gdavis24
ArboristSite Member
Our only truck is an f350 mason dump. I built up tall sides out of plywood to use mostly as a chipper truck, but now and again it needs to be loaded from the top with fill dirt, rounds, or firewood. We tried removable tops made out of plywood and angle brackets (heavy, and difficult to line up the bolt holes), and EMT hoops draped with a tarp (light, but leaks chips and cannot handle highway wind).
We wanted a chipper top that did not leak chips, withstood dumping, 50MPH wind speed, and could be moved on or off by one man in 20 minutes.
Photos below show the top we designed and how it mounts to the truck. It's structure is similar to a store awning, and weighs about 35 lbs. The frame is made of 1" and 1/2" welded EMT. The cover is heavy silver tarp sewn on to the frame with mason twine. There is a section of sheet metal at the upper front to deflect flying chips.
The unit sets into a wooden channel at the top of the wooden sides. The front has frame extensions that pin into holes in the headboard. The rear has plates for two lag bolts that screw into the wooden sides.
