OWB Merch, Employee of the Month Tees here!!! sweetvintagetees.com/collections/ohio-wood-burner-ltd

Simple fix for the Moritz trailer doors opening when not wanted. Drill a hole in the bottom of the pin and put a locking pin through it to prevent it from popping up.

Galvanized trailers are yet another upgraded option against rust. $$$ everything costs something. 😊

A couple of things to be aware of if you're looking at a trailer with gravity down. 1. Saves you battery which is good. 2. You can't control the speed it goes down. When empty it goes down faster than a power down trailer...This is a good things. If you need to lower it with a load still in the trailer then watch out because it comes down FAST! This is bad. The paint/powder coat sucks on all of them (all trailer really) if you live in a climate that puts salt on the road in the winter. The only way to go to prevent that is galvanized. Dave (in salty Ontario, Canada)

Thanks, Joe! I have no need for a trailer nor use for a trailer, but I love the comparative study of experience with both. There is no substitute, and i think everybody appreciates that. It s something that you absolutely can not get from a sales brochure, you can only get it from a person. And that [non-sales] person has to be willing and able to take the time to explain it, as You have done here, superbly and succinctly. Love it!

Hi Joe - it's Big Rodders in Ireland. Trailers of that nature over here are invariably galvanised. The larger tractor drawn models are powder coated. We have a lot of salt on the roads during winter time.

You missed the MOST important feature. How high does it dump. Some dump at 45 degree. Others 55 degrees. H&H and Hull dump at least 55d maybe more. If you don't want to shovel wet dirt or mud while a line of haulers are questioning you family background get the deepest angle. I also bought one that had the axles in the middle wih a long overhang. VERY BAD. Trailer whipped and wouldn't dump well and the frame bent from the tires to the tailgate(company paid to beef up runners). The paint is always a pain, but I lined one of my trailers with 1/2 inch CCA plywood and it still looked good 10 years later when I traded it for a larger trailer with thicker steel body. Thanks for your video. Dump trailers are wonderful. I've owned several but I think they are definitely improved thru the years. I had a remote control that was wonderful and safer around electric wires.

Thanks for this comparison video. I hope to purchase one of these some day. I would recommend that if someone buys one new that they look into taking it to someone who can do some sort of preventive rust proofing. It’s amazing how fast trucks and trailers seem to rust out in the Midwest.

Very well put! Great information when looking to buy a tipping trailer. The one other thing I would consider when living in a winter season climate is having a telescopic lift for the trailer rather than an under body lift, which is subject to all the road salt and slush in the winter season.. Again a very helpful video. Thank you.!👍

Good review and pinpoint. Your Griffin trailer is still in a condition to save it; sandblast, a heavy primer, good paint, brake/suspension job, grommets everywhere than spraying with antirust, then it will last you for years. It still worth it. 👍👍👍

Another important item is dump angle. Firewood and crushed stone will come out easy but if you are dumping loam, or mulch you will want a dump trailer with a steep angle.

The pin lock gate works great.... in the sales lot. Under load, the trailer will flex like a wet noodle. The pin will come free of the receiver hole. The cam lock is a much better way to close a gate when hauling these heavier loads. MTP, take it for what it’s worth. Good video! Thank you...

simple fix for your trailer doors is to drill a hole in that spring loaded pin and install a lock pin or cotter pin while its locked in the down position would be easy to do and give you peace of mind

Maybe add a safety latch to the top of gate somewhere in case the stock one pops open. I’d probably drill and bolt it on so it lasts longer than self tapping screws. Dab your bolts and drill holes with rust oleum so it doesn’t rust after installation

Difference between torsion and springs. Spring axles will generally always have all 4 wheels on contact on uneven surfaces. Torsion axles are independent. Going over a deep rut or pot hole will allow a wheel (or two) to temporarily leave contact with the ground putting the extra weight on the other tire/axle. I've arm a heavily loaded torsion axle trailer break an axle under this condition.

