Dump Truck Urge

PAexcavator · Oct 21, 2006

Dump trailers are great for hauling bulky material on paved or level areas, but if you're hauling dirt and rocks and other dense heavy material off road it's REALLY EASY to get the trailer stuck when pulling it with a truck because all the weight, which actually helps a dump truck get traction, is now working against you because it's now dead weight behind you without the advantage of adding traction to the driven wheels. If you are working around obstacles like trees and slopes in loose dirt a dump truck will be considerably more maneuverable and capable.

Haoleguy · Oct 22, 2006

PAexcavator - Thank you the message. I had not thought about the dead weight but maneuverability on my logging roads with the overall length was a concern I had for a trailer. At this point I will be renting an F650 with a 10ft dump to see how much hauling I can get done over a weekend. That should give me an idea on whether the bed should be larger for volume reasons. Right now my estimation is that a 12ft bed is in the right ballpark with 24inch sides. My bio-matter cleared field is attached. I still have larger stones to remove.

PAexcavator · Oct 25, 2006

For personal use it might be difficult to justify a new dump truck, plus, it's reaaly gonna hurt watching what happens when you start putting those big rocks in a new bed. I would recommend looking for a used truck and budgeting for repairs, check around and see who is recommended locally for working on mid size trucks.

If you are planning on a lot of short dump trips the electric hoists can be a pain, not only are they really slow on a larger bed, they will necessitate leaving the truck running to keep from killing the battery. Remember, they are just a starter motor hooked up to a pump, imagine how much amperage it would take to crank a starter that long, load after load. This normally doesn't happen when the truck has to drive a couple miles or more to dump, but I've seen trucks with electric hoists go dead several times when the truck is loaded and only drives for a minute or two to dump. PTO dumps not only save your battery, watch one side by side with an electric to see the speed difference, the PTO is probably twice as fast.

My dump is a UD (Nissan Commercial truck) 18K gvw, I bought a cab and chassis that used to have a box body, (hauled candy and cigarettes) and added 24" toolboxes behind the cab and a 10' dump bed behind that. 4wd is not a huge advantage on mid size trucks if you are not intending winter on road use. The duals with traction tires usually work well since you are usually carrying plenty of weight for traction.

Before you decide on 24" sides, make sure your loader can comfortably reach over them. You may be more flexible with 12" or 18" sides and treated wood sideboards that can be removed if you are in a awkward area or are loading by hand. A treated wood side board reinforced with an 1 1/2" angle iron lagbolted from top and sides into it is pretty durable and way easier to fix or replace when the loader bucket or big rock hits it (and it will). On a 12' bed, with rocks and dirt, you'll be way over the axle limit anyway if you fill it up to a 24" side. My 10' bed can easily max out the 18K gvw on my truck and it has 18" side with a 2 x 6 board on top with the angle iron reinforcement.

MikeD74T · Oct 25, 2006

If you just want to get rid of the rocks try calling a few local dirt guys or landscape supply houses. I've gotten rid of bigger rocks than that just for loading them. MikeD74T

Haoleguy · Oct 26, 2006

PAexcavator - Thanks for the message. I'm definitely going the used route and recently I have located 2 reputable diesel truck mechanics that local excavation businesses use. Eventhough my preference is to locate a CT inspected truck it is clear I can get more for my dollars by ranging out of the state. I'm focused on the PTO hoist only. Diesel motor and hydraulic brakes are also a preference. Thanks for the suggestion on dealing with height for the sidewalls. I realize the length sets me up for an overload situation but for the lighter brush and limbs I will need the length. Are there any load sensors available for dump trucks where you can detect max load weight? Thanks again.

Haoleguy · Oct 26, 2006

MikeD74T - The bigger rocks are too difficult to lift with reasonable size equipment. I may use them to strengthen a land build up area for the house. All others will be used for landscaping(spouse idea) or be buried under a section of new driveway. Around here most landscaping companies are interested in rocks/stone that they can make into walls. In fact last weekend I caught a couple driving a new Acura loading their truck with stones from a wall on a main road in broad daylight!

PAexcavator · Oct 27, 2006

Haoleguy,
No dump sensors that I know of, just experience with your truck, look at the springs and tires with known weights (when you buy 5 tons of gravel) and pay attention to handling and braking. Start out gradually, guys at the yard will load you with anything, just to have stories to tell. Just remember, the idea is not to fill the bed up, it's to watch the springs and tires and how the truck handles.

It's always better to make more trips rather than breaking the truck, which is usually an expensive way to learn. Most large trucks have overload springs on the rear, that's a second set of leafs that doesn't touch anything till the mains sink a little, you could watch them and only load so many buckets after they start touching.

Also, be aware of different densities in materials. Sand or hot asphalt are about 2 tons per cubic yd, #2 stone about 1.5 ton, loose, dry, topsoil can get close to 1 ton, typical soil is around 1.5 ton. Practically speaking, watch out when loading sand, a small pile weighs a LOT. Probably 95% of trucks out there would be drastically overloaded if you filled the bed w/sand.