Home built self unloading leaf trailer

[@mountainhomeandhauling]

I love this! I've got a very similar set up on my trailer. I own a junk removal business, and hand unloading was ridiculously time consuming. Dump trailers were $10k but much heavier, so I built 4' walls and used an old metal shipping skid as a false wall. I started with a 2500# winch but upgraded to a 5500# and it's made my life so much easier. Well done on yours and thanks for the video!

[@mixedberries4937]

Would you mind if I added you somewhere so I could inquire on your exact process to create that? I have an 18 by 4 foot size 7 ft wide cage trailer I use for foreclosure maintenance and junk removal and desperate to get that set up going

[@noahjagger3831]

Did you run the winch cable under the trailer? Did you just use d rings?

[@MadLabZ]

Man that is a slick setup I've spent so many hours of my time and employee's on the clock time unloading by hand. by hand = time, time = money, your setup is a beast!!!! bet it paid for itself in less than a season!!!!

[@rubensalais1502]

Nice trailer, great idea. This is what America is all about. Don't be afraid of make you ideas become reality.

[@waterdog1580]

Thanks!

[@cleancutslawncare]

This is unreal. Crazy. Great job guy.

[@philipunderwood477]

Awesome video. I thought of this same idea last week. I had been chaining my false wall to a tree, then drive away. Works great but you need a tree or another pickup to drag the debris out. Just realized my winch could do this just as well and allow to dump nearly anywhere. Thanks again!

[@colincrooky]

Awesome! We had a saying in the army, “Anyone can rough it but it’s a fool that does.” Thank you

[@diverdave4056]

...mmm perhaps you can install a handle or two on that back door to make it a lot easier to lift up and open when the trailer is packed full !

[@thomasguerrero7289]

I use a good heavy oak pallet up against the front of the trailer , a chain hooked around the center of the pallet frame long enough to reach the back of trailer with about a foot extra to hang out when unloading , load my leaves over the chain . To unload I slip off my ramp from the trailer, I hook the tow strap around a tree , hook the chain to the strap and drive away , back up into the pallet after its off the trailer to get some slack to the chain to unhook it from the pallet , unhook the strap from the other end of the chain and pull the chain back through the leaves with the trailer or what ever , put my pallet back in the trailer , my chain and strap back in the box on the tongue of the trailer . Been doing it for 35 years and never had a glitch . I sometimes pull the load off with my loader then pushem where I want them . But if your just starting out and can't afford the investment this method will get you by . Don't have time to show yah , but it work great with brush too . Been wanting to get a dump trailer for 35 years , but the more stuff you have , the more the stuff to repair leads to down time and money , just don't want the headaches after 35 years .

[@galehess6676]

I have a real old dump I got for 2k and sometimes stuff gets hung up, like especially leaves we packed in there good. i may rig up a thick plywood with rope to tie off to a stump I have.. hmm thanks for the unloader idea. you outta get that dump tho... rent one a day and see how much time it saves

[@jesush.vazquez6851]

Excellent!!! I used to have something similar but used my tractor to pull on the straps, I really hated the times that I forgot to reset the straps before sucking up more leaves.

[@jimoakley3436]

As a kid on the farm in central Iowa ,we had silage wagons that unload like that,we had a power pack that would reverse to pull headgate back,it used 3 cables.

[@jimoakley3436]

2 to unload and 1 to return it.

[@jackman6256]

That is fantastic andmy first though was man look at all that new compost being made with head start iam sure that's what's being done

[@thecuttingforce]

thats awesome i was trying to build something like this i just never got around to it. now i see it works. thanks for sharing.

[@johngenova9870]

This is awesome custom fabrication!

[@jeremeyellis16]

Aweomse, but I can't help but notice that it somehow caught the guy off guard when he was standing right in front of the huge leaf pile looking away! LOL (4:04)

[@BobbyBowker]

Blunted

[@jasondecristoforo4882]

You guys did an awesome job on that

[@richardthomas1566]

Great !next invention might just be some kind of mechanical device that would hold the door open. Wonder if any one could come up with such a device .

[@swimbait1]

That’s awesome. Need to build something similar for my trailer.

[@kourtneyfourstar4881]

Brilliant idea very ingenious good job

[@noahjagger3831]

I’m building a 16ft dovetail bumper pull trailer with this idea. I’m gonna get a 12k lb winch and run it to a snatch block with a chain around the back end of the frame. I have the option to unload against trees as well so I can detach my winch point on the trailer. I used a 12ft with pallet and cables to a tree and hauled a lot of leaves the past seasons time to upgrade.