The last trailer I purchased was from a general contractor. It was rusted because contractors use them for dumpsters and leave them uncovered, The rain soaks the drywall and construction dirt and it just rots away. We have a full fab shop so I picked it up cheap, yanked the bed and welded in new steel and used POR on the entire thing. I would say I put 2k into it. The nice part with a trailer is in PA they are only 40 bucks a year registration for a 10000 GVW. The next trailer we purchase is going to be a hot dipped galvanized trailer with a grapple from Metavic. Loading the mini ex into the back and unloading it to load wood is a pita not to mention having to go back after dumping the wood to get the machine.

A neglected maintenance effort is to sprat paint any scratches and dings - weekly! Plus power wash at least weekly. In Texas a new trailer can be registered at a reduced GVRW but only when titled new. This is good when you need volume more than weight.

Good job on this video Joe. I do think having the seam down the middle is more prone to cracking from dumping heavy items in. Having floor welded along the edge allows for a better weld joint and it does not allow big heavy objects to hit the weld joint directly. Stitch welds under the trailer are common for 2 reasons. When you weld, the heated area shrinks causing added stress and major warping on light gauge materials. It also would add a lot of extra labor and production cost in welding those joints solid. Stitch welds can be found on all kinds of things, without compromising structural integrity. It is a good idea to caulk between stitches if corrosion is a concern... Like road salt I agree that the I beam is better for the frame. PJ trailers used to advertise tube frames until they started having problems with cracking. Now they went to beam frames. I believe @Worlds Okayest Farmer did a video on his experience on this too. My next dump trailer will be galvanized with hydraulic jack. Gooseneck most likely due to how much better they tow... that is unless I find a good deal on a f450 4x4 with a 12 ft dump bed first 😊 Take care Joe, hope to see you in Booneville

Joe, you are original and down to earth. Enjoy watching, keep it up, from South Africa.

You don’t want full length welds holding the floor on. For multiple reasons. 1) it would take forever to build and you’d warp the crap out of it. 2) steel needs to have some sorta flex. 3) if any moisture does get into the unwelded area it can not escape.

I had a Big Tex 7x14 14k dump trailer. The quality was closer to your cheaper trailer. I sold it a few years ago, and I really miss having it. I intended to make money with it and never really did, but it was quite handy just having it around. I would love to have some aluminum ramps on my car hauler.

I would weld a latch at the top of the doors on the new trailer. After driving roll off trucks for 20 years I learned to never trust a single pin and if the lock has a spring then get rid of it ASAP. Locks at top and bottom or no haul, no exceptions.

thoughtful overview. I run a similar trailer daily and STILL learned a ton from your video. much appreciated

Thanks for the info, I’m in the market for a trailer and found this very useful.

Nice video Joe. Elaine from Canada here, my husband asking “ what are you watching?”. I say a dump trailer comparison video. He says, “Whaaat?” Ha ha ha. You explained a lot of good points, what a huge asset to your equipment inventory. Have a great week.

The trailer twists a little going down the road. As it twists, the pin drags on the side of the hole and slides up a little. It is, at that point, against the side of the hole still, in a bind too tight for the spring to push it down. Then, the trailer twists again, pushing the pin up a little more. Eventually, the tapered part gets to the hole and it slides all the way up. Put a pin in the pin under the hole or in the door above the pin. Good review.

