Brendonv's Custom Chip Box Build

What tool boxes did you go with? I need to choose what boxes to put under my truck and was concidering some that tow companies use and the open doors will support 250 lbs standing on them.

Regarding chipper dust blowback I have been using a box with a tarp on top made of trampoline tarp. It seems to minimize dust some - not all by any means. I'm about to spec out a chip body for my hooklift truck and since I will now have a solid top with that was thinking of hanging a curtain (trampoline or shade cloth) at the back of truck to prevent a lot of dust blowback.
 
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  • #228
Highway Products aluminum. Four week wait but goddamn they are the nicest ive ever had. They poop on the weathergaurds, etc
 
Tb:


TimberJack
TimberJack
Well-Known Member
The vents are more for the dumping process than the filling process. My father was in the logging industry for my entire childhood. We used to chip into 45' box trailers for biomass. It was pretty impressive to see the tipping process at the power plant. Without the vents in these chipboxs the material would creat a vacume and suck the walls of the box to self destruction.



On long boxes, it's different.

Maybe overengineered.

My grandfather has some old pics 20-30 years ago of one of our 45? (homemade)chip trailers being dumped. Looked like it had its insides sucked out. Kinda like a crushed up water bottle. From then on they all had vents down the sides every 5 or so feet.
 
Good lead on Highway Products...I just sent them a request for a quote on low side toolboxes. I had seen their site before but your recommendation helped me to go ahead and query them.
 
What tool boxes did you go with? I need to choose what boxes to put under my truck and was concidering some that tow companies use and the open doors will support 250 lbs standing on them.

Regarding chipper dust blowback I have been using a box with a tarp on top made of trampoline tarp. It seems to minimize dust some - not all by any means. I'm about to spec out a chip body for my hooklift truck and since I will now have a solid top with that was thinking of hanging a curtain (trampoline or shade cloth) at the back of truck to prevent a lot of dust blowback.

Look into the electric tarps similar to the Dump truck tarps.

I think you?ll find with the adjustability of those, you can find what you need.

That?s my future plan for my chip truck.
 
Highway Products aluminum. Four week wait but goddamn they are the nicest ive ever had. They poop on the weathergaurds, etc

They must be mighty fine boxes then...I worked the hell a pair of oversized Weatherguard rail top boxes for 8 years on my USFS Dodge...extended cab, 8 foot bed, 4x4 V-10. Nearly 100k miles, on mostly rougher than a cob backcountry gravel single lanes. Then I moved them to a new Chev 4x4, and drove that rascal 5 years until my retirement, 75k+ miles under the same conditions. Heavy loads all those years.

When I retired they were still serving well. No leaks, no weld failures. No lock or hinge issues that a bit of cleaning and lubrication didn't fix.

I did tear 3 out of 4 of the manufacture's glued on labels off on tight brushy roads :). Oh, well.

Not questioning your recommendation, Bren...just saying they must be really good stuff.
 
Highway Products sure seems to invite custom build requests, so that is very interesting for the toolboxes on the chipbox if nothing else. Also possibly for the whole chipbox. I can't do a normal L Pac on this truck as it will pick up and set off various beds and debris boxes (needs to clear wheels as sliding back).

Better not hijack this thread - I'll post more in my Ram cab and chassis thread.
 
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  • #236
Burn, ive got four WG boxes. Dont get me wrong they are good. Its just a mass produced box vs a more "build as ordered" kinda thing. The hardware on the HP boxes are heavy, and just a better finish and build quality overall. Heavier hinges, theres a rain channel on top too. They all work tho.
 
I have four aluminum Weather Guards that are lack luster, leak, cracked, latch failure, and in general under impressive. I have even seen some of the steel one rotted out before their time as well.
 
I?ve been looking at several companies to build a custom box. I thought I had one bought from bullhead truck beds out of East Tennessee. They seem to make great custom stuff. Was ready to pay the place to get me on the list to get started but haven?t heard from them in 2 weeks. Kinda tired of playing phone tag with them, I don?t think the place was very interested I suppose.

Several truck drivers we deal with run highway products box?s on their trucks. I must say they are very very nice and well built.

I guess ima have to give them a call. All I am wanting is a cross bed can high box. Similar to the Lboxs on most chip trucks.
I am trying to build a light(very light) duty chip truck out of a dodge 1 ton dually.
 
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  • #239
Their fully custom boxes are outrageously priced. They quoted an aft axle tiny box for me and i coulda bought three full size triple the size production box.
 
Scaring me away from them now ! I?m looking for something similar to this

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That box is around 2600 from northern Tool not counting shipping. An aluminum one is over 4 😵.

Talked to highway products. The guy kept telling me he was thinking around 1600.00. I told him that didn?t sound right. Their regular cross body pickup bed boxes nearly cost that.

Gonna call this place tomorrow.
https://www.rctoolbox.com/
 
That looks like a good company too. Don't rule out HighwayProducts till they give you a final price. That cross box you pictured is a standard production box for them.
 
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  • #243
Pimp?n aignt easy.


Attaching a skin today
 

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Hey Brendon, if you don't mind, how much do you have in material in this build? Just curious, if you don't want to share I understand.
 
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