THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BUY a Dump Trailer… Dump Trailer Tips !
First off..Do you really need to BUY one or should you just Rent it?
Have a plan upfront to make sure it makes sense to buy a dump trailer! We were about to rent a dumpster for about 600 something dollars not including tax and we were like wait…We can literally use that as a down payment. We’d talked about renting one before but always said nah.. we will use our HAND-y trailer! But we really thought hard this time.
We have a whole Real Estate strategy and we buy very distressed homes for high equity and over our 2 year strategy we’d spend at least $13,000 just for dumpster rentals. We also thought about how we could not only save money but make money with it when we aren’t using it so the search began.
So Tip one, have a strategy in mind. Like how many times would you have to pay somebody to rent one for your projects? It can even let you know if you should just rent one. Even if you want to start a business, how many times would you have to rent it out to meet your income goal? Maybe you want to be careful about how much you spend on the first one! It gives a gage on a budget so you won’t go over it like the $13,000 we figured out we’d spend over our 2 year plan.
See what’s out there!
Shout out to Google because a quick search can help you find some sellers that are near so you can get out and see them in person.See what’s out there so you can start seeing what you need AND don’t need. Don’t jump on the first thing you see! We even learned by experience that being willing to take a drive to a location that’s not that close to you can do a couple things. One, it could save you thousands of dollars, we were told $2,000 just to deliver and that would have been hoping it came without issues. It could also save you time if you were going to order one online to be shipped. Because it could take as long as 2 and a half months to get one made and you may still have to pay for delivery…
Wait, do you want a Bumper Pull or Gooseneck?
Honestly we were only thinking about a Bumper Pull in the beginning so it’s funny how we did a 360! A simple way to think about it? Would you rather have the weight on the bumper of your truck or the bed of it?
What size do you need?
Initially we were looking at a 7 by 14 by 2 that held about 10k which he’d just sold the last 3 and we’d have to wait so we looked at what he did have. A 16ft by 7 which held less pounds but was $700 less. So we’d save money for the 2 extra feet vs paying the extra for 500 pounds heavier with that. The 16ft could hold 9,500 pounds while the 14ft could hold 10,000 pounds, Bigger is not always better! Know what size your looking for. Will you have more bulk? Like heavier things? Or more volume like fitting more things that aren’t as bulky? Remember the sides can usually be built up with wood to fit more. Don’t forget certain weights can make you need a commercial license!
How does it lift?
Honestly I had no clue how they lifted and was not ashamed to ask how they do! So Dump Trailers have batteries like cars and have to be charged.. unless you want to be stuck with trash on the back of your truck till it charges! But some people add jump boxes inside. Direct line currents may be an option and solar panels may even be able to be used. Just remember throughout this process there is no such thing as a dumb question when trying to learn something new.
What type of Dump Lift do you want? Yes there are different ones!
There are 3 types…
- Dual, that has 2 pistons, lifts towards back
- Scissor, lifts towards middle
- Telescopic, lifts toward the front like dump trucks. Side note, it goes down without using the battery, it uses zero gravity.
Specs?
Some come with a 2 in one barn door and spreader gate. The 3 in one typically has those to along with a ramp ability. They have around a 70 degree lift, that was great to hear after we’ve been slaving with our hand unload trailer for so many years now we won’t have to touch it!
Let’s talk about Durability
When it comes to the metal gauge for the walls and floors 10 or lower is usually better. Think about Lawn care vs construction material there is a big difference in the chance of rocks piercing light metal vs dirt piercing it!
Upkeep Tips we learned?
- Grease all grease points and change and grease bearings every 15,000 miles
- Check tires for nails
- Have a spare! When buying, consider asking for one to be thrown in as a bonus. We know how important it is to have one after we got a flat with our older trailer on the freeway. We actually got 2 spares after that.
- Check lug nuts about every 100 miles
- Have a tarp so stuff won’t fly everywhere, something else that can be asked for as a bonus for buying
- Use the right hydraulic fluid, straight -30 in winter so it won’t freeze. We like that it comes in different colors so you can notice if it leaks
- Don’t overload (even though it seems cool to see what it can do) it could void your warranty!
- The more stress put on it, the more it gets beat up over time, but it could last 10-15 years. Salesman said personally he saw a piston go out at 10 years old.
- You can do a Undercoat underneath, BUT don’t do inside, unless you like velcro!
- Wondered if we could upgrade the pump… Nope! The axils are already rated.
- It has universal lock, we may want to change that
- Wondering some ways for Theft prevention? A coupler lock, wheel locks, and a tracker may help. But having insurance may give some relief if something does happen!
- Surface rust is often but maybe fluid film or other compatible paints can help.
- Always remember to pin back doors or they could end up being ripped off! The salesman said that could be about a $2,000 mistake!
Makesure you know how your going to buy it!
Whether you want to finance it or not have a plan on how you will. Some places even take trade ins, they didn’t want ours though! Want to see how we got our dump trailer free? Check out the video below
What happens once it’s time to take it home?
We were given a safety and quality check! They should check the lug nuts etc. Plus they may even spray rust spots. Heads up don’t be surprised if there is a paperwork fee and it may be due up front… We actually shared our pick up experience in the vlog below
Thinking of a way to pay it off or get your money back after buying it?
Also it was able to be in a business name with a personal guarantor with our lender. We shared who we went through for financing in our “How to get a Dump Trailer Free” Video tap the link to watch. But we really wanted it to just be in the business name and not show on the personal side but it is ok because it’s a way to grow the business and get business credit established.