Great review of your trailers, Joe….informative and thorough! 👍🏼

Nice look at a few different trailers. I was told that in PA, you only need a CDL if the Combined Gross Weight of the truck and trailer exceeded 28,000 lbs you would need a class A CDL, that would mean that if your trailer was 10,000 lb GVW, it only applies if your truck is rated at 18,000lb GVW. I don't think any truck in the one ton class hits that mark. But the issue come in if they rated the GVWR at over 28k, then if your trailer is over 10k you need the CDL. My dump trailer is rated at 14,000 lbs, my truck is rated at 8800 GVW with a GVWR (with trailer, of 22,000. So my rig doesn't hit the mark where I'd need a CDL. The PA DMV website breaks it down a bit better. I no longer live in PA, but travel there regularly so I keep up on what goes on there. If I'm going that far with a loaded trailer, and will be weighing in at my max, I'd have to seriously consider not doing it in a pickup truck. It might do the job but I'd rather not put that kind of wear and tear on my own truck. When it comes to dual rams, the big issue is if one ram fails under load. it almost always bends the crap out of the frame and/or box. With one big ram, if it fails, it just goes down. A buddy was cleaning up from a flood a few years ago with his dual ram trailer, he loaded it to the max with mud and debris from where his creek overflowed and the right ram dropped suddenly when he was dumping the load. it was on a slight incline to one side and when the ram dropped, the trailer twisted dropping the box on top of the tires on one side. he did what he could to get it back in place but it was bent. Worse yet he failed to notice that even after getting the box empty and pushed sort of back in place, the one tire was rubbing the fender and that blew out on the way home too. That was a tube frame and box but the tubing was pretty thin compared to mine. My trailer has a C channel frame with 8 inch sides and 6" cross members on 12" centers with the box having 3/16" wall 2x3 framing under the two piece floor. The front wall is bolted in. I bought that trailer new in 1999 and will probably have it forever. When I ordered it I specified exactly what I wanted and how it was to be built. I had been using an older, late 80's model and knew what worked for me and what were the weak points of the old trailer. Another buddy has one with torsion suspension but after 5 years there's not much suspension left. The rebound element in those axles is rubber, and rubber rots and gets hard, or takes a set and leave the trailer sitting lower than it should. With springs, the worst thing I'll ever have to deal with is having to swap out the springs but after 24 years mine still look great. The paint on mine was terrible, it had rust at all the seams after about three years. 6 years into owning it i sanded the bad spots and brush painted it with a Rustolastic from MAB. It lasted another 8 years or so, two years ago I got tired of looking at rust so i sand blasted the whole trailer, top bottom and all sides, inside and out. I pulled the axles, set it on a set of stands i made and sprayed the whole trailer with black epoxy bed liner that i had bought at auction. I put it on thick. I then serviced the wheel bearings and springs, I replaced the wheel bearings, grease, and put in some new spring bushings and it should be good for another 24 years. The tires are 10 ply LT tires, the original ST tires dry rotted away in three years. Its on its third set of tires which were new last summer.

Excellent overview! Thank you for frank and complete information.

Very informative video. Next time you’re in the market for a trailer check out N&N trailers. They are made of galvanized material, no paint & hopefully much less corrosion. Probably more expensive but with better quality comes more money. 👍Have a great day.

On the Moritz tailgates I would get some way to lock that pin down. Drill a hole just above the spring and put a hairpin cotter through it when hauling on the highway, Leave it in the pump box the rest of the time.

Paint problem starts with prep. If they sand blast and then use an etching primer before final paint. Or go to an epoxy paint.

Doing sine research for some dump trailers I'm looking at and this was the best video I've seen yet, well done 👏

Winter are harsh in pa and oh but that’s a shame about that paint. Thanks for the review they look real handy.

Quick tip: take some silicone caulk (you can get it in a dark color) and caulk those gaps between the underside beams and bottom sheet steel. It'll keep water and road debris from getting between them. Many trailer manufactures do this

the dual ram is important for stability and weight distribution. With your relatively light loads you may not need that but try dumping a load of soil.

Great review on your dump 💩 trailers...The main reason I found out why most trailer manufacturers do 9990# instead of 10k is for liability insurance. Most people don't know and neither did I. But surely found out after being summons for a Dot. audit. All trailers 10,000# and over have to have liability insurance on them. If a trailer because detached from the towing vehicle, general liability won't cover damages to someone elses property 🤯

If the side of the trailer flexes or leans that will also raise the door up on the end where the pin is. I am looking at it from a physics perspective and not from experience. To test the stability of the sidewall you could have the doors sticking out away from the trailer and pull down on it If the door is not stabilized you could fasten it down some way. A different way would be to have a backup fastener such as a chain going across that would hold if the pin came out. Good job with the instructional video.

Just ideas. Oil the top of the frames. A little goes along way in preserving steel. The tailgate opening- drill the tip of the pin and where the pin goes below the base-plate add a Clovis pin while transporting. Cheap safety and insurance.

Thanks Joe !! Great info ! Thanks for pointing out the many differences……many ways to go, many things to consider. Nothing beats user experience! 👍👏🇺🇸 Rick

The thind we all learned in days gone by. Great comparison. Loosing any load with company logo, is completely unacceptable. Today's day and time , we need to look at and determine if this product is 75 % worth it . Joe you have came a long way removing you position in a corporate field. To wood sales, and this you tube thing, I only wish I had your " JUST DO THE THANG ". EXCELLENT VIDEO , keep all of us in you tube up to par..

