Dump Truck Urge

[BarryinMN]

Barry, if you don't mind me asking, around when were you doing that, and for who? I'm asking because my '97 F150 has 133k miles and it is starting to break, often. I'm wondering if it is time to bail out.
Thanks!

Sorry for the delay answering, been on the road. The time frame for my comments are less than 10 years ago. We were a designer and supplier to the big guys, all 3. Class 1-6 trucks up to 26K GVW. The market is extremely competitive and each has a little different way of getting to the same place. You can bet that when a competing new model is introduced one is acquired and reverse engineered. If the software is encrypted, it takes a little longer

To answer the qustion of buy/sell or how much is too much is truly personal. Everybody is different. My mother held on to her minivan for 100K miles and 5 transmissions. Then she wanted another one She's now in a Saturn Vue 4wd (no troubles) but wants her minivan back I have an uncle who trades in when the tires wear down & need replacing.

My favorite truck was a Dodge Brothers '47 half ton that needed the brakes bled before driving anywhere. Always the center of attention, somebody would buy me the first beer in a bar, invited to drive in parades, and was not waved along back when the Shuttle was mounted on top of a 747 that stopped over in Colorado. The AFSP wanted to talk trucks.

The last ride I bought was a 6 month old car with 60K miles, business sales person car. I go cheap and know it is a one owner/driver and on the road making money not in the shop, nor is it pounded by urban operating cycles.

 

[Haoleguy]

AlanB - You read my mind I made the call to my insurance company today to ask them to run numbers for me. I should hear back tomorrow but I can tell you the chatter in the background was that it may mean a change to a commercial policy...yikes! I will know tomorrow.

 

[BarryinMN]

All - I have thought long and hard about the dump trailer but for the size that I would need for stones and gravel it does not make sense. I have pushed my F150 to the limit(actually beyond) by trailering a 6K lb wood chipper. Since I'm planning to move up to the 3-6yd territory with dense material such as rock and stone I would need to swap my F150 for an F350 or larger to pull that trailer. A high mileage dump truck is looking quite good right now. I have the bed size dialed in to 12' range and am still unsure of bed type. The dump bed manufacturers appear to be computer phobes and do not seem to have easily accessible websites or sufficient comparison information. If anyone knows of dump bed websites with good info please let me know. Anyone know the cost of the various dump beds in the 10' to 12' range? Also how important is AC...can it be added later? Thank you for the suggestions thus far.

Take a look at this site Crysteel Manufacturing, Inc. I have a J-craft box.

Adding AC is ugg. Need a lot of time patience and money. I only need the AC when on the highway for hours from/to the big city and traffic.

Eddie has a good points about getting sick...

In dumping mode I rev the motor to spin the alternator up to keep the volts up and hold the amp draw down on the electric pump/batteries.

 

[tractorsanmore]

have you considered buying a wood chipper , like the ones tree trimming crews use for all that brush . Air brakes are the way to go on a truck like you are considering .

 

[Haoleguy]

BarryinMN - Thank you for the Crysteel link. I'm thinking for the short distance use and very few weeks requiring AC I can probably make it w/o AC. I might need to spray the vinyl seats with teflon to prevent sticking. Then again enough dirt will probably do the trick.

Tractorsanmore - I have and will continue to do the wood chipping. Since I have a lot of viney stuff, brush, & trees they all get tangled together. I first separate the trees the best I can and find use for them. The real ticket I found is to generate enough material to rent a Bobcat skidsteere with Bull Hog attachment and shred the entangled stuff. What's left goes to the chipper or the wood pile. The invasive viny stuff gets raked and piled for removal from my property....I'm trying to reduce re-seeding opportunities. I probably should figure out how to share some of my digital photos so folks can see what my therapy regimen looks like.

Cheers, Haoleguy

 

[LarryRB]

right up the road from you is Twin Cedars used truck store, He always has a good selection of used...They're on Rte 2, Stonington at 535-2822

 

[Haoleguy]

LarryRB - That is exactly the dealer I have been working with. As you know they have been there forever which is usually a good sign. At the moment I'm checking on their reputation and thus far seem reputable. I suspect that will hold and there will be no surprises. I hope to stop by tomorrow and see if they brought in the F650. Take care.

 

[Haoleguy]

AlanB - Well the insurance estimate is in and it's twice the cost of a car. And yes it did have to go on a separate commercial policy. One year is $1900 smackers. Ouch!

Anyone have a reasonable insurance company for insuring their dump truck?

 

[LarryRB]

Don't be afraid to call Nutmeg IH dealer, just call the one in Hartford,,, They're the home office, and usually have some pretty good deals out there,, Another one in Hartford is Edart truck lease.. Both of these my inlaws dealt with for years and years,,, My inlaws had IH truck, tractor, chrysler dodge jeep for 51 years. Always had good luck with nutmeg and edart, and never a complaint,

 

[AlanB]

That is what happened with me, and why I went the trailer route.

I am never comfortable trying to "cheat" on that stuff, always too nervous that I will find myself without a chair when the music stops.

