Dump bed concerns

Hi everyone,
I've got a unique situation that I'm needing advice for...
I live out in the cascade mtns with a 1.5 mile gravel driveway and five switchback corners. Between my grader and backhoe, I keep it in good shape, but now and then I need to place some rock and gravel...maybe two or three loads a year.

i used to haul gravel (say 5 yards) in my old 1960 f600 with stake sides...really a repurposed grain truck. But, she is very old, tired and bad tires on true widowmaker rims. I was really pushing my luck.

i just got a 1971 C600. Strong motor, good wheels and tires and, with it being a COE and a shorter 154" eheel base, get around my switchback corners without needing two-point turns.

It is a flat bed with stake pockets and has a scissor style hoist. The issue for me? The bed is a long 16 ft. Way bigger than I need for bringing 5 yards home (ehich is about the limit of what I want to put on this truck).

i will make sides on it, say 3 ft high, and can even block off the frontcloser to the rear to make a smaller bed area. I'd probably go ten ft of bed length. BUT, i hate to have that extra bed sticking so high in the air when im dumping! Ive watched a truck almost tip over before and my road has some knarly angles and corners and im worried about lifting that tall bed. I know that the previous owner hauled rock with this truck, but, really, it was designed as a lumber delivery truck.

Am i making too big of a deal about this?

I could shorten the bed or lift it off and build a new shorter one. Longterm plans are to shorten the frames and do just that. But, ive got a busy summer ahead of me and dont have the time now to start that project.

Thanks for any advice.

Cut off whatever you don't want that sticks ahead of the scissor hoist. Leave the frame rails be.

if you have a grader and backhoe available there is no need to risk dumping at some gnarly angle on your road. Shortening your bed does not make that a safe practice. Spread it on the flat nearest your target area and shape it in there with the blade.
The only good caveat to that is big overhead limbs. If you have lots of that and want to keep them, then you have no choice.
i would try to keep the truck as it is and make a short spreading gate for the truck. keep it short so if you do get too high an angle it will overtop the gate and not tip the truck on it's arse.

Problem I see is same load weight in the rig but yet the bed is possibly heavier than last rig so with that said more weight over the center of gravity equals more able to tip the rig. I say cut what you can off every pound counts to get the weight over center of gravity low as possible. Though as @skyking1 says of dropping it in a flat area nearest to your target is best bet if you can.

I've got a 14' bed on my f800. 7 tons of crush and run put in the back makes the top of the pile about level with my 2 foot sides. 3 foot sides seems overkill?

Thanks for the replies, everyone--all good info. I think what I'll do is stakeside the whole length of bed and just put my 5 yards towards the rear. AND make sure, like skyking points out, that im on the level.

Good point, John, about, the 2 ft height. I was thinking 3 ft because I sometimes haul mulch as well.

Load it even. Don't put all your weight just in the back!

As Spud has found there is a reason single axle dump trucks pivot at the rear of the bed and axle is as far rear as can put it. You do NOT want all the materials to end up off the front and at the rear all of a sudden or are doing wheelies, vehicle control at that point is OUT of the equation.

Is the reason I set this one up this way ad Not 70/30 or 65/35 percent wise as 95% grain beds are. Only issue is Scissor unit will not pass 45 degrees as is and hoist rating will not present useful installed further rearward under bed.

My 1976 C65 looked much like yours except the 14' bed pivots 2' from the rear of the frame.
I've now moved it to a newer (1990 Top Kick) same bed. I am careful when dumping anything sticky to be level with rear axle. I carry 7 tons legal with mine. I'm nervous about bending the frame should a wheel be on soft ground.

Loader buckets are usually 10' wide. Ask the operator to load you mid bed, there won't be much above the cab dumping. 100% of what you want on your driveway is loose on the truck. It'll slide out easy.

The nose is now fixed.

Next weekend as a plan am taking the old Chev Dump truck around 1/3 the way to JY, around Lebanon MO, may once the KW completes buy a used five ton dump truck out of the State sales, another salt cancer victim but good enough for around here. Really need a good diesel dump truck that has Air Brakes and can trust a few years. Have even considered buying a ton unit but not liking what I am seeing out there condition wise.

DMiller said:

Next weekend as a plan am taking the old Chev Dump truck around 1/3 the way to JY, around Lebanon MO, may once the KW completes buy a used five ton dump truck out of the State sales, another salt cancer victim but good enough for around here. Really need a good diesel dump truck that has Air Brakes and can trust a few years. Have even considered buying a ton unit but not liking what I am seeing out there condition wise.

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I looked at numerous town trucks. With no exceptions they are rusted to death. I can handle body repairs, but frame rust out is expensive & time consuming. I went with a fire truck.

Willie B said:

I went with a fire truck.

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And that has gone GREAT!

Sorry Willie B- I couldn't resist. One has to laugh a little at the troubles in life, or it will all get you down.

crane operator said:

And that has gone GREAT!

Sorry Willie B- I couldn't resist. One has to laugh a little at the troubles in life, or it will all get you down.

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Laughing all the way to the poorhouse.

You've got a point. Maybe Mrs B is right, I should develop an obsession for televised sports.