Equipment Hauler

There's a guy around here that uses a medium duty rollback truck to haul equipment around. That could also tow a dump trailer, and would allow one guy to show up with a machine to load material into the trailer, and drive off with the machine and the loaded logs...

Century-10-Series-3.webp
 
Im moving towards this setup myself. I’ve settled on a 4x4 flatbed, maybe a service body.. I could easily rig it for my dump insert when desired, tow a chipper and have the mini on the bed (possibly in the dump insert).
Basically a boss rig, where I could leave the guys and go do my own thing for the middle half of the day.
 
27RMT0N said:
There's a guy around here that uses a medium duty rollback truck to haul equipment around. That could also tow a dump trailer, and would allow one guy to show up with a machine to load material into the trailer, and drive off with the machine and the loaded logs...

View attachment 101371
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I like that too. Certainly better than moving the ramps around. We'll have to explore cost options. Obviously, 10 ft long heavy duty aluminum ramps are not going to be cheap...

The disadvantage I see what they roll off truck like that:
*Surface would be slick when wet and with mud on the tires I doubt the machine could make the climb.
*I think many hydrostatic loaders (I'm sure I read this is the case for the Avant) cannot be put into "neutral" allowing them to be food up with the cable.
---I suppose it would just take some coordination with a remote on the tow cable and driving the unit to get it up there if it is slick.
 
ATH said:
I'm thinking through options again... I still think I want a flatbed truck to haul the loader (Avant). Has anyone ever had a dovetail truck with a trailer hitch on it? Obviously would have to unhook trailer each time. Or just a flatbed with ramps?
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An equipment trailer or dump trailer? If it's an equipment trailer you can ramp from the trailer to the truck bed, allowing for smaller ramps. This would require that the trailer be unloaded at every job. Depending on what is being towed, it may need unloaded for use at most jobs