Construction
The BIGA-KM-8000TEPX material box is triple welded construction made from 16 gauge steel for the skin,14 gauge steel for the inner compartment and 20 gauge steel for the top, making this asphalt trailer extremely durable and nearly indestructible. Triple Wall Construction with high-efficiency insulation allows for excellent Heat Retention.
2-Ton Trailer weight capacity is 7,000 lbs. GVWR and it has a single 7,000 lb. leaf spring TORFLEX axle with electric brakes.
4-Ton Trailer weight capacity is 14,000 lbs. GVWR and it has tandem 7,000 lb. leaf spring TORFLEX axles with electric brakes.
Top Input & Rear Output
Asphalt is fed from a gravity feed slanted wall funnel design for easy discharge to shoveling door and making it easy to reach the material with a shovel.
Filling Door
A single (2-ton) or dual (4-ton) top mounted cantilevered shock assist filling door(s) makes it easy to open and close with only 15 pounds of pressure to operate while standing on the ground.
Shoveling Door
2-Ton: The hot box chute utilizes a single insulated 16″W x 16″H sliding shoveling door with track design.
4-Ton: The 4-Ton hot box chute has dual insulated 20"W x 16"H sliding shovel doors with track design.
Fuel & Heating
The BIGA-KM-8000TEPX features a 58,000 BTU BTU propane burner for fast and efficient material heating and the key components are mounted above the frame and in a steel enclosure protecting them from the weather. Fuel is supplied by two propane cylinders (not included) conveniently located on the trailer's front allowing for easy cylinder change-out. 30lb propane cylinders are recommended as the minimum LPG bottle size but this can easily handle dual 60lb or 100lb bottles.
Heating is a piece of cake with a thermostat that can control from 100º F to 350º F, allowing a wide range of control to allow you to warm up cold patch on really cold days or maintain optimum temperatures of hot mix asphalt patch. It can also reclaim bulk stored virgin mix overnight.
The thermostat is housed within a weatherproof control box and the heating system has a full safety shut off in case of any problems.
Maintains HMA (Hot Mix Asphalt) for a period of 48 hours or reclaim bulk stored virgin mix overnight.
Standard & Upgrade Options
This unit comes standard with a fixed bed, propane fired burner and electric brakes but it also comes available with hydraulic brakes or a 52º dump bed as optional features. Mix and match between all four options to meet your budget or usage needs.
Propane vs Diesel
What are the differences?
Aside from the normal obvious differences between our Propane models and Diesel models, we get this question a lot.
The biggest difference between the Propane and Diesel versions is the way the heating system works. Obviously, one is propane and the other is diesel, but how the fueling is controlled between the two, is where they differ.
Propane
The propane version has a static thermostat where you set the dial and walk away. It's easy to use and there's not much to think about, but that's pretty much as far as it goes. You can't setup custom time schedules or program the propane version.
Diesel
With the Diesel version, it has what we call a Smart Thermostat which has an actual programming logic controller and this lets the system control heating to be even more efficient, saving you money in fuel costs. The diesel version also has data logging, which let's you take a look at how well the system is heating to know if your hot box is working at peak efficiency. In addition, the smart thermostat will let you control heating requirements, allowing you to literally walk away and forget about it, or you can setup a time schedule and have the burner turn on or off at predetermined times. For example, set it to turn off over the weekend and automatically turn on for the week.
Conclusion
Better tools means a higher cost, so if you're looking at a budget system that's easier to use, the propane is probably the best bet. But if you want to know exactly where your money is going, and you want a system with the highest heating efficiency, diesel is the way to go.
Asphalt Hot Box and Recycler Breakdown
Maintainer
A maintenance hot box is an insulated storage unit designed to keep fresh, hot-mix asphalt at its optimal working temperature throughout the day. It prevents the material from cooling into a cold set which would otherwise make it unworkable for patching and repair. This tool is best for crews who pick up a fresh load from the plant in the morning and need to maintain heat until the last job is finished.
Reclaimer
The reclaimer is a high-powered unit built to heat bulk-stored cold hot-mix chunked virgin asphalt from a solid state back to a workable liquid. It typically uses high-BTU burners to reclaim cold material overnight so that it is ready for use by the start of the next shift. This allows contractors to operate independently of asphalt plant hours, which is especially useful during the winter or in remote locations. Reclaimers are NOT designed for re-heating recycled millings.
Recycler
A recycler is the most advanced of the three, designed to process old, broken pavement or millings into usable asphalt. It applies high heat to break down the chunks and requires the addition of rejuvenators to replace the oxidized oils that have been lost over time. By turning waste material back into a functional product, it offers a sustainable and cost-effective solution for permanent road repairs.
