# Best Length Chip Truck



## hseII (Nov 7, 2014)

Hello,
I'm looking at an older International with the DT466 that has a Fontaine 15ft dump.

It's in good shape for it's age and is priced right.

What's the best all around length for a chip truck?

I want to enclose most of the bed, but not all of it... How are y'all's chip trucks set up?

HEath


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## Steve-Maine (Nov 7, 2014)

I had a F-700 with 12 platform that I built a chip box for. I would like to have at least a 16' body but all the room I had in shop was truck with 12" body. The larger the better.









022932, member: 119922"]Hello,
I'm looking at an older International with the DT466 that has a Fontaine 15ft dump.

It's in good shape for it's age and is priced right.

What's the best all around length for a chip truck?

I want to enclose most of the bed, but not all of it... How are y'all's chip trucks set up?

HEath[/QUOTE]


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## hseII (Nov 7, 2014)

Thank You


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## hseII (Nov 8, 2014)

So 12-16' is the ideal dump bed length for a chip truck?

Thanks Guys


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## Luztree (Nov 8, 2014)

hseII said:


> So 12-16' is the ideal dump bed length for a chip truck?
> 
> Thanks Guys


You want minimum 12' with a cab to axle of 84" to have a great turning radius or if it's a cab over you could use 16' and still have a great turning radius. Ideal would be a cabover with a 12' chip body with a 4' platform between the cab and the dump body to have the room to put a avant or a tracked mini skid with a grapple.


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## climbhightree (Nov 17, 2014)

Here is my international 4300 with a 11' arbortech box, and mini platform. 







Looking at arbortech's for sale trucks, it looks like m9st have 14' boxes


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## hseII (Nov 17, 2014)

climbhightree said:


> Here is my international 4300 with a 11' arbortech box, and mini platform.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I really like that setup.
Do you wish your bed was 14', it are you satisfied with 11'


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## Luztree (Nov 17, 2014)

hseII said:


> I really like that setup.
> Do you wish your bed was 14', it are you satisfied with 11'


With a 14' bed it would be like trying to park a tractor trailer


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## climbhightree (Nov 17, 2014)

hseII said:


> I really like that setup.
> Do you wish your bed was 14', it are you satisfied with 11'


On the International I went with a 11' x 72" x 96" box, with a 30" high gate. The platform is 5' x 8' (the area for the mini is 4', the rest is plywood/ramp box). On a side note, the platform deck height is 40"...so 7.5' long ramps is almost too steep to load (they were fine with the Isuzu). Fully loaded with chips, mini, plywood, and ramps I weighed the truck at 24,750 lbs (without the chipper). Unfortunately I do not have the biggest axles for this truck, so I was 1300 over 

My Isuzu only had a 9'x60" box, so I'm fine with the 11'x72". Especially since I work in tight areas.


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## HoosierKid (Feb 14, 2015)

Like this with a switch n go bed?


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## HoosierKid (Feb 14, 2015)

And a rear mount 75 elevator on a cab over


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 18, 2015)

We took the mancab off of a truck with an originally 11ft bed and extended the bed to truck for total of 15 ft. We cut the top off and added 15" of side height then reinstalled top to make it 6ft tall.


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## luckydad (Feb 20, 2015)

HoosierKid said:


> And a rear mount 75 elevator on a cab over


Can you show us some side pics of that truck ?? I really like it, we have a 4300 Int. elevator that is sweet.


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## HoosierKid (Feb 20, 2015)

The one is of the guy's I bought it from. 5 degrees is too cold for photographs


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 20, 2015)

That's a sweet outfit


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## luckydad (Feb 20, 2015)

HoosierKid said:


> The one is of the guy's I bought it from. 5 degrees is too cold for photographs


Did you just buy that truck from a guy n NJ. ?? 
I saw it for sale online I think. 
That is one sweet truck !!
Here's a pic of ours.






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## HoosierKid (Feb 20, 2015)

I did. Few people realize the advantages of Isuzu cabovers


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## HoosierKid (Feb 20, 2015)

luckydad said:


> Did you just buy that truck from a guy n NJ. ??
> I saw it for sale online I think.
> That is one sweet truck !!
> Here's a pic of ours.
> ...




What year is the lift and truck?


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## luckydad (Feb 20, 2015)

02 model, we bought it from the guy that specced it out and purchased it new from Feva.


