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In October, 2010, I experienced a significant problem with a PJ Dump Trailer. My issue is with the engineered (or lack of engineered) design of the trailer.
Typically, a hydraulic system is designed with a bypass pressure relief valve that is designed to be the weakest link of the hydraulic system. The relief should be set to relieve the hydraulic pressure [sending the fluid back to the reservoir] prior to the hydraulic ram exerting enough force to destroy structural members of the system. In other words, the pressure relief valve is much like the fuse in an electrical system. You could, but you should not, put a 50 amp fuse in an electrical system where some components are only designed for 20 amps.
The problem that I encountered is the force exerted by the hydraulic ram caused the the trailer's hydraulic structural sub-assembly to fail before the pressure relief valve activated. When contacted, PJ questioned the weight in the trailer to excuse the failure. Certainly, the weight, as well as the location of the weight (i.e., forward or aft) within the trailer bed affects the force required to raise the dump bed. In the field (i.e., job location) a person generally does not have the ability to weigh the load or calculate the force required to dump the load. In this case the load was small in volume relative to the size of the trailer and the weight did not inflect any damage to the trailer. However, weight or any other malfunction in raising the bed is irrelevant to setting the pressure relief valve to provide protection for all hydraulic structural members relative to their designed strength. In fact, such an event is the very purpose of having a pressure relief bypass. It is my understanding that PJ procured the hydraulics and scissor lift from KTI Hydraulics and the pressure relief setting was as provided. There was no damage to the hydraulic rams or scissor lift. I believe the problem lies with PJ's purchase specifications not requiring a specific [lower] pressure relief setting relative to their application of the procured product. This failure resulted in a consumer cost of $1741.00. It is my understanding that PJ provided the dealer (Riverside Boot and Saddle) replacement parts at a reduced price and the dealer fixed the trailer at a reduced labor cost. For those price reductions I am appreciative, but it appears that proper engineering could have prevented the failure and all cost. I believe PJ should have stood behind their product 100% and should address the issue with all trailers.
Specifically, the trailer in use was the PJ Tandem Dual Dump with the 20' bed.
I recently bought a nice PJ 10ft, 7000lb dump trailer. I had a flat tire and bent rim this week. The spare I already had for my other trailer would not fit. Then I spent 4 hours learning that no one in Charleston, SC carries a 5 on 5 lug bolt pattern rim. If it was the common size 5 on 4.5 I could have bought it anywhere. I even called PJ' Trailers to ask where I might buy this rim in Charleston and they named every place I already tried or places that are more than 2 hours away. They stated that they have always and will always use 5 on 5 on their trailers. The wheels are a special order and I will be out of business until I get it, and a spare, in a week. I never would have bought the trailer if I knew they used a [censored] size hub and rim instead of the standard size that everyone else in America uses.
I purchased a 2016 PJ tandem axle dual tire tilt deck for just shy of $21, 000 for my hot shot business and have had nothing but problems and poor performance on the repair end from my authorized dealer, ( a one man service sales and parts dealer) in the time that I have owned the trailer 3 of the 4 magnets for the brakes have faked despite minimal wear, the main bolt that connects the lift cylinder to the tilt bed fell out with a load on it, the rear light bar spring has broken loose resulting in no downward tension during travel, light bar wiring being worn through due to sharp edges inside the light bar tubing, 12k winch has burned out twice as well as the interstate deep cycle battery ( have only used winch 15 to 20 times) dealer supposedly "fixed" light bar spring situation and when I was able to pick it up with one hand I was met with a blank stare and the response that the spring was worn. The. Cross beams and the majority of welds on these trailers are basically tac welded instead of welded all the way around. I called as high up the food chain at corporate and was told that they will look into it. Do yourself a favor and. Go with a. Gator made. Way better trailer and from a price as well as an engineering standpoint, way better trailer.
I think PJ stands for "piece of junk". I bought a dump trailer from them in 2009. When I picked it up, I noticed a bubble of paint coming up on the box hold the pump and battery. Within a year, huge paint blisters were pushing up along the sides. Many of the components designed to hold the doors back for dumping are junk too. One of the saddest purchases I've ever made.
New Pj dump trailer with the scisor frame welded on crooked. It is off by 1 1/2 inch from side to side. Also the hydraulic won, t hold under a load.
Sent pictures of the mess and they want to cut the scisor off and re weld it. This will leave no paint. 3 months old.
i purchased a 2017 goose neck 44 Ld pj with 72 in spread axles the first long i made with the trailer was loaded 2, 000lbs less then what its rated for drove less then 800 miles and had bearing and seal problems due to chines parts! on a american made trailer. had the seal replaced and less then 200 miles later had the same issue seal went out and bearing stayed with out oil! lost 3 whole days broken down out of state finally had to switch the oil bath axel to grease loaded on the side of the highway as if that was not enough the frame over the axle of the trailer has no type of support so of course it bent with the first load and it did not end there the chines tires gave out on me also at 1, 000 miles getting air bubbles all along the rim very poorly made trailer not for every day heavy load use lots of other issues with ramps an leaf springs regret the day i sold my BigTex!
I bought what I thought was a new PJ's 24 foot gooseneck low profile car trailer in July of 2015 from Sparks Trailers in Jamestown, ND.To make a long story shorter, what I got was a 2014 that had been setting on a lot for several months out of state.Within a few months I started having wiring issues and a tire problem.I called PJ's and they sent me to a dealer in Texas who replaced a bad tire and repaired the wiring issue stating that it was a corrosion problem at the connectors.You know, the cheap connectors so many use instead of soldering and shrink wrapping the right way.
The fix lasted less than two weeks and when I called PJ's they treat me like I am some kind of fool and ask what the issue is when they know full well what the issue is.
I now have a trailer that I can only pull during the daylight hours and PJ's states the corrosion will just return because of running up north, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , REALLY ###?, Why not wire your trailers correctly in the first place?
Do yourselves a favor and thank me later, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , buy your trailer anywhere but from PJ's.I have pulled trailers over 4 million miles and never, ever had these kinds of issues EVER and NEVER, EVER been treated like their people have treated me and I am a normally pretty easy going guy.
What I have a is a use in the daytime only piece of garbage that PJ's refuses to repair, simple as that.
IT's JUNK, MY PJ's TRAILER IS JUNK.
I bought a pj trailer from a local dealer, pete's trailer, the trailer looked nice, 14 ft x 83 inches with a fold down gate that also has ramps for better strength. The problem is that my 4wheeler broke loose and rolled back bumped into ramp and bent the latch pins. We straightn them but they still look bent, I asked my local dealer if they would replace them and was told I'd have to buy them, I had them order them and then I called pj, they also refused to stand in back of them. When the dealer got them he called me, I went to pick them up, but another surprise, the pins were not the same length, one was longer then the other, the welds looked like a beginners, and they were bare steel, not powdercoated like the ones that came with trailer. I would not buy from PJ'S again they do not stand in back of nothing.. The dealer wanted $26.00 for those junk pins. I had a steel sales place make me new ones, I painted them with duracoat all for less then $10.00. L.Olson