Operator Invents Maintenance Hack for Dump Trailers
I love entrepreneurs. Particularly in this day and age when everything has seemingly been thought of — or endlessly rebooted.
If you operate or maintain dump trailers, you know their rubber pads wear down. Replacement can be a thankless and expensive cycle of gluing, welding, or drilling into the frame. And drilling can equal damage.
A dump trailer operator in Michigan, Bryan VanOchten, had enough.
He invented "VanKlamps," a patent-pending clamp system specifically designed to hold heavy-duty 3/4-inch rubber strips securely in place.
VanKlamps attach directly to the trailer frame without welding, drilling, or gluing. Any operator can install VanKlamps without special skills or shop equipment in a fraction of the time it takes for traditional methods.
If you can hold a "Klamp," you can install VanKlamps, according to VanOchten.
The need
“I built this because I needed it myself,” says VanOchten. “Every operator I know has dealt with this problem and just accepts it as part of the cost of running equipment.
"VanKlamps changes that," he says. "You install it, it holds through heavy jobs, and when the rubber wears at a fraction of the rate traditional pads do, you replace only what you need. No shop visit. No frame damage. No massive bill.”
If you're wondering, as I did, if the need is a little too niche, the U.S. market includes an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 active dump trucks. VanOchten says this represents a substantial population of operators currently underserved by existing rubber-replacement options.
How to maintain trailer tires
Klamping down
Once on, VanKlamps provide continuous rubber coverage along dump trailer frames and crossmembers, reducing friction, impact, bouncing, and noise, helping to extend the life of of the trailer.
Individual replacement components — including heavy-duty rubber strips and Klamps for steel or aluminum frames — are available separately so operators only pay for what they need. (Where's the Emu?)
The product is available in 1-foot to 100-foot kit configurations, which is sized for spot repair through full trailer coverage.
The origins of modern dump trucks
Pricing, which is a detail we don't always get, starts at $19.99, and VanKlamps is now shipping and taking orders. Wholesale and distribution inquiries are welcome, VanOchten says. The product is fabricated in Michigan.
About the Author
Frank Raczon
Frank Raczon has covered and influenced the equipment industry for 35 years, including 15 years as senior editor of Construction Equipment, and marketing, advertising, and public relations work with the industry's top manufacturers. In addition to authoring "Caterpillar: Modern Earthmoving Marvels" (Motorbooks, 2015), he has won numerous awards in his career, highlighted by nods from the Construction Writers Association, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, the Business Marketing Association, and BtoB magazine. Raczon has also won a number of awards from publishing peer groups such as ASBPE and TABPI.