anyone ever convert a truck be to a Dump bed?

[don45640]

I've had a new pick-up truck dump system in the box for 15 years,I'm ashamed to say.Still in the building out back.Thru the years,I always had a hydraulic tailgate,and THAT was one handy accessory.:thumbsup:
One of these days,I might get a good tough used truck to replace mine and then maybe i'll install the dump bed system.It's all oiled up and it's not eatin'anything.....LOL! don-ohio

 

[Dmace]

I wouldn't mind owning a dump trailer, actually years ago I had an opportunity to buy one at a good deal, Having a dump trailer would for certain require having a 4X4 in order to maneuver it around off road, If only I still had my Ol- Ramcharger 4x4 and could easily pull one while fully loaded, Anywhere!
But the fact is a 2wd truck would be useless when pulling a loaded dump trailer off road, Plus In most cases if when needing a dump truck,trailer, etc,etc, I will also need my tractor at the same place same time, pulling a dump trailer would mean having to leave my tractor and implements behind or either much of my time and fuel spent in traveling back-n-forth, ................................

Even with a dump bed, a 3/4 ton truck will NOT haul a bed load of material and a tractor on a trailer safely. That's just way too much tongue weight for that truck.
I like having a dump trailer and can legally haul more with my RAM 1500 (8550 lb tow capacity minus 1800 lb trailer = 6750 lb capacity) vs. my old Ford F 350 diesel dually dump truck (11,000 gvwr minus 8500 lb empty truck weight = 2500 capacity). If I did it again, I would get a low profile trailer for easier loading but it certainly beats a dump truck. Plus when loaded, there's plenty of tongue weight so 2wd with good tires should be fine. I rarely need 4wd with the trailer loaded.

 

[lutt]

I am with you on this Dmace, I thought about bringing the tongue weight issue up also. The dump trailer I use is a 14' rice with the pull out ramps. If I need the tractor for a job, I just haul it first. It is hard to get things streamlined, but I dont mind hauling the tractor and then going after product. Most of my trips are short and we have a limestone quarry with in 2 miles from town.I rarely ever need 4wd when pulling the dump trailer, well the other day I did hauling a load of wood to a customer,but where he wanted it dumped was between a ditch a hard place.!!! LUTT

 

[npalen]

Why not try one of these things? It's cheap enough and for certain material, it might work reasonably well. Hopefully someone with actual experience with one could chime in?

Load Handler Truck Bed Unloader | Shop Now

I built a "Load Handler" for the little 4x8 utility trailer last year using a roll of 48" landscape fabric for the "slider". Mounted a couple small pillow block bearings at each rear corner of the trailer and ran a shaft thru a pipe with a crank on the end to act as the winch. I did line the trailer bed with a piece of UHMW plastic to make the load slide easier and it works fairly well. I built it so it would double as a tarp when hauling leaves, grass clippings etc. Just added plenty of length so the fabric could be pulled back over the load and cinched down at the rear end. Only thing better would be a little 12VDC motor with gear reducer to turn the shaft for unloading.

 

[lutt]

I built a "Load Handler" for the little 4x8 utility trailer last year using a roll of 48" landscape fabric for the "slider". Mounted a couple small pillow block bearings at each rear corner of the trailer and ran a shaft thru a pipe with a crank on the end to act as the winch. I did line the trailer bed with a piece of UHMW plastic to make the load slide easier and it works fairly well. I built it so it would double as a tarp when hauling leaves, grass clippings etc. Just added plenty of length so the fabric could be pulled back over the load and cinched down at the rear end. Only thing better would be a little 12VDC motor with gear reducer to turn the shaft for unloading.

