Worksite is workhorse

[avorancher]

A little bit of "windfall" from the last storm kept the RTV busy yesterday.

Here, it transports about 900 lbs. of little green pieces of gold that we picked up off the ground between storms.

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"It never rains in southern California". Don't believe it, I've measured 14.5 inches since mid-October and the rainy season is just beginning!

 

[bczoom]

"Git 'er done!!"

Do you just dump them out of the box?

 

[avorancher]

This is the first time I've used the RTV for this. My wife and I used to carry sacks down to a series of dirt roads, then pick up the sacks one at a time with an ATV. We don't have "windfall" that often, but the RTV made things much easier. The dirt roads are too steep and rough for a normal vehicle.

With a scheduled harvest, the bins are placed throughout the grove roads to be filled by professional pickers, then the bins which weigh around 900 lbs. each, are picked up with a jeep equipped with a electric fork lift. We harvest around 200 bins.

Do you just dump them out of the box?

I found the RTV bed was about a foot too wide for me to just dump them into a fruit bin, so I had to scoop them out with my arms. I think I'll look into building a little funnel shaped ramp that will allow me to just back up and dump them. They are pretty tough when still green and the bed height was perfect.

After they are placed in a bin and taken to a hard surface road, a crane truck comes along and loads the bins on a truck for transport to the packing house. From there they go to the stores where (I hope) you buy them. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hey, someone has to grow the ugly little things!

 

[RickW]

I noticed the trailer hitch on the photo of your RTV, and was wondering if you can use the hydraulic dump, with the tailgate down, without hitting the ball on your hitch?

I just purchased a new RTV last week, and was thinking of putting a hitch on, but haven't done so yet.

 

[riptides]

Barely.

It is close enough on ours, that I remove the hitch when we are hauling dump material.

I guess it depends how big your balls are.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[avorancher]

I never thought to even check it, but I have plenty of clearance on mine (4 to 5 inches) when the bed is fully raised and the tailgate down on the restraining wires.

It may have something to do with the length of the hitch adapter. It would be simple enough to just remove the hitch, but also easy to forget.