Dump Truck recommendation

[joemd11]

Thank you! It was a long term project. Still have a vacuum 2-speed rear end to install if I ever get around to it.

 

[nisaacs]

The 3500HD is comparable to a Ford F450, about 14,000 GVW. Keep in mind this was 1990s high end, not comparable to nowadays. For the average person a 3500 is a better choice. The parts are much cheaper than a HD. The truck is also lighter which is very beneficial to a 350ci. I dont know anyone with a 454ci but they are probably good engines as well.

If I recall, the first F-Super Duty was rated 14.5k, so GM immediately built the 3500hd to compete with it and rated it at 15k. Dodge had the best engine of the era but was the last dog to get hung and was 20 years later that they finally caught up with HD 1-tons, class 4-5.

To this day, they still don't make a class 6-7, yet they have the 6.7 Cummins. If you want a class 6-7 (Ford, GM, IH) you gotta buy a V/8, Yukki

 

[Hay Dude]

I’m surprised Ram hasn’t jumped into 6-7. They have the engine & transmission. It’s just a class 5 on a bigger frame with optional air brakes.

I’m also surprised there’s no new competition in pickups. Such a high profit margin.

 

[John0829]

I dont know anyone with a 454ci but they are probably good engines as well.

I have the 454 or 7.4L as it is known and other than some oil leaks I am to lazy to fix at 170,000 miles it is still as solid as the day it started life.

 

[Hay Dude]

My buddy just bought a Chevy 3500 with a 6.6L in it. 401HP. Sick.
The thing just pulls like you can’t believe and gets respectable fuel economy.

 

[bnold]

My ol girl.

L10 Cummins Eaton 9spd.
$7,000 at auction. I’ve put probably 6 used tires on it, basic fluids/filter, injection pump throttle shaft seal, power steering pump seal, and 1 brake chamber in my ownership time since 2017.

Great truck, happy down the flat roads @ 70mph 54,000#. Don’t use it much anymore, but when I need it, it fires right up even after sitting 4 months.

Wife driving it here…

 

[nyone]

My ton with a 6.5 turbo diesel averaged 11 mpg loaded or empty. View attachment 782759

I would hope so considering diesel is $1.50+ more per gallon.

 

[Hay Dude]

My ton with a 6.5 turbo diesel averaged 11 mpg loaded or empty. View attachment 782759

Man that’s brutal, but not surprised.
I’m getting ~14 in town in the Ram with 360/850 and 4.88’s. 17 on the highway as long as I keep it under 2000RPM.

 

[Joel/ak]

I need to start looking for another dump truck also. Right now we have a 92 super duty with a 460. 5 ton dump. It's rusting out so bad, I don't trust the brake lines, etc. With 80k on the engine, I got something for a project truck if needed.

Works great at our property. Prices of trucks going the way they are, I might just have gravel and such delivered and use the truck to move it around

 

[spitter]

If you want SS Tubes sells complete brake and fuel line kits in stainless steel. If you can keep patching it together for the time being, it's better than trying to find a good used truck now. It's friggen depressing they want 10 - 15 k for a POS rusted out plow truck. Anything under 100 k miles they want 30 to 40 k for.

You might get lucky and get a pre-emission medium duty truck from Commiefornia were its illegal to use them anymore.

 

[Joel/ak]

Unfortunately too many other things wrong with it due to age and rust. Brakes are the main issue but the frame is getting sketchy. Don't trust it too much anymore with 5 ton rolling down the road. Bought it for 5k and we got our monies worth out of it.

I'll still use it but at the property only and just have bulk delivered and piled til things stop getting so stupid in price

 

[Bushbunnie]

I agree with Isaacs. I bought an old dept of highways 3 ton. That thing lasted me for 20 years. Built like a tank.

 

[boatmoter]

I am starting to shop for a dump truck. You can usually find one not for much more than a dump trailer, and my Tacoma can't tow that much, and a dump truck is more manurable.
I need it to be able to haul my Kubota L3430 (about 7k lb with backhoe, plus trailer) and a load (gravel, dirt, wood chips)
I'd like one based on a 1 ton+ truck, bc my tractor can only lift 8 feet, and anything heavy like boulders I plan to
Anything you can recommend for 10k or less? old and ugly don't scare me much, but rusty and leaky is something I will avoid.

