Worst purchase (TRUCKCRAFT DUMP INSERT) ya'ever made

[treevet]

We generally yak about all the goodies we bought but being forewarned to rubbish out there will save a lot of money and anguish. In late 08 I bought an aluminum TruckCraft dump insert after much research and comparisons. The one I was on the fence about with it went out of biz and that sealed the deal. So I spend over $5k on it and that's without the cabguard or the board panels (another 2k I think).

I never considered how it lowered but only what it would put up which was a respectable approx 7k lbs. Way more than the truck SHOULD carry. Within a few weeks I am already tired of the gravity down lowering. Takes forever. Then after a year or so it doesn't even come down from its 3 single piston extensions, and I have to grab it and pull it down. Later I have to stand in it and use the corded remote with my weight getting it down. Barely over 2 years it won't go down at all and I drive it home with it up. I call the dealer and they hem and haw about it is over warranty. What a bunch of a holes.

At one point after half a dozen calls to get to the boss, as nobody knows nothin, a guy answers the phone, I get his name and he says he doesn't know anything either. I call back later and the guy that answers says the guy I talked to was actually the boss and owner....do you believe...the fker is actually actively in hiding...in his own company.

Finally he gives in and has it fixed with tons of whining replacing the piston which he say likely was my fault
I had a pamphlet that said I had a 3 year warranty so what was the dbag gonna do anyway?

It worked ok for a while while still going down at the speed of a snail with glue on its dich. 2 years later the whole pump motor goes out to the tune of around $600. plus I think. Here I am 5 months later and 2 weeks ago I started pulling the bed down by hand again. Last week I had to go in the bed with the corded remote to have my weight get it down...and I am perty sure what comes next in sequence. ugh

 

[Blakesmaster]

That sucks, Dave. I don't have any advice but I do appreciate the heads up.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Raise the bed, spray some penetrating fluid on the exposed part of the pistons. Work the bed up and down while re applying the fluid. If that helps at all, coat the exposed sections with a bit of grease every ninety days or so. Just wipe off the old dirt/grease before adding new.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I know lots of people that have that say dump bed insert and have never had a problem. What do you haul in it? If your hauling rounds or logs, could have something gotten bent and isn't letting it come down right?

If you wanna sell it, I would buy it for the right price.

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[Blakesmaster]

I have an insert and love it. Not sure what brand but betting it's not truck craft.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

Truck craft makes the alum ones. I would imagine the alum ones would get beat to hell doing tree work

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[treevet]

It gets used so very little it is comical to consider abuse. I am using it a little more now since I had my fairly new dump trailer stolen but way within recommended capacity. Maybe the lightness (whole thang weighs bout 500 lbs) is a problem with it coming down...but why did they have to replace the entire piston when it completely stopped performing? A hydraulic guy suggested they are gonna short you on something in the whole package and that seems to be it. Why not a power down piston?

Anywhoo...thought this might be a nice thread for some other alerts and complaints. They could be reviewed periodically and added to whenever...noting the mfctr's name which may give some leverage on getting satisfaction. I know when I bought Reg'es Arbortrolley they (Distributer, not Reg) sent me aired tires which I complained would flatten easily with thorned trees. After one week I had a flat then they were reticent in giving me the solid tires everyone else mostly had. Little complaining on the forums and presto...I had solid orange tires sent at no cost. Was gonna cost me a couple hun to fill the ones I had and I had to fix the flat first.

Stihl 201 gas caps still suck...those new OSHA or EPA compliant I suppose...plastic 5 gal gas cans with the twist spouts to get em to pour...drive me nuts.

 

[treevet]

Truck craft makes the alum ones. I would imagine the alum ones would get beat to hell doing tree work

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The structure is really surprisingly tough and well supported. Even Dingo'ed logs over the sides don't faze it as many cross members underneath.

 

[capetrees]

What if you increase the diameter of the return/relief hose? Is there any kind of a regulator on the return hose?

 

[treevet]

don't know but I think the problem imo is in the piston relative to the set up (loooong 3 stage piston) which torques it into damage.

 

[tree MDS]

Yeah, a scissors with the power down is probably what you wanted. Never looked at dump inserts, but they must make such a thing, no?

I actually (half assed) installed one of those three stage, no power down dump pistons for a friend once. Was the same way, painfully slow to the point of needing extra weight just to go down.

 

[OLD OAK]

I have the steel insert in my F350 and love it. Bought it used and had no name on it so i dont know who made it. Has some rust but i Only paid $1000.00 for it. Never had a problem with it going down or up.

 

[tree MDS]

don't know but I think the problem imo is in the piston relative to the set up (loooong 3 stage piston) which torques it into damage.

And you're right, that piston configuration (pushing way from the rear) must put a hell of a lot more torque on the body in order to push. Scissors is much closer to the cab, which must give a lot more leverage/exert much less force.

 

[2treeornot2tree]

There is a company making replacement nozzles for the plastic gas cans which don't has all the bs on them. Think they are $14 each

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[treevet]

I used to be real proud of it. Maybe I can get my hyd. company to iron it out with a power down set up.

 

[mckeetree]

Most of those are just junk.

 

[daddy]

Not saying this is your problem, but air in the cylinder can cause it to be slow to come down. The bed will seem bouncy or springy when up because the air is compressible in the cylinder. This can happen if it is low on oil. May not seem low, but those things hold a bunch when extended. Good luck with it.

 

[treeclimber101]

I have had the same problem with one of my dump trucks Dave . Electric over hydro similar to a insert . I fixed it for less then 300 bucks . Been per effect ever since

 

[treeclimber101]

I added a vent line on the bottom of the ram that drains into the recovery tank

 

[VA-Sawyer]

Is it possible the hinge points for the bed are binding?
It is the fact that the problem occurs over extended time and in accumulated effect that puzzles me. A twisting force may bend the ram and make it stick, but it would be a sudden thing.
It either has to be something building up on the ram over time, such as rust or varnish. Or else the drag is from somewhere else such as the rear pivots. I have had experience with a number of dumping trailers during the last 10 years and not one of them had nor needed power down.