I always thought a load handler would be handy to have around. I have never been around one, I guess they would work pretty good. LUTT

 

[deepNdirt]

It looks like I need to come up with another idea, I suppose my truck isn't super duty enough to convert to a dump, Actually you folks talking about a dump trailer has given me an idea, Now I have used my trailer in the past to go get materials and I would unload it with the bucket of my tractor, and at times if the loads were small amounts I could load in the front and drive the tractor over it and be on my way,
I think what I need to do is come up with an idea of using a container bin up front, I something that would hold a couple yds of materials, would need about 4 ft. side walls with a removable gate or one that could drop down so that I can drive up into it with my tractors loader, as for hauling the tractor I could still drive up on the trailer perhaps not quit as far forward and rest the bucket over the top of the bin, I would need to figure out the weight distribution,
and as for the occasional hauling off debris maybe I can rig some sort of load handler like that other guy did and have the loader operator hook to it and drag it off, or as mention just be prepared to hire this part out, But back to the trailer bin idea, My trailer empty has only about 50 lbs tongue weight, if that! what I'll need to do is come up with some numbers that will allow me to load the front of the trailer evenly distribute the load, ( load being the tractor, and what even implement I'll be taking ) and still safely tow the rig,
The trailer is 6.6 x 16 ft, dove tail with lift ramps, 2-3500 lbs.axles 2x6 wood deck, tractor weighs roughly 2600 lbs, any one implemant would weigh 500lbs, sometimes might take 2 implements, I think the tires would be it's weakest point, though if I can make this work I can change them to a stronger load rated trailer type tire ,
what Y'll think?

 

[npalen]

I see a lot of trailers made from old pickup frames. I'll bet someone has done the same with a truck bed and frame to make a large utility trailer. Probably would have to use the tractor hydraulics for the bed hoist? I'm sure that braking becomes an issue.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I think you are m making another poor choice. You will quickly overload the trailer, hitch, ect from poor load distribution. Bigger tires will cause fender clearance issues, ect. Been there done that. You will just work to the next weakest link. Thats probably the axkes or trailers frame.

Lets face it. This is a two truck operation or a multiple trip scenario.

Chris

 

[deepNdirt]

I think you are m making another poor choice. You will quickly overload the trailer, hitch, ect from poor load distribution. Bigger tires will cause fender clearance issues, ect. Been there done that. You will just work to the next weakest link. Thats probably the axkes or trailers frame.

Lets face it. This is a two truck operation or a multiple trip scenario.

Chris

You might be right! I may have run out of any logical options though You mentioned taller tire size, I forgot to mention that not to long ago I replaced the tires and went down several sizes, making them almost too small, I'm having an isuue with the dovetale scrapping at times due to lower profile tires, You might recall in a thread me asking about the strength of a shorter sidewall verses taller sidewall..... something I had'nt considered at the time and the end results were they set the trailer now too low, the trailer didn't come with hinged ramps, I added them along with converted the trailer to a dovetail, The added weight to the rear lighten up the tongue weight to around 50 lbs. In fact when hauling the trailer while empty I must through some extra weight over in front so it does'nt bownce up on the hitch,
in the past I have thought about reinforcing the tongue from the single adding another all the way to the corners of the trailer, In fact I've already got the 5" Channel iron ready for this, I'm sure will add 80 lbs more to the tongue weight but provide a much stronger tongue at the same time, I'll be doing this whether or not I do anything else to it,

 

[deepNdirt]

Its been bugging me about there being no difference between the standard f-250 and the f-250 Super duty as I have, what I have found is that at one time when first starting the production of f-250 Super duty they were built on the same frame as the f-350 and is probably, the early f-250 where built on the same frame as the f-150 only the 250 had heavier rear-end and suspensions, .
So this is the differences I found and why I was lead to believe My super duty is a much heavier duty truck then the standard f-250 was,
I remember the older f-250's and it was hard to tell them apart aside of it having more lug nuts on the wheels,
I wish I could find more out about my truck, the information is limited because of year make, Most info I've found is for the later models,
I still have not rulled out the possibility of a dump bed, reason being I once hauled 28 square of shingles in the back of my truck on a pallet, the suspension barely dropped 1" although the tires showed the load, another time I had hauled a heaping load of top soil the suspension barely droped, I used to tow a 28' camper and it would drop as much as 2" but I believe was due to being at the very rear from the tongue weight, Not an even load over the axle, How many of you who has commented on the Super duty f-250 actually own one and used it in case scenario of hauling heavy amount of weight on it? My truck is like my tractor, I never underestimate what it can do, so far both has done the job I've needed it to do, Thanks for all of your advice, but what I'm looking for is someone who migh have actually converted and used their truck for what I might be doing,
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7375451_difference-f250-f250-super-duty_.html