So far I seem to find that most 1 tons with dump bodies seem to have weaker/cheapest engines and may not be good to haul and tow.
4x4 also seems to be a rarity, but maybe less of a big deal on a dump truck, although in order to make out of my drive steep drive way typically helps.


Any tips appreciated.

in the late 80's I had a loader backhoe,a massy with loader & 3 point and a huff 65 articulated loader. I hauled the case 580 backhoe & massy at the same time on a 6 wheel trailer with my 8 yard single axle dump truck, was a 1972 GMC with a 351 ci. V6 and 5 speed with 2 speed rear end. a single axle dump truck would be a great choice to do what your wanting to do, if you are not using it to haul someone else's material or product,you do not need a special drivers license or special insurance on it. mine also hauled the 18,000 lb articulated loader with no problems,the old single axle dump trucks should still be pretty cheap to buy

 

[Hay Dude]

Im knee deep in a dump truck restoration.

 

[aircommuter]

I started with a 1950 Dodge flatbed dump truck. The flat bed made it more universal, short sideboards for quarry products, high sideboards for brush and other lightweight stuff. No sideboards for loading with a forklift. It was equipped with a with a six flat head, 5 speed transmission and two speed rear axle. I replaced the engine with a 383. It worked fine until I started doing bigger jobs and needed a heavier truck. Then I bought a retired fifth wheel tractor and a box, PTO unit and setup a bigger rig. It was a 1974 Ford LT9000, SQHD axles with Hendrickson walking beam suspension, 350 Cummins (14Liter) with Jakes and a 13 speed. My wife was my original driver and delivered my quarry products.

 

[kenhar]

A "real" dump truck is going to be too high off the ground to load and haul a tractor routinely. The tailgate opens from the bottom not the top. Ramps would need to be steel and 10' long minimum. Consider a retired grain/silage truck with a steel floor. Most of them have a dump system, flat bed 12' to 16' with removable side boards. Build you some side boards out of 2x12 lumber. Get a trailer to haul the tractor and pull with the truck. Forget the 1 ton.

 

[jjeff]

A "real" dump truck is going to be too high off the ground to load and haul a tractor routinely. The tailgate opens from the bottom not the top. Ramps would need to be steel and 10' long minimum. Consider a retired grain/silage truck with a steel floor. Most of them have a dump system, flat bed 12' to 16' with removable side boards. Build you some side boards out of 2x12 lumber. Get a trailer to haul the tractor and pull with the truck. Forget the 1 ton.

You see old trucks used for grain pretty frequently around here with lower mileage, Imo they all need work like most smaller older trucks. The bigger and older the truck the more expensive and harder to find parts to repair plus most bigger trucks have air brakes which I believe you need an endorsement on lic to drive in most states even with a farm designation on operator lic.

 

[andre3k]

I went through this recently. Getting a single axle dump and going to school to get my CDL was cheaper than a new dump trailer. 35k GVWR so I can haul around 23k.
Best of all, it has a CAT motor.

 

[nisaacs]

This would be a good dump but the engine is too small. Going to be hard to sell w/5.9 Cummins.

bobtail dump truck 63k orig miles - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

 

[Hay Dude]

This would be a good dump but the engine is too small. Going to be hard to sell w/5.9 Cummins.

bobtail dump truck 63k orig miles - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

View attachment 785012

Small displacement for sure, but if you aren’t in a hurry it’s not bad because good on fuel.
Reminds me of a time about 20 years ago I was watching a small dump trucking company haul stone into a lumber yard stone parking area to expand it. They were there a few days. Trucks were typical tri axles with aluminum beds and aluminum wheels, but well used.
One time I drove by them and the hood was tilted back. I looked as I drove next to the truck and it was a 5.9 Cummins in a tri axle?
I stopped and talked to the owner/operator. He said he ordered the lightest possible single frame tandem truck with a 5.9L Cummins 300HP with aluminum wheels & bed and added air lift axles to them. He figured he had saved many thousands in fuel on each truck. He openly admitted that loaded, the trucks were dogs, but were fine empty.