One Ton Trucks - Dump Conversion

steve terplak · Feb 28, 2014

Hey guys,
I have been casually looking for a reasonable 1 ton dump for a while...no brand preference, would use to haul hay, so ideally a flatbed dump, but also some stone, some firewood and some mulch...would just be useful to own.
What I have found is that people want, at least in my area...Albany NY...an arm and a leg for a running 1 ton dump...I understand this for newer...but on a 30 or 35 year old truck? Seems nuts to me...
anyway, I have found some good prices on cab and chassis with no bed...one formerly with a chip box, one formerly an ambulance...

1. Are the frames to 1 ton trucks all created equal? or is a former box truck or ambulance or flatbed or chip box goin to be less stout than another?

2. How hard is it to put a dump on a chassis?

3. Any major items to look out lookout for in late 80's for diesels? I know it is the IDI 7.3,...no powerstroke but a good solid engine? Are they prone to anything that can be checked in a private sale situation? How about early 90's 460s? Or a 2000 chevy 454?

thanks,
Steve

Super Trucker · Feb 28, 2014

On the old fords with the 6.9 look at the head bolts to see if they are 6 point or 12 points. They had some problems with the early ones so as a recall they put 12 points in from the 7.3 . BIGGEST thing to check is glow plugs and harness on any of them. On the fords pretty easy to check with a multi meter,set to ohms and touch tne base of the plug and the other to the spade connector if it beeps good to go. Also if the glow plugs have a round pin for connection to the harness it has the updated kit which is way better.

steve terplak · Feb 28, 2014

Thanks supertrucker.
I will bring my multi-meter along so I can know if the glow plugs work...also will look at the head bolts.
Appreciate the advice...
pics of your rig yesterday were pretty cool.

Bret4207 · Feb 28, 2014

Steve, I've been looking for a 3/4 or 1 ton PU myself lately. I've seen several older 1 ton dumps in the $2-2500.00 range on CL out of Watertown, Syracuse and Utica in the for sale by owner car sections. Might be worth a check. If you're looking for something newer or real good looking, then you're going to pay for it. Dealers are high in this stuff too.

Ken Macfarlane · Feb 28, 2014

There are lots of cheap older 1 ton dumps around here. A dump is easy to add but beware there are several frame rail widths. Cab chassis is usually 34" while a pick up frame is 37" and not flat. Van chassis usually have a hump at the wheels, not flat. Dodge have some other frame widths too.

steve terplak · Feb 28, 2014

Would almost any typical dump body be easily adaptable to either frame width?

Jack in Colo · Feb 28, 2014

The only 1 ton trucks to avoid would be the 1980 and 1981 Fords, they had what a lot of guys call a swiss cheese frame, we bought a new 1981 F350 and the frame buckled right behind the cab with only 18000 miles on it, seen several of these models with frame damage from low speed collisions.

The 460 ford and the GM 454 are both good engines especially the later 80's that are fuel injected, neither engine was known for getting good gas mileage but they pull great. Like Super Trucker said the early ford 6.9 diesels had head bolt problems, not a bad engine but not great, the IDI 7.3 ford is a lot better engine and is even better if you turbo charge it.

Pitch · Feb 28, 2014

Here is a truck and trailer in Macedon. Ad is a few days old.
Untitled URL Link

Anonymous-0 · Feb 28, 2014

By the time you buy a decent tr and a decent bed your have more money in than what they want for a dump tr.--- I think. Good luck.

Ken Macfarlane · Feb 28, 2014

Most will be 34" rail width. You can put them on 37" 1 ton pickup frames but you have to add crossmembers. Easier to find a matching one to start.

glennster · Feb 28, 2014

steve, i had looked at getting a small dump truck for work around the farm too. i ended up buying a dump trailer. by the time you consider the price of the truck, license plates, insurance and maintenance, it just plain got way out of hand. i ended up buying a 14 ft doolittle. its rated for 14k. mine is plated for 10k. has an on board 110-12v charger to maintain the hydraulic pump battery, load cover, 3 way rear gate and skidsteer ramps that store under the trailer. real happy with it. i got the scissor lift, not the twin cylinder. if loaded wrong, the twin cylinders can bend. heres a couple pics

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Mike M · Feb 28, 2014

I don't believe the fellow that said his 81 F350 had a weak frame !
I have an 81 F350 with a dump bed and have routinely hauled 5 ton on it ! This is way over the GVRW too but it handles it fine. 3 ton load is best though.

I have seen some reasonable priced older units here in Ohio on craigslist. Check out Akron and Mansfield areas.

Best to find one with the dump already on it as I think a new bed was $5,000 !

greygoat · Feb 28, 2014

Brothers Chevrolet 1 ton dump truck,454, pulling
a tandem axle trailer, with a load, will cruse
nicely on the interstate at 70 mph, and pass
anything except a gas station!

MN Scott · Feb 28, 2014

I bought a dump trailer like this last spring. Its super handy, use it all the time. Only thing is if your haul a lot of loads a short distance your battery can run down and with mine the bed will not gravity down if the battery runs out of juice. For occasional use I would stay away from an old diesel. Just way to many costly items to go wrong and have to repair. With gas at least a buck a gallon cheaper a chevy 454 or better yet 8.1 or even a terd 460 would work well for you.

mab570diesel · Feb 28, 2014

my 2 cents i had an 80 f-350 300 6 for about 20 yrs. used to be u-haul truck before i got it somebody put 10' dump (electric over hydraulic) on and i also have had 5 ton loads on it with no frame damage did have to change spring hangers just rotten i used it as a farm truck to haul anything and everything it was just a real work horse but it just started to fall apart king pins were bad etc.etc. had to scrap it ran like a top really hated to

JRSutton · Feb 28, 2014

The only thing better than buying a dump trailer like that is when one of your friends buys a dump trailer like that.

