WILSON VS TIMPTE

Jun 27, 2011 at 05:13 PM CST + 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. What are the thoughts and pros and cons of a wilson hopper? I am pulling timpte's now, but thinking about switching to wilson's with alumi. sub frames and upper couplers. Whats everyone think?

Replied on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 05:26 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. What brand and model of truck are you running?

Replied on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 05:33 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. t 800 kenworth with a kitty cat

Replied on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 05:33 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. t 800 kenworth with a kitty cat

Replied on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 06:04 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. You can get the alum sub frame with Timpte...

Replied on Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 11:47 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. why not a husker it would be lighter yet

Replied on Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 10:12 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I agree with the Cornhusker. It is considerably lighter and the exposed ribs do not increase your fuel consumption enough to make up for the lighter trailer weight so you wind up with more in your pocket at the end of the day

Replied on Mon, Jul 04, 2011 at 08:16 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "You can get the alum sub frame with Timpte..." You can get the aluminum kingpin as well. My 43'X96"X78" weighs 8300#.

Replied on Mon, Jul 04, 2011 at 11:17 PM CST - 1
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "You can get the aluminum kingpin as well. My 43'X96"X78" weighs 8300#." my timpte, 43x102x84 weighs around 9000

Replied on Tue, Jul 05, 2011 at 10:23 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. The one thing you may want to acct for is the cost and longivity of these aluminum parts. We stayed away from them because of all the dairy and farm lots we went to and the cost vs ROI. It's great to be light, just make sure you comfortable with cost and durability. As far as a ribbed trailer any less mpg is huge. I think in a previous discussion we all though around .5 mpg decrease, let me know if I'm wrong.

Replied on Tue, Jul 05, 2011 at 10:23 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

The one thing you may want to acct for is the cost and longivity of these aluminum parts. We stayed away from them because of all the dairy and farm lots we went to and the cost vs ROI. It's great to be light, just make sure you comfortable with cost and durability. As far as a ribbed trailer any less mpg is huge. I think in a previous discussion we all though around .5 mpg decrease, let me know if I'm wrong.

Replied on Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 05:20 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. the timpte has more capacity also. but ether timpte or wilson will have longer lifespan, not many old huskers going down the road

Replied on Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 09:43 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. The only reason my 89 Husker is still on the road is cause it is low mileage.

Replied on Wed, Jul 13, 2011 at 07:13 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "the timpte has more capacity also. but ether timpte or wilson will have longer lifespan, not many old huskers going down the road" I agree you don't see many old huskers ou t on the road ,but nobody can argue that they are not structurely sound trailers. My family has owned about a dozen of them over the years. In 2007 one of our drivers was in a accident with another semi while pulling a 1991 43x96x86 husker full of soyhulls. The other truck blew through a stop sign and our driver T-boned him. It ripped the cab, sleeper, and engine clean out and off the frame of our T600 and rolled and twisted the trailer in half spilling hulls all over the scene. It rolled the guilty truck on it's side. Both drivers are alive to talk about it by the way. Obviously our rig was a total loss. When the cleanup crew finished cleaning up the mess and emptying the trailer that crazy trailer sprung right back up on 6 of the 8 wheels while being pulled with the kingpin to the yard. That all aluminum trailer was pulled almost everyday through the roughest conditions for 16 years. If that does'nt speak for the strength and integrity of a husker I don't know what will.

Replied on Wed, Jul 13, 2011 at 07:13 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "the timpte has more capacity also. but ether timpte or wilson will have longer lifespan, not many old huskers going down the road"

I agree you don't see many old huskers ou t on the road ,but nobody can argue that they are not structurely sound trailers. My family has owned about a dozen of them over the years. In 2007 one of our drivers was in a accident with another semi while pulling a 1991 43x96x86 husker full of soyhulls. The other truck blew through a stop sign and our driver T-boned him. It ripped the cab, sleeper, and engine clean out and off the frame of our T600 and rolled and twisted the trailer in half spilling hulls all over the scene. It rolled the guilty truck on it's side. Both drivers are alive to talk about it by the way. Obviously our rig was a total loss. When the cleanup crew finished cleaning up the mess and emptying the trailer that crazy trailer sprung right back up on 6 of the 8 wheels while being pulled with the kingpin to the yard. That all aluminum trailer was pulled almost everyday through the roughest conditions for 16 years. If that does'nt speak for the strength and integrity of a husker I don't know what will.

