Profile For Brandon J.

Brandon, why are U asking new drivers about a trailer your going to let set a year or more then try to go on the road with it ? A Great Dane trailer, if the slider hasn't been cut with a torch, then restore it to 2 axles and repairs as needed. Trying to save $2,000 and going back on the road unsafe is not a discussion for this Forum.

Thanks, Turbo Dan. I don't mean to ask "new" drivers per se. I'm trying to ask people who certainly know more about it than I do (this forum), because the seller is telling me it's fine. The metal was indeed torched. I don't know trailers that well, but it looked to me like the frame assembly for the axle was cut. He told me simply, "now it's a single axle". I'm glad I asked this forum, because I found out that this does not simply put the trailer into a lower weight class, but actually makes it unsafe and to be avoided for hauling purposes, and perhaps questionable even for stationary storage purposes. I think you'll agree that having the only person advising me be the seller, with him telling me it's fine, is probably not a responsible way to go, which is why I asked the forum. Thanks to everyone who helped me see the light (and feel the love ;) ). I'll check out Brett's Training Guide.

OK. I found a 1999 53' X 102" Great Dane Super Seal with a working Thermo-king (18k hours and a brand new alternator), and of all things, ODOT Inspection papers. $6800 delivered. This would be a relatively small increase in cost for a much more versatile asset.

The photos look good, and inspection papers sound good, but it's 300 miles away, so I would be hard-pressed to look at it before saying yes. If I hadn't looked at the last one before saying yes, I would not have known that it was missing an axle. Then again, the last guy wanted the majority of the payment before hauling, while this guy just wants cash when he delivers. Any reservations?

If not, the next question I have is what people recommend for keeping the tires and stand in the best shape possible, given that they will likely be sitting still for a few years. I plan to put gravel down on the dirt/grass where the tires will sit, and to do the same, plus a board, where the stand will sit. I have an air compressor to top off the tires from time to time, though I don't know if that helps prevent flat spots or not.

Any other recommendations?

So, given those needs, and that we are scraping by to grow a grain and bean processing facility, do you still think I should "forget the bad trailer"?

-Brandon J

In my humble opinion, yes.

You need a good trailer. You're in the food/grain business. Even if you don't use it for transporting right away, you never know when you might want to move it to another part of your yard temporarily, to get something done. Were it in good condition, a driver with a tractor, coming on to your yard, could easily hook to it and move it for you, hook back up to his trailer, deliver whatever, then move your trailer back to its original spot.

You might have situations that you cannot predict today. You might as well have a trap trailer, as we call it, that can do more for you than just store stuff and well, get in the way, sometimes.

It seems like you're going to a lot of trouble to cut corners that won't help you out in the long run.

I've delivered to rural businesses. You need to be as versatile and independent in your operation as possible. Every time you can't get something done yourselves, you're going to have to hire out, pay for their trip charge, pay for them to do whatever for you on your site, and now you have less cash to buy that equipment that would have allowed you to do that task on your own.

-mountain girl

Thanks. That makes sense. Still, the highest priority is to be able to use this trailer for the most storage possible, to make our current location work for as long as possible, so I would prefer to have a wider trailer. I will look at Truck Paper.

Sitting in 1 place for storage, the weight is not a problem with 1 axle. BUT transporting it later, the load would have to be half rated as a 2 axle . BUT Way unsafe, and I'd guess more trouble than its worth. I wouldn't wanna be in that situation, legally.

And yes $6 grand seems like a lot for an old trailer. What else did this guy eliminate? Air lines cut that would normally supply the air brakes ? Surely, there's more better deals out there, for trailers with both axles! lol Try repair shops that work on trailers, they could have some on hand they sell. At least, in So. California, I know there are a lot of those places to buy from.....

Good luck finding a better solution for your needs !

Why is it "Way unsafe"? Primarily because if something happened to the remaining axle, there is nothing else, I guess.

Thanks Stevo. The brake lines were hanging where he cut the axle out. He said that his guy would haul it to me without the brakes, but if/when it came time to move it, I would have the brake lines repaired.

If yo just want storage, get a used shipping container. A quick look on Google lists use ones for just over $3,000 (probably plus shipping)

Thanks, Erol. I originally was thinking shipping container, but I would have to insulate and ventilate it, because I am storing grains in it year-round, and condensation from change in temperature would be bad. A reefer trailer A. is already insulated, and done well, while, though I could probably save $1500 to $2k, we could miss something in the insulation job, and besides, the cost of time and materials would be lost, if /when we sell it, whereas the reefer truck will theoretically be worth the same amount of money, B. Can be leveled by the foot jack, whereas my understanding is that shipping container doors are notorious for racking if the ground is not perfectly level, and C. Can be moved more easily when we move to a different facility.

