Equipment Storage in 1 ton dump?

[yepper]

So I'm putting together the pieces for making a go at tree work as a legit side business. In the (hopefully) final round of back & forth with the insurance company to get the right liability coverage quoted, which brings me to the vehicle search. I think a 1 ton dump makes the most sense for me given my budget and the scope of work I'm going to be doing.

The only snag I keep hitting when contemplating a small dump is equipment storage. I would love to have the budget for a "piggyback" or cross frame tool box but I don't right now, and the used trucks with them are few and far between. Most of what I see posted has either one small underbody box or nothing at all. So I'm contemplating ideas for storing equipment in places other than the passenger seat or sliding around loose and easily stolen in the dump bed. One thought I had was making a small long box in the bottom corner of the bed, similar to the stick saw storage that some bucket trucks have in the chip box. Wouldn't take up that much bed space and could be secured by locking the tailgate shut. I'm curious to hear other ideas or see photos from anyone else who uses a 1 ton as the primary vehicle.

 

[Oldmaple]

I've had a couple of one ton dumps for chipper trucks. Just flat bed dumps that I built a wood box for. I put a compartment all along the one side with doors to hang ropes, saddles, etc. Does take away some chip capacity though. Truck is packed away I my building now, will try to take a picture later and see if it turns out.

 

[jefflovstrom]

My answer would be a service truck for storage to and from the job.
I know that means an extra driver.
I hope you don't mean storage over night.
Jeff

 

[yepper]

My answer would be a service truck for storage to and from the job.
I know that means an extra driver.
I hope you don't mean storage over night.
Jeff

Yeah a second vehicle would be the most convenient in terms of storage, but alas the second driver. Trying to keep this as a side business in terms of jobs that are realistic to do as a one man band. Just hearing some preliminary numbers about workman's comp etc. I have absolutely no interest in going there, I've got a few other steady sources of work so if this nets me even a few hundred bucks a week after expenses I'll be happy. Rather keep it small and keep my freedom even if that means saying no to some jobs which I'm sure it eventually will. I suppose that's another discussion though.

Heck no not storage overnight, just getting stuff to and from the job site without having a chainsaw in my lap. I don't think my 064 will ride in the passenger seat very well.

 

[capetrees]

I've seen some guys put a tool box, maybe custom made, above the cab protector, in front of the chip box where the roll tarp would be. I assume you're going to have a homemade, plywood chip box? Quick and easy and does the job.

 

[moondoggie]

There is a company in town that store their saws on the outside of the chipper truck vertically.

 

[moondoggie]

Bars down.

 

[capetrees]

Of course there's always storage in the chipper. I put all of my saws in the infeed table and close the door when traveling. I also have a toolbox attached to the chipper fender. I run a Vermeer BC1000

 

[CUCV]

I've got an 11' body which allows for a good amount of room for under body boxes. The 4' box has 4-5 saws, small blower, maul and wedges on driver side between cab and rear wheels. The 3' box has fuel on the passenger side between cab and rear wheels. A 2' box behind the rear wheels on the driver side for "clean" items such as ropes, climbing and rigging gear. On passenger side behind the rear wheel I have a debris loader which blows up thru the bed. I still end up with rigging gear in the cab and some rakes and shovels in with the chips.

 

[Pelorus]

Thinking "outside the box" here.............how about a front hitch receiver on your truck.
Then you could put a removable platform on it to hold a decent box holding your gear.
Plus, having a front hitch on a truck can come in handy sometimes.

 

[CUCV]

Thinking "outside the box" here.............how about a front hitch receiver on your truck.
Then you could put a removable platform on it to hold a decent box holding your gear.
Plus, having a front hitch on a truck can come in handy sometimes.

I started making something along those lines a few years back but ran out of time on the project. I started making it out of and old plow and would have a 4 x 8 plateform that I could lower to load items like my stump grinder.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Why not extend the frame a 2-3 feet and put a ~8ft wide box right behind the cab. Or slide the flatbed back if the frame is long enough.

 

[Pelorus]

I started making something along those lines a few years back but ran out of time on the project. I started making it out of and old plow and would have a 4 x 8 plateform that I could lower to load items like my stump grinder.

Yeah, as a DIY project, it doesn't have to cost much.
OTOH, these things can also be sourced pretty cheap:



photo of my truck with a little removable vice setup that also works pretty good.

 

[Griff93]

I still wrestle with this problem myself. I have an f550 flatbed dump with a plywood box built on it. I have one 4 ft under bed box. I built a box on the inside of the chip box for pole saws etc. I have a bunch of gear stuffed behind my drivers seat. My plywood box is getting pretty torn up. I'm going to put some metal bed sides on the truck and would like to get rid of my bed box so I have some more space. I'm trying to figure out some more storage space for the stuff that was in the bed box. I'm thinking about making a box across the top of the headache rack like suggested above. I was also thinking about making an aluminum cap so I could still chip into it even though it would be setup as dump truck.

 

[jefflovstrom]

Has anyone suggested a service truck?
Jeff

 

[treecutterjr]

Or get a crew cab. Take the back seats out. Put a box in the back seat for tools/gear

Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk

 

[Oldmaple]

Here is my solution.

Ropes, tool box, etc. down the one side, ladder, pole saw, pruner down the other side accessed from the rear. You do lose some chip capacity but everything is under cover. Whatever is not hung up will slide to the rearYou can put locks on the latches but a pry bar would make pretty quick work of the screws, hinges.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Slick looking unit. You could beef up the locks, by putting eye bolts on the doors (eyes facing in) and then running a rod through the eyes. On the Southco boxes, you would lift the box slightly, run the rods through and then drop the box. You can't get the rod out without lifting the box, thereby effectively securing the door. Because you have so many doors, you would have to McGyver it a bit, but would work.

 

[FChenard]

I have 2 4' boxes bolted to my frame just under the dump box. The one on driver side contains all the equipement you don't want flirting with oil or gas and in the other I keep my saws, blower, hedge trimmers, axes, lever and grease gun. I lock them with 1/2'' rods that you can only remove when lifting the dump box. Remember that you can still add boxes on your chipper's fenders for grease guns, hooks and some other tools!

 

[burtonbc1400]

I've got an 11' body which allows for a good amount of room for under body boxes. The 4' box has 4-5 saws, small blower, maul and wedges on driver side between cab and rear wheels. The 3' box has fuel on the passenger side between cab and rear wheels. A 2' box behind the rear wheels on the driver side for "clean" items such as ropes, climbing and rigging gear. On passenger side behind the rear wheel I have a debris loader which blows up thru the bed. I still end up with rigging gear in the cab and some rakes and shovels in with the chips.

I'm having trouble visualizing how the boxes behind the rear wheels don't interfere with the ground when you lift the dumper. Do you have a picture of your setup? What is a debris loader??