Nice video, try to find a heavy duty and long U-Bolt and drill holes on top of each door of the Moritz and all you have to do is drop it on the holes to make sure those doors don't swing open, or make one to go at least 10 inch down and have a strong magnet to hold it so it don't jump off the trailer.

You can take the Griffin to Diversified Maintenance in North Bloomfield for fresh paint. They do a great job of restoring equipment.

100% on the tarp. Don't even talk yourself into just getting one later. Just get it right away. 2 rams definitely better if you ever haul uneven loads. It prevents twisting. Lastly, you are 100% spot on when it comes to the door locks.

Nice. I would probably caulk those seams underneath with Big Stretch if it were mine. Im sure there is movement but i think it would hold up and things would spray off much cleaner.

What about installing on the inside back of the Moritz trailer 2 cables, 1 on each side with asome kind of hook to keep the back doors secure when driving?

Excellent video, lots of things to look for, thanks 👍🏻

So many great ones... Better with not straight steel... higher sides 😊

I was told by a dealer for trailers that torsion is only good for on road use, and last about 20 years. If you were taking a trailer across a field to gather wood, springs are much better. Spring suspension is supposed cheaper to replace.

Thank you , very helpful 👍

Great video! Very cool! LOVE IT! FUN TO WATCH!

Great job showing and telling about them dump trailers. have a good one and thanks again for telling what you know about them dump trailers see ya next time see ya bye.

I didn't agree with you on the smell of oak (love it) until I got a sinus infection. Man that made it smell horrible. Cherry and maple too. But you're pretty spot on with your assessment of the trailers. This was a well thought out and informative review.

Excellent explaining both trailers.

A dual ram dump trailer had its lock pin fail & came out. We could not find it. The one working ram raised the load easy! Because the pivot is wide and don't Jam, it works I seen this myself.

Great video Joe: After having a dump trailer in a winter environment- I would only buy a hot dipped galvanized dump trailer. I bought a Diamond C trailer which has really good paint. After a year it was rusting. I switched to dump trucks now, but I will be buying a N&N galvanized dump trailer. N&N make lightweight and heavy weight dump trailers. Any new trailers I buy will be galvanized. Personally, I would try to salvage your older trailer by sand blasting, priming, and painting.

My equipment trailer has Dexter axles. I like them. They have the EZlube feature, with grease fittings similar to a boat trailer.

hi i would recommend looking in to some Fluid Film fir the rust . it will stop it , john

Thanks for the review. Any issues pulling with your F150? I have a 2012 Silverado 1500 5.3 and am looking to get a 10ft dump trailer. Thanks!

Nice explanation of features. Good stuff to think about.

Very informative video Joe, you covered every thing .

Gravity down is a feature as well. Its usually a add on with power down. Gravity down doesnt use your battery which means you get more dumps in a day

Joe, I just want to correct one thing. In Pennsylvania you only need a CDL if you are over 26000 pounds in combination. I have 14k pound trailer and registered as a class 8 and I come in below a class A CDL.

Good demo. Thanks

I would drill a hole on the pin of the grey trailer and put a hitch pin in it this way it can't pop up. It's an extra step opening the doors but it will give you a little piece of mind. Just a thought

A chain bolted or welded would be a simple safety catch for the tail gate.

Not sure if you will see this. Missed it when it came out. I would dtill some holes and insert a hitch pin with haitpin clip to keep closed. Anyway ejoyed the video. Thanks Earl

On that gate that likes to pop open... maybe add a locking pin near the top. Possibly a few welded loops with a hitch pin?

