Gap in the bottom of my Belly Dump Trailer

a lot o people do exactly what you did. sometimes the gates can get tweaked/ twisted a little bit. also sometimes that problem can be caused by worn gate or equalizer pins/bushings. as far as anything falling out of a 3/8ths gap, not likely. maybe if your hauling crusher dust.

 

I dont think I have ever seen a good deal come out of North Dakota but I hope it works out for you I have seen that gear get beat to hell and back before someone sells it off.

 

hmm would not be past someone to buy a trailer and loose it either guess you got some luck their.

 

Even with sand, you can get it wet before you load and not lose any out a 1/2 inch gap

 

yeah every now and then when a loader operator comes running at my old belly dump and full speed and drops the first scoop in so fast it just about knocks you out of your seat sometimes it will push my gates open a half inch or so. never had anything leak out going down the road. although the loader operator will certainly get chewed out.

iv seen trailers designed with nearly a half inch gap between the body of the belly dump and the side of the gates, and they don't leak.

most all sand/gravel materials pack i and won't easly flow out a 1 inch gap, only thing i might be concerned with might be crusher dust.

for locking your gates shut, if put a couple chain hooks on each side of the gates and cut a length of chain and hook it in. a lot of trailers use that to set your spread others have pins, some chain hooks to on the gates and then the trailer is a good idea as well to chain your gates open if you ever have to get in there to clean out the trailer. theres been quite a few people have there legs broken when the gates have come closed on there legs while they were cleaning out there trailer.

go in easy with the first scoop its got a long ways to fall after that you can slam em in if you want.