Dump trailer and/or flatbed

[svk]

My 02’ Chevy 2500 HD has 71k miles but the outside of the box is getting pretty rusty. Since the truck itself has so few miles I though I might remove the box and put on a flatbed with stake sides. Since it’s a single cab with 6.0 it’s relatively light (6100 lbs) So I can sneak into relatively tight spaces with it.

I’d also like to take the plunge and get a dump trailer. 12’ would be sufficient. Also, it could haul an eventual UTV and or ATV in it. I find myself needing to haul gravel and wood often enough that it would pay for itself. Right now I need about $1500 in gravel (delivered price) which I can get for free if I haul myself. Obviously that’s not going to cover the whole trailer but definitely would front a portion of one.

Has anyone converted to a flatbed and not been happy?

 

[rancher2]

I had a eight foot aluminum flat bed for years on two different pickups. Both trucks were 3/4 ton single wheel trucks. I sold the last truck and bed a few years back and I really miss my flat bed. The aluminum ones are not cheap but they don't rust out.

 

[AGoodSteward]

We bought a couple of flatbeds over the years. Vs a pickup bed they are like a foot higher to lift logs, and to climb up on. Nice for tools and trailer towers, but we load logs in a regular bed truck.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

I've never had a pickup with a flatbed.
I did just sell a 5500 w/12' flatbed to change over to a dump trailer for firewood deliveries.
One option is purchase a used pickup box, and add a tonneau cover, or bolt down a gang box in either a pickup box or flatbed. I had a 2' x 2' x 5' gang box behind the single cab for years. Great for tools and especially this time of year for Carhartt's, boots, and stuff too that would end up in the cab. Either way you almost need a step bumper for access.
I've never pulled a dump trailer. Bumper pulls though, 27' RV; deck-over flatbed; 16' box trailer.
I ordered a 16' bumper pull, Sept. 9, high sided dump, standard (2) 7k axles, and probably cheap import tires.
Delivery is December sometime.
Lots of trade offs when choosing, minimal first hand experience to draw on, and a little second guessing after the fact.
I did get lots of great input from you guys here earlier in July on dump trailers.
Denzel Washington has a greet commencement speech on Failure, as useful stepping stones instead of an impasse.
That was helpful, because I often stall out on ill informed or pricy decisions.

 

[TimberWolf530]

Never owned a flatbed, but have an 8X16 dump bed trailer, and I say buy one without hesitation. It will probably end up being your favorite purchase ever.

 

[panolo]

The first 12 loads in the dump trailer I got this summer were gravel and black dirt. So slick! Only thing is the weight can add up fast!

 

[SS396driver]

Dump trailer is one of my better purchases. Before you take ths bed off talk to your insurance company. If you have a commercial no problem but some passenger insurance policies wont insure a flatbed .

 

[CUCV]

If your going to get a flat bed with stake sides it seem like it will just be an aesthetic change from the PU bed. From a functional standpoint with the higher sides you would have more volume to carry loose items like firewood. Undermount tool boxes are soo nice compared to a truck bed box.
I've had several dump trailers over the years 8' long to 14' long. I found myself frustrated with the 12' and 14' trailer trying to make them one size fit all trailer. For me they were too small or too big for what I wanted to do. I usually end up taking them into tight areas and over uneven terrain and I got stuck so many times with the 12' and 14' trailers. Also found myself putting more weight in the 12' and 14' trailers than they could dump. Currently I have over the axle 10' trailer with high sides that holds 1.5 cord loose. It's not overbuilt leaving lots of room for payload vs GVW. ATVs and UTVs towed well in all the dump trailers but I always struggled to get skidsteers, tractors and excavators to tow well in the 12 and 14' dump trailers. I've borrow a friends HD 16' dump trailer, it tows great, has a huge dump mechanism and hauls equipment well, it just can't go where my 10' can go and you really need a CDL to tow it.

