Squizzy's Jalopy

[Squizzy246B]

Well I signed up for my new wheels. 97 model with 48,000 miles on the clock so its hardly turned a wheel. Good for 8,800 lbs payload and 13' deck on the dump body. I don't need the hungry boards but I'm sure I will find a use for them. It belongs to the city and has just run around our park. The dump deck has taken a bit of a beating from logs.

Its half the price of a new one and in very good condition. I'm getting an oil leak on the hoist fixed, a new front bumper and the header tank for the radiator renewed as part of the deal. I got it through the dealer otherwise "as is". I have to wait a few weeks until the new truck gets in from the body builders. It will need new front tyres and I think the dump body will go for blasting, painting and sign writing.

I'm pretty happy because finding a small dump with a longer deck that will take a 6 to 7K lb excavator is no easy task and I although I went with the results of the poll (thanks guys) I was looking at some serious dinero.

Well thats half of my block laying capital equipment founded!!!:thumbsup

 

[Jeff D.]

The truck looks good Squizzy. You're half the way there.

Will you need to build some type of ramp system now, for loading the equipment?

I'd imagine it would need to be fairly stoutly built, being it'll need to be long considering the height you need to lift the machine.

Something removealbe, or folding?

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Nothing too bad looking about that truck usually those trucks of that vintage here the cab would be falling off the chassis with big rust streaks. The other problem with the Isuzu/GMC trucks is the rear suspension bushings wear pretty good because people do overload those trucks. Know of one truck that used to gross his truck atleast 9000kgs or more. Used to put 12,000lbs in the 16' cube box his truck was a W5000 it run on 16" tires which were a little undersized.

As for ramps have some made from aluminum with a arc to them and wide enough a person has some leeway of adjusting while walking up them with a machine. Most of the time its easier to find a bank or something to back the truck into walk the machine out of the box.

Now Squizzy has found a truck now got to find a new excavator.

 

[Squizzy246B]

We already have aluminium ramps for our equipment but I will be getting a new set that will also handle steel tracks with rubber pads in case I end up down that road.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

The one thing about walking a machine up ramps is make sure the end of the ramps on the deck is pinned to the deck or safety chains. One of the local companys hauling 6500lb excavator on flatdeck 1.5 ton started walking the machine up and the ramp spit out. Talk about leaving a stain in the underwear situation.

A construction company working in the area had to have one of their machines repaired at the local shop. It was a Yanmar machine they didn't have any ramps to get the machine back onto the 1 ton chevy. They found a pile of dirt in the yard crawled the machine up onto it and onto the 1 ton.

 

[Squizzy246B]

Ford, trust me, we have pins for our ramps and everytime we go to load/unload we check the pins before we move the machine.

The Jalopy is only on 16" and the ramps are 3.85m which is the same length as our 6 tonne ramps we use for the 161 going on the 9 tonner which is on 22.5" so the angle will be a lot less.

 

[Orchard Ex]

I thought that T-Red already posted the official loading / unloading procedures?
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/Forum/showthread.php?t=1670

 

[Squizzy246B]

I had a close one on the big trailer loading the skid once...thank goodness for safety chains.

 

[Jeff D.]

Squizzy, can you take pic's of your loading ramps, and while in use, if possible??

I've never seen any aluminum ramps used like you have. Everything I've seen has been on trailers, and usually w/beavertail. I my mind I'd think they'de fold up like cardboard under the weight of the equipment, but obviously they don't. They must be built really well.:thumbsup

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I know you would have pins or safety chains on the ramps :yup

One insident we had in the area was a guy pulling a 6000lb mini behind a 550 Ford on a trailer. Truck was parked on a slope the guy started to walk the machine off the trailer (no ramps) it is a low boy equipment trailer similar to a car trailer. Anyhow as the machine got to the end of the trailer the trailer see-sawed on the rear axle lifted the tounge on the trailer which intured lifted the drive wheels of the truck off the ground. The whole shooting match went for a wild ride down the hill backwards.

A rolloff truck or hooklift truck is the way to go for ease of moving equipment around drop the box on the ground walk the machine out.

 

[Squizzy246B]

Squizzy, can you take pic's of your loading ramps, and while in use, if possible??