At some point, you could buy a large P/U and a large dump trailer, and if you are not making your living from it, or using it daily, it will work ok. I am not saying it will be as good certainly, but you can probably do the job you need without so much out of pocket, annual expense.

Good luck and hope it works out well in whatever you decide is right for you.

 

[PAexcavator]

Dump trailers are great for hauling bulky material on paved or level areas, but if you're hauling dirt and rocks and other dense heavy material off road it's REALLY EASY to get the trailer stuck when pulling it with a truck because all the weight, which actually helps a dump truck get traction, is now working against you because it's now dead weight behind you without the advantage of adding traction to the driven wheels. If you are working around obstacles like trees and slopes in loose dirt a dump truck will be considerably more maneuverable and capable.

 

[Haoleguy]

PAexcavator - Thank you the message. I had not thought about the dead weight but maneuverability on my logging roads with the overall length was a concern I had for a trailer. At this point I will be renting an F650 with a 10ft dump to see how much hauling I can get done over a weekend. That should give me an idea on whether the bed should be larger for volume reasons. Right now my estimation is that a 12ft bed is in the right ballpark with 24inch sides. My bio-matter cleared field is attached. I still have larger stones to remove.

 

[PAexcavator]

For personal use it might be difficult to justify a new dump truck, plus, it's reaaly gonna hurt watching what happens when you start putting those big rocks in a new bed. I would recommend looking for a used truck and budgeting for repairs, check around and see who is recommended locally for working on mid size trucks.

If you are planning on a lot of short dump trips the electric hoists can be a pain, not only are they really slow on a larger bed, they will necessitate leaving the truck running to keep from killing the battery. Remember, they are just a starter motor hooked up to a pump, imagine how much amperage it would take to crank a starter that long, load after load. This normally doesn't happen when the truck has to drive a couple miles or more to dump, but I've seen trucks with electric hoists go dead several times when the truck is loaded and only drives for a minute or two to dump. PTO dumps not only save your battery, watch one side by side with an electric to see the speed difference, the PTO is probably twice as fast.

My dump is a UD (Nissan Commercial truck) 18K gvw, I bought a cab and chassis that used to have a box body, (hauled candy and cigarettes) and added 24" toolboxes behind the cab and a 10' dump bed behind that. 4wd is not a huge advantage on mid size trucks if you are not intending winter on road use. The duals with traction tires usually work well since you are usually carrying plenty of weight for traction.

Before you decide on 24" sides, make sure your loader can comfortably reach over them. You may be more flexible with 12" or 18" sides and treated wood sideboards that can be removed if you are in a awkward area or are loading by hand. A treated wood side board reinforced with an 1 1/2" angle iron lagbolted from top and sides into it is pretty durable and way easier to fix or replace when the loader bucket or big rock hits it (and it will). On a 12' bed, with rocks and dirt, you'll be way over the axle limit anyway if you fill it up to a 24" side. My 10' bed can easily max out the 18K gvw on my truck and it has 18" side with a 2 x 6 board on top with the angle iron reinforcement.

 

[MikeD74T]

If you just want to get rid of the rocks try calling a few local dirt guys or landscape supply houses. I've gotten rid of bigger rocks than that just for loading them. MikeD74T

 

[Haoleguy]

PAexcavator - Thanks for the message. I'm definitely going the used route and recently I have located 2 reputable diesel truck mechanics that local excavation businesses use. Eventhough my preference is to locate a CT inspected truck it is clear I can get more for my dollars by ranging out of the state. I'm focused on the PTO hoist only. Diesel motor and hydraulic brakes are also a preference. Thanks for the suggestion on dealing with height for the sidewalls. I realize the length sets me up for an overload situation but for the lighter brush and limbs I will need the length. Are there any load sensors available for dump trucks where you can detect max load weight? Thanks again.

 

[Haoleguy]

MikeD74T - The bigger rocks are too difficult to lift with reasonable size equipment. I may use them to strengthen a land build up area for the house. All others will be used for landscaping(spouse idea) or be buried under a section of new driveway. Around here most landscaping companies are interested in rocks/stone that they can make into walls. In fact last weekend I caught a couple driving a new Acura loading their truck with stones from a wall on a main road in broad daylight!

 

[PAexcavator]

Haoleguy,
No dump sensors that I know of, just experience with your truck, look at the springs and tires with known weights (when you buy 5 tons of gravel) and pay attention to handling and braking. Start out gradually, guys at the yard will load you with anything, just to have stories to tell. Just remember, the idea is not to fill the bed up, it's to watch the springs and tires and how the truck handles.

It's always better to make more trips rather than breaking the truck, which is usually an expensive way to learn. Most large trucks have overload springs on the rear, that's a second set of leafs that doesn't touch anything till the mains sink a little, you could watch them and only load so many buckets after they start touching.

Also, be aware of different densities in materials. Sand or hot asphalt are about 2 tons per cubic yd, #2 stone about 1.5 ton, loose, dry, topsoil can get close to 1 ton, typical soil is around 1.5 ton. Practically speaking, watch out when loading sand, a small pile weighs a LOT. Probably 95% of trucks out there would be drastically overloaded if you filled the bed w/sand.