Chip trailer

[KevinS]

Hey everybody

Ideally you run a chip truck and a chipper 1 unit and you’re set.

I’m setup a little different building as I go and it’s all based off the pickup trucks so far.

The 1st trailer is my homemade chip wagon and for my first year it got me a long way.
The 2nd trailer is close to the upgraded wood trailer I got from my original box trailer.
The 3rd is a thought I’m having.

If you had to take the 3rd trailer and make it into a chip box and add storage all the way around for gear, rigging etc. What would your layout be? Any other ideas for that setup would be gladly accepted. It’s along the same idea as dripping a toll of bin. I know we have to roll 2 trucks to any job but that’s how we are setup for now. Let me know your thoughts.

The size difference gives me a couple extra yards I think and it can haul wood better to so I may also just convert trailer 2 as well.

My 9” bandit chute height is just over 7’ off the ground.

Thanks

 

[KevinS]

Ps trailer 1 doesn’t keep the tarp on it we were just covering something that day

 

[ATH]

why can't you keep gear in the truck?

.....

If you had to take the 3rd trailer and make it into a chip box and add storage all the way around for gear, rigging etc. What would your layout be? Any other ideas for that setup would be gladly accepted. ....

Why not keep gear in the truck?

 

[KevinS]

why can't you keep gear in the truck?

Why not keep gear in the truck?

That’s an option and what we are doing now but if I can roll out all in one it doesn’t matter which truck I use and the pole saw etc are longer than my truck box. But yes that’s how it’s running I’m just thinking what if and planning so I can do it right once

 

[Stumpsprouts]

If you had to take the 3rd trailer and make it into a chip box and add storage all the way around for gear, rigging etc. What would your layout be?

My thought would be the truck hauling such trailer would be a utility bed and keep it simple with the dump trailer, just adding sides and top if you need, quicker to get up and running and easier to sell as relatively unmodified.

My other thought would be if you’re really looking towards the ideal, what is keeping you from getting a more traditional chip truck?

 

[KevinS]

My thought would be the truck hauling such trailer would be a utility bed and keep it simple with the dump trailer, just adding sides and top if you need, quicker to get up and running and easier to sell as relatively unmodified.

My other thought would be if you’re really looking towards the ideal, what is keeping you from getting a more traditional chip truck?

A chip truck is where I will likely end up. But I’m getting my cvor now and I was looking at a chip truck this fall but that 1 truck (a $3000) truck was going to bump my insurance up by $80,000/yr.
With my size I didn’t want to take that hit yet and I’d rather put a 2nd crew out with our setup as is for now.

I was just thinking tool boxes down one side to hold rigging, chainsaws, etc and a box long enough for the pole saw kinda thing

 

[Reach]

A chip truck is where I will likely end up. But I’m getting my cvor now and I was looking at a chip truck this fall but that 1 truck (a $3000) truck was going to bump my insurance up by $80,000/yr.
With my size I didn’t want to take that hit yet and I’d rather put a 2nd crew out with our setup as is for now.

I was just thinking tool boxes down one side to hold rigging, chainsaws, etc and a box long enough for the pole saw kinda thing

Your insurance is going up by $80,000 per year for one old truck? I think it’s time to go hunting a new insurance company. Also, on a $3k truck, is it worth covering the truck? Putting a liability-only policy on it would make it legal, if you wreck it you’re just out the $3k you paid for it.

 

[KevinS]

Your insurance is going up by $80,000 per year for one old truck? I think it’s time to go hunting a new insurance company. Also, on a $3k truck, is it worth covering the truck? Putting a liability-only policy on it would make it legal, if you wreck it you’re just out the $3k you paid for it.

Nothing in my fleet needed a cvor until I go up that truck size so the insurance hike is because my cvor is new I’m automatically high risk‍ Driving them and bucket trucks for 15 years and having my DZ license is irrelevant.

