Thinking about converting one of my trucks to a rolloff unit with a couple of containers for different purposes along with the normal. Wanting to converse about hosts as see there are many styles. Thanks,
All I know is that a roll off deck will have a lot less weight capacity over a dump truck configuration. Tore down an old garage and they wanted me to throw some cement walkway slabs in the bin. Nope, too much weight. Apparently a tandem roll off box can only hold 9000lbs. Seemed ridiculous to me. The contractor I was doing the work for wasn't much help either. First they ordered a 40yd. bin that was almost too high to load and then blamed me for dumping too much dirt from the sidewalk blocks in it. The dirt wasn't the problem. The 40 year old 5 inch thick cement chunks sure contributed though. I think the better roll off's use a hyd. cylinder to pull the pull the bin on and you don't have to get out of the cab to hook up like the systems that use a winch and cable. My former neighbor had one of the largest roll off trailers. He had 60yd. bins and a flat deck but I think the same issues that it couldn't carry as much weight as a standard end dump or flat deck. As far as I know he went to went to large demolition boxes on end dump chassis.
The weight capacity depends on the hoist. A hauler I use frequently runs a 50 ton Palfinger hooklift, it will pick up anything you can put in the box, but you get more too much in there and it will lift the nose of the truck into the air, and he doesn't like that. The quad axle hook with a box is close to 40,000lb empty, so you are limited to about 15 tons or so in the box, but the hook will lift far more than that. I don't own a rolloff, and have never driven one, but I do a lot of demo work and have dealt with them a lot, I would way rather deal with a hook lift on a job. A hook can pick up boxes that are not level, and are not straight with the truck. Obviously there are limits, but they are far more forgiving of less than level job sites than a rail and cable hoist. The hauler I use the most has been in the business forever, and he swears by Palfinger, for whatever that's worth.
I am no help but i wanted to build a one truck can do it all. I bought a single axle tractor put a winch on it . Then i was going to lengthen it to handle a 14' box that would be removeable like a roll off. But the winch is far as i have got. Now i am thinking about a dump trailer . What are you wanting to use it for?
I have a friend in the garbage business that has several rolloff trucks in both hooklift, and cable style. I think most of his hoists are 60 ton units. He too says they both have their purpose dependent upon jobsite. I'm not looking to get into the garbage business full time per se', but rather make use of, and multipurpose an otherwise derelict truck. I have a couple of friends with rental parcels, (houses, storage buildings, etc.) and these places usually require almost a complete "gut", or tearout of anything remaining to make them inhabitable once again afterward. Several are builders also that would love to lose the maintenance and licensing requirements of dump trailers. On the surface at least, it appears other than setting up the truck and purchasing several containers, it doesn't seem like a lot of work would be required. I don't know anything about permits or requirements as haven't progressed that far. I agree Palfinger is some pretty well designed equipment. I've not specifically seen one of their hooklift hoists, but several of their service bodies and other equipments appear to be first rate. I do like their lift gates for the back of trucks as they are heavy built.
My son-in-law has 50 dumpsters and 3 hook lift trucks. He uses the hook lift system and says it is perfect for his home construction debris cleanup business. I think he is using Palfinger equipment. He has the smaller dumpsters that will fit in a driveway or small front yard of homes under construction.
If your not full timing the truck for rolloff I would try to find a oilfield winch bed with a winch and rolling tail board, no poles needed. You should be able to load and unload a roll off like normal and haul it around but when you are not doing roll off things you have a flat bed truck and you can also recover trucks stuck in the mud. Finding a used bed might be a little hard especially one with the right wheelbase and the winch operation is not all wore out.
In the 2000's I was a partner in a dumpster business. We had one tandem hooklift, one tandem dual lift, single axle hook lift and a later on a front load. There is a thread somewhere here in the basement of HEF. We sold out to a regional company in 2009. The dual lift was a cable hoist with a hook lift trolley which was a jack of all trades and master of none. IMO the hooklifts are better for contractors wanting a roll off. If you are building a roll off business with the intention to sell out one day then go with cables as all the major players run cables, at least here anyway. Like others have said a hook is more versatile for contractor/demo type work. You can have a flat bed to move small equipment, a dump bed or a water tank without a tail hanging out like a cable hoist. Box prices new are a little more for hooks but usually come also fitting for hoists for re-sale. You can get blank hook frames to fabricate all sorts of bodies on. Hooks are expensive than cables. I would guess a 60K hook runs $80K now a days?