Brother! Talk the 48' trailer seller down to $6k and call it good.

We're tryna' send you the love here but you're not feelin' it yet. Forget the bad trailer.

You will find the answers to your weight and distribution questions in Brett's course.

-mountain girl

Ha! I'm def feeling the love, and I hear that this trailer is no good for hauling a load, but that would just be an icing-on-the-cake feature anyway. If I can use this trailer to safely store my grains and beans in it, stationary, and make it so that it can store even more by blocking it up, and I can save $2k, then this unit might be just the perfect thing for our needs. So, given those needs, and that we are scraping by to grow a grain and bean processing facility, do you still think I should "forget the bad trailer"? Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Have you thought of buying a 40' container?

This is just my opinion, but if all you need it for is storage, then yes, $6k seems a lot. I would not transport anything with that on public roads. Any mechanical failure could have disasterous consequences.

I originally was thinking shipping container, but I would have to insulate and ventilate it, because I am storing grains in it year-round, and condensation from change in temperature would be bad. A reefer trailer A. is already insulated, and done well, while, though I could probably save $1500 to $2k, we could miss something in the insulation job, and besides, the cost of time and materials would be lost, if /when we sell it, whereas the reefer truck will theoretically be worth the same amount of money, B. Can be leveled by the foot jack, whereas my understanding is that shipping container doors are notorious for racking, if the ground is not perfectly level, and C. Can be moved more easily when we move to a different facility.

OK. I can try talking him down to $4k, and it sounds like the general consensus is that, when it comes time to move our operation, this should be hauled empty and separately, and not as a means for transporting our gear and inventory. Then the question remains: how much can I store in this thing, stationary? And by how much can I increase that by blocking it up?

No amount of savings can make up for the lack of safety with this single axle trailer. Don't use it to haul.

For the added $300, you get dual axles, safety, and a lot less brain damage. The totes most likely will not fit 2-across, however, with the large amount of weight that comes with a full tote, depending on the contents, you probably wouldn't want to load them side-by-side anyway. They'd be better off loaded in either a staggered pattern, single file down the center, or a combination thereof. If this forces you to make two trips rather than one across town - so be it. At least you did it safely. Accidents and injuries will multiply your time and expenses immeasurably anyway.

Thank you, Mountain Girl, and everybody else. I think I will check out the training course, so I am on the up and up, but first I have to resolve this storage issue we have. So, to review, three main questions:

1. It seems clear that the single axle reduces the trailer's safe hauling weight. It would be nice to know what that safe weight now is. Stuff I've seen online says 17,000lbs per axle (at least that's the legal). Does that apply here? If so, would that be multiplied also by the tractor axle(s), or just the one trailer axle?

2. But since we are really using this as a storage trailer, with hauling only as a secondary convenience feature a few years down the road, I am trying to understand the implications of a missing axle on this stationary storage application, with no forklift inside. Wouldn't that be considerably more than the safe hauling weight? Pat M. says I should see what the tires say about max load. Is that a good guideline for safe stationary storage, or is there a considerable buffer between what is safe/recommended for the road and what is safe for stationary storage?

He also says I could block it up, to make up for the missing axle. Can I simply add 17,000lbs per cinder block "axle" added?

3. Finally, it seems clear that this trailer is not worth $6,000, because it is not really a whole trailer. Assuming answers to the above two questions indicate that I can make it work as a storage trailer by blocking it up and then minimizing the weight I have in it when it comes time to move it, does anybody have any thoughts about what price range I should be trying to talk him down to?

Thanks again. I don't want to be unsafe, but I also don't want to spend more than I have to, considering this is really just a storage trailer.

You could always block it up like a mobile home. but yeah the tires will not hold the same weight as tandem axles. What would happen if a tire blew while the forklift was inside the trailer? those are the kinds of things to think about.

No forklift in the trailer, at least not in our current set up. We do not have a dock, so I would be keeping a manual pallet jack in there, and loading/unloading via forklift on the ground.

How would I figure out how much weight is safe inside? And what is the difference between what is safe to store stationary, vs. what is legal because of the wear on the roads due to higher PSI of four wheels instead of eight?

You can get a better deal with both axles. $6k is a lot of money for a trailer missing an axle.

Thanks, Pat M. I have had trouble finding one. The only other one I found is a 48' by 96", which I am not sure would fit two tote bags across, for $6300 delivered. It's possible I am not looking in the right places. Do you think this trailer is safe, if I am able to talk him down because of the missing axle? If so, what do you think it's worth?