I picked up a 97 F-350 with a 12ft stake bed on it cheap here a month ago. After I finish some over due maintenence items, I want to convert the flat bed to a dump bed. Has anyone made their own scissor hoist before or have plans available for one? Its only an F350, so max payload is like 3500-4000 pounds. I can't copy my dump trailer as it only uses 2, long hydraulic cylinders. That option would work too, though you don't normally see that on small dump trucks like you do scissor hoists. I can buy a 5 ton universal scissor hoist kit off Amazon for $2000 ish, though I'm hoping to keep the cost under that. Also, there's a G20 Chevy for sale locally for $800 that has a dump bed, but no engine or trans. I could certainly pick that up and steal the bed and hoist and put them on my truck, though my wife would flip if I brought home another one...
There's no way to build the bed and hoist for $800. If the used bed and hoist will fit your truck with minor modifications, that's the way to go.
When we built our dump trailer from a TK 14K deck over tandem luckily there was an old electric scissor hoist that still worked in a wrecked GMC 1-ton dump we salvaged. New pump for $800 and some hydro lines and it worked well until I let one of our GC's borrow it on a job and they blew the rod out of the cylinder. It's currently on the "to be fixed" list.
I was thinking the same thing, though now it might be cheaper overall to swap an engine/trans into the G20. I bought the F350 for $900, trailered it home for around $250, and have another $700 in parts into it (batteries, brakes, wheel bearings, radius arm mount). Truck is overall fair for 24 year old truck. I have not seen the G20 to know what shape it is in. Probably a reason they pulled the motor and didn't replace it. That is one solid looking dump trailer. And a very heavy set of saw horses.
Around here is easier to buy a salvage bed or dump body than build your own, also less insurance tagable issues as are Company Built. I gave 2500 for the 14' grain body on that GMC complete with hoist and side panels. If can buy a decent dumper for on the cheap definitely go that route.
No- You're right- there's a reason they pulled the engine and trans, and left the truck to rot. There's likely a whole other host of issues with the GM. Just install the bed. Scrap the rest of the old GM.
This 16' dump bed off my grain truck is going on this truck with DT466 you seen in New Mexico once I get the pole barn built, slab put down and take camper off it. Need a new rear on here but the brakes are new, new suspension, heavier duty front springs and very nice DT466 to easily carry the load more safer.
I think that metal was the remnants of a former Ted's Montana Grill.