Need a chip truck on a budget

[Pelorus]

Have you lodged a complaint with eBay, or just the seller?
That VIN funny business should be enough for you to get the transaction cancelled.
"Item not as described"
Did you go through PayPal?

 

[TreeFeller11]

I lodged a complaint with both. The seller would do nothing for me, and neither would eBay. Ebay said they are just a platform and can take no responsibility if I don't meet the buyer protection requirements. And of course I met every requirement other than the truck being 9 years old or newer...

 

[TreeFeller11]

I have nursed it back to good health though and have taken it on a couple jobs this week. Really the only major problem left is the unknown oil leak which I will get into next week.

 

[RobOnBusiness]

I was scammed big time. Seller listed the truck as a good work truck in good working order, ready to work.

The dump won't dump under any load and won't go back down. (Wouldn't dump four wheel barrel loads of split firewood)
Needs a new water pump
Has an oil leak
Found out it's been wrecked since the seller posted the wrong VIN on eBay
Cab is rusted out and leaks through the top of the windshield when it rains
Power steering leak
Wiring from hell
Had clogged fuel and air filters

I'm just chomping at the bit to add my two bits here. I'm from Alberta, Canada, and recently bought my first bucket truck this last Spring from an equipment dealer in West Chester, PA. It, as yours, was supposed to be "work ready". Well, it never made it home. It didn't even make it out of the State before it broke down. I limped it to North Dakota, where I had to have it towed to the border, then towed to Regina, Saskatchewan, where it sat for 3 months while getting the necessary repairs done to make it roadworthy, to the tune of an extra $20k. So, like you, my experience with used equipment sellers stateside is not very good. Seems to be a lack of conscience in our cases...
Anyway, next time, I'm not going to make a non-refundable deposit until I actually see the item in person. In my case, it was a situation where I would have had to walk away from a $5k deposit I made over the phone. Hope you made out ok after...

 

[TreeFeller11]

I'm just chomping at the bit to add my two bits here. I'm from Alberta, Canada, and recently bought my first bucket truck this last Spring from an equipment dealer in West Chester, PA. It, as yours, was supposed to be "work ready". Well, it never made it home. It didn't even make it out of the State before it broke down. I limped it to North Dakota, where I had to have it towed to the border, then towed to Regina, Saskatchewan, where it sat for 3 months while getting the necessary repairs done to make it roadworthy, to the tune of an extra $20k. So, like you, my experience with used equipment sellers stateside is not very good. Seems to be a lack of conscience in our cases...
Anyway, next time, I'm not going to make a non-refundable deposit until I actually see the item in person. In my case, it was a situation where I would have had to walk away from a $5k deposit I made over the phone. Hope you made out ok after...

Wow that's awful man I feel for you. My investment wasn't quite as high as yours, but getting screwed on any money is never fun. I wish the problems with mine came all at once so I could've just dumped it off and cut my losses right there. It seemed like every week something would go bad on it whether it was some stupid sensor or the starter or whatever. Basically my first 6 weeks with it was like having a $300-$700/week payment in parts. I'm in much deeper than the truck is obviously worth so now my only option is to work for at least a year or two unfortunately. Luckily the engine is solid and the transmission was recently rebuilt. I can't get over the amount of dishonest sellers out there. Just yesterday I finally got the court order for Ohio to sign the title over to me, the guy didn't send me power of attorney with the paperwork so I had to go through a drawn out legal battle for it through the state. So now I get to go pay my sales tax.... yay! I don't think they realize what they are potentially doing to people and their businesses when they lie to get full price rates on a half ass piece of scrap. Oh well, all part of the game I suppose. I figure I probably can't buy a worse vehicle for the rest of my life so at least I got it out of the way early haha.

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Iv'e had good luck buying good used flat bed dumps and building steel chip boxes for them. I would always go look in person though. Too good to be true usually is. Used chip trucks are usually overpriced and beat to hell. I'd rather by a used box truck chassis used to haul potato chips and make it into a chip truck. Chip trucks have a hard life, running fully loaded with a chipper on the back makes for a short life.

Mike

 

[TreeFeller11]

It wasn't a chip truck before. I bought it like this:

[/IMG]
And now I built a chip box on it:

 

[blades]

Oil leak - typical for 7.3 would be oil pan Rusting out from the inside out- common problem- GM 's had similar problem.
7.3- 3 ways to attack one is to jack engine up high enough to get clearance for oil pan over crossmember, section out cross member to remove oil pan and then do a fab up to bolt in removed section, find a reall good tig place cut off lower 1/2 of oil pan and tig in a matching replacement. Any of the 3 are proven methods for repair.
Note: wiring for fuel injectors is contained in ( can't remember if valve cover or head gaskets very pricy) if this a upper level oil leak.
Go to ford super duty forum tons of info there for the 7.3- it is a a pretty good power plant. As with all units each have their quirks brand name not withstanding. ( my particular favorite was the 6.9 couldn't kill it, everything around it went to orange dust though)