Friend of mine has one - they are very handy.

Brian in MO · Feb 28, 2014

I personally would stay away from a old ambulance. They have way too much extra wires and electrical stuff on them, unless your a electrical engineer it's hard to know what can be unhooked and what is necessary to make it stock again. But that's just me.

T in NE · Feb 28, 2014

Any truck frame that's not reinforced or double-framed can let go right at the front of the subframe/rear of the cab.

Super-H-Mike · Feb 28, 2014

If you find a 7.3 , take a good look at the oil pan , they rust through and leak. Big nasty job to replace it .

Part Time Pete · Feb 28, 2014

I had an 88 F-350 dump with a 7.3. Was still running great when the cab and dump box rotted out. The only problem i had was the transmission liked to pop out of reverse, and I did a lot of plowing, so it was a bit of a pain.
The frame did have added gussets, I assume as prep for the dump body.
I would stay away from an automatic - those 6.9's and 7.3's without turbos didn't have a ton of giddy-up, and the automatic really takes it out of them

RodinNS · Feb 28, 2014

Not really what you asked.... but I think you might be better off finding something like a 5 ton. ie. an IH 1954. Something with a B Cummins or 466 IH engine, cheap, reliable. Something with a 5 or 6 speed transmission.... and something with AIR brakes. Not air over hydraulic, not air applied park, FULL AIR, S-cam type brakes. Something that will stop you. If you seek one of those trucks out with LoPro 22.5 rubber it won't be a whole lot higher than a ton truck. Depending on the situation you might get away without using a cradle for the body so you can build that directly into the frame to save some more height... and those trucks are still fairly compact and maneuverable. You just need the air ticket to drive them...
We had several ton's here over the years. All suffered from continuous brake problems, broken frames, poor handling... and they generally cost as much or more to keep on the road than a decent single axle.
A little Freightline 70 would probably be a nice little truck too and often the Freightliners had a lot tighter turning radius than the Binders.... or a lot of old ton's for that matter.
If I was going to get a ton or something in that rnage today I'd probably get a Hino or something like that.
If you looked around a bit and don't mind scrapping a truck... look for an old fire truck. Lots of them get taken out of service after 20-25 years, are in good condition, have automatic transmission if you want one... and are fairly compact chassis trucks... an old COE engine, as long as it's a commercial chassis and NOT a custom HME or Spartan chassis... those are dandy little trucks.

Rod

Anonymous-0 · Feb 28, 2014

I talk to a old farmer at the fuel stop, he has old GMC U-Haul " maybe ton and half or light duty 2 ton" truck with diesel engine he shortened the frame has 9ft flatbed, 19.5 tires makes the bed low as a one ton. pulls cattle trailer all the time his ever day farm truck he bought it very cheep.

steve terplak · Feb 28, 2014

Thanks for all the insights and experience...
I am weighing many options but, based on what people have said, I think I will keep looking for a complete dump rather than the cab/frame...I already have too many projects...this is supposed to make life a little easier for me...
I have seen that those old, bigger dumps can be had for good $$ but I would also use this truck as the occasional commuter...if car is down and out...and would get some funny looks in the parking lot at work if I pulled in with an old IH...but then again...I like funny looks sometimes...
good food for thought on the diesel...isnt always the best choice for occasional use...

neighbor has an 83 dodge with a 360 he might let me have very reasonably...needs a starter and a clutch but all else is good and pto dump works...gonna take a look in a few days...
any insight on old 80's dodges with a 360?

Jim Phelps · Feb 28, 2014

Will second that, I had a 75 chevy dually with a 454, never had a load it could not pull never had a gas station it did not like.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 1, 2014

Look for an older grain truck or something similar. A 1 ton dump won't carry much at all. A few years ago I bought a one owner 95 GMC Top Kick with a 366 for $5500. Box was rusted pretty bad from hauling feed with salt but the truck only has 177,000 orig. Kms. 30,000 GVW and hydraulic brakes so no special license needed. $5500 wouldn't even buy a new hoist. I just use it on my land but the price was too god to pass up. I can carry about 20,000 lbs.

Royse · Mar 1, 2014

Those 360s were decent small block engines.
With the right gearing they'll pull quite a load.
Not going to win any races with it.
I can't remember when they switched from carbs to TBI.
My '89 had the TBI, my '79 was a carb. I personally prefer the carb.
Seemed like it had better throttle response, specially off the line.
There wasn't much difference in gas mileage either. Both were bad!

T in NE · Mar 1, 2014

I think it was 86 or 87 they started using TBI, but the 318 got the improvements before the 360 did. No OD didn't help the gas mileage, but any 5 or 6 speed used in later trucks will bolt right in if you want to go that route.

You'll want to put the headlights on relays, and (especially) if you add a bunch of body lights, wouldn't hurt to put them on a separate switch or relays as well. The wiring in those things could barely be called inadequate. The high beams are fed by 14 gauge wire, low by 16, and ground is 20 gauge. They've been known to melt the wiring on the headlight switch and burn up the truck.

One Ton Trucks - Dump Conversion

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