Semi Tractor Trailer dissasembly

Tennessee Hillbilly · Mar 19, 2009

Excuse this post if I'm not on the right site. I've been looking online to try and find someone who has torn apart a semi trailer before. We've inherited this old metal trailer that is sitting on someone else's property and they want it removed. We have made small progress cutting it up with a small jigsaw (it's too old and rotted to be able to just tow it away) We don't live close to where it is located so making the time to go work on it is usually few and far between. The property owners are now getting upset and want it gone and have threatend to get an attorney and start charging us rent for storing it. Has anyone here ever had any experience with trying to tear apart a semi trailer for disposal before?

glennster · Mar 19, 2009

is it a van or flatbed? the aluminum van boxed are a lot of work to junk out. best bet is an oxy-propane cutting torch set up. it will cut(melt) the aluminum panels if a van. most trailer decks are oak, pretty tough stuff. the oxy propane is less costly to cut with than oxy acetylene. chunk it out and haul it away.

greygoat · Mar 19, 2009

Unless you are trying to salvage and save parts
of it, why not just give it to a scrapper or
junk dealer, who will cut it up and haul it away ?
Don"t know of any? ask an auctioneer-there are
always some scrappers it every farm auction.

Mathias NY · Mar 19, 2009

Last summer we cut up a 40' steel flatbed trailer for scrap. We used oxy-acytlene setup. If I recall correctly it took one tank of acytlene and 4 tanks of oxygen. Probably 6 hours total cutting time, we made almost everything into short steel. The hitch plate and axles were too massive bother cutting. The rear axles weighed over 2000 lbs each and were pretty tough to move.

Unless you are looking to make a profit, I would get a hold of a scrap yard near the trailer and see if they can remove it for you. With prices so low they may not pay anything for it, but it would be taken care of and it won't be your problem.

Tennessee Hillbilly · Mar 19, 2009

Thanks for the advice, I will pass your suggestions along to my other half, I'm just the laborer that helps haul stuff away. lol

Anonymous-0 · Mar 19, 2009

A stihl metal cutting saw is the best,even a skill saw with a metal cutting blade is fast. Leave the expensive gas torch for the tough stuff or use a recip saw. A jigsaw just won't cut it.

Paul in MN · Mar 19, 2009

I've sure got to agree with Glennster. I have used propane/oxygen for 40+ years and have cut a lot of steel. A 20 lb barbeque grill bottle will be adequate for a big size Oxygen bottle (about 4 ft tall). The normal acetylene regulator will fit the LP tank (even the new style valve), no change of hardware necessary. The cutting tip of your torch head needs to be changed to an LP tip (about $15). For truck and heavy farm equipment steel, I set the LP pressure regulator at 8 to 10 psi, and the oxygen regulator to about 25 psi. It takes just a little more time to preheat the start of the cut, but once you begin the cut, it goes just as fast as using acetylene. The LP gas is far cheaper to use, no expensive tank purchase, and easy to find refills at many gas stations or RV places.

When you first light the torch, do not use too much oxygen in the preheat flame. You do not want a roaring sound, but just a bit more O2 than having any yellow color to the flame.

Paul in MN

danofarming · Mar 20, 2009

Are you talking about an Aluminum Van? If so Get you a good quality (mine is NAPA) air chisel. use it to cut the rivets and the sheets will come apart.

Floyd A tn · Mar 20, 2009

What part of tennessee are you in?

Tennessee Hillbilly · Mar 20, 2009

Not in TN anymore, but was born in Chattanooga.

Semi Tractor Trailer dissasembly

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