I've never seen any aluminum ramps used like you have. Everything I've seen has been on trailers, and usually w/beavertail. I my mind I'd think they'de fold up like cardboard under the weight of the equipment, but obviously they don't. They must be built really well.:thumbsup

I actually don't have any pics and I know I have been promising to get some for you.....just I'm usually concentrating fairly intently when we are load/unloading.

Here is a taste for you:

http://www.digga.com/ramps.htm

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Getting the machine down onto the ground from the Isusu 2 ton would be easier than running the 161 Kubota down ramps out of the 5 ton single axle Squizzy had.

Atleast with the Isuzu you could tilt the box slightly to make unload or loading a little easier.

The only thing Squizzy might have to do is hang some weights off the front bumper to keep the front wheels down while loading the machine :laugh

I do think he found a good truck should beable to haul a decent load the limiting factor is the 16" rubber if thats what the truck runs.

 

[Squizzy246B]

Getting the machine down onto the ground from the Isusu 2 ton would be easier than running the 161 Kubota down ramps out of the 5 ton single axle Squizzy had.

Atleast with the Isuzu you could tilt the box slightly to make unload or loading a little easier.

The only thing Squizzy might have to do is hang some weights off the front bumper to keep the front wheels down while loading the machine :laugh

I do think he found a good truck should beable to haul a decent load the limiting factor is the 16" rubber if thats what the truck runs.

The Isuzu is 4 tonnes and the Mitsubishi is 9 tonnes (payloads of course). I think the Isuzu GVM is a bit over 7 tonnes or near 15,500 lbs. The rears are 7.50 x 16 LT 12 Plys. I just wanted enough to carry around a 3 tonne mini-ex. In the process I'm going to overhaul all kit out my tools trailer. Whilst I would like to have the mini on a low bed trailer and the tools on the truck, it means that whenever the truck leaves site...so do all the tools.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

If you can get them try running 7.50R16 14ply for the rear and if you have them in Australia LT-235/85R16 10 or 12ply for the front axle it will make the truck handle and steer a little better.

That truck will probably carry better than pull. Even thou the GVW is 15,000lbs you probably can easily gross 17,000lbs. From what I have seen with the GMC COE which is the exact same truck they haul more than what they are rated at. The exhaust brake works really good on those trucks so your brakes last forever.

 

[Squizzy246B]

I've already got my Tyre guy pricing some Kumho 235/85 R16 12 plys for the front. The narrow michelins just become plows in the sand when you are trying to back up. Our tree lopper put them on his Mitsy 4x4 Canter...he calls them his "Super Singles". That from a guy who drove 225 tonne Haulpaks up the mines for years.

 

[Jeff D.]

I've wondered why it seems the cab-overs are so popular down under? The country is spread out pretty thin isn't it? Here, after they removed most of the overall length restrictions, the cab-overs were avoided like the plague, and everyone's runs with hoods now.
I'm not even sure if any American truck makers even offer a cab-over model anymore, atleast in the class 8's. Overseas they seem to be the "standard".

I drove nothing but cab-overs for years, and other than have to crawl up the side like a monkey to get in, they weren't so bad. You are the first on the accident scene in a crash though.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I know what you mean about sinking its why the 7.50s are good for traction offroad in mud where there is hard ground under it. Also good for snow they dig down to the pavment.

Atleast your truck doesn't have the odd ball 17.5 wheels some of those trucks came with those tires are freaking expensive and hard to find.

 

[Squizzy246B]

I've wondered why it seems the cab-overs are so popular down under? - the overall length restrictions -

You answered your own question:wink2

 

[Squizzy246B]

Atleast your truck doesn't have the odd ball 17.5 wheels some of those trucks came with those tires are freaking expensive and hard to find.

Most of the new ones have 17.5 or 19"...they are becoming more common but at first they were a PITA to get rubber for. The new Isuzu has 19" and that would have been OK but garden variety 16" is bettera for tyre selection and $$$

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I think its the North American way to have a big honking truck with a hood so long you can't see the end of it. You know its got to beable to cover the 16Litre 600hp engine. I'am not a fan of Cab overs either I don't like that feeling of no frontal protection when some idiot talking on their cellphone not paying attention is trying to have a head on with you.

Take for instance Hino North America doesn't even produce a cab over anymore which is all what they made now its conventional cabs.