Dump insert for chip box?

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Staegermeister

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Hey everybody, I am in a bind with this great economy we are all crawling our way through. Dump trucks are way to expensive, and I don't trust half of the trucks I see on facebook. So I thought maybe I should just put a dump insert on my truck, build a box and chip into it. I have a dump trailer that I chip into, but pulling the trailer to a job and then going back to get my chipper is a pain.

Anyone have experience with a dump insert?
 
I wouldn't put a dump insert on any truck under a 4500, especially if you plan to tow the chipper behind it, the insert will be 650-1000 pounds on its own, you want at-least 10 yards, so there's 5000-6000 pounds in chips alone, so lets say 7000 pounds in the bed of the truck + 6-7000 for the chipper (assuming 12" chipper like most of us run)
a 3500 with airbags would probably handle it but you will be well past your rear axle weight rating
your best bet is going to be a single axle dump truck and make a plywood box, the older international's are good trucks but a little expensive, ive got a GMC Topkick but parts are near impossible to find for them and not cheap when you do find them

occasionally theres a 15-20yd chip truck for sale on FB Marketplace for under 10 grand, I personally would look at an F750 with a box, or a retired asplundh bucket truck and take the boom off, put a mini skid platform where the turret mounts, unless you can keep up on inspections and repairs the boom is a waste of time and money if you wont use it daily

no matter what you get, make sure the box is a PTO dump and not electric, the PTO is more expensive but will last a long, long time, plus you can run aux hydraulics for something like a polesaw, the electric ones overheat fairly quickly when dumping heavy loads (chips arent heavy, but you will eventually put logs in there)
 
this 2002 isuzu FTR is for sale in Conyers GA for $14500, 16ft long 30 yard dump box, diesel, and some tool storage
unsure about the dump hoist or any other technical details, all I know is it has 240K miles, basically already set up to be a chip truck too!
I know the NPR has almost zero towing capacity, unsure about the FTR

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this 2002 isuzu FTR is for sale in Conyers GA for $14500, 16ft long 30 yard dump box, diesel, and some tool storage
unsure about the dump hoist or any other technical details, all I know is it has 240K miles, basically already set up to be a chip truck too!
I know the NPR has almost zero towing capacity, unsure about the FTR

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View attachment 1139049
Injectors usually have to be replaced around 300K.
 
not sure how big of a job that is on these isuzu's, its a 45 minute job on most of my equipment (besides my bucket truck, strike 2 against a diesel topkick, 2 day job on a 3116 then you go to the dealer because they have the right tools and its still another 2 days)
 
Thanks for the feedback, I run a small part time operation, I am pretty much a weekend warrior. Except I have a totally legitimate tree business. My set up is a 1995 F250 with a 6in Vermeer 700xl which weighs about 2k lbs, and a 6x12 dump trailer. Not looking for a big dump truck as of now. Just looking to be more efficient with my limited resources.
 
ok, that makes more sense, with a 6" id want atleast 6 yards still, not sure if a dump insert will work for that or not
check your state laws, may be able to put a hitch on the dump trailer and pull the chipper behind it, here in TN thats legal as long as the dump trailer is a 5th wheel, I think a normal gooseneck might be OK as well, we just have to have a different hitch type for each trailer
 
ok, that makes more sense, with a 6" id want atleast 6 yards still, not sure if a dump insert will work for that or not
check your state laws, may be able to put a hitch on the dump trailer and pull the chipper behind it, here in TN thats legal as long as the dump trailer is a 5th wheel, I think a normal gooseneck might be OK as well, we just have to have a different hitch type for each trailer
Not legal to pull anything behind a gooseneck in any state I know of. A local one man band tree service here has a “gooseneck” style dump trailer that he put a kingpin on in place of the gooseneck tube and they pull their chipper behind that. Looks really clumsy but he did it for the same reasons you listed.
 
Not legal to pull anything behind a gooseneck in any state I know of. A local one man band tree service here has a “gooseneck” style dump trailer that he put a kingpin on in place of the gooseneck tube and they pull their chipper behind that. Looks really clumsy but he did it for the same reasons you listed.
tennessee allows it as long as both trailers use a different hitch
I can back doubles, very slowly, no way id try and back that combo into a driveway, around here they are so narrow, steep, and usually blind side backing, but its possible if theres no traffic
not suggested at all but may be possible, honestly for anything more than once a month, id get a legit chip truck still, im working on an idea to re-purpose mine which will maybe end up with a removable chip box, leaving behind a flatbed with stake pockets to drop the top back onto and pin into place, so id have a flatbed and chip truck, plan is to replace the bucket thats on it with a 456b national crane anyways and the box thing wouldnt be hard to do, log/chip/equipment hauler and self loader all in one truck
 
tennessee allows it as long as both trailers use a different hitch
By “different hitch” do you mean a different style ? If so a gooseneck hitch is a ball and the trailer behind it is likely also a ball. Most states that allow double/triple towing require brakes on both trailers. In MN that means a 2nd controller for the rear trailer. No one does that but I don’t know of anyone that’s been hassled about it.

Every state is different and I’m not trying to be an expert in your state ……
 
By “different hitch” do you mean a different style ? If so a gooseneck hitch is a ball and the trailer behind it is likely also a ball. Most states that allow double/triple towing require brakes on both trailers. In MN that means a 2nd controller for the rear trailer. No one does that but I don’t know of anyone that’s been hassled about it.

Every state is different and I’m not trying to be an expert in your state ……
I'm not sure exactly, I think gooseneck ball and pintle for the chipper is OK, or a ball on the chipper and 5th wheel is OK

I do believe the restriction is so you can't have 2 bumper pulls more likely, very vague law probably because they don't think anyone will do it lol
 
Thanks for the feedback, I run a small part time operation, I am pretty much a weekend warrior. Except I have a totally legitimate tree business. My set up is a 1995 F250 with a 6in Vermeer 700xl which weighs about 2k lbs, and a 6x12 dump trailer. Not looking for a big dump truck as of now. Just looking to be more efficient with my limited resources.
What's your budget for this project? Do you have steel fabrication capabilities? Best option is a bigger truck with a chip box, but if that's not in the budget, a dumping flatbed on the 3/4 ton is the smallest option I'd consider. Then start saving for a more appropriate truck.
 
this 2002 isuzu FTR is for sale in Conyers GA for $14500, 16ft long 30 yard dump box, diesel, and some tool storage
unsure about the dump hoist or any other technical details, all I know is it has 240K miles, basically already set up to be a chip truck too!
I know the NPR has almost zero towing capacity, unsure about the FTR

View attachment 1139048

View attachment 1139049
I'd be adding a High Ranger in the space between the dump box and the cab if it was me. The PTO pump is already there I might add (for the dump box).

That one looks a lot like the ones my arborist customers have but they all have crew cab's so they can haul their crews with them.
 
I'd be adding a High Ranger in the space between the dump box and the cab if it was me. The PTO pump is already there I might add (for the dump box).

That one looks a lot like the ones my arborist customers have but they all have crew cab's so they can haul their crews with them.
watch out putting a boom on a truck that small, the wheelbase and front axle to outrigger distance is almost more important than weight, with cranes they have charts for each model showing required axle weight, wheelbase, center of front axle to rear of cab, framerail height, cab to axle, and other stuff, unsure if the buckets do or not
also need 110KPSI framerails, this truck may or may not have them
just food for thought, not always as simple as just bolting it up and hoping for the best
 
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