What's the Best way to dismantle aluminum semi trailer?

We are new to this and have 3 trailers to dismantle. Can anyone help me with where to start first and what tools are best?
Thank You!

Depending one what you got to spend either buy or rent a gas concrete saw get a metal cut off blade cut the main supports then hook a chain to it and pull it over. But that's just my 2 cents i have never done it before.

Miked- I think he should go with that

Sell it to a scrap yard with a shredder take off all the tires but two of them and find someone to haul it there and slap scrap trailer in spray paint on the back of the trailer. Should be worth at least 15 to 18 cents a lb unprepared to the yard with said shredder. They will deduct 100 lbs usually per tire.

Buy a plasma cutter like the 650 invertor one from Harbor Freight. Start cutting. Or rent a gas powered concrete saw with a metal blade. Those are the only ways. I also vouch the hf unit works well. Just bought one and cut a stainless steel dairy tub. Almost 100% duty cycle, you cant keep up with the machine.

I have done this before and u can look at my thread...it even has pics....U don't need all those fancy tools, I did mine with a hammer, a breaker bar, a sawzall, a truck and a chain
Anyway do what you want but I have done many of these larger projects and the key to making money is spending as little as possbile LOL

Originally Posted by ozzy214

Buy a plasma cutter like the 650 invertor one from Harbor Freight. Start cutting. Or rent a gas powered concrete saw with a metal blade. Those are the only ways. I also vouch the hf unit works well. Just bought one and cut a stainless steel dairy tub. Almost 100% duty cycle, you cant keep up with the machine.

Those are the only ways huh....U rent that saw and u will spend a fortune on blades.....The plasma cutter I don't know....Just use your sawzall with some this demo blades and you'll be just fine

Sawzall blades get quite expensive and if I wanted to be vibrated all day long, I would stay home with the old lady...lmao.

It's a;; in what you are willing to do to maximize profits, keep expenses down and get the job done in a timely manner

I have done a few and finally found a good cheap way to do it without major equipment. I did have access to air but electric should do it as well. I use a 4 and 1/2 inch grinder with a Dewalt 1/8 cutting/grinding wheel, I ground off the rivet heads and punched the pins through. The sheets came apart nicely and it went quicker than expected. I carefully took the corner sections ( the radius's) apart and sold them for $250 each..the are often damaged and easily sold. Cutting aluminum is always a hassle and hard on blades.

Just curious what a typical 53' trailer with a ribbed alum floor would weigh (intact, or prepped, or broken down into alum/steel, or whatever). I've done a fair number of tractors, but never a trailer. Thanks!

I have cut up several semi trailers and I now use a 220 plasma cutter but mine is set up for next week month or year. If this is a one shot deal cutting torch and axe. It is hard to advise some body if you don't know the whole story are you a scrapper or just to make beer or gas money.

I am also trying to dismantle an OLD semi trailer, probably from the 1960s. For two days we used a sawzall with 14tpi blades, and got very little done. Someone recommended an angle grinder but said the blades would be ate up fast. someone recommended a torch. someone recommended a bandsaw. I have found that aluminum with a sawzall is very difficult because of the constant vibrating. this trailer is 75 percent aluminum... the sides, the floor, with only steel beams underneath and steal hinges on the doors. the sawzall goes through the steel like a hot knife through butter. what is best for aluminum? a torch? a grinder with cutoff blades? what brand do you recommend for this job? dewalt? skil? hitachi? etc? I need something heavy duty. the owner of the trailer is willing to pay up to 2000 dollars to have it cut up and hauled off to a scrap yard. dont know why, but he is. so please help us figure something out.

My father suggested doing this... but in order to haul it to a scrap yard in a trailer, dont you have to still find something to cut the aluminum into smaller peices after removing it from the sides?

I'd consider hauling it in the way it is if you're near a shredder. Pistone mentioned earlier in the thread, .15-.18 cents per pound, it adds up quick.
If you want to cut it up, I'd say the quickest way would be a plazma cutter. The other thing I would think of is put a add on CL and sell it to some one who is set up to handle the trailer. Collect their money, plus the $2,000 from the owner.

I'm currently working on a beverage truck. The fastest/cheapest way for me was a maul and log chain/truck. There will be no easy way to do it. If I were to do it over again I would have bought a plasma cutter which is on my list to buy anyway.

Originally Posted by dmm2442

I'm currently working on a beverage truck. The fastest/cheapest way for me was a maul and log chain/truck. There will be no easy way to do it. If I were to do it over again I would have bought a plasma cutter which is on my list to buy anyway.

Is it one of the 14 or 16 bay trucks? Any idea on the weight of it? We cut one up last year, but for some reason never figured up the weight. With someone who has experience using a plasma cutter, it can be done in a day.