Replied on Sat, Jul 07, 2012 at 04:44 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. I know this is an old discussion but all I've owned for the past 12 years is Timptes and get less impressed by them a little more all the time. My biggest bitch has to be the rear subframe. All my trailers have steel subrames and crossmembers and I just got done putting a new crossmember in a '98 spread axle because the crossmember tube behind the front axle was rusting from the inside out and now I noticed today that my '04 Timpte spread is having the same exact problem. Yes I know these are older trailers but there's no reason for them to be rusting out this quickly in my opinion. So rather than buying another trailer with steel crossmembers and subrame to rust out maybe an aluminum subframe with crossmembers might be the way to go. I know the crossmembers and subframe on Timptes before 2010 were 3/16" wall and from 2010 on they are using 1/4" wall tubing. Does anybody know what the wall thickness is of the aluminum subframes & crossmembers???? I've never been a fan of cornhuskers, they just looks so primitive with all the sqaure corners and exposed side ribs. Like I've said all I've owned are Timpes but after relacing crossmembers due to corrosion eating them out from the inside out I may consider a Wilson.

Replied on Sat, Jul 07, 2012 at 04:44 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

I know this is an old discussion but all I've owned for the past 12 years is Timptes and get less impressed by them a little more all the time. My biggest bitch has to be the rear subframe. All my trailers have steel subrames and crossmembers and I just got done putting a new crossmember in a '98 spread axle because the crossmember tube behind the front axle was rusting from the inside out and now I noticed today that my '04 Timpte spread is having the same exact problem. Yes I know these are older trailers but there's no reason for them to be rusting out this quickly in my opinion. So rather than buying another trailer with steel crossmembers and subrame to rust out maybe an aluminum subframe with crossmembers might be the way to go. I know the crossmembers and subframe on Timptes before 2010 were 3/16" wall and from 2010 on they are using 1/4" wall tubing. Does anybody know what the wall thickness is of the aluminum subframes & crossmembers???? I've never been a fan of cornhuskers, they just looks so primitive with all the sqaure corners and exposed side ribs. Like I've said all I've owned are Timpes but after relacing crossmembers due to corrosion eating them out from the inside out I may consider a Wilson.

Replied on Sat, Jul 07, 2012 at 10:40 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. Quote: "I know this is an old discussion but all I've owned for the past 12 years is Timptes and get less impressed by them a little more all the time. My biggest bitch has to be the rear subframe. All my trailers have steel subrames and crossmembers and I just got done putting a new crossmember in a '98 spread axle because the crossmember tube behind the front axle was rusting from the inside out and now I noticed today that my '04 Timpte spread is having the same exact problem. Yes I know these are older trailers but there's no reason for them to be rusting out this quickly in my opinion. So rather than buying another trailer with steel crossmembers and subrame to rust out maybe an aluminum subframe with crossmembers might be the way to go. I know the crossmembers and subframe on Timptes before 2010 were 3/16" wall and from 2010 on they are using 1/4" wall tubing. Does anybody know what the wall thickness is of the aluminum subframes & crossmembers???? I've never been a fan of cornhuskers, they just looks so primitive with all the sqaure corners and exposed side ribs. Like I've said all I've owned are Timpes but after relacing crossmembers due to corrosion eating them out from the inside out I may consider a Wilson." wilson does offer a I beam sub frame now that is aluminum but i am not sure on the thickness of it. husker also offers smooth sides now but i am sure they probably come at a much higher cost, i have seen a couple out there. it just seems huskers usually sell at least $4,000 dolars more new than a timpte or wilson. on just traded a 1999 wilson pacesetter in for a new wilson commander and had great lluck with my pacesetter. my commmander weighed in at 8250 pounds. 43 feet long 66 inch sides and 102 width.