 

[cantoo]

I have a Dodge 2500 with a steel dumping flatbed that I built for it. Flatbed is 7' wide, 9' long and has 8" sides on it. I also have 3 dump trailers, 2 that are actually dump inserts that I put onto trailer frames. I also have over 20 other trailers so lots to choose from. My wife runs a grass cutting business so the flatbed is used 5 days a week all summer. Fall time it's used to either haul the dump trailers with firewood or just the flatbed with wood on it for tight spots. I have 2', 3' and 4' racks for it to haul firewood. Sure is handy for quick 1 cord trips. These are old pictures. I have air bags and on board compressor on it now. I would put a dumping flatbed on that truck first because the box needs replaced anyway. Work towards a trailer later. We usually park the big trailer on the side of the highway loaded with split wood and a big For Sale sign on it.

 

[deerehunter]

I was going to say the same thing as Cantoo. I have a single rear wheel one ton with a flatbed and a gooseneck dump and if I had a dumping flatbed truck I would use that more than anything.

 

[JeffHK454]

Dump truck ..

 

[SamT1]

Put a dump box on the truck. Best thing I ever bought for firewood, farm, around the place.
if you can afford it. Do PTO powered and go heavy on the rams. Nothing worse than not being able to dump. I’ve borrowed electric dumps a few times and you have to be super careful or they won’t dump.

 

[cantoo]

Couple pics of my flatbed.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I've been looking hopelessly for a reasonable dump truck.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

As said previously, I ordered a 16' bumper pull dump. From the comments I'm wondering if I should have gone shorter.. I saw an arial view of a gooseneck doing a u-turn a couple days ago, and was impressed.
My 5500 12' flatbed was very short wheelbase, and was great getting in tight spots, like a T turn around off a drive, or driving through a back yard by the cloths line, tractor with a flat, and implements buried in tall grass. I simple will not be able to accommodate some of those instances with a trailer. Even those simple drops, I used to hand unload, leaving a pile of wood. Dumping is not going to pile it up in a nice foot print like my customers have been used to.
And also as said previously, I'm not a mechanic.
The down side of that is paying dearly. Markup on parts, and the going rate for shop labor.
The last bill was $2,800. for brake work. That's a lot of firewood. I'm not talking price per cord, I'm saying what is actually made from a cord of wood after costs, time and equipment.

 

[SamT1]

the biggest advantage with the dump truck is I know what a cord looks like in it so I can just throw it in in the woods. You can shave a ton of time just chunking the wood in. I get to where it’s being delivered and raise the box without letting the tailgate down. That puts the wood where you can grab it to unload without bending your back. Like a magical self feeding pile. If you dump on the ground you’ll make a mess and have to bend over all the way.

this truck was $1900. I spent about $500 on sensors for the motor to get it right, about $1000 on some really good tires. TSL’s on the back and some really thick rubber iron mans on the front. Wife tore my clutch out hauling round bales. 2 bales fit in the back and you can dump them in a pretty tight row, but the kit was only $140. I need to paint the orange black, add a tow bar, and rework the bed sides and headache rack. Next on the list is to change the differential gears out for some 4.56 or 4.88 gears, it runs about 2200rpm at 70 right now, the little 5.8 isn’t too punchy, but it’s light so the thing gets around excellent with all the weight on the back.

 

[svk]

I wish I could find a good 3500 dump truck up here but they are all rusted out.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

I responded to an ad the other day with about 10 in depth questions and the only response was yes it's still available

 

[SamT1]

People probably hold onto them since they are handy. A guy offered me 5k for mine the other day at the gas pump. I told him no way!
I’ll try and buy a 450 in a couple years probably unless DOT starts getting on us. Best thing about this little truck is it’s so light I’m under 10,000 loaded.
Don’t be afraid of 2 wheel drive. With a locker and little gas engine there’s not any weight up front. If I was in mud or deep sand and I’d take this truck over my 17 Chevy duramax with all terrain tires. You want PTO pump and dual rams on the dump.

 

[Sandhill Crane]

Dump trailer came in, and picked it up Wednesday.
It will not get used till spring, but glad to be done with the truck maintenance and associated expenses of a dedicated medium duty truck for firewood.
Cancelled DOT number yesterday.