# My beater wood hauler



## STLfirewood (Jan 5, 2008)

Here is a pic of my beater wood hauler. I use this thing for about everything. I have a metal box I slide on it to use as a chip truck. I bang it around in the woods getting firewood. I've hauled 4 pallets of landscaping blocks on it. I will put a cord of wood in the bed and pull two more cords on a dump trailer behind it. I have 30k pound plates on it and come close to using them. The damn thing just won't quit. I know it's ugly but it's paid for and does it's job. It gets a oil change every 6 months weather it needs it or not. I think this year I am going to fix the leaky head gasket. The truck is a 1992 Dodge 1-ton diesel 5-speed 4.10 gears.


----------



## clearance (Jan 5, 2008)

Cool truck, a lot better than some of the new stuff. Only change I would make is to put a bush bumper on the front. They come in real handy, for many reasons.


----------



## joesawer (Jan 5, 2008)

clearance said:


> Cool truck, a lot better than some of the new stuff. Only change I would make is to put a bush bumper on the front. They come in real handy, for many reasons.



+1

I would rather have that truck than a new one.
I just wish that they could still make trucks that are simple and dependable.


----------



## DarylB (Jan 5, 2008)

Mmmmm, 12v Cummins. Can't beat it. Good running gear in that truck - 5spd getrag, NP205. Does it have a rear-locker?


----------



## Ten_Bucks (Jan 5, 2008)

Have you done any mods to that Cummins?

Scott


----------



## STLfirewood (Jan 6, 2008)

It has a straight pipe and a 16cm housing. Other then that stock. I put a pyr gauge and a boost gauge in it. I had them let over from a different car. I have thought about moding it but it does fine the way it is. I hauled 2 1/3 cords of wood yesterday. The trailer weighs 5k empty. It went down the HWY 55-60mph. That's about as fast as I drive with the 4.10 gears.

Scott


----------



## Ten_Bucks (Jan 6, 2008)

STLfirewood said:


> It has a straight pipe and a 16cm housing. Other then that stock. I put a pyr gauge and a boost gauge in it. I had them let over from a different car. I have thought about moding it but it does fine the way it is. I hauled 2 1/3 cords of wood yesterday. The trailer weighs 5k empty. It went down the HWY 55-60mph. That's about as fast as I drive with the 4.10 gears.
> 
> Scott



Nice. I'm surprised that you don't have the fuel pin turned up a bit to compensate for the turbo upgrades.

Scott


----------



## STLfirewood (Jan 6, 2008)

Ten_Bucks said:


> Nice. I'm surprised that you don't have the fuel pin turned up a bit to compensate for the turbo upgrades.
> 
> Scott



I just upgraded the exhaust side for a little quicker spool. I have thought about doing some things to it but that would ake time and a few bucks. I can afford the work but why. I would just end up breaking things. I wouldn;t stop once I started feeling the power come on. Next it would be intake, exhaust, pump tweaks, bigger turbo, stronger clutch, ported head, bigger injectors, and a different cam. The truck would still look like a beater.

Scott


----------



## Ten_Bucks (Jan 6, 2008)

STLfirewood said:


> I just upgraded the exhaust side for a little quicker spool. I have thought about doing some things to it but that would ake time and a few bucks. I can afford the work but why. I would just end up breaking things. I wouldn;t stop once I started feeling the power come on. Next it would be intake, exhaust, pump tweaks, bigger turbo, stronger clutch, ported head, bigger injectors, and a different cam. The truck would still look like a beater.
> 
> Scott



Thats what makes it cool. It looks like a beater but it'll blow the doors off the little ricer next to you at the stoplight while hauling a load of firewood. Its the American way, if you ask me.

Scott


----------



## paul soccodato (Jan 6, 2008)

thats a nice truck. i wouldnt call that a beater.


----------



## Wood Junkie (Jan 6, 2008)

That's a gem of a beater.......wanna sell it??....j/k


----------



## STLfirewood (Jan 6, 2008)

Everything is for sale. I have thought about it. I would like a nicer truck. Did I mention that the bed dumps. Problem is replacing it. It's hard to find a decent truck for not a lot of cash.

Scott


----------



## Wood Junkie (Jan 6, 2008)

That would give me an excuse to go to Missouri.......I want to do some bowhuntin' there. My wife took one look and asked where would the kids sit....(I have four) lol....guess I'm destined for an ext. cab. Nice wood truck though,could get alot done with that.


----------



## STLfirewood (Jan 6, 2008)

If I sold it I would have to go buy this truck. I should have just bought a nicer truck last fall when I bought my BMW. I was afraid that I would work any truck I bought and it wouldn't be nice when I wanted to bo somewhere. I really need a nicer and bigger truck to deliver firewood in. I want a Mid 90's Chevy 3500 hd. I just don't want a 6.5 diesel. And I don't want 7-9mpg from a 454. Oh well that's life. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/CHEV...008QQitemZ180201379368QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW 

Scott


----------



## Wood Junkie (Jan 6, 2008)

That is waay cool...too bad the 4x4 was inop. but still.


----------



## MikE2 (Jan 7, 2008)

Nice old truck. I wish they still built them like that. Or at least still offered a diesel that could easilly get 25+ mpg


----------



## STLfirewood (Jan 7, 2008)

Mine won't get that. t I take the stakes off i can get a true 18mpg. But I have to keep it 55-60 for that. I would do better with the 3.55 gears. If I floor it top speed is 72mph

Scott


----------



## MikE2 (Jan 7, 2008)

Yeah I had a 93 with 3.55's and the 5 speed that would do 26 if I kept it at 55.


----------



## kah68 (Jan 7, 2008)

Awesome set up I have 2 93 W250's both auto with 3.54's one 01' 3500 6Speed 3.54 and an 05' 3500 6 speed 3.73. I ordered the 01 new and I should have went with 4.10's Easy rule of thumb, if it's a primary hauler/worker 4.10's are they way to go, if it's mostly a daily driver 3.54 or 3.73. Nice thing about your set up is you really don't need to mod it to make it pull strong, the getrag and the 4.10's make it a pulling beast on it's own and the components will live longer because of it. Over fill the Getrag 1 quart, kill the dowel pin and run a good conditioner, keep the body oiled and it will last a long time!

Kirk


----------



## 2dogs (Jan 9, 2008)

I bought an early 1991 pre-intercooler Dodge that blew the motor at 63,000 miles. Not a dowel pin failure, a bolt on the accesory drive came loose and the engine went out of time. I sold the truck to a friend who $4,000.00 in parts alone to get it running. It was a 5sp Getrag POS with 3.54 gears. He kept the truck for several years until replacing it with a brand new F550 in 2005. Now that truck has starting problems.

I currently drive an early 1998 12v quad cab with an auto. I wish it had a clutch, the auto just acts like a torque reducer. This truck has 130,000 on it and runs great. It has 4.10s and BFG MT 2.55x85R16s. 16MPG uphill, downhill, sideways. The 91 was always over 22MPG, same tires. I am hoping to pick up a 24v 3500 standard cab dualie and put a dump bed on it. Standard cab trucks are amazingly cheap.


----------