The Griffin has the better frame design... tube blows i-beam out of the water on flex and weight. All the guys that say "but my I-beam will last forever", Yeah it will.. after the rest of your trailer rusted out so what's the point? Also like the dual pistons on the Griffin.. smart. No wracking if the load shifts while up. Its too bad they had such a problem with rust. I am sure by now they have fully addressed it (if they're still in business). The Moritz Does have the better floor.. You're right that bent up sides are stronger, BUT Moritz uses all 7ga floors on their trailers. They had to weld on lighter sides for weight savings since they used heavy i-beam. The Griffin is simply the more serviceable trailer afaic. If you used a "rust converter" on the whole thing, then lightly painted with a black or grey primer, then hit the underside with Fluid Film and you'd be all set. That, and add a proper heavy trailer jack and maybe a 'wet-bolt' kit for the shackle to grease it. As far as "gravity down"... that is the preferred system as it uses half the power from the battery. But most guys who live up north don't use their dump trailers in the salty cold. For you it seems like an okay fit. Dirt work would rather make more dump cycles in a day. Thanks for the video! If you step in and stop that rust while it's still just on the surface, you'll save that Griffin for years of solid life 👍~

Thanks Joe, Great content. What size trailers to do have? How much wood do they hold? i.e. one cord…

Ive had to sand and repaint my 7x14 dump trailer. Used rustoleum oil based black gloss. Gotta keep them greased, well painted and washed to deal with all the salt in winter which is 5-6months long in WI

I have a griffin also. I had it sandblasted and repainted about three or 4 years ago and don’t pull it in the winter. Ours are about the same age. I like mine but the powder coat was bad too. I would never buy a powder coat trailer again. I would buy a galvanized

Add a 2'' Ratchet Strap to the back of the tailgate for extra security. That's what I do & I haven't had any surprises since 👍

Fully galvanized trailers are the only way to go. Love the new wood yard. Have a great day.

The key to longevity with a dump trailer is leave the box about 1/3 of the way when not in use . No water can pool causing major corrosion issues . Good and interesting vid Joe ! Cheers

I had a trailer that had a gvwr of 15,000 pounds I used to pull until I found out the laws of combination tags. My truck was rated for 9.000 my trailer was rated for 15,000 my tag would’ve been for 24,000 pounds. The sticker would’ve been a class 8 and would’ve cost me $450 a year. Pa trailer law is 10,001 pounds or over you need combination tags on the tow vehicle. Combination tag is the combined gvwr of the tow vehicle added to the gvwr of the trailer. The combined weights you need the appropriate weight class sticker in the windshield.

All I gotta say is congrats on being able to keep two: use one as a big wheelbarrow in the yard and another for deliveries.

4 piece constriction usually has a heavier gauge floor and sides are lighter gauge. As far as your pin on the tailgate, of there's room, drill a ¼" hole below the plate and use a hitch pin to keep it from popping out.

If I can afford it, I would buy more expensive trailer because I like the frame. I also prefer the Leaf spring! Both bounce because they don't have shock absorber to take care of the springs!

Same deal here in NC Joe. 10k+ u need a Provisional CDL. But if u have a Farm and run a Farm tag on your Truck you don't have to have a CDL here. There are loopholes so check into it if u can. Firewood may be a Forestry exemption.

The tab on the trailer barn door lock is not for holding it closed , it is actully so when you pull handle up and turn it , one of the pins on the locking handle (Pin) sits on top of the tab when you turn the handle in either direction to hold the locking handle pin up , so that when your closing the end gate you don't have to pull up on the pin or slam it closed, I always use the cam type on my trailers , when they are closed they are closed , the other Pin if your trailer flex's which it will depending on the type load you have and of course the road condition, as for the paint issue , paint is paint and salt is not it's friend, If it was mine and I have done it before , Is I have cleaned up and or sand blasted the trailer and frame , and had it covered with either the Hercules bed liner or the Line-X bed liner , those both wear line iron and they don't fade chip or peel ..

Spray your trailers in and out with fluid film or a mixture of drain oil and Kerosene. Been running trailers daily since 1988. I tried it all. The oil stopped the rust. Not pretty. Not clean. But easy to apply. And it worked. Look into brake maintenance and adjustment. The magnets grind down and need to be replaced.

Torsion suspension is a time proven application but it is also the reason your gate opens. Think Torsion? Twisting allows the slave lock to rise above its sleeve. Add cam locks. It's cheap to do and will be your forever answer. Hope that helps.

A good pressure wash and a couple coats of tremclad or POR15 in the spring and a coat of fluid film each fall goes a long way

Great trailer review! Very honest and straight forward!