I have never understood why the real big outfits always run cables. Do the hooks not work for compactors and such?
Thanks for the responses guys. I've been looking at used hoists but nothing that isn't either beat up, or worn out badly. Have been speaking with Galbreath about their hoist(s) as that is what my buddy has and any parts are easily supported. I don't know any more than that on the brand however. I'm wanting to multipurpose the truck in rolloff duty, flatbed, and end dump style operations such as spreading gravel on driveways. I have a drop spreader that will drop an even 8' wide path once you master dumping into it on the move keeping it loaded. Not really looking to do much dirt hauling although it may be topsoil for landscapers. Concrete breakout is a strong possibility so the boxes would be built for such. Also not looking to haul tall machinery citing the already tall ride height. I have 27' of clear platform behind the cab, tandem axle on Mack Camelback with a Neway air tag pusher axle. I can relocate the axles as needed. I have a B-61ST Mack with a full rolling tailboard and 30K winch. This is a semi tractor and pulled a float type trailer in the KS oil fields through the 1960's. I also have a 12' "Leland Roustabout" winch bed with 12' poles and 20K "Tulsa" winch. This one also has a full rolling tailboard and was purchased to install onto another B-61T I've had many years. Roller tailboards are very versatile in my applications.
I think it's a "we have 3000 cable boxes so we are sticking with cable" sort of thing. As far as compactors a hook body compactor is more expensive due to the hook frame. We had a handful of compactors and used the dual lift to swap them.
This manuf is local to me, and seems to be growing, they are a smaller unit though: Multi-Body Truck Hoist Solution | Switch-N-Go® Convert permanent mount trucks to the Switch-N-Go® system which allows you to use over 25 different truck bodies with a single truck. switchngo.com
I used to maintain several roll off container trucks. Unless you find a deal on a unit from a wrecked truck or something you would probably be better off buying a used truck. Ours were all Galbreath equipment worked great and was pleased with their parts service. These bodies are hard on trucks. All were double or triple frame but still had problems sometimes. Hauled roll off and compactor cans. Bought a refurbished AutoCar from Trucks and Parts in Tampa. They also had a place in Indy. It has been a while as the truck had a butterfly hood. Multipurpose truck is interesting. Make a flat bed to pull up on the body and lock. Now we are flat bedding. Convert a dump body to pull up on it or have someone like Lewis Steel in Wrens Ga make one for you. Now we are dump trucking.
I used to do quite a bit of repair for a local roll off service around here having seen what those trucks and boxes can go through. A grease gun applied correctly will save a lot of the wear as will finesse in operation of the equipment. However the guy who owned the service was of the mentality it was cheaper to pay the fine than comply till that started adding up exponentially with the pinnacle being a reservation and overnight stay at the "crossbar hotel" in the county seat. He ran worn out equipment till the day he died, but was profitable I'm told. I never had any problem with him, or getting paid at all. It would be less $$$ if I were to purchase a dump trailer I know, but the excavator large enough to load it which I don't have kinda negates that.....
My former neighbors roll off trailer had the hyd. pull cylinder hooked a giant sized U loop about 2 1/2" in diameter. The bins and flat deck had I think 3 or 4 big hooks that the U hooked onto. The U had a big coil spring under it to make it catch on the hooks. The hooks on the bottom also had a plate/flap that pivoted back and forth to block the U from grabbing the hook. To engage the hook he had to push the U past it so the flap fell down and then bring the U back to engage the hook. This was done because the cylinder didn't have enough stroke for the length of the bins. Apparently a bin was left at a stop light one time because the spring under the U broke. He took off and bin slid off.
I don't think I've ever seen the hooklift apparatus operate up close. I would assume there would be some type of mechanical locks to preclude the box sliding off but don't know first hand. With the cable apparatus I've been around they are there but seldom used from what I've seen unless self engaging.
That pretty cool, where do you live I'm currently in the ks oilfields
I'm outside of Peoria, IL. Truck was purchased outside of Springfield, MO in the early 1990's from the original owner's, (deceased) son. This is a photo of it in my shop before being taken apart for restoration: