Cost to re-skin a chip box?

Aldegar · Sunday at 2:57 AM

I just purchased a chip truck and the box is riddled with rust, anyone ever had to pay to re-skin the entire box or know about how much to expect to pay?

Reach · Sunday at 3:09 AM

Aldegar said:
I just purchased a chip truck and the box is riddled with rust, anyone ever had to pay to re-skin the entire box or know about how much to expect to pay?

What kind of chip box is it? Welded skin, or bolts, or rivets? Steel or aluminum? How long, tall, wide? We were quoted about $1200 to put a new floor in a 12’ bed with a 1/8” flat mild steel welded floor.

flushcut · Sunday at 1:49 PM

I can weld so it woulds cost me materials. But 5/6 grand is a good start. If you can cut the old skin out first that will help keep the cost down. Most of the cost will be in the demo. Plus how badly rusted is the frame if there is one? Are there other areas that need to be repaired?

Aldegar · Sunday at 3:54 PM

flushcut said:
I can weld so it woulds cost me materials. But 5/6 grand is a good start. If you can cut the old skin out first that will help keep the cost down. Most of the cost will be in the demo. Plus how badly rusted is the frame if there is one? Are there other areas that need to be repaired?

Reach said:
What kind of chip box is it? Welded skin, or bolts, or rivets? Steel or aluminum? How long, tall, wide? We were quoted about $1200 to put a new floor in a 12’ bed with a 1/8” flat mild steel welded floor.

Its a steel framed box with welded steel skin. The good thing is that the floor is solid (treated wood) so I just need the sides and top re-skinned. Framing is pretty solid but yeah it looks like it would be a bitch to grind out all the old welds.

Reach · Sunday at 4:06 PM

Aldegar said:
Its a steel framed box with welded steel skin. The good thing is that the floor is solid (treated wood) so I just need the sides and top re-skinned. Framing is pretty solid but yeah it looks like it would be a bitch to grind out all the old welds.

Without knowing the length and height it’s hard to put a price on it, but I would guess easily a few thousand. Call a local fab shop and ask them, they can give you a quote I’m sure.

Aldegar · Sunday at 5:46 PM

Reach said:
Without knowing the length and height it’s hard to put a price on it, but I would guess easily a few thousand. Call a local fab shop and ask them, they can give you a quote I’m sure.

Box is 6.5x10, I have a few near me but none in my town so I am trying to get a ball park before driving an hour to each place for quotes.

Luzl78 · Sunday at 7:37 PM

5x10 sheet of 1/8” should cost you $225

Tom Dunlap · Sunday at 9:11 PM

A while ago someone was building a chip box and got a suggestion to use HDPE sheathing. They had sourced surplus from a company that was rebuilding a skating rink. The HDPE was the flooring used between the locker room and the ice. One side was chewed up but the other was not. No rust and super strong material

If the frame material is sound all it would take would be a circle saw to cut and impact wrenches to drive self-tapping screws.

There are places that deconstruct and recycle building materials around the country. bit of Google time would find them.

HDPE is used in horse stalls too.

Watch the weight, It seems like you'd need quarter inch sheets at least, maybe more

Merle Nelson · Monday at 3:43 AM

If you decide to go the HDPE route get advice here. One thread I read the guy had vast expansion and contraction in changing weather.

flushcut · Monday at 12:14 PM

Is this just a chip truck or do you plan on hauling logs as well?
The box I built the bottom 3 feet is 3/16" diamond and the rest is 14ga diamond plate with a 1.5"X3/16" square tube for the frame. I used diamond plate because it has a slightly higher psi yield strength than regular flat sheet of the same material, thickness, and is the same cost as smooth sheet.