Solar pannels recharging my batteries. Works great. Always charging while they sit. Definately agree box frames rust out first. Thats where the oil spray stops the rust.

Most state's are 26,001 lb before you need a Commercial license, at that weight it would require at least a "Class B" certification. Once you get over 33K and/or have Combination vehicle's (Semi's etc.) you need a "Class A" certification. There's also an "Air-break's" certification if equipped, anything under 10K (9999 lb or less) total doesn't require any certification, just the regular "Class C" license. Didn't know about Pennsylvania having the exception.

Man, I shopped dump trailers for literal YEARS before I finally pulled the trigger on one. I bought a 6x12 for my personal firewood consumption. It came down to three trailers for me. Diamond C, Maxx D, and Load Trail. Ultimately a Diamond C was just out of my budget. Maxx D and Load Trail made it VERY difficult to pick a trailer. Neither one checked all the boxes, but they both checked a lot of boxes. Maxx D has standard wireless remotes, and Load Trail does not. But I liked the D ring tailgate hold backs on the Load Trail better than the chains on the Maxx D. Ultimately I went with the Load Trail. They were spec’d out very similar, and the Load Trail was about $1,500 cheaper. I can always add a wireless remote, but I am not a welder lol. Some honorable mentions for me would include; Lamar, Ed, and Good Guys. Good luck to anybody shopping for dump trailers. There are a lot of really great trailers out there, and it’s a very difficult choice to make!

Take that Griffin trailer off the road... take off the wheels and go over it with Rust Converter.. Then give it some actual Paint when done. Then new reflector tape and you will be good to go. These aren't cars w/thin sheet metal.. if you just tend to that rust now, you can bring that trailer up to New and it'll basically stay that way. Be good to yourself... don't let that trailer rust to cr@p just because it had poor powder coating.. protect it and use it with pride 👍

There not hard to build and it’s up to you how heavy duty you want it 😊😊 Yes they are very handy and don’t need CDL to pull it 😊

Must have for any firewood business.

I’d invest some time and money into the Griffin dump trailer and do the paint work. Not only would it look better but also last longer.

I am a huge fan of telescopic dump trailers. They go to a much higher angle then yours and dumps stay in a smaller area.👍 We have a local place that specializes in redoing trailers. I see their adds alot. $1600-$2200 for all new lights/wiring harness plus they will sandblast and repaint. Their slogan is Why buy new? We will make yours better then new!

Great comparison video!

Good video. Learnt a lot

There is a place in Jackson center that rebuilds torsion axles, north of dayton

Great video Joe!! Very informative!!

I can feel your fear regarding the doors open. When you are buying a device - in first place it should do what it’s meant to do. And a trailer should bring load safely from A to B. Nothing less. And if it doesn’t - because it’s losing the load - it fails in the main purpose. Secondary purpose - like being specially comfortable - is useless if primary purpose is not fulfilled. I think paint is secondary, doors are primary. But changing the doors closing system might be cheaper than derosting and panting.

Thanks for the info Joe. isn't there a way that you could put some kind .d. It e of clip in the bottom of the latch on the Moriitz traiiler to keep it from coming unlatched even if it meant having it modified by having a hole drilled in the bottom. Adam from "Hometown Acres" has a friend that could do it for you.

A solution for your rust problem is relatively easy. Rustoleum sells a RUST CONVERTER in the spray can section, about 6 bucks, you spray it on rust, its flat black, and it converts the rust to iron phosphate and will not rust again. About 6 cans will do the whole trailer and frame- just where its rusty. Then, machinery maintenance painting with a brush. Buy a quart of Rustoleum Rusty Metal Red primer, some painters coveralls and painters gloves, a quart of mineral spirits for thinner and cleaning, wood handle "chip brushes" Home depot calls them; (2 or 3 bucks each, buy 2 or 3 inch size.) A spray can of gray automotive primer, and a quart of Gloss Black Rustoleum. Use a 1 quart paint pot, 1/4 full, 1 tsp thinner, Just slap it on. Make sure its covered good. Sometimes you need to reach back with your brush and smooth out a run or sag. Even if its not great, your trailer won't rust away. Maybe your wife can do it. They know how to use hair spray and fingernail polish. I bet she would do a better job!