[@1345mack]

What a great idea, thank you for sharing. I love it

[@cambridgepropertymanagemen7612]

Thats really smart I’ve never seen this before great job

[@blackhawkdown2666]

Thanks for good video in process of building mine in Tn

[@terrydowning9089]

I built a roller a cross back of my trailer ,5 in od pipe mounted on pillow blocks , panel in side trailer . I used a warren 9.5 winch .open the back push enough out to keep truck from rolling back then put truck in N and push the trash out useing the winch worked great

[@kribrelyt]

That’s awesome! We have two sleds in ours we pull out with another pickup. But this would make it a one person job

[@tylerfb1]

Could you take some video of how you attached the cable to the moving wall? I don't understand how it doesn't jamb.

[@talkingcargojunkremoval]

That's what I was trippin on homie. 👍👍👍

[@richby309]

I’m building one now 👀 I need the layout also

[@gml326]

Can you send a video how you did the cables and where you got the wench at i have a 5 x 10 trailer 4 foot tall

[@chickenhawkfarmstead8478]

That's sweet. Work smarter not harder.

[@South-Texas-Drones_5801]

Great thinking 🤔 I bet it saves you a bunch of time .

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

pretty nice setup, and that was one beautiful brick of leave grindings 😂

[@BobbyBowker]

Dude! That’s awesome brother

[@willtricks9432]

Nice job mate. Cheers

[@donvoll2580]

G day Yea alot . How many pds or tons r in there. Boy good for compose. Ths

[@timdehoogh8441]

Not a bad idea a better idea would be having hydraulic ram to push and return the wall pusher to the front of the trailer like what the garbage trucks have . just a suggestion for any future upgrades or thoughts

[@pauljohn5554]

Dude. That was awesome

[@jasonmushersee]

1950's chopper box. farmers would use come-a-long and 2x4 on a hay wagon pull the corn silage to the front stand there and fork it into the silo blower. in winter take the wheels off put on ski's so the horse team could pull loads of trees/firewood for clearing more farmland

[@waterdog1580]

That sounds like a lot of work!

[@blackhawkdown2666]

What size winch you went with. Great system working on my build

[@waterdog1580]

12,000 lb

[@blackhawkdown2666]

Ok thanks for quick reply. I just picked up a 20ft gooseneck trailer and I’m copying your build. Dump trailer too high priced

[@richardthomas1566]

Little tip those leaves are for the tree . They drop them every year to enrich the soil for next years growth.

[@waterdog1580]

Not necessarily true. There are several varieties of leaves that are acidic and will kill grass.

[@richardthomas1566]

Eric Chizum even better . I do love how people love to go camping and long walks in the woods take pictures and tell how beautiful it was . The go labor in their own yard to make it something that’s ok. www.consumerreports.org/lawn-care/for-the-greenest-yard-leave-the-leaves-behind/

[@jackman6256]

One more thing u could line inside of your trailer with some kind of poly sheets help it to come out easier maybe just a though cool job bud

[@philipunderwood477]

I've done this for a year now. Leaves, brush, any type of yard debris really... Don't worry about slick floors, perfectly smooth sides, etc. Don't over think it and don't over complicate it- just do it. Nearly anything will slide out because it is all stuck together and stuck to itself much more than it wants to stick to the trailer or trailer walls. Go do it!!!

[@jamess9910]

Hey eric. You still using this, or the mini grass unloader? Any improvements you made, or things you would do different? Awesome looking build. Ive got something working but issues with my false wall

[@wudlegerity]

I built one of these about 6 years ago. This will be our last season using it. I need to make a video of it. If you change those pulleys out for a single larger one it will increase your power by almost double. Also it sounds like the winch is under power. That 12k badland loves a good AGM battery. Try a H8 with 100 Ah. Mine holds 30 cubic yards so we had to install a track for the wall using schedule 40 pipe and had to make the false wall with a ramp to push the leaf brownie off the frame so it wouldnt seesaw the rear truck tires off the ground and get us stuck. How do you return the wall, pull it by hand?

[@n.johann3417]

@wud legerity I'd be interested in seeing your setup if you wouldn't mind sharing

[@jasongreene1605]

Do you have any pics or a video of your set up?

[@galehess6676]

that's not gigantic or anything. 30 yard?

[@noahjagger3831]

Where did you get the pulley? Looking for some can’t find any similar

[@Trav04Gsxr]

I agree with the person who said to use a reversible winch and set it up to winch it back also. Just mount the winch so the cable can run both directions, wrap it around about 10 times for grip and its good to go. Also reinforce the wall and hinges and use multiple strong latches and you can compact them for more than 20yds of debris. Have you tried compacting it yet? Did it work as is?

