# chip truck design



## 1I'dJak (Apr 14, 2007)

hey guys, once i get my roof fixed and recover from the finacial aftermath of my upcoming wedding, i'm planning on setting up my own resedential show... i forestry climb and contract out my climbing but want to get my own show.... small chipper, small stump grinder, and chip truck... i need a truck myself for firewood, skiing etc...so i want to set up s 3/4 to 1 ton truck in which i can have a chip box that can come on and off....right now i cant afford to have a run around truck and a chip truck with pto etc....i was thinking of getting a steel frame construct in which i can insert prefabbed sections of laminated plywood (or even fibreglassed) without too much hassle...probably with section of rubber flanges to prevent leakage...this isn't ideal, but i gotta start somewhere...does anyone have a similar setup, heard of one, or can offer design advice?
thanx, 
Jak


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## Frog (Apr 14, 2007)

*Simular set up*

I run a f-350 with a dump insert in it. I built sides and a top one piece that I can lift off with a tractor. It will only hold 6 yard's but, it works great. Push the button and it dumps right out. The only issue would be that the insert has to stay in the truck. Most inserts will only dump 7000lbs. I got a maxi dump twin cylinder that dumps 10,000lbs. never have to worry about it not dumping. I pull a morbark model 10 with it also. Add a leaf spring to the pack and away you go.


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## clearance (Apr 14, 2007)

Get a dually, drive it around all the time, you will make the money to buy a decent 3/4 ton 4x4 to go skiing with. You don't want to keep making trips to dump chips, over and over. A pickup is just too small, you got saws, gas etc., Even those decent old Chevs from the late 70s, 8200lbs GVW, truck wieghs about 5000lbs empty, leaves you 3000lbs to play with, not a lot once you start adding stuff.


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## lawson's tree s (Apr 14, 2007)

built aluminum chip boxes on my f 350 and chevy 1 ton . i would build something light if your going to take it on and off. plywood will work good to get by with id build something your budget would allow. good luck with your choice and design.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 15, 2007)

1 ton is a minimum, get a POS masonary bed dump for a starter truck an make a plywood box on it. 

For a runaround get an S-10 size truck to pull the stumper with. For around 10k USD you could get both. Have the light truck a little better then the chip truck since it will be what you use to run leads on weekends and late at night. Most clients understand a "Sandford & Son's" work truck if the other truck looks OK.

You will come close to doubling you MPG (or is that KPL for you?) on run-around trips if you do not have to drive the 1-ton with a box and gear everywhere.


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## diltree (Apr 15, 2007)

Don't do plywood; plywood does not look professional.....pay an extra few hundred and have a good welder build a removable box custom for the masonry body on a 1 ton dump.


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## treesquirrel (Apr 15, 2007)

Flatbed dump with stake pockets.

Then have sides fabricated that slide into thge stake pockets and interlock to form tight corners.

I agree that plywood will be unprofessional. Use steel posts with aluiminum walls of at least 1/8 inch thickness. Treadplate is not necessary just flat aluminum sheet.


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## Thetreewisemen (Apr 15, 2007)

diltree said:


> Don't do plywood; plywood does not look professional.....pay an extra few hundred and have a good welder build a removable box custom for the masonry body on a 1 ton dump.



....and plywood rots after a while too.


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## treevet (Apr 15, 2007)

1I'dJak said:


> hey guys, once i get my roof fixed and recover from the finacial aftermath of my upcoming wedding, i'm planning on setting up my own resedential show... i forestry climb and contract out my climbing but want to get my own show.... small chipper, small stump grinder, and chip truck... i need a truck myself for firewood, skiing etc...so i want to set up s 3/4 to 1 ton truck in which i can have a chip box that can come on and off....right now i cant afford to have a run around truck and a chip truck with pto etc....i was thinking of getting a steel frame construct in which i can insert prefabbed sections of laminated plywood (or even fibreglassed) without too much hassle...probably with section of rubber flanges to prevent leakage...this isn't ideal, but i gotta start somewhere...does anyone have a similar setup, heard of one, or can offer design advice?
> thanx,
> Jak