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## HoosierKid (Feb 20, 2015)

Looks like it's been taken care of. Maybe we should start a short wheelbase elevator bucket truck thread.


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## MattB (Feb 21, 2015)

HoosierKid said:


> I did. Few people realize the advantages of Isuzu cabovers


I've looked at them...I love the concept but they have much lower hp ratings than the US makers. How is the performance weighed down and on steep narrow roads? 

My last truck was underpowered for what I threw at it and crawling up hills at 10mpg with a line of cars honking at me is not good advertizing for the business.


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## stltreedr (Feb 24, 2015)

We're building one now almost 16' long and 6' high- should hold about 25-26 yds of chips. I think it really depends on what kind of work you're doing- this truck will be used for municipal street tree removals, and we'll also send it on our large residential removals. The weight, GVWR, and power of the truck begin to factor in... and its true that this truck will not be very manueverable in tight settings. If green chips weight about 500 lb/yd- we are looking at 12,500 lbs of chips, chipper is right at 10,000 lbs and truck maybe 10k?? so much for non-cdl truck! 

I would post pics but can never figure that out


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## MattB (Feb 24, 2015)

stltreedr said:


> We're building one now almost 16' long and 6' high- should hold about 25-26 yds of chips. I think it really depends on what kind of work you're doing- this truck will be used for municipal street tree removals, and we'll also send it on our large residential removals. The weight, GVWR, and power of the truck begin to factor in... and its true that this truck will not be very manueverable in tight settings. If green chips weight about 500 lb/yd- we are looking at 12,500 lbs of chips, chipper is right at 10,000 lbs and truck maybe 10k?? so much for non-cdl truck!
> 
> I would post pics but can never figure that out



You're truck weight estimate is a bit light...figure closer to 15k or more for a truck with a 16' chip box. About 11k for a ford 650 and a nice dump body with the hoist will be at least 4k. 

I see guys around here rocking rigs that must have a combined weight of 30k or more with the chipper but they're only stickered to 19k. I guess if you don't go through weigh stations or piss people off you can get away with it.


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 24, 2015)

My chipper truck is a 99 f800. The bed is 15ft long and 6ft high fully enclosed and we are usually around 6.5 tons at the landfill.


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## jmester (Feb 24, 2015)

I would say some where between 14 to 16 foot bed length. If you are going to go medium duty truck I would rather have it CDL and know that with about any load of chips and the chipper I won't be over weight. I think that whole 25999 gvw is a joke. Everyone thinks it is a good idea till they get caught by dot. Just my .02


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## Luztree (Feb 24, 2015)

SCTREEGUY said:


> My chipper truck is a 99 f800. The bed is 15ft long and 6ft high fully enclosed and we are usually around 6.5 tons at the landfill.


Your dump would be about 22 yards meaning the chips alone weigh 5.5 tons. Your truck loaded weighs 12.5 tons or 25,000 pounds. With a 6cyl diesel chipper you're at 17.5 tons/ 35,000 pounds.


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 24, 2015)

Yep loaded truck right at 26k at dump. 2015 bc1800 just over 10k.


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 24, 2015)

I think our chips are heavier(Damn that looks misspelled) maybe because we are chipping so much larger wood.


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 24, 2015)

I don't have a 6cyl chipper. 2 bc1800s and morbark 13.all 3 are 4 cyl but still heavy.


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## greg storms (Feb 26, 2015)

So, what chassis are you using? I have a c5500 Chevy with a southco box capable of holding about 14 cut yds. It can get close to in 19500# before hooking to a chipper.


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 26, 2015)

99 f800 5.9 Cummins Allison auto


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## jmester (Feb 26, 2015)

SCTG what is the hp rating for your engine?


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 27, 2015)

I'll have to look but I think it's 210. I also think this 1 has been turned up because its extremely strong and snappy compared to our others.


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## nk14zp (Feb 27, 2015)

HoosierKid said:


> I did. Few people realize the advantages of Isuzu cabovers


Few realize the benefit of any cabover.


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## jmester (Feb 27, 2015)

Is that a 24 valve or still a 12 valve?


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 27, 2015)

jmester said:


> Is that a 24 valve or still a 12 valve?



Seperate valve covers so I think it's 12v


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## jmester (Feb 27, 2015)

Where do the injector lines run. Over or between the valve covers or to the valve covers on the right side.


