Chip truck input please!

flushcut

TreeHouser
Joined
Jan 15, 2011
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Location
Delavan, WI
I am on the hunt for a new chip truck. Ram 5500 with Cummins 11'-12' box L-pack is what I'm after. I would like to go with an aluminum chip body but I can't seem to find anybody closer than a thousand + miles away. I have emails into Arbortech and Southco but no response from either in two weeks. Plus my Ford dealer has a gas v10 f550 with a 12' steel Knapheide chip body but it looks kinda flimsy with a 12ga floor and 14ga sides. Who uses that "ladder box" inside the chip compartment anyways?
 
The ladder box I always see on forestry package bucket trucks fits a STIHL HT power pruner and more 6 or 8’ pruner poles than anyone will probably carry.
Nice dry semi secure storage, but eats up a fair amount of room that’d otherwise be used for chips.

Cummins on a 5500 sounds like a sweet chip truck. You probably realize that truck will probably go for a lot more cash than the 550 with gas engine. I’ve heard gripes about the v10, but the one I drove in a f450was nice.
Aluminum box is gonna be pricy too.

I’ve always liked chip boxes built on stake dumps. The stake sides are good reinforcement for a plywood box with steel frame. We usually stored long handle tools in the stakes. Rakes, a scoop shovel with the D handle removed, and push broom, just drop the handles down in the 4’ vertical stakes. Could probably do pruner poles in there too.
 
I’ll see if I can find the paperwork I had for an aluminum chip body build. It was from last spring and the company basically said we should order a year in advance. I also seem to think that they were an American dealer for Voth
 
My last three chip trucks have come from Southco. They make a good chip box and their tool boxes are extremely secure. I think they might only do Ford chassis but I could be wrong. Call them directly; as you've seen, they don't do email.
 
I've got a 14' Arbortech steel chip box on my old IH-4700, and those ladder/pole boxes actually have both a ladder and poles in them. I had to call Arbortech to get a new lock set for that compartment, and the sales team were pretty responsive. Give them a call, email seems to be the worst way to communicate some times....
 
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I talked with Southco today and they are working up a quote. $18,750 for the box installed.
 
Pricy.
A fraction of that will buy a lot of metal. A quarter of that will buy a nice Tig machine.
 
You don't want to tig a chip body! A spool gun would easily pay for itself on a job like that tho!
 
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Not two weeks but three weeks pay ;):lol:.


I have though about building a box again but it's the time to fab and a place to do it (the welding) in.
 
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Leaning towards new, box and truck. I am just getting tired of the old Ford and all of its problems.
 
Lol I know jack shit about welding.

I was trying to find the box I saw on Craigslist last month, it’s gone, think it was 4500$, had the ladder box, cut out to fit toolboxes under the front, and had the cradle for the lower boom so it was from a forestry package bucket. Steel I think though, but looked clean
 
Hahahahaha 3 weeks then hoss? You are a badass bro! Hell in that case, go check out the platinum Ford, you will love it hahahahahah.
 
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Weld porn!

Hahahahaha 3 weeks then hoss? You are a badass bro! Hell in that case, go check out the platinum Ford, you will love it hahahahahah.
I have and no more Fords ever! The dealer I went and brought in a brand new 2019 f550 with a 12 Knapheide box just for me to look at and I said " great but it's a Ford, I fukkin hate Fords" I think he got the message I was not going to buy that truck.
 
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Lol tig welding quarter inch plate 🤣

I love my 2017 f350, but to each their own. I know several rig welders that said the same thing after the 6.0. I've been a Ford guy forever, so that's what i went with after taking to a bunch of people. The 6.7 powerstroke is pretty bomber, but the Cummings is too. Do the dodges have aluminum bodies too? My last few trucks rotted out rather than blew up, so that was a huge plus for me.
 
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Lol tig welding quarter inch plate 🤣

I love my 2017 f350, but to each their own. I know several rig welders that said the same thing after the 6.0. I've been a Ford guy forever, so that's what i went with after taking to a bunch of people. The 6.7 powerstroke is pretty bomber, but the Cummings is too. Do the dodges have aluminum bodies too? My last few trucks rotted out rather than blew up, so that was a huge plus for me.
No aluminum body on Dodge just a superior engine. Just wait until your 6.7 fuggs up and it will costing you many thousands to fix. I know a tree guy who has a 6.7 in a 550 that is swapping in a Cummins. Because Ford want $12k to fix their fukk up. When I was looking at that Ford the dealer even told me a new engine is $4k to replace because they know it is going to shit the bed. No EFFIN Fords .
 
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