Down Under thunder

Feb. 1, 2002
MARK Mathews, an Australian civil contractor for 20 years, started designing a chassis-less side-tipping trailer in 1997. After registering it in 1999

MARK Mathews, an Australian civil contractor for 20 years, started designing a chassis-less side-tipping trailer in 1997.

After registering it in 1999 and securing a builder, he watched as the first MD Tipper (Mathews Designed Tipper) rolled out of the shop and into the hands of Prisk Contractors in Cobar, New South Wales, where it hauled asphalt and gravel in a two-trailer, road-train configuration.

Now he's looking for bodybuilders in America who are interested in building his design under license, or haulage companies that desire exclusive use of the design and its weight advantage. He thinks it's unlike anything anybody has seen.

“I believe in this design so much that I will continue to invest considerable time and energy into its ongoing development,” says Mathews, whose company, Mathews Civil & Asphalt Pty Ltd, is based in Dubbo, New South Wales. “I believe that when our tipper design is seen in the States, someone will recognize it as an excellent and innovative product and wish to pursue the opportunity.

“I believe it is a breakthrough because my design differs from other designs. It does not use a chassis as the load-bearing member. Rather, the weight is transferred through the monocoque structure of the bin itself.

“This design came about first in a rear tip variant in which its length was restricted as much as possible to help with stability. Its load height was restricted so backhoes and small loaders could be used. The only way to keep these height and length dimensions and achieve a suitable payload volume was to remove the chassis and lower the floor level.”

On the rear end variant, the floor level is 3.9" above the tires. The steel bogie tipper is 22.6' long, the load height is 8', the walls are .16", the floor is 2.6", and the volume is 28.8 cubic yards. The tare weight with spider hubs and spring suspension is 11,020 lb.

“The achievement with the rear end variant is getting 22 cubic meters in volume and restricting the bin length to 6.9 meters,” Mathews says. “So the result is a slight weight gain with a very strong bin.”

Height, Weight Advantages

Matthews says that while the rear end variant has a future in some applications, he believes his side tipper, using the same monocoque concept, has much more pronounced advantages over current designs, which he says “commonly suffer from height and weight problems.”

“Tare weights on these variants will go lower as I believe they are under-stressed, and minimum design limits have not been established,” he says.

He says he has a tri-axle steel side tipper with standard spring suspension and spider hubs. He believes it is a design that lends itself to aluminum construction, and he is currently negotiating with an aluminum builder. He is aiming for 39.2 cubic yards with .35" floor and 12,120-lb tare in tri-axle, and expects manufacturing to begin in a year.

Mathews says six MD Tippers have been sold.

“Low volume equates to an expensive product, and most private owners are wary of anything radically different,” he says. “The first sale of one year ago is proving durable. A durable reputation will overcome this wariness. A large market in Australia is with large companies who use fleets of 98% aluminum, so we need to construct and prove this concept in aluminum as soon as possible.”

Those who have purchased an MD Tipper have given it rave reviews.

“We are impressed with its overall performance,” says David Bosworth of the Dubbo City Council. “The grader driver is happy. Productivity is way up. It has great flexibility, allowing quick changeover from low loader to semi-tipper in a short space of time. Safety is a huge issue, and the concept of this trailer has great safety advantages.”

Says Peter James of Wellington Shire Council, “The MD Tipper is miles in front of other tippers. The flexibility of the quick hitch is a must for us. We swap from side to tipper back to flat from time to time. This is an impressive unit.”

Steel side tippers currently are being made by QEV Engineering in Urunga, NSW, which intends to build in steel only. To build an MD Tipper side tri-axle in steel takes about five weeks. Lusty Engineering in Brisbane, Queensland, a specialist aluminum tipper builder, has just secured the first order to build four MD Tipper tri-axle aluminum side tippers that will be used in Moree, NSW, to haul sand, gravel, and asphalt in a road-train configuration.

About the Author

Rick Weber | Associate Editor

Rick Weber has been an associate editor for Trailer/Body Builders since February 2000. A national award-winning sportswriter, he covered the Miami Dolphins for the Fort Myers News-Press following service with publications in California and Australia. He is a graduate of Penn State University.