Removing a plywood box becomes more difficult the older and wetter the plywood gets. I think the best starter setup is to find an old farm use flatbed dump 10 or ll foot for say 3000 USD. A one ton dump is always quickly full of chips. A lot of these used tree equip companies buy bulk line clearance chip dumps and many don t run. You can often find a 11 foot steel chip box for sale for 850$ and can even get for 650$ if you don t need the piston, which you won t. Have them forklift the box right on your flatbed dump and strap it down w chokers and come a longs. Drive it home and have a welder perm weld it to flatbed dump or involve holes w bolts for removal if you want to. If you can easily remove it you can use it for a log truck sometimes. Welder prob cost maybe 300.00. Much better than buying beat to sh t used chiptruck from equip co. I d go w a late 80 s 4x4 toyo 4 cyl pu for run around. I ve seen them w 400,000 mis , they last forever and can eventually pull a small stump cutter.


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## Tree Machine (Apr 16, 2007)

treevet said:


> Removing a plywood box becomes more difficult the older and wetter the plywood gets.


Removing ANY box is a PITA. It takes time, whatever you have to do, you then have to un-do or vice versa. After the first couple times the novelty of that 'versatility and convenience' will prove itself out, good or bad, and that's really the only way to truly know. 



> A one ton dump is always quickly full of chips.


Not necessarily. 1I'dJak said he will be pulling a small chipper. The bigger the chipper, the quicker you fill it up. It mostly depends with what he's chipping, and next on what kinds of jobs he's mostly doing. Takedowns, you're gonna fill up faster.

If you solo / two-man jobs you don't need as big a capacity as with a bigger crew.

If you have a convenient chip site or 3 or 4 in the nearby areas you work, big capacity is not as big a deal.

If you have clients who want the chips, smaller is usually better as a big load can overwhelm them.

Big capacity can mean not dumping at the end of a usual day and in the Summer this means a hot, steaming molding, spore-filled load.


Whatever is done, I recommend _highly_, establishing a number of convenient 'chip recyling' sites in your area. Small loads are often less of an issue whereas big loads can fill up a limited site quicker. It depends on the site. Depends on the people who own the property.

If your chip site requires that the chips be spread out (like with a convenient drive-thru, drive over top site) a large dump pile can be the bain of your existence after an already long day.

A smaller rig can get you tight into a lot of places where a bigger rig won't allow. If you can knock down the time dragging brush, that's money-in-pocket.

If you have a big load to unload, you ALWAYS have to unhook the chipper. Smaller load, mebbe not. Under the right conditions, smaller can be 'bigger'.

I've found that a small load and a fast unload time (with automation) trumps a big load unloaded by hand any day.

Just some things to consider.


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## John464 (Apr 16, 2007)

Tree Machine said:


> If you have a big load to unload, you ALWAYS have to unhook the chipper. Smaller load, mebbe not. Under the right conditions, smaller can be 'bigger'.



Never heard of anyone doing this. Wouldnt this snap the chipper wires? and wouldnt the tailgate get bent on the chipper when dumping the load?

Id like to hear how its done without beating up the equipment. Sure would save us some time when dumping.


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## diltree (Apr 16, 2007)

One ton Removable chip box....this is what we run with for our one tons 15-20 yd chip boxes....this is actually a f-550 4x4 perfect for backyards, and it holds more chips then a regular one ton...but its the same concept....we use 25 yard abrortech boxes for roadside removal.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Apr 17, 2007)

Thetreewisemen said:


> ....and plywood rots after a while too.



One would be suprised at how fast the chips will wwear through it too. But if it is on a POS truck....


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## 1I'dJak (Apr 17, 2007)

great feedback guys! my setup would be for a small two man crew....trims and removals....as i would be balancing this with my forestry climbing, it would probably be mostly small jobs...but who knows...i think after these big storms, a lot of people may be thinking removal... figured the plywood would rot....but if i fibreglassed over it maybe not....could paint it too...but i agree the novelt would probably wear off, but if i wanted to go on a camping trip, load my gear and tow my boat, a big steel box might be a pain...at least the dump here is fairly close by and they take chips for free...