Replied on Sat, Jul 07, 2012 at 10:40 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

Quote: "I know this is an old discussion but all I've owned for the past 12 years is Timptes and get less impressed by them a little more all the time. My biggest bitch has to be the rear subframe. All my trailers have steel subrames and crossmembers and I just got done putting a new crossmember in a '98 spread axle because the crossmember tube behind the front axle was rusting from the inside out and now I noticed today that my '04 Timpte spread is having the same exact problem. Yes I know these are older trailers but there's no reason for them to be rusting out this quickly in my opinion. So rather than buying another trailer with steel crossmembers and subrame to rust out maybe an aluminum subframe with crossmembers might be the way to go. I know the crossmembers and subframe on Timptes before 2010 were 3/16" wall and from 2010 on they are using 1/4" wall tubing. Does anybody know what the wall thickness is of the aluminum subframes & crossmembers???? I've never been a fan of cornhuskers, they just looks so primitive with all the sqaure corners and exposed side ribs. Like I've said all I've owned are Timpes but after relacing crossmembers due to corrosion eating them out from the inside out I may consider a Wilson."

wilson does offer a I beam sub frame now that is aluminum but i am not sure on the thickness of it. husker also offers smooth sides now but i am sure they probably come at a much higher cost, i have seen a couple out there. it just seems huskers usually sell at least $4,000 dolars more new than a timpte or wilson. on just traded a 1999 wilson pacesetter in for a new wilson commander and had great lluck with my pacesetter. my commmander weighed in at 8250 pounds. 43 feet long 66 inch sides and 102 width.

Replied on Sun, Jul 08, 2012 at 08:30 AM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. All we've been running is spread axles which I personally like but if I was gonna go with an all aluminum subframe I might go to a triple axle. Just for the fact that the triples don't twist and flex as much as what a spread axle does, I'd probably even run super singles on the tri axle too for a little extra weight savings. Other than the crossmember issue I love my Timptes but when you gotta put a crossmember in an 8 year old trailer that gets less than 20,000 a year put on it it gets a little frustrating. I've also considered an all aluminum maurer or dakota trailer but when bought new they cost just as much as a timpte or wilson and 5 or 10 years down the road there not gonna have near the resale value of a timpte or wilson.

Replied on Sun, Jul 08, 2012 at 08:30 AM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

All we've been running is spread axles which I personally like but if I was gonna go with an all aluminum subframe I might go to a triple axle. Just for the fact that the triples don't twist and flex as much as what a spread axle does, I'd probably even run super singles on the tri axle too for a little extra weight savings. Other than the crossmember issue I love my Timptes but when you gotta put a crossmember in an 8 year old trailer that gets less than 20,000 a year put on it it gets a little frustrating. I've also considered an all aluminum maurer or dakota trailer but when bought new they cost just as much as a timpte or wilson and 5 or 10 years down the road there not gonna have near the resale value of a timpte or wilson.

Replied on Sun, Jul 08, 2012 at 09:20 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. we have one timpte, two wilsons and one cornhusker. the cornhusker is by far our favorite trailer. It is super light and the doors open good. We havent had one problem with it holding up. The timpte is a good trailer but we also had to put new beams in the rear end and the doors open SUPER hard. the wilson are good but just not quit as light as the cornhusker(1500lbs). I can not tell a difference in fuel mileage with the smooth sided trailer or ribed. Our next trailer will for sure be a cornhusker. I think if you take care of a trailer and pull it with common sense they all will hold up good. just my opinion

Replied on Sun, Jul 08, 2012 at 09:20 PM CST

Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.

we have one timpte, two wilsons and one cornhusker. the cornhusker is by far our favorite trailer. It is super light and the doors open good. We havent had one problem with it holding up. The timpte is a good trailer but we also had to put new beams in the rear end and the doors open SUPER hard. the wilson are good but just not quit as light as the cornhusker(1500lbs). I can not tell a difference in fuel mileage with the smooth sided trailer or ribed. Our next trailer will for sure be a cornhusker. I think if you take care of a trailer and pull it with common sense they all will hold up good. just my opinion

Replied on Tue, Jul 17, 2012 at 06:54 PM CST
Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member.	Posted by a private BulkLoads.com member. My 2011 Timpte has an alum. sub frame and alum king pin plate