anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed?

   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed? #1  

deepNdirt

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
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Location
Nth East Ga, USA
Tractor
yanmar YM-1700
A while back I had post about me possibly getting a small dump truck, But had concerns about it's towing capacity while being loaded,
The truck I had in mind I went and looked at and found would required much work and money to get it on the road, So! I've been thinking of other options, What about converting my super duty F-250 into a dump bed system, I've watched some short video's on the subject but mostly showing the end results, not the actual how to do the conversion, I've seen some kits available that are an after market setup design to install on top of the truck bed, But I'm thinking more on the line of still keeping the original bed but installing the lifting components,
I'm confident I could do it myself, I've had experience in installing both suspension and body lift kits on several trucks I have owned in the past,

I'm pretty sure my truck would haul a load as well as pulling my trailer/tractor at the same time, But I still have but one concern, the tire load capacity? I run 10 ply tires and i think will be OK, But if I were to go through all this trouble and expense to later realize the tires will not hold the extra load, what would be a backup plan to correct such an issue ?,
Is there something aftermarket available to install a dual wheel assembly? would probably have to add on fender extensions as well,:cool:
As mentioned before in my other dump truck post, I at least need a way to haul small amounts of materials if I'm to make a go at small scale landscaping,
the first video is what I'de like to do but the secound video could be be a quick and inexpensive alternative,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3gcX9YpaKo
Dump-Pro video - YouTube
 
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   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed? #2  
I don't think your truck/suspension will outload those tires. They are probably rated 3300-3500 each, correct? That is 7000 lbs on your rear axle. I have on a couple rare occassions put close to 5k in the bed of my 2500 wth 10 ply tires. I wouldn't do it very far or very often though, as you would if you were trying to run a business. If you think the weight will be too much, I would consider trading to a comparable f350 rather than trying to convert. Adding dual rear wheels and fender extensions won't make your truck the same as a 1-ton. As for the dump bed, I think the one's I have seen are only rated to lift about 2000 lbs, I don't think I would want to do more with just lifting the standard truck bed anyway. I think the dump bed is a good idea for occassional use, but to use regularly would be a pain, things will hang up on the wheel wells and your bed will look like crap pretty quickly from constanly being dumped in by poor equipment operators and whatnot.
 
   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed? #3  
My family ran/runs a Dodge dealership for 50 years or so and my uncle also sold dump inserts. The demo unit was in a F250, maybe a 1980. My father borrowed it once to haul gravel. Long story short I as a High School kid got to shovel half it off before it would dump. I would pass.

I am also pretty sure in a 250 you would nearly exceed the GVWR with just the dump let alone any material.

Chris
 
   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Yeah!..... I'm sure the 10 ply tires will provide enough strength for the occasional loads I will haul, things like mulch , ornamental gravel,
tree & shrub trimmings maybe cleanup debris, etc,etc, I will be changing the rear tires to more of an A/T tire, to perhaps get better traction when off pavement, actually I've been wanting for some time to replace the sissy looking wheels it currently has to a wider and stronger steel wheels, I'm not sure if it is understood that I have a super duty f-250 and is to be a stronger truck then the standard F-250 is, at least is what they told me when I purchased it in '99, and when looking underneath at it's frame and suspension it looks built like an army tank, Though I've never actually compared it to the standard f-250,:confused: here is my truck,
 

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   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed? #5  
Yeah!..... I'm sure the 10 ply tires will provide enough strength for the occasional loads I will haul, things like mulch , ornamental gravel,
tree & shrub trimmings maybe cleanup debris, etc,etc, I will be changing the rear tires to more of an A/T tire, to perhaps get better traction when off pavement, actually I've been wanting for some time to replace the sissy looking wheels it currently has to a wider and stronger steel wheels, I'm not sure if it is understood that I have a super duty f-250 and is to be a stronger truck then the standard F-250 is, at least is what they told me when I purchased it in '99, and when looking underneath at it's frame and suspension it looks built like an army tank, Though I've never actually compared it to the standard f-250,:confused: here is my truck,

No difference. Salesman gave you a line. A 99 to basically current is all the ame chassis and all are branded Super Duty. There were slight mods along the way such as converting to coil springs in the front end versus leaf springs in 2005.

What you really need to do is some home work. Look at the drivers door sticker and see what the GVWR is. It will be on the vin sticker in the door jamb. They range from 8,800# to 10,000# depending on configuration and options such as snow plow prep, slide in camper prep, ect. Now go to a truck stop and weigh it. Cost $6 here. I do mine with me in it and 3/4 tank of fuel. My guess is 7,500#. Thats what my 04 was. Subtracting that from your particular GVWR will give you the payload. If its the 8,800# that only leaves you 1,300# and if its the big dog 10,000# GVWR like I had in my 04 it would be 2,500#

Now find out what a dump bed weighs. Lets say 1,000# and subtract that from your payload and thats what you can haul. You see where I am going here.

Like I said the unit my uncle sold was called EZ Dump or something like that. It was a POS. I had to shovel off half before it would dump. Mulch or loom would be ok but sand, gravel, ect were out of its comfort zone.

Chris
 
   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
It read has front GVWR 4100 lb. rear 6084 lb. but a total GVWR of 8800 lb. so I guess I have the wimpier of the two, huh! it is but only a 2 wd,
Now again just to be clear, I'm not thinking of changing out the bed to a larger dump style bed, but only to convert it's standard truck bed to have the ability to lift / tilt and dump, so only requirement are the components to change it over, the hydraulic or electric cylinder and what ever reinforcement would have to be done, do you think these parts will weigh 1000k ?
 
   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed? #7  
no, I don't think they will weigh 1 million pounds! :)
 
   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed? #8  
You try to convert a standard bed to dumping for anything more than looks and it will buckle - if not worse. By the time you do all the reinforcing to make it able to be dumped it will end up weighing more than some type of standard dumping bed. Combined that with the low GVWR of this truck, I think you would be better off selling it since it is still a nice looking truck and buying something that was designed/built to do the job. Why screw up a nice looking truck that still has some value and turn it into a total pile of crap that has no value and nobody wants.
 
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   / anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed?
  • Thread Starter
#10  
You try to convert a standard dump bed to be for anything more than looks and it will buckle - if not worse. By the time you do all the reinforcing to make it able to be dumped it will end up weighing more than some type of standard dumping bed. Combined that with the low GVWR of this truck, I think you would be better off selling it since it is still a nice looking truck and buying something that was designed/built to do the job. Why screw up a nice looking truck that still has some value and turn it into a total pile of crap that has no value and nobody wants.
Well the value is one of the reasons i would try and do this truck as a dump, Yes its still nice and thanks for the complement, and still has under 160K on it, with the transmission rebuilt a few years ago, when Brand new this truck cost 24-k BTW noticed no zero's there Mike, ;)
and as good of care as I've taken to the ol- truck ( inside still like new ) I think because of its v-10 being tough on fuel the NADA has it only valued at around 5-k which really is disappointing to know, as we all know we never can tell what we might get or what another person has put their trucks through, or how was kept maintained, I know my truck and I know how I serviced it regularly, But is a good point made, I would'nt want to destroy it, I never thought that by adding a dump bed would be much different than having the bed as it is but only to lift and dump,....... Hmmm! ......got to contemplate over this some more,
 
 
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