it gets caught with grab, or loaded with stones? Wouldn’t that scratch it off?
Also causes a lot of heat distortion problems I’m told, but never had much to do with it.

Galv is sacrificial galvanic protection, rather than a barrier coating. If you scratch through it, the steel underneath won't rust through at anything like as quick as ungalvanised steel.

Heat distortion can happen, but I'd hope a properly constructed monocoque body would be stiff enough to maintain its overall shape, even if some of the panels did distort. We'll be in the same situation in a couple of years. Could you try it and let me know how it goes?

I've often wondered if galvanic protection anodes would protect dung trailers against urine in the same way they do ships against seawater. The two liquids are both electrolytes, so I guess the protection may work the same way. Any chemists on here care to comment?

 

[quattro]

What about some aggregate body’s off a 8 wheeler and convert door to hydraulic

 

[Farmer_Joe]

Galv is sacrificial galvanic protection, rather than a barrier coating. If you scratch through it, the steel underneath won't rust through at anything like as quick as ungalvanised steel.

Heat distortion can happen, but I'd hope a properly constructed monocoque body would be stiff enough to maintain its overall shape, even if some of the panels did distort. We'll be in the same situation in a couple of years. Could you try it and let me know how it goes?

I've often wondered if galvanic protection anodes would protect dung trailers against urine in the same way they do ships against seawater. The two liquids are both electrolytes, so I guess the protection may work the same way. Any chemists on here care to comment?

good point that, you look at bottom of hurdles that are in sh!t all time go eventually?

i would just remake them from steel prob spec it up thickness wise a bit then get some really hard 2 pack paint on it.

i have a late 90's trailer from triffit that was similar condition wise, its 14 tonner with proper arctic running gear sprung draw bar, body poor but chassis solid as f**k, i needle gunned chassis off primed repainted the new synthetic stuff seem to go nearly like a plastic coating lookg good,

body cut out crap with plasma cutter and welded new in, i did wonder how much more i should have cut out its difficult really as you get to the point where you just cut the lot out!

i dont use mine a great deal so should be fine but as you say i will have to do more work in the future no doubt, if i was richer i would have remade the body as you are suggesting.

 

[8100]

What about a RO RO body as a start point

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[mo!]

Stainless will crack and cost too much. Galv doesn't last that well with muck on it all the time. I'd have a hardox one myself, stronger so you can build it lighter and aim to shotblast it in 5-10 years. More critical on a trailer is building it without pockets that catch muck and road salt, some big name agri trailers are terrible, especially the "mud guards" which are often completely useless at protecting the underside of the body.

 

[Speedstar]

We have 2 muck trailers, built by Gull for Bartlett carrots in about 1995. They have done a lot of miles at Bartletts, and moved an awful lot of cow muck for us. The chassis are in really good nick, and very high spec, but the skips are rotten.
I am wondering about making new skips for them, but what do I make them from?

Steel, (as they are now, which has lasted 25 years). I have good contacts for aluminium and stainless fabrication as well. A lot of tipper trucks are aluminium, for weight reasons, but I’m looking at it for it’s anti corrosion properties.
Alternatively would stainless be better again?
They are 14t trailers and once in a while the forklift has hit them with the grab, so they need to be strong

I know 25years is a good lifespan, but steel doesn’t seem as good quality now, and due to our system they will sometimes be left half full of cattle slop etc etc. Any recommendations?


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Make new steel ones & get them powered coated, weld up every part of them & keep the water out of the folded steel or box & if they do another 25 years the rest will of had it by then

 

[Happy hillbily]

Wouldn't bother patching the trailer, take the body off and get a new one made easier cheaper and tidier, then get the whole lot body and chassis sandblasted and put some decent paint on, as said above weld all seams, or have large drain holes in all folded/box sections.

 

[Pan mixer]

I did mine with 4 mm steel, on the floor and the bottom corners, the sides have gone now and will bolt some more to them I think, the bottom has lasted 20 years so far.

I was wondering whether to sheet them with 6mm stockboard?

 

[startinghandle]

There is a skip hire firm having closing down auction in January