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.01.1/ REVIEW DETAILS AND COMMENTS Maxey Trailers MFG 83” Bumperpull 14K Dump Trailer Review
Today The Trailer Book is reviewing a 14' bumper-pull dump trailer with two 7,000 lb. axles, built by Maxey Trailers MFG (www.maxeytrailers.com). The test will include loading and hauling a 45 HP tractor with a front-end bucket loader. Follow along as we head to the "back 40" and put this trailer to the test. Here are some of the standard features of the Maxey (model D8J) dump trailer:
One of the first things that draws attention when hooking up a new trailer is the coupler. The D8J comes standard with a 15,000 lb. capacity adjustable Fulton coupler. This coupler was easy to use and required no head-scratching to operate. The coupler bolts were only hand tightened, so that it could be adjusted to the proper height to match the tow vehicle. A friendly Maxey employee helped adjust the coupler height and tightened the bolts down and we were ready to hook it up to a GMC Sierra 2500HD pickup. We used a forged hitch with a properly rated 2-5/16” ball.
The next thing to catch our attention was the jack, our test trailer was equipped with a 10,000 lb. spring-loaded drop-leg jack. This jack came with a fold-away side-crank handle. The 10,000 lb. jack was nice and beefy, suitable for a dump trailer that will see rigorous use. After cranking the jack all the way up, a simple twist of the handle at the bottom of the jack retracts the spring-loaded foot. Using a drop-leg jack has several advantages, one, it gives the jack more range, and two, it requires less cranking. Right next to the jack, on the left side of the tongue is the break-away switch for the brakes. This device activates the trailer brakes if for some reason the trailer is inadvertently disconnected while driving.
With the trailer hooked up properly, and after a pre-trip inspection, we headed over to where our 45 HP tractor was waiting. We opened up the split rear doors, secured the doors in the open position with the D-rings provided. Next we pulled the linch pins that hold the slide-in ramps in place and pulled out the 7’ long ramps. The ramps easily hooked into the rub rail on the rear bumper and we were ready to drive the tractor up into the trailer bed. The D8J has a D-ring in each corner inside the bed, perfect for securing our little tractor. Also, there are four more D-rings on the outside of the bed, in addition to the tarp tie-down hooks. With the tractor secured and the rear doors locked, we headed off to our work site.
The sides of the trailer are low enough for our small tractor with front-end bucket loader to easily be able to dump dirt inside the bed. Dumping duties are handled by a 14,000 lb. lift capacity scissor hoist. The hoist has grease zerks on all the pivots points to enhance smoothness and longevity. A major advantage of a scissor lift is that the initial lift force is vertical, instead of horizontal towards the rear bed hinge. Another advantage is that a greater portion of its maximum lift is available when the bed is all the way down, right where needed most. And finally, the rate of lift is more constant with a scissor hoist, whereas without a hoist the rate is usually greater the lower the bed angle.
The rear gate is a split-barn-door and spreader gate. When loading equipment, such as our 45 HP tractor, just open the cam latch and swing open the doors and lock them in the open position with the outside rear D-rings. To secure the doors in the closed position, the cam door latch handle locks with a hasp and linch pin. When hauling dirt, gravel, composite roof shingles, and other loose materials, unloading is easy by opening the spreader gate and dumping the bed. Just pull the handle on the left side of the gate and dump the bed, the bed will dump a full 45 degrees. The floor is made from 10 gauge smooth steel, which facilitates materials sliding out when dumping.
On the front of the trailer, mounted between the tongue, sits a formed-steel toolbox. Inside the toolbox is a KTI hydraulic pump, a wired remote control, an Interstate deep-cycle battery, and a 110 volt AC charger. The yellow KTI remote control has two buttons, up and down. The KTI pump is dual-action, providing power up and power down (single-action is power up, gravity down). When dumping heavy loads very frequently, the battery will run down before the end of the day. A very handy feature is the built-in 110 volt AC charger with a male extension cord plug-in accessible without opening the toolbox lid. The plug-in has a spring-loaded cover that closes nicely when no cord is plugged in.
The axles and suspension on the D8J are fairly standard, comprised of Dexter 7,000 lb. brake axles, 5-leaf slipper springs, and hangers with equalizers. Wheels are modular steel painted gray and tires are ST235/80R16 radials with an “E” load range. Steel belted radials do not nee d as many plies as the older bias-ply designs, however, many people are used to the old rating system. A steel-belted radial tire with an “E” load range is equivalent to a 10-ply nylon bias-ply tire. Steel belted radial tires offer less rolling resistance than bias-ply tires and typically have better tread life. Maxey Trailers MFG does a fine job with painting their trailers and also providing DOT-approved conspicuity treatment, reflectors and lighting. The top of the dump bed has reflective tape on every side, and there is also reflective tape on the hitch tongue. The lights are all flush mounted in rubber bushings. The fenders have red lights on the rear and amber on the front, for width marking. The rear of the trailer has the 3-bar lights in the center, and oval lamps on the corners.
The trailer met every expectation and performed admirably. On the way home I took a photo of th e trailer in my rearview mirror. As you can see from the photo, the trailer is low enough so that the rearview mirror is still useable, while still providing over seven cubic yards of capacity (for the 14’ model we tested). To summarize, the Maxey Trailers MFG dump trailers provide all the features and capabilities that consumers have come to expect from a top-notch dump trailer. We were able to easily load and haul our tractor. Hauling dirt and dumping it where needed is also easily accomplished with the Maxey Trailers MFG model D8J.
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