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## treevet (Apr 17, 2007)

Tree Machine said:


> Removing ANY box is a PITA.
> 
> If you have a big load to unload, you ALWAYS have to unhook the chipper. Smaller load, mebbe not. Under the right conditions, smaller can be 'bigger'.
> TM I definately agree w that 1st point above. Even if you ve got a crane to boom it off it s a pita. The 2nd point prob is only plausible bcs of your tree machine and the access of a dump that you can take a dump w out backing to the pile. You re video looks like truck is taking a dump w chipper on as opposed to dumping and you can believe me when I say that is a compliment. It puts out a little at a time and dumping is hard to let out slow. You never answered me in another thread as to what is the mechanism in the chipbox. A piston pushing a wall twds the rr of the truck? I won t copy you I promise.


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## diltree (Apr 18, 2007)

Hey whatever holds chips will work...I hope our advice could help...and goodluck!


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## Tree Machine (Apr 20, 2007)

Tree Machine said:


> Removing ANY box is a PITA.





treevet said:


> TM I definately agree w that 1st point above. Even if you ve got a crane to boom it off it s a pita. The 2nd point prob is only plausible bcs of your tree machine and the access of a dump that you can take a dump w out backing to the pile. You re video looks like truck is taking a dump w chipper on as opposed to dumping and you can believe me when I say that is a compliment. It puts out a little at a time and dumping is hard to let out slow. You never answered me in another thread as to what is the mechanism in the chipbox. A piston pushing a wall twds the rr of the truck? I won t copy you I promise.


Treevet, I'm sorry I never answered that question. Not intentional, and nothing to hide.

Honestly, I detach the chipper most of the time and back in. It depends on the place. I enjoy the option, though, the versatility.

The 'dump' system is an elevated floor. The floor is a custom-size conveyor belt and there are two drive systems for this, a powered drive roller for the one up front and a big azz ratchet for hand-powering the back one in case the front system would fail (hand unloading is no longer an option  ). The drive motor for this is a 36 RPM, high-torque gear motor. The motor is the type used on semi trucks where they have the powered tarp systems that cover the box in back. The 1" diameter steel axel goes through the motor so the front drive roller is actually two rollers with the drive motor in the middle.

The 36 RPM motor driving a 6" roller gives a belt speed of, heck, I don't know, but the chips can be off in under 20 seconds. I have a switch up front to the left of the steering wheel (as well as one in back inside the tool storage) and have offed a load of chips at 15 mph in one of my drive-thru sites, which is pure joy after so many years of unloading brush by hand, and then chips by hand. 

I use the ratchet method equally as much as the power method. Here's a picture of an 11 year-old unloading with the ratchet. They wanted their dog area spread with chips because it was a mud pit.


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## clearance (Apr 20, 2007)

That is a pretty cool setup, never seen anything like it.


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## Tree Machine (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks, Clearance.

I hadn't either. Looked for years and one morning over three or four cups of coffee took a pencil and ruler in hand and drafted it on paper. Figured out all the exact lengths of all the pieces needed and had a steel house cut them all. They sandblasted and primed them, too, which was fortunate as I didn't fully realize the time saved in not having to prime the metal myself.

Got the bundle of square-tube steel home and assembled and welded the 'puzzle' together atop the flatbed (next time I will assemble it on the ground, upside-down and then flip it and hoist it onto the truck).

The conveyor system (belt and drive rollers) was a bit different. That came later. I beat my head against the wall over and over again until I got it right. Spent an insane amount of time on that part. Quite happy with the current result.

Here's a pic of the 'guts' before the belt or rollers. This part I stumbled into by luck as I found all the rollers in this pic at a metal scrapyard in a pile (hence the rust). Paid 30 cents a pound and the roller array worked perfectly from minute one. I can't say that about the belt and drive rollers, though. That was agonizing, but pain equals reward in our business.


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## clearance (Apr 20, 2007)

You might be on to something here. This would work for other trucks as well, you could just pull into the dump spot and let it go (in the right spot, like a farm, etc). No unhooking the chipper, no putting up the boom, just put the tailgate back and leave. The chip box could actually be the same inside height, almost because the box could just bolt to the frame.


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## 04superduty (Apr 20, 2007)

there is a company that sells a trailer thats very similar, it has a big yellow belt on the floor to unload with.


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## elmnut (Apr 20, 2007)

Load Handler Cargo Unloader — 3000-Lb. Capacity, Commercial Grade
Moves firewood, black dirt, gravel, patio rock, lumber, building materials and more off the back of your truck with ease! Crank pulls the heavy duty bed liner into the tailgate roller.

Northern tool sells these for about 149.99


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