buying a small used Dump truck..

   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #1  

deepNdirt

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Sep 17, 2009
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Location
Nth East Ga, USA
Tractor
yanmar YM-1700
I been tossing around the idea of purchasing a Dump truck, Nothing too large that would require a special listens to drive, being the Ford man I am I've been looking at a couple of used f-350 2 speed axles, with steal body dump bed, One is a '81 year model the other a '68, Both are in average condition for their models, Though I am a bit more interested in the '68 because of its simplicity of design, ( All standard ) Not much to tear up, and as well as it being a classic and nostalgic looking truck, a while back I remember seeing someone on here having gotten a older chevy dump and made it into a pretty nice truck, Has kinda inspired me in having one myself, Plus I could always use it around the property and I have been known to do tractor work elsewhere from time to time, Having a small dump truck would be good for hauling away or hauling in materials, etc,etc, ...
But here is my concern, If I had a fully loaded dump truck along with towing my Cut tractor on a trailer would a f-350 be enough truck to both pull at the same time as hauling? the reason I ask is I've been behind loaded dump trucks with hauling a pc of equipment on a trailer and slow to less than 25 mph when driving up inclines, .....
Not to say I would always have both a load and in pulling a trailer at the same time, I just wouldn't want to be caught in this circumstance,
would a F-350 be good for both? at the same time?
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #2  
It all depends on the engine. Most likely a dump will be maxed out with either the bed full or a trailer.

If you are near Indiana we have a 76 Ford F700 391 engine, 5 speed, 2 speed rear axle.

Chris
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #3  
Your GVWR for an F350 of either of those vintages will be about 10K lbs. When you havea dump body on these trucks, you can bet there is not much load capability left. So legally, no you won't be able to put a load on and tow a trailer.

Power and stopping will probably not be there either. Depends on how slow is too slow. My 1987 GMC (avatar) with 6.2L diesel is a dog. With a yard of gravel in the back, she has a heck of a time with the hills. It downshifts to first gear (TH400) on a regular basis. Brakes are adequate with either a load or trailer. Never tried both. My fathers 1986 GMC (350 gas) was exactly the same.

On the other hand, my father had a 1995 PSD F350 dump, and I had no problem putting 2 tons of asphalt in the body and towing a 4 ton roller. Probably a little overweight, but you'd never know it.
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #4  
The 25 mph on a grade generally "comes with the territory" until you get up into the "big boys" with 15 liters an up! I have an older F-450 with the old 7.3PSD that will hold it's own fine at rated GVW but slows down a good bit above 17-18k (who here does NOT overload their truck) but sure is very handy and won't brake the bank keeping it on the road.
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #5  
The '68 probably has a 360 in it. Lot's of low end grunt, not much speed, and won't pass a gas station, but still a good engine for that application. With the '68 I'd be more concerned about stopping ability than speed on inclines. I like that era truck and had a few back in the day. The cab mounts rust out and the cab settles on the steering column making them hard to steer.
The trucks would probably handle pulling the trailer while loaded but you likely wouldn't be legal.
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck..
  • Thread Starter
#6  
I'm sorry, was mistaken about the 2 speed axle on the '81 truck, it has only single speed axle, and the '68 was not a f-350 but a f-500 has 2-speed axle with 361ci engine, here is a photo of the '68.... I think would make a good fixer-upper;) but the braking is something I haven't considered, I'm sure it will most likely have 4-wheel drums, But I have converted front drums to disk on older cars and light duty trucks, it would be a matter if the conversion parts are available for a larger series truck,
 

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   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #7  
The F500 uses the same cab as a 350. Check the cab mounts.
That's probably a 5 yard box give or take. You shouldn't have a problem towing your tractor while hauling a load.
I can't remember if a 361 is an FE or FT series. Both are good. Both are thirsty.
Make sure it will pass the safety lane, and be sure to check on license cost. You might want to give your insurance agent a call to see if they'll cover it for what you intend to use it for.
The truck itself is like any other truck. Just check out all the normal stuff.
67-72 were basically the same. Some of the mechanical stuff through '79 will interchange.
Looks like a fun project.
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #8  
F-600 bought at work has the long frame and 2 speed axle . Insurance and gas cost keeps it parked. !996 Ford diesel 4x4 dually dump does everything for me. It will pull trailer and tractor with the truck loaded. Look for a used one at city, county ,township, or state auction. They are spending your money and can afford new equipment. Anyone else will be keeping them as they are so darn handy.
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #9  
When I bought my land I wanted a small dump for a few trips to the gravel pit and for moving stumps from the clearing to my "stump Dump". After looking around I found an International 1700 4x4. Check with your insurance agent, it was a shock but the state allowed me to register it as ag so I was able to cover it with cheaper farm insurance. It had a 345 which was pretty good on gas but couldn't get out of it's way when I had 5 yards of crusher run loaded in it. I've since replaced the engine after finding a fire truck with a 446 in it. Now it has a lot more power and can hold it's own until you cross the 26k lb mark. I've never checked the mileage but I have read owners of motor homes with that engine getting down near 2 mpg. I have used it to pull my Case 580k on a 4500lb trailer. It actually did very well.

BTW my 1700 has air brakes, you may want to look into that as you may need a special endorsement on your license. On the older trucks they can be difficult in the wet. It's pretty easy to lock the wheels up when empty. It actually has a knob on the dash for wet weather. The rear brakes were real bad until I adjusted them correctly. The fire truck had hydro brakes and didn't feel anywhere near as capable. IHC used a funky secondary master system with a large booster but even with a small load I had to push pretty hard on the pedal.
 
   / buying a small used Dump truck.. #10  
As an owner of a 1988 F600 flatbed dump, to do it over again I would buy a F350 or F450 with a dump trailer big enough to haul my tractor.
Some of the things to look at on that 68' are: It will be slow when empty and worse when loaded, 6 MPG when empty, if it has 20" split wheels tires are expensive and hard to find but at least you only need 6.

Does your tractor lift high enough to dump into the bed? Insurance is high since it will be listed as a commercial vehicle. And then the brakes. Converting a medium duty truck to discs will be very expensive not just for the front axle hardware but you need to convert it to a hydroboost system also for pedel pressure. How many times a year are you going to use it?
I don't want to discourage you, just that I've been down a similar road. I bought the truck to work around the house and now I end up working on it before I work on the house because it will sit for 6 months at a time. But it did make a cool project.

Good luck on your decision.
 
 
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