I am debating on getting a medium duty truck fitted with a 14' contractor dump with fold down sides and a 2 or 3 way tailgate. It will be used for hauling sand, select fill, #57, job site trash, landscape material, B&B trees, palletized material. I also will be hauling equipment with a 10 ton tag trailer. First questions are about the truck: -Looking at the International 4300, freightliner M2, GMC/Chevy Topkicks. -Me and my crew currently work out of 3/4 diesel PU's and hire all hauling, I get very competitive rates from 2 private haulers and prompt service but I find myself still wishing I had my own.... -Is a medium duty worth it? Or should I just go ahead and get a tandem? I work in some tight spaces from time to time and tri-axles have been limited on access. -is there much benefit with a medium duty truck over say an F-550 with mason/contractor dump? Dump Body: -I am located in southern oklahoma so I have a couple options for upfitters (OKC/DFW) -How capable are these types of beds? -Anything to stay away from(brand, configuration, tailgate style, roll up tarps worthless on this style?) -With a single axle 29K truck and bed configuration what is maximum tonnage of say fill sand I could haul? Thanks for your time, Hope some of you with similar setup chime in.
I'm an electrical contractor, a landowner, an antique tractor puller. Much of my work is underground. I burn wood, and am constantly involved in some project that involves hauling. I have two adult sons also involved. My truck is a 1976 Chevy C65 Nameplate GVWR is 27500. Title is 26000. The dump bed is homemade steel, flat with wooden sideboards. I can lift them off with a loader, or excavator. Mine is gas, it's a gas hog, but I average 1000 miles a year. Maneuverability is important, so it's the size I want, but I do hire gravel trucking for stockpiles. A local aggregate company offers delivery. The guy who trucks brings material whenever he has a free hour. One son tries to convince me it's too small, I need a tandem, an employee to drive it, I could hire out. I don't know, it sounds like more stress than it's worth. My trailer is a rebuilt 1985 Economy 9 ton beaver tail. Willie
Welcome to the Forums Alchemy! Crysteel makes a very nice bed for what you describe - http://www.crysteel.com/medium-heavy-duty/contractor In the past I had a 2003 4300 with an OX 14' flat dump with fixed metal sides like their bigger dump beds. It had a barn gate and a Rollsrite aluminum tarp. It was a very handy truck to have around but there were always electronic gremlins popping up. Also had issues with the A/C. I bought that truck new and finally sold it because I couldn't stand the several weeks at a time sitting at the dealership, even though it was under warranty. My local International dealership only cares about the school bus and Penske type customers, not the little guy. I'd like to have a 33K GVW single axle with a 14-16' Crysteel bed as it would be very handy to have around but the purchase and ownership costs don't pencil out at the moment. If I were to get another truck such as this I'd look strongly at Hino. Had a 238A Hino with a hook lift also bought new. It was a great truck, had very few issues with it.
I have an 05 335 Peterbilt c7 Auto with a 14' crysteel bed . Previous owner welded the fold down side up as I think it may have been tweaked. No problem though as the tailgate is perfectly manageable for 1 person. Really nice to load gets in most every place an extended cab long bed can. Remember that they are not 4wd though. As far as I know I'm the only one around here like it everyone here has 10ft dumps on a single but you can't drop the gate by yourself. I wouldn't do it any other way now. Mines double framed 17k light weight so legal for 8.5. I've seen the scales say I had 11ton on and you'd never know it was overloaded going down the road. People think there isn't much in it cause the sides are low 24". A loader operator was laughing at me when I told him I wanted to get 9t of topsoil. I said just load me. He did and I said your good he said there's only 6 on and I need taller sides I said wait until I get to the scales. 9t he stopped laughing.
a couple pics
Nice looking Pete brick head. How does it handle that 3 axle trailer and what's the heaviest you've pulled?
Most I've pulled with it is 28k on the truck and 33k on the trailer 61k total. Made it work. Usually it's around 50k total. Kinda found the trailer by accident. I wasn't looking for a triple but the stability, distribution and brakes were perfect for a single axle pulling what I do.
Nice looking rig brickhead! To the OP, I would recommend a 2 ton size truck over a 450/550, everything is built much heavier, its built to run for 1 million miles where as the 550 is built to do 400k maybe. You'll notice it just in brakes, suspension parts, even engine and transmission depending on what the truck is specced at.
I agree. My father taught me that if a 1/2 ton pickup can do the job buy a 3/4 or 1 ton and it'll last much longer and be cheaper in the long run.
Thanks for all the information, appreciate it. Brick that is a nice rig, I have looked at the Pete's and would go that route but the internationals are much cheaper. Speaking of cost I never said what my budget is. I was hoping to spend under $40K. $28,000.00 Truck $10,000.00 Bed and hoist $2,000.00 Some nice RKI Steel underbid boxes and misc stuff.... =40K I feel I can get something really nice in that range, not get hit with new purchase depreciation and not be working on the truck constantly. I own a New Holland C227 CTL and a case cx55B currently, I pull them with a 22' Kaufman 14K Partial Tilt and a 2012 F350 SRW. I have 2 RKI steel toolboxes and 75 gallon transfer tank in truck loaded with tools and I just don't feel comfortable at highway speed with the 12,000# excavator (CTL is no biggie) Looking to haul both machines on a pintle and also haul material to my job sites when i get there. I am a residential builder and self perform site work, dig footings (slab on grade), backfill, final grade, landscape.... I also subcontract my guys out to a couple large commercial site work guys who don't own any small equipment, I own land, and have rental property. So between all that I feel like it would be justifiable to purchase....
That's a realistic budget to build a nice truck. When I spec'd the 4300 I used it my homebuilding business at that time. Used it to pull a skid and mini to the jobs and haul dirt and trash. I was building garden homes and it was convenient to show up with the skid and grapple, load the trash and go to the landfill or the next house depending on volume. If I was cutting a driveway out and had a little excess dirt to haul off it usually wasn't more than a trip or two. The truck worked very well for that purpose. As I said before I'd take a serious look at a Hino if I were to do it all over again.
That's a very workable budget. Dont rule out a Pete. Look for a box truck specd right and you'll be ok. Don't pass on an auto either.
Brick, When you say speced right can you elaborate. . . . . .
Wheelbase, engine and trans, gearing for what you want.I'd stay under a 2007 on anything if don't like emissions. Mine has a 12k front axle 23k rear 330hp c7 double frame Alison Auto and 5.29 gears. Cruises at about 72mph and 2000rpm
Nice truck. I'm a fan of Allison's as well, I wouldn't own a truck without one just my $.02. How does the C7 handle your daily loads on the trailer?
It does ok we don't have a lot of big hills. You can always ask for more but they don't fit under the hood. Auto makes up for a lot cause you don't have to let off. You sacrifice a lot of turning radius on a larger hood
brickhead, that is an awesome set up. had to bring this thread back just to say that. are you able to get a gooseneck onto that bed? o.