[@waterdog1580]

Great suggestion on pulling the wall back into its starting point. Compacting the leaves is definitely not a possibility.the trailer was nowhere near full when I shot the video. When we fill it to capacity, the leaves are so compacted that I cannot stick my hand in it up to my wrist.I've been impressed on several occasions at how hard the log of leaves is, that comes out of that trailer

[@aoeuidhtnsnthdiueoa]

Just don't forget to retract the moving wall before sucking up another load of leaves :)

[@PlasmaStar-me1hq]

bro... that'd be a night mare

[@ROARINGLION11]

Now that is a great idea !

[@smartin2246]

How do you attach to the false wall that moves inside the trailer?

[@vincentshelpfulhints4085]

I would like to see how much fell behind the wall

[@waterdog1580]

Do you mean how many leaves fall behind the movable wall while we're filling it? I've never seen more than 6 in of leaves behind the movable wall. Movable wall is closer to the front of the trailer than the end of the blower chute so all the leaves blow past it and start filling at the back of the trailer first

[@philipunderwood477]

Who cares. Probably not really anything significant and I'm sure it can be blown out quickly with a backpack blower

[@freddiedrawhorn1939]

Hey bud cool build where did u get the pulleys from could u give me a parts list for this that is very cool im unloading limbs and brush get slapped in the face with limbs thats cool

[@bryansteen2219]

What size is the winch? How does the wall slide?how is it hooked to the winch

[@waterdog1580]

16000 lb winch. Cable runs under the trailer through guides welded to the frame then over a pulley I made on the back of the trailer. Then heads back to the wall where its attached to 4 cables that are through bolted to all 4 corners of the movable wall. One pull point on 4 cables makes them keep equal pressure on the wall so it doesn't fall over.

[@oby-1607]

Everyone of those leaves had a life at one time.

[@talkingcargojunkremoval]

@Oby-1...I like how you think homie. 😁😁😁

[@yahboy2001]

How did you make that wall is it metal behind it?

[@michaelodonoghue7464]

Would have been Good to watch you Push the Wall back in Place.

[@BobbyBowker]

Yer guys are like, Praise Jesus!!!

[@threelakeslandscaping3210]

This is genius.

[@waterdog1580]

Thanks

[@mattpahuta]

Wow! Very cool! Again, Wow!

[@PatriotPlus179]

How much does that trailer weigh fully loaded with compacted leaves?

[@yahboy2001]

Where did you get your pulleys? What kind do you use? Do you have pulleys under the trailer to?

[@waterdog1580]

I bought the pulleys at tractor supply. I had to modify them a little bit to be able to weld them to the trailer. There are no pullies under the trailer, just hoops that the cable runs through so it does not hang low.

[@yahboy2001]

Can you send a picture of how you fabricated the pulley on the back end of trailer

[@CarLoverPhotography]

Genius

[@clterry07]

ya'll taking after me .. lol McGyver at his best love the enginuity .. question though how did you get wall to move and stay vertical ?

[@waterdog1580]

A wire at all corners. Leading to one pull point. Main cable pulls all 4 small cables at the same time... Keeping wall vertical all the time. Thanks for watching.

[@rollandelliott]

@@waterdog1580 awesome detail thanks, would love a video showing all the mechanics. I have to unload scrap drywall. so maybe a Left and Right Winch to avoid the cables in the middle of the trailer bed would work.

[@GardenTractorBoy]

Great idea, thanks for sharing

[@M22OHIO]

Rear load refuse trucks unload the same way.

[@bobbobobob5100]

if your moving alot of leaves just buy a used leaf box from a municapality. they go cheep

[@butchmcintyre5196]

tail gate latchs need work but I use a dump truck

[@Gdesign959]

Great pieces of engineering. I guess you just burn the pile once you get a bunch?

[@1dogpobo]

Burn? You Must be a D A

[@Gdesign959]

You can burn them where I live. I have woods in my backyard so I pull them back with my Ranger but without woods I would burn them.

[@impactajuvenile]

What do you normally charge for leaf removal for a full trailer?

[@waterdog1580]

We charge $3 per minute

[@Amy-ot4jg]

Is that $3 per person per minute

[@waterdog1580]

Good question. $3 per minute includes two men and equipment.

[@impactajuvenile]

How many minutes does it take to fill up the trailer?

[@philipunderwood477]

@@waterdog1580 I've been loading with tarps and from my mower for 2 years. I just purchased a vacuum and really didn't know where to start with pricing Thanks again!

[@timhump63]

How many trailer loads do you process in a typical season? Have you ever thought about pressing the leaves into pellets?

[@waterdog1580]

I have spent hours and hours thinking about compressing the leaves into pellets. Unfortunately I have found that the leaf pellets produce way too much ash.

