Dump Body Questions

[Steve Frazier]

I'm preparing to outfit a light truck with a dump body and have mixed feelings on the type of body I should use. My original plans were to go with aluminum for both the weight savings and low maintenance. But my friend has a truck with an aluminum body and states he'd never buy another.

Downsides are cost, little resistance to denting, and materials not wanting to slide on the floor. He's had to put a poly liner on his truck to get the load to flow. I work out of a chute over 50% of the time, so material flow is important. Anyone else with any experience with aluminum?

Another option is stainless steel. I currently own a truck with a stainless body, but it seems quite a bit heavier than the comparable steel body. I need to see actual side by side comparisons to be certain. Cost is more than steel too. Positive side is no maintenance.

My friend with the aluminum body has recommended high tensile steel. Apparently it is lighter than regular steel and only slightly more expensive. It would be as resistant to denting as steel too. Downside is maintenance. I've found my dump bodies need repainting every 2 years to keep them looking presentable. I don't plan to run this truck during winter months so it may last a little longer between paintings.

Has anyone else been down this road? Or how about more pros and cons that apply to my possibilities? Thanks!

 

[kamerad47]

Aluminum is only good if you are worried about weight! It cost more to buy , more to weld! I run steel, T-1 steel floors & gates , paint is cheaper then welding Alum!

 

[2004F550]

We just took delivery of a F550 w/ a stainless steel 3-4 yd body. It's by Crysteel and a well built body. We got every single piece made out of SS and every nut and bolt also, they usually use some steel. We also got fold down sides. We looked at aluminum but the only body that would be heavy duty enough was the J&J which lists for around 11k. The other avaiable Alum. body was called a Scott i believe. It was light duty though and could never withstand any hauling of material like we do. We finally decided on the SS though because it is heavier duty then steel and lesss $ then a comproable alum. body. For the price of a base J&J body w/ no options we got our stainless steel outfitted w/ extra high sides, folding sides, a 1/2 cab shield,total SS contruction (bolts, etc.), a coal chute, 6 custom whelen strobe lights installed in body and turn signals, a tarp, pintle and plate w/ brake controller,and double mud flaps. The J$J body alone would have cost 11K no install or any otions. So as you can see a major reason for us was price, even though it will be used for home deliveries mostly, we aren't worried bout carrieing too much because the DOT doesn't come around often at all and we don't go far so we decided SS would be best of both worlds. No maintance and cheaper then Alum.

john

 

[cat320]

John can post some pics of it? I did see a crystall body and it was a unibody.I liked it untill i saw the cab shield that only covered the cab and not the whole width of the body.I liked it other than that and it was the ss body.

Check this body out :

http://www.thielebody.com/chorboy.htm

 

[2004F550]

I'll try to take some pics today

 

[GeoffD]

Originally posted by Steve Frazier
I'm preparing to outfit a light truck with a dump body and have mixed feelings on the type of body I should use. My original plans were to go with aluminum for both the weight savings and low maintenance. But my friend has a truck with an aluminum body and states he'd never buy another.

Downsides are cost, little resistance to denting, and materials not wanting to slide on the floor. He's had to put a poly liner on his truck to get the load to flow. I work out of a chute over 50% of the time, so material flow is important. Anyone else with any experience with aluminum?

Another option is stainless steel. I currently own a truck with a stainless body, but it seems quite a bit heavier than the comparable steel body. I need to see actual side by side comparisons to be certain. Cost is more than steel too. Positive side is no maintenance.

My friend with the aluminum body has recommended high tensile steel. Apparently it is lighter than regular steel and only slightly more expensive. It would be as resistant to denting as steel too. Downside is maintenance. I've found my dump bodies need repainting every 2 years to keep them looking presentable. I don't plan to run this truck during winter months so it may last a little longer between paintings.

Has anyone else been down this road? Or how about more pros and cons that apply to my possibilities? Thanks!

Steve The bodies i am more familiar with are the larger ones, however.

First whats the truck?

Aluminum has to have a polly insert unless you are only hauling, salt, saw dust, or sand. Anything with stone in it, and the body will take a beating. Buy the liner up front and you might be ok.

Stainless. I am trying to go to stainless at work because of the law regarding painting steel bodies. You are correct repainting is required every 2 years on steel, wait any longer and its just that much more efford required to paint. I think the reason the body on your F 550 is so heavy, is being a combination body, there is more steel involved. I would think a regular stainless body, with out the side dump, and spreader built in would cut down on the weight.

Steel: I don't see anything wrong with a steel body if you don't mind repainting cost. I think the newer ones, are painted vairy well and help to perform the life of the body. Again painting depends on the shop that installs them. The bodies that I see come out of pooling companies appear to be very well painted. However I have sean bodies come out of some up fitters that look like they were painted with a few spray cans. So I think the quality of paint, and usage will dictate the time before painting is required. You may have to look at a few different upfitters to find one that does a good job painting.

In terms of weight. The lighest body may not always be the best depending on the trucks use. If the plan is to load it with stone, and gravel, I would want a body with some steel to it. A tinny body with light guage steel will not stand the long term abuse that a HD one will. However, this also comes back to how long you want to keep the truck. If its a long term truck like 10 years, I would want one of the heavier bodies, short term like 5 or less I would go a little lighter.

I think rugby makes some good heavy duty bodies myself.

