What to do? Truck, question

[steve terplak]

I have been casually looking for a 1 ton dump for a while...
here is what has presented itself to me:

Truck 1: Belongs to a neighbor, he bought it to haul scrap with, never got around to getting the truck where it needs to be. It is an '83 dodge, 360 motor. Mason style dump box. Truck needs starter, clutch rebuild, brake lines, power steering work, and who knows what else. Dump box cross beams are rusting through. Low milage. Frame is good...a little scale rust, no holes. Tires are good. He wants $500, He said when it ran it was a good running truck. He is a mechanic, and an honest guy. He was not looking to sell the truck, i just noticed it in his field one day and asked. Been sitting 2 years.

Truck 2. Craiglist, 84 chevy c-30. 90K miles, "rebuilt top end at 80K", rack dump. Nice clean truck, registered and on road, needs tires to pass next inspection. He said it needs 1 U-bolt on the bed and he would put new brake lines in if he were keeping it. Wants $2200 but said willing to negotiate.

Which scenario, in your opinions, without seeing trucks, gives me the most bang for my buck?
My uses would be;
1. Hauling small loads of hay to local customers.
2. Driveway gravel from quarry
3. Bank run gravel a mile or so
4. Mulch for me, my folks and my sister 1x per year.

Thoughts?

Avoiding the pickup with dump trailer route...drive a car for my work commute, need the gas mileage...so these are my only truck uses..and hauling equipment purchased.

 

[Ted in NE-OH]

Take #2. as number 1 needs too much work and is a money pit.

 

[redforlife]

(Important)- Are you a mechanic. If so, you can't go wrong with truck 1. if you can do all the work yourself. If not, go for truck 2. A hired mechanic can rack up a pretty good bill and not really take to long to do it.

 

[T in NE]

truck 1, and it's simple to swap a Cummins into if you run across one.
Check the frame rail alongside the fuel tank. They tend to get crud built up behind the tank and rust out there.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Neighbor, like you, buys an old dump truck off craigslist. Then he discovers the clutch is bad. Needs tires, lots of other work. It became a money pit real fast.

I too always wanted a dump truck. Then I checked in to insurance and plates. Changed my mind.

I already have a truck, so it was a no brainer to get a dump trailer. Also, a dump trailer raises higher. I too haul mulch, sand and gravel out of my gravel pit in back yard. There's a gravel pit about 5 miles away. Plan to get a couple loads of white rock tomorrow.

A dump trailer would give you an excuse to get a truck. I also have a car for trips. Truck gets used more.

 

[G1355]

I'd take truck number one, you will stick money into but you could spend a lot more on truck number 2 and end up doing the same thing, and the dodge will be a good truck, I have a 360 and its a good motor, I like it.

 

[ericlb]

get number 2, by the time you get that dodge in usable and reliable condition you'll have way more money in it than the number 2 truck is dodges are a little iffy on some parts, the chevy stuff is everywhere, i have a 83 1 ton dump with a rack body i use if for the same things you want and dozens more uses here on the farm, never sell it , and even though i have 4 trucks, thios one is the one that gets driven the most

 

[Adirondack case guy]

Steve,
Find yourself a road worthy dump trailer and tow it behind your PU, Then when you need a dump body for off road hauling , you can easily hook it to one of your tractors.
Far less hassels/expense, and far more posible uses.

 

[Royse]

I like Dodge trucks, but if your mechanic neighbor didn't fix it for
himself, I'm guessing it probably needs more work than its worth.

 

[HUSKY]

i had a dump truck several years ago cost lots of money plate ,insurance ,repairs , people always want to borrow not repair , lots of hassles , only good thing had a snowplow on it !!!!!

got rid of it bought a dump trailer less plates & insurance a lot less repairs hassle

just my two cents husky

 

[ShadetreeRet]

Generally speaking, I would go for a Dodge, BUT, considering the work required just to make it useable,(call NAPA, Advance auto pts.or any other and price the parts needed) even if you do the work yourself it's gonna be a lot, but the clincher is when you say the beams on the dump box are rusting through, that is critical, and I personally, would not want to tackle that! Since you say the Chevy is negotiable, I would see what I could work out, or just keep looking.

 

[JK-NY]

Honestly, I would buy a pickup and hire the stone hauled , the gas you will burn hauling 2-3 ton a t a time will add up fast . You could shovel off one load of mulch a year and a pickup is a lot better to haul hay(lower and much easier to climb in and out the back). You could also look into one of those load-handler tarps to slide material out of a pickup. I bought one at Harbor freight but havent tried it yet. I regularly haul 48 bales of hay on a pickup. I have often had the wish for a small dump truck for the same uses as you but it just never pencils out. All that being said- I would make my choice based on your mechanical skills and desire/time/ funds to get a truck going. The Dodge is basically scrap price and sounds like it needs a fair bit of attention. If it has sat in a field for a couple years you will have plenty of rust issues ie exhaust, possible floor pans , possible oil pan and gas tank to contend with, along with a battery, possibility of brakes rusted up. If you are unable/willing to take on the time and expense of this project, it may cost more to get it in shape than its worth. It may actually make you more work than it saves you. I would probably try to get the Chevy for a little less money if it is in good shape, OR keep looking.

 

[MarkB_MI]

OK, you know #1 is a money pit, and you'll spend a lot more than the $1700 price difference to get it on the road. So if your heart is set on having a dump truck and these two are your only choices, there's really no choice at all, is there?

 

[Rick Kr]

Steve,
To me time IS money. Buy the best truck you can afford and go from there. You have $1500 for parts and time in the Dodge, or spend $2000 and be on the road.

I picked up an 86 Chevy C-30 with 44K miles for $2000 in 2011. Worth every penny. Stake rack dump. 350 automatic. 4.11 gears. Not real fast with the 350 but gets the job done. With the automatic, it has the engine driven hydraulic pump, not the electric hoist.

rick

 

[ss55]

Tires for Truck #2 won't be cheap, get some prices for them before deciding.

You don't own any truck right now?

I never likes the high bed on 1 ton trucks. A trailer bed could be almost two feet lower than a dump truck bed. That makes a big differnce when loading by hand.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I agree with having someone haul the stone if you are getting 20 ton at a time.

#8 white rock, you haul, at a local gravel pit is $15.50 a ton, because they have to truck in white rock, 40 miles.

I just had a guy deliver 20 ton of #8 white rock. He drove the 40 miles one way, tail gate spread it and it cost me $17.50 a ton.

Go figure, I wouldn't have saved a dime buying from a local pit. I would have lost a fortune driving 40 miles too.

On the other hand, there is a local put less than 5 miles. I bought #8 gravel, not white rock brown gravel, for $8 a ton. I figure my fuel cost with a pick up and dump trailer is $.30/mile = $1/ton.

Gravel will work just fine sometimes.