Chip Dump full of FROZEN chips, how to get out???

[randyg]

Been having trouble with chips sticking in the dump when the temp gets around 10 degrees F. and colder. Seems the exhaust blowing in with the chips and the moisture in the wood and all warms the box a little or something and by the time I get a load and head to dump, they won't slide out. I spend around 10 or 15 minutes poking away with my 10 tine pitch fork to get gobs at a time to come loose and slide down, but what a pain. Anyone else have this problem and know of solution?

randy

 

[ropensaddle]

Yeah it can be pita sometimes,try to dump it daily
and back up and jam brakes has helped me but then
we don't see many 10 and below days lol !
Another thing clean the bed out and wax it or paint
anything to slick it up when I lived in Michigan waxed
the bed and left the wax on instead of buffing seemed to
help some!

 

[Slvrmple72]

Once you get it all cleaned out really good coat the walls with a thin layer of oil. Heck, even cookin shortening will work. Brush it on or wipe it on. The problem areas will be rusty spots and that will take sandblasting and repainting to really fix. Hope this helps.

 

[techdave]

Sticky chips, try a liner...?

hi randy, tape visqueen (sp) aka painters plastic to the bottom of the dump body, should slide out pretty well, if you buy thick enough visqueen the stuff is muy slick. Thinner stuff is more saran wrap in behavior.

or drape some ropes thru the bed so you can pull on them to get the chips out once you get to the dump? You could also hook the ropes up to a small r/c winch on the rear of the truck. Mayb eget really crazy and use a net for liner and hook it ups to winch line or full power ejection.

Problem? would the chips stick to the rope or net, and can yuo leave the chips at the tip with the visqueen on it if the visq sticks to the chips??

 

[emr]

We use a pick axe. It really sucks, but I would rather do that once in a while when we have a problem, as opposed to trying to prevent the problem. I agree with the daily dumping suggestion. That works best for us when its possible.

 

[groundsmgr]

I have used my torch on the underside of the body to melt the ice.

 

[lxt]

might not be the most enviromentally friendly suggestion But a coating of diesel fuel #2 will have those babies sliding out real quick!!


LXT...........

 

[John464]

dont let the load sit overnight. Dump it at the end of day.
What I do if a truck comes in late to get to the dump is I take two old sections of fiberglass pole extensions and poke it with the bed raised. This breaks it up enough so it starts sliding out.

 

[randyg]

I agree with get er dumped right away, don't let sit overnight. I'm talkin 1 and a half to 2 hours to load, and 10 minutes to dump sight, and they're froze. Good idea about pole saw extensions, was worried about being half way up in there and have the top half come all at once and get covered, bad way to go. 14 foot long box, 5/6 feet deep is a lot of chips. Spose I could spray with used motor oil, but each load??? PLEASE keep those ideas coming, and thank you!

randy

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

The oils help some, but in extreme cold there is not much to do but put in some elbow grease.

Have you tried "ramming" the truck into the pile? Back up fast and slam on the breaks...

Dumping every 3 hours is not cost effective.

I've used a garden fork for layers on the bottom.

You say the exhaust goes into the chip box, are you using the old BC-1000 with the exhaust in the discharge chute? They have an adapter for that.

If it is just exhaust from the engine, maybe a change of the pipe would help, or not run it so often.

 

[Sprig]

How about a bed wide 2x12 with two big eyebolts, place it at the back of the bed (on edge) before you load chips, run two 5/8th ropes down either side, when you go to unload tie them to something or run them under your rear tires to get it started, I think that all you'd have to do is break it free and then yer good to go!
Just a weird thought for the morning while waiting for a break in the weather.



Serge

 

[Old Monkey]

Where I dump they recycle construction wood wast too. I grap some scrap wood and throw it into my bed and that usually does the trick.

 

[woodheater]

I manage a fleet of 30 semi dump trucks and we deal with preventing loads from freezing in the beds all winter. We have the best luck spraying the beds down with a calcium chloride mixture dissolved into water. We dissolve 5 bags of calcium into 100 gallons of water and the guys fill their garden sprayers each morning and then spray the bed with a coating before each load. We also save all our waste antifreeze to use for spraying in the beds as well however that may not be acceptable for your application. The calcium will cause some corrosion of steel surfaces so its best to wash the area down after it warms up outside. Hope this helps!
Mark

 

[teamtree]

We have a similar problem here a few times a year. I have a heated shop so I leave it in there all night if they are frozen. The other day we cut 2 trees and within 2 hours (from start of cutting to finishing all the chipping) and before we got to the dump...the chips were frozen solid (about 5 degrees out).

 

[Jerry Lord]

maybe you should just dump chips at the end of the day it will take 3 minutes.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

How about a bed wide 2x12 with two big eyebolts, place it at the back of the bed (on edge) before you load chips, run two 5/8th ropes down either side, when you go to unload tie them to something or run them under your rear tires to get it started, I think that all you'd have to do is break it free and then yer good to go!
Just a weird thought for the morning while waiting for a break in the weather.



Serge

I know guys who do this with an old tire to dump out pf pickups. The only bad part is when you loose the tire in the dump pile.

maybe you should just dump chips at the end of the day it will take 3 minutes.

First, he's talking about the load freezing during the working day, second...3 minutes...errr....I'd say at least 10; Back up to the pile, secure the gate open (on a bigger box) remove the ladder from the side (most companies I work with) dump, check that everything is out, lower the box, secure the gate.

And that assumes that you dump on the way back to the shop. Many people need to go out of the way.

That said, on cold days it is a good idea to dump, even if you have a short load.

----------------

The CaCl2 in a pump sprayer is a great idea!

 

[teamtree]

If you are referring to me, as I said in my post...they froze as we were working and adding chips. But yeah, your point is pretty obvious.

 

[Rocko]

We line the bottom & half the sides with puck board ,you can usually pick some used boards from your locall arena for free

 

[oldirty]

how come no one has thought of throwing some road salt on the bed when empty? go ahead and fill it with chips and let it freeze. still gonna slide out from the box because its not frozen to the bed.


i dont know. just a little trick i was told about in my time in the biz.

good luck with those chips.

 

[ropensaddle]

how come no one has thought of throwing some road salt on the bed when empty? go ahead and fill it with chips and let it freeze. still gonna slide out from the box because its not frozen to the bed.


i dont know. just a little trick i was told about in my time in the biz.

good luck with those chips.

Me thinks rust may be a problem wax is better in that aspect!