Aluminum vs steel dump bed

[serenitytree]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen I just bought a ram 5500 chassis cab and I’m getting quotes to put a dump body on it. The cheapest quote I’ve got so far is for an aluminum dump bed. The company bought a bunch to sell to an oil company, but Covid happened and their customer didn’t buy all the beds they built. So they’re trying to move them. Allegedly they’re built extra strong to the same spec that large companies order for chip bodies. Being fairly new to the industry and this being my first chip truck I have no experience. I know steel can rust through, and aluminum does not rust, but is very soft. Should I be concerned at all about chips wearing away the dump body, logs being thrown in and puncturing or denting the sides? Can anyone give me a pros and cons both ways?

 

[JRM]

It comes down to floor thickness and cross member spacing. Aluminum is pretty common amongst big dump bodies and semi dump trailers. It just has to be built right. Ask for some specs if you can

 

[sean donato]

I wouldn't worry about it for a chip truck, we frequently loaded stone in our old f550 dump with a alloy bed and never had any issues with it. Weight savings were substantial over a steel bed. Almost too light when the truck is empty.

 

[Maineland]

Good morning ladies and gentlemen I just bought a ram 5500 chassis cab and I’m getting quotes to put a dump body on it. The cheapest quote I’ve got so far is for an aluminum dump bed. The company bought a bunch to sell to an oil company, but Covid happened and their customer didn’t buy all the beds they built. So they’re trying to move them. Allegedly they’re built extra strong to the same spec that large companies order for chip bodies. Being fairly new to the industry and this being my first chip truck I have no experience. I know steel can rust through, and aluminum does not rust, but is very soft. Should I be concerned at all about chips wearing away the dump body, logs being thrown in and puncturing or denting the sides? Can anyone give me a pros and cons both ways?

Aluminum (bodies) are always come with a premium price. Aluminum can be either "soft" or "hard" depending on the alloy. This dump body will use the correct alloy for the application, go for it especially with it coming in less expensive than steel.