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## SCTREEGUY (Feb 27, 2015)

I'll look this evening


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## Greenstar (Dec 9, 2017)

What do you all think a T6500 cabover (Isuzu FTR) with a 14' Arbortech UTV body on it full of chips hauling a Bandit 1590 weighs in at? Could that pass for under CDL?


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## Greenstar (Dec 9, 2017)

Climbhightree, what is the story with that platform with the mini skid on it? Is that a hydraulic ramp bed? Or just a fixed flatbed there
Also, is that a plywood box or something to the left of your mini here?


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## climbhightree (Dec 9, 2017)

Greenstar said:


> Climbhightree, what is the story with that platform with the mini skid on it? Is that a hydraulic ramp bed? Or just a fixed flatbed there
> Also, is that a plywood box or something to the left of your mini here?


Fixed platform. Ramps go either in the plywood box or in ladder box in chip body (I store them in ladder box)

Picture from when platform was on my old truck.

Videos of unloading 


https://www.instagram.com/p/BOSoqhJhlID/






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## TimberMcPherson (Dec 9, 2017)

America, the worlds last great defender against the evils of cabover trucks and the metric system


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## Ben84 (Dec 12, 2017)

Greenstar said:


> What do you all think a T6500 cabover (Isuzu FTR) with a 14' Arbortech UTV body on it full of chips hauling a Bandit 1590 weighs in at? Could that pass for under CDL?



As long as the truck gvw is under 26,000 and the trailer is under 10,000 there is no cdl required. Federal dot says that a trailer under 10,000# doesn't get combined with truck weight for adding gvw.


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## dilley8 (Apr 20, 2018)

What were the dimensions of this truck? We're looking for our first chip truck and i want to haul our mini the same way. Thanks!




climbhightree said:


> Fixed platform. Ramps go either in the plywood box or in ladder box in chip body (I store them in ladder box)
> 
> Picture from when platform was on my old truck.
> 
> ...


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## Greenstar (May 6, 2018)

Also, Will an Isuzu cabover truck have enough power to haul a 14" Arbortech UTV chip dump w L-pack toolbox AND a full load of chips AND a Bandit 1590 chipper ????


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## climbhightree (May 6, 2018)

dilley8 said:


> What were the dimensions of this truck? We're looking for our first chip truck and i want to haul our mini the same way. Thanks!


Truck is an 2003 international 4300 dt466. The platform is 5' (including the plywood box). Chip body is an 11' Arbortech.

Gvw on my truck is 23,500...fully loaded (chips and mini) I'm about 700 to 1000 lbs overweight. I can't remember the exact number. My front axle has a lower weight rating than I'd prefer.

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## climbhightree (May 6, 2018)

Greenstar said:


> Also, Will an Isuzu cabover truck have enough power to haul a 14" Arbortech UTV chip dump w L-pack toolbox AND a full load of chips AND a Bandit 1590 chipper ????


In my opinion, no. I had a 2004 Isuzu nqr with the same platform on that I have now. At that time I only had a 9' chip body and a vermeer 1230a chipper, and it was a serious fog on hills. I ended up needing transmission work after a year (bought it used). I decided to just trade it in for the international 4300, instead of fixing it.

If you're in the Midwest, or other flat areas you may be OK. 

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## hseII (May 6, 2018)

climbhightree said:


> In my opinion, no. I had a 2004 Isuzu nqr with the same platform on that I have now. At that time I only had a 9' chip body and a vermeer 1230a chipper, and it was a serious fog on hills. I ended up needing transmission work after a year (bought it used). I decided to just trade it in for the international 4300, instead of fixing it.
> 
> If you're in the Midwest, or other flat areas you may be OK.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk



The NPR/NQRs are less than the FTR series. 
https://www.isuzucv.com/en/app/site/pdf?file=diesel_specs.pdf


https://www.isuzucv.com/en/fseries/models

Which of the engine/ratings were the NQR did you have?


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## climbhightree (May 6, 2018)

Here is the deal though, as I can see (and what I seen once I started having power issues and looking around for a new truck). I liked cab overs, znd liked Isuzu.

The Isuzu npr-hd Gvw of 14, 500, Isuzu nqr Gvw 17,950, Isuzu nrr Gvw 19,500, and Isuzu ftr Gvw 25,950 all have 2 things in common...the same transmission and engine.

The npr-hd has 215hp to move 14,500...the ftr has the same size (liter and hp) to move 25,950

So instead of upgrading to a bigger Isuzu I decided to change brands. 

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