 

[Leafguy]

Search "dump trailer with flat deck" in google images. This will give you some ideas. Some have closed storage, others have a small deck where you could add tool boxes. Attach some pvc pipe along the sides for the long pruning poles. This would be a nice and versatile set up as you grow.

 

[KevinS]

Search "dump trailer with flat deck" in google images. This will give you some ideas. Some have closed storage, others have a small deck where you could add tool boxes. Attach some pvc pipe along the sides for the long pruning poles. This would be a nice and versatile set up as you grow.

More or less where I was at. Thanks

 

[Serf Life]

I saw a flatbed dump where one whole wall was made of these. Think it was a well drillers truck? I was tempted to buy it, put hard plastic sheeting as a backing along those on one side and then full length end-opening box for polesaws and orchard ladder. Those boxes are stupid expensive new.

 

[Tree-Taylor]

I'm looking at doing something similar Kev. I'd like a dump trailer with tall sides for brush/wood days and set up a removable chip box as well. For storage I'd like to have a toolbox on the front like in the pictures. I'm wondering if having storage built on the sides like you said is a better option due to weight distribution. I have a power pruner as well so I'm interested in storage ideas as well.

 

[KevinS]

Works great

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Am I reading the insurance rate bump right?

Eighty thousand dollar increase for adding one truck!?!?!?

$80.000??!?!?!!?!??!

There are only 8,760 total hours in a year. That's $9/hour. HOw can you make money?

 

[oceans]

What weight is the trailer rated for,?

Will it be worth it to have an empty truck with a carry-all trailer?

Is your $80k insurance hike what you would have to be covered for or is that your actual cost?

My initial thought is to allocate your trailer payload to materials. If it means you can raise the sides and carry more chips, perhaps that’s worth more. If all the weight is on the trailer, and the truck is empty, you might be missing out on usable payload.

 

[deevo]

Am I reading the insurance rate bump right?

Eighty thousand dollar increase for adding one truck!?!?!?

$80.000??!?!?!!?!??!

There are only 8,760 total hours in a year. That's $9/hour. HOw can you make money?

I think he added one too many zeros I have 3 cranes, bucket truck, chips trucks , pickups estimate cars and I pay $14,000 a year for them all I think the totals 9 vehicles on the policy, I’m in Ontario also.

 

[ATH]

I think he added one too many zeros I have 3 cranes, bucket truck, chips trucks , pickups estimate cars and I pay $14,000 a year for them all I think the totals 9 vehicles on the policy, I’m in Ontario also.

I think he added 2 too many zeros...maybe even 3 too many. $800 bump for a small trailer? Even that seems high. I'd be shopping for a new carrier.

 

[KevinS]

Am I reading the insurance rate bump right?

Eighty thousand dollar increase for adding one truck!?!?!?

$80.000??!?!?!!?!??!

There are only 8,760 total hours in a year. That's $9/hour. HOw can you make money?

‍

 

[KevinS]

‍

This was supposed to be a shoulder shrug

 

[climbingmonkey24]

I started with and still am going the dump trailer / pickup truck route. I only have a 5x10 I believe it is sized dump trailer, and let me tell you it holds way much more material than you’d think.

I’ve removed two trees and fit all the chips and logs in there with many room to spare. It’s all in how you distribute the material inside.

With that being said, I went the route if creating taller sides and when I chip I tip the body so that the chips are staying inside the dump body area. I’ve thought about building a box with cover but haven’t yet. I don’t have any issues with chips flying over or making a mess or anything regardless of it being open top.

For gear usually I’ll transport most of my gear in the bed of the pickup with the exception of must’ve some raked, shovels, barrels etc. I guess it depends what I’m doing that day, etc.



This is two medium sized trees worth of chips




Here is one with debris / material with room to spare.




I tell ya man having a chipper and chip truck and getting everything in one go is nice, but a dump trailer is a great piece of equipment because you can do so much with it.