Any Problem With Using A Tandem Semi Trailer With One Axle Cut Off?

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

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?

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.

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)

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 !

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

Theres a lot of good reefers for sale on Truck Paper.com. You can usually find this paper at most truck stops. I just looked at a 53 footer and it was priced at $5400.

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.

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.

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.