My newest toy.

[treeman82]

So I picked up a couple odds and ends this past winter, but have been working on this one since November. They just finished it the other day, and got me pictures this morning... gonna go pick it up tomorrow.

 

[tree MDS]

That's a beautiful truck man! Congrats!!

How long is that body and how many yards?

 

[treeman82]

They wrote it up as 12' and I am going to assume it's good for around 10 yards, MAYBE 12.

 

[Kottonwood]

That's a nice truck! I really like that body is it custom made or is it a southco or something?

Did you get that dodge 5500 new? I can never find them used around here..... seems the only decent trucks used are fords.

 

[tree MDS]

They wrote it up as 12' and I am going to assume it's good for around 10 yards, MAYBE 12.

Nice. You planning to use your old truck for wood? I'm sure you realize every little dent is gonna show up big time, with that black (it's bad ass though). I had mine lined with plywood on the inside.

 

[treeman82]

Yes, it's a Southco MP-12 truck was purchased new. I am sure I could find a used 5500 SOMEWHERE, but what kind of savings would I be looking at by the time it's done? Plus I wanted an SLT and that makes things much more difficult, trust you me.

 

[treeman82]

Nice. You planning to use your old truck for wood? I'm sure you realize every little dent is gonna show up big time, with that black (it's bad ass though). I had mine lined with plywood on the inside.

Yeah, one of my friends is really good with a welder, so over the next couple of months we are going to chop the top off of it so that it can be loaded with a crane or backhoe... as it currently stands the thing is 9'4" tall, so loading over the top is not an option for most machines. Gonna chop it down so that it's closer to 8'. Also that truck is currently red, so we will be painting it black at some point. Not gonna match the rims on the new truck, but black is black.

As far as dents go, I am not letting anybody near that thing with a loader because I know that's the easiest way to bang it up, and the only people who are allowed to drive it are me, myself, and I.

 

[flushcut]

Very nice ride! I am torn between a F550 and Ram 5500 for the next truck but it is hard to beat a Cummins.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Just take a new Ford 6.7 out for a test drive before choosing. Big difference in power from the 6.0L Powersucks.
Rick

 

[limbwalker54]

I'm putting a 5.9 cummins in my ford to replace the 6.0 next year....amassing the parts list now.

 

[treemandan]

Yeah, one of my friends is really good with a welder, so over the next couple of months we are going to chop the top off of it so that it can be loaded with a crane or backhoe... as it currently stands the thing is 9'4" tall, so loading over the top is not an option for most machines. Gonna chop it down so that it's closer to 8'. Also that truck is currently red, so we will be painting it black at some point. Not gonna match the rims on the new truck, but black is black.

As far as dents go, I am not letting anybody near that thing with a loader because I know that's the easiest way to bang it up, and the only people who are allowed to drive it are me, myself, and I.

Or you could just unbolt the lid and take it off.:rolleyes2:

These boxes are designed for tree work and I would bet you could side load with a bobcat if you took the top off. You could on mine. But mine is an old Arbortech box, heavy as hell, thick as a brick. I load logs through the back, roll them in as long as I can. Its not that hard to keep rolling up logs into a stack like that, they usually dump out nice though you gotta watch for roll aways.

My Dingo is much to short to side load so I never take the top off but if you do you should find the height to match the tipping specs for a normal skid loader. No matter what, when you side load logs its always tricky, especially with lighter duty boxes they are using these days.

 

[treemandan]

So I picked up a couple odds and ends this past winter, but have been working on this one since November. They just finished it the other day, and got me pictures this morning... gonna go pick it up tomorrow.

Its looks like yours has quick releases for the top. Why would you cut it?

The top is left short to account for a loader bucket tipping

 

[treeman82]

Not this truck, my other truck... we welded a box on it a couple of years ago. I don't want loaders going anywhere near my new one, because I know that's how they get destroyed "oops, I hit the side with the bucket or forks." "Oops, I smashed a big log into the side with the crane." "Oops, oops oops." I'd rather not hear that. I've seen other people's trucks get damaged like that, so I know that's what would happen to mine if I allow it.

 

[imagineero]

Not this truck, my other truck... we welded a box on it a couple of years ago. I don't want loaders going anywhere near my new one, because I know that's how they get destroyed "oops, I hit the side with the bucket or forks." "Oops, I smashed a big log into the side with the crane." "Oops, oops oops." I'd rather not hear that. I've seen other people's trucks get damaged like that, so I know that's what would happen to mine if I allow it.

I always have mixed feelings when I see a truck like that. They look real pretty, but the point of a work truck is getting work done. I guess I'm lucky to only be able to afford old beaters. Sure helps when it's time to git 'er done.

Shaun

 

[treeclimber101]

Congratulations that trucks the #### and man its pretty and shiny hell you work hard buy yourself sumpin I never seen a Brinks truck following a hearse or however that saying goes ...

 

[tree md]

Nice!

I am torn between buy new or used right now. Hard as hell to find exactly what you want used that is in decent shape.

 

[HappyTreesLLC]

Nice truck.
I hate to rain on your parade. Did you think about your grove? 10 yards I can fill up with in 30 min of work. To me it is a toy not a work tool. We are doing business. Go bigger.
Sorry if I ruin your day.
Tho it IS nice truck.

 

[mattfr12]

Nice!

I am torn between buy new or used right now. Hard as hell to find exactly what you want used that is in decent shape.

it is very hard to find what you looking for. my k-boom chassis had to come from Arizona that was the closest guy with a 16k front end in an international.

that truck you built is pretty sweet and a 5500 is definitely the way to go. 3500 is to light duty thats pickup truck stuff. a 3500 with a load of chips in an 10 foot box is gonna be overloaded every time.

thats definitely a nice rig to get into tight spots. i would love to have something like it. since my smallest truck other than my pickup right now is 30 some feet long.

I've been looking at the mitsubishi fuso for a tiny chip truck. they can haul around 3 tons with an aluminum chip bed on them and are a cabover. so it really got my attention Im gonna try and win one on ebay I've been watching for a few days.

 

[mattfr12]

The truck looks great but spending that kind of bucks I would have gone with an aluminum body. It would pay for itself in fuel savings and look better, too.

You think so? aluminum never lasted to long with us. we have been using the cranes steel body for almost a year now and its got some pretty good dings in it already from wood. i couldn't imagine aluminum. i guess it would be a lot lighter. but i bet we could wear one out in like 2-3 years. my crane body will probably only last 6-7 years being steel. but it hauls around and dumps some pretty massive wood.

 

[treeman82]

Nice truck.
I hate to rain on your parade. Did you think about your grove? 10 yards I can fill up with in 30 min of work. To me it is a toy not a work tool. We are doing business. Go bigger.
Sorry if I ruin your day.
Tho it IS nice truck.

What grove?

We did a pruning job yesterday with 2 climbers and didn't even put a half a load in the truck... however between the truck and chipper I couldn't turn around in the guy's driveway and had to back several hundred feet out to the road. My chevy truck would have been able to turn around in there with the shorter body.