[@Xitin1987]

where do you get the tarp bow ?

[@waterdog1580]

I made them out of conduit

[@larryd3403]

this is really cool

[@countrylawnsllc2211]

Is that wall just sitting in it or on any kind of a guide system? Slick. Awesome job!!

[@waterdog1580]

It is just sitting there. A cable at each corner coming together in a clasp. That attaches to the cable that pulls it. The wall stays straight up and down because the cables all pull at the same time.

[@countrylawnsllc2211]

Awesome. Thanks

[@frednowicki7355]

Nice !

[@unityroad]

nice job

[@jamesyork7749]

What kind of pulleys did you use?

[@legobatmanchapters]

I ended up making my own since I couldn't find what I needed.

[@10mrwest]

My Personal Assistant how did you make your own pullieys?i am trying to set up my trailer and I don’t know where I can get the pullies and materials from.plz help

[@jamesyork7749]

Tractor supply

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

for future reference: people can find alot of that stuff on amazon too.

[@derylamyschwartz5011]

How many ton winch do you use?

[@waterdog1580]

18 ton

[@derylamyschwartz5011]

Thanks I have a small 16 ft trailer I was looking at a 5 ton wasn't sure if it was going to have enough balls my trailer isn't near that big

[@MobileLifeToday]

How big of a winch is that to pull the wall? Is that a small one, maybe 3,000lbs or did you put a larger 12,000lbs one?

[@waterdog1580]

12000 lb. Wish I would have went with the 18000 or larger. When it's full and the leaves are wet...she struggles!

[@MobileLifeToday]

Awesome, I'm trying to build a smaller version of this so that would come in handy. Thanks! @@waterdog1580

[@waterdog1580]

Did you see the side dump version I built?

[@MobileLifeToday]

I did, that was great. @@waterdog1580

[@richOtyrant]

How much weight in leaves would you say the trailer holds?

[@stevenherrold5955]

i would compost all those leaves with steer manure and i bet i could sell it by the 100 lb bag

[@peterwill3699]

Would love to have that for compost.

[@josuecarmoma]

Have you ever dump mulch with it?

[@waterdog1580]

Yep. Works great

[@josuecarmoma]

Thanks I'm in the process of building one How many yards can you dump?

[@waterdog1580]

18 cubic yards

[@josuecarmoma]

Great Thanks

[@mikejohnson9118]

1 The door latch handle. If put a small grind/angle on it near the eyehole. It should lift over a lil easier when opening the door. 2 Amazon sells stainless door hinges. I saw yours are fairly rusted. Probably from the tannic acid and road salt. www.amazon.com/s?k=stainless+steel+gate+hinges&crid=1I9S6D76ZOO2N&sprefix=stainless+steel+gate%2Caps%2C195&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_20 Is this your dump area? Do you compost or repurpose the leaves for landscaping in the spring? Cheers MJ

[@juvesosa8463]

Nice!,what’s the GVWR on the trailer?

[@chrisnofziger9874]

How do you retract the wall with the winch connected?

[@waterdog1580]

The winch goes into "freewheel" setting and then just push the wall back to the front of the trailer.

[@MustangsTrainsMowers]

I’ve done some leaf jobs and it’s a major hassle from dust in your lungs and sinuses, to the small time window to do leaf jobs. There more to it than just loading it up: truck, trailer and vacuum, driving time to the job and dump site, then storage and insurance. And you get to some guys house with a huge tree in the back yard and the leaves are two feet deep from fence to fence. You bid $300 and he looks at you like your crazy and says I’ll give you $50. You look at the idiot and just walk away. I recorded my time on a few lawns for bagging and hauling it away vs side discharge. Bagging and hauling away to dump it was twice as much time.

[@paulnicholson8524]

Cool

[@ROARINGLION11]

How does the wall stay upright? Is it on tracks or just wired to the winch ?

[@waterdog1580]

The movable wall is pinned to the front of the trailer. It has to be unclipped before it can be unloaded. The clip can be undone from outside the trailer very easily

[@ROARINGLION11]

@@waterdog1580 I mean when it moves, is it on rails or just the wire pulling the wall? I see where you have the wire connected to 2 points on the wall is all. Do you have wire to the bottom as well for 4 points of contact to keep the wall even on the vertical?

[@waterdog1580]

There are four wires that come to a turnbuckle which hooks on the winch. That way when the winch pulls, it makes the wall pull perfectly straight.

[@66block84]

Mix it with some dirt, compost! & sell it.

[@danlux4954]

I have a dump trailer.

[@Ramdodge582]

looks like with the vac hose your over 102"

[@sold1million]

What brand/spec of winch?