Grain Trailers

[Old Cowzilla]

Bin doing some metal work on older trailers for a farm I drive truck for , don't want to be dribbling $16 canola on our silk smooth #16 hyway. Just wonder ( along with trailer owner ) what brand or direction guys are going as far as replacement steel or aluminum ?

Seams to be both types on road these days

[Goodtime]

Notice lots of everything hauling to the crushers in Yorkton, but have really seen a resurgence of Doepker Steel Superbs, tons of them on the road and a lot more truck wash optons in the area should help keep the paint decent.

[Old Cowzilla]

These load kings have been good but are about 1500kgs heavier than guys ahead of me in the lineups. We know they can't last forever.

[Taiga]

Yes the Doepker steel and aluminum are the lightest trailers available right now. I personally think they are the best.
I run the Legacy’s now and haul over 45T (at 63,500). I have small rock marks at the rear of both the lead and pup on the sides. This is their first winter. I don’t know where this is from, I just assume it is from the air swirling and sucking stones up. Anyway, I would assume this would eventually be rust spots in steel walls.
With the winds lately, I am curious if the fully enclosed trailers (Distinction, Wilson etc) pull easier and give better fuel economy. I hear that rumour but nobody is ever able to quantify it. If true it might be worth it because fuel cost adds up.
I had Wilson super B’s before and could only haul 43T, so I am 2000kg lighter with the Legacy’s. I didn’t notice any real difference in pulling in crosswinds.
For sure my next trailers will have disc brakes and lift axles. Lift axles primarily for easier pulling in the winter, less drag through the snow and hopefully shift some more weight onto the drive axles. I imagine a fully optioned trailer pair will be $200k in another three years though the way things are going.

[dalek]

I think everybody I know who’s changed trailers lately has gone with Titan but maybe it’s just an Ontario thing

[helmsdale]

Open ended corrugated steel doepker vs closed end smooth wall Wilson's in a 40mph cross wind pull about 70hp harder. Pulled with a fella that had Wilson's, I had doepker. I was 620hp, he was 550. I could pull away from him all the time, but with a stiff cross wind we were about equal.

Lift axles add weight, system complexity, and added repair expense. I found no long term advantage regarding tire wear, or brake wear. Weight transfer to drives was not significant enough on empty trailers to make much of a difference in low traction environments. They were nice for turning tight on grass in farmyards, and did give less drag when turning in loose snow. IMHO, the minor gains were more than offset by the negatives. Would not get another set with lift axles.

[tubs]

Have doepker super bees for about 5 years bought new and they still look new. automatic openers and disk brakes and lift axels no complaints I can get 45000 net kg in trailer and still legal.

[Taiga]

Good info on lifts, good to hear experiences. I figure the disc brake weight savings would offset some of the extra lift axle weight but if it makes no difference in pulling then perhaps not worth it. Have never pulled trains with lifts so don’t know.

I did look at the Titan super B last spring and liked a lot about them. They were just slightly heavier than the Distinctions, but not a lot (couple of hundred kg I recall). Lighter than the newest Wilson’s. I like that they are unpainted and 100% aluminum. They were same price or more expensive than the Legacy’s though and I was not willing to pay for the extra weight. They look exceptionally minimal maintenance. I will look at them again next time. Washing these trailers is a waste of money in the winter. Hard to get in and out for less than $150 and they get dirty and salty again so fast.

[Taiga]

Found my old notes on weights (Doepker is the only one that publishes a base weight, it took a lot of work to get the other weights). Titan was less than Lode King Distinction. Newest Wilson design same weight as Distinction. Can’t verify any of these weights, just what dealers and manufacturers told me.

Titan: 20,900lbs
Doepker: 19,600lbs (published)
Lode King: 21,600lbs
Wilson: 21,600lbs.

[Old Cowzilla]

So the lifts and disc brakes must add a fair cost to trailers ? Heard new trailer hubs are grease not oil is that true if so how's that working out ?

[blackpowder]

I don't know but I've been told disc brakes can be brutally pricey to work on.

[Old Cowzilla]

What about freezing up disc compared to the old drums ?