Geoff

 

[Steve Frazier]

The truck I'm working with is a '95 F-SuperDuty with a 15,000 GVW. I have no plans to use this in snow removal, it will be used primarily to haul mulch, decorative stone, and crushed item 4. Since I started this thread, I've been looking at some specs and it seems the most weight I will save is about 300 pounds, not really much to be concerned about.

I plan to do this upfit myself, along with the painting. the stainless versions seem to be about 100 lbs heavier than regular steel, again, not enough to be concerned with. I have to check pricing, but it may be worth going stainless to avoid the bi-annual painting and lettering.

I do plan to keep this truck long term, I brought it in from Texas and there's zero rust on it. By running it only in the spring summer and fall, I hope to keep it that way.

 

[GeoffD]

Steve I would go with the stainless. The cost will be saved long term by not having to repaint every 3 or 4 years. The cost, down time, and labor assoicated with repainting the body to keep it looking like new would make the choice of stainless easy for me. Everytime you scratch the paint, you know that with in a year there will be rust. With the truck hauling stone, sand, ect it will get scratch. I guess it comes down to the age old saying, pay me now or pay me later. Pay a little more upfront for the stainless, or pay the differents after the first or second repainting.

While you say you have no plans for winter, could you possibly use it to haul your skidsteer in the winter? I can see it now, after a big storm, if the trailer was allready hooked up to the superduty, with the skidsteer loaded, just come in and grab the other truck and go. The only negative to this is the exposure to salt.

Good luck and keep us in the loop.


Geoff

 

[Steve Frazier]

During the winter months, my skid steer is pretty much dedicated to snow removal and loading my truck. I have to remove the backhoe brackets to fit the door for heat.

I also use the 550 on the sidewalk detail, so I move the machine with it for that work. I definately plan to set the truck up for towing though, it will be nice to have another spare should something happen to the 550. 5.13 gears!!!

I'll keep you all posted of my progress.

 

[cat320]

2004f550 did you ever get to take those pics of the truck?

 

[cat320]

I don't know if these bodies come in stainless or aluminum they most like do but have you looked at Goodwin bodies Donovan equipment sells them up in NH.

 

[yankeefan8282]

I am i the same delima and have been looking into bodies. I have the complete hydraulics and hoist that came off my old truck but I want a body for the "new" 02 to be something that will last. My old truck an 94 basically lost the body to rust so i stopped taking care of the rest. The new truck has perfect paint up front and while I realize it is for working I want to keep it nice.

I having closely looked at both aluminum and stainless. I think stainless will hold up better to my needs of being able to haul stone and rock as well as sand and such. I have also looked at a place up the road called Tarrant. They can put a combination body on the truck that will spread in the winter. May go that route.

Decisions Decisions.

 

[Steve Frazier]

I have also looked at a place up the road called Tarrant. They can put a combination body on the truck that will spread in the winter. May go that route.

You mean like this, yankee?

 

[yankeefan8282]

Is that your truck? I have seen that truck up near Pougkipsee when I was visiting a friend at Marist. I saw it go down the road and new I wanted one. Is that from Tarrant? Looks like it.

My dad, who is my silent partner, originally had our 94 350 dump. It was a good truck but just rotted away. We now have a the 02 550 that just has a permanent flatbed on it. He and I both like the looks of the Tarrant. We are going up there next week maybe to talk to them. They also do plows I guess but I will probably want to put a Fisher V on it or maybe a Blizzard. I have a little pickup that is my daily driver does light plowing and pulls mowers but I want to get this truck done by fall. I already have had to borrow a dumptruck for a job this week.

 

[Steve Frazier]

Yes, that's my truck. It's an '02 F-550. I bought the plow through Tarrant, it's a Viking Snow King which I expanded to 10 1/2'. This truck plows streets so a V or Blizzard wasn't needed, plus I wanted to take advantage of the central hydraulics on the truck. I would imagine they are building them on GM's 5500 now too.

Just an update on the original project on this thread, I've had to supspend the project until steel prices come back to reality. Dump bodies are now nearly twice what they were a year ago.

 

[yankeefan8282]

In their e-mail I was told that they could hook their hydrauilics up to any plow. Just buy the plow without the hydraulics package. I have not looked into this.

I would be interested to see how you expanded the plow. My dad and I did this to our Fisher on our dump because it would not cover the rear tires on a turn. That is why I want a big plow for the new truck. It will plow a couple lots and provite roads. I have my little truck for driveways.

I am very worried about steel prices now but I really need this truck. As I said quite a dilema.

That is a beautiful truck.

 

[Steve Frazier]

Take a look here for a description of the project.
My wheels were dragging through the windrow on straight runs, the plow just wasn't wide enough for the truck. I had asked about using other plows with Tarrant, but at the time they didn't do other plows. They must have gotten enough requests to put something together.

 

[glsahl]

We've got a 96 IH 5000,with a 12yd Cysteel body.Been a good truck,wish the bed was cast iron,with a round bottom.Normally we haul Type II,or sand,and I've lined the bed twice in 200K miles.The bad thing is when it's hauling spoils,6"+ rock.The flat bottom has take a severe beating.The 4" channel under the bed is pretty much ruined.It's all I can do to keep material in the bed,and off the axles.The bow in the tailgate has me scheduling it's replacement,soon.

 

[triaxle]

Super sanitary truck. So clean it looks like you could use it for a roach coach during the winter.

 

[2004F550]

Sorry cat320, heres some pics, better late then never....