[Littletimeoperator]

Have a 2010 3 hopper Doepker Triaxle. The inside wall separating the mid and back hoppers is bending quite a bit (towards the middle) from the weight of grain against the divider from the back hopper. Would it make sense to brace this wall against the wall separating the front/mid hopper? There’s a lot of weight on that back wall and we don’t put enough grain in the middle to counter it.

 

[ninety420]

I’d quickly put it up for sale. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how much it’s worth. Then buy a new one and apply the new accelerated depreciation tax write off to it. Old trailers wear out. It’s not worth trying to put lipstick on a pig.

 

[Haystack]

The temptation to load those trailers that way is high because it’s simple to get the balance right. We were advised to load the centre heavier with less in the front compartment and the rear compartment. I think if I was going to brace that divider I would be looking at the rear corners of the trailer for a pull anchor. I know with heavy commodities you can almost hit legal weights by leaving the middle compartment empty, but I don’t think it’s wise.

 

[joesixpack]

And why don’t you put enough in the center to counter it?

 

[Littletimeoperator]

I’ve been putting one pile at back of front hopper which is 375bu then two piles up to hoops in back hopper (about 675-700bu). Just get 50-75bu in middle. This is based on 60lb bu weights. Axle weights are about right. Guess I’ll try cutting a bit out of the front and back and add bit more to middle. New trailer isn’t an option for awhile. We’re original owners. Trailer maybe has 100k.

 

[torriem]

Most of the open-end steel doepker super B trailers I've seen have a bow in the dividing wall for the same reason (easier to get the weight right). A lot of them get reinforced.

By all means reinforce it. I've seen several trailers reinforced and have done it myself. I don't see why this is a sign of a trailer wearing out! A bit of a strange thought. If the undercarriage and sidewalls are all rusted out, then maybe you could argue it's now a pig.

 

[joesixpack]

I’ve been putting one pile at back of front hopper which is 375bu then two piles up to hoops in back hopper (about 675-700bu). Just get 50-75bu in middle. This is based on 60lb bu weights. Axle weights are about right. Guess I’ll try cutting a bit out of the front and back and add bit more to middle. New trailer isn’t an option for awhile. We’re original owners. Trailer maybe has 100k.

Yeah that’s the way to do it. No point crapping up a perfectly fine trailer. There’s really no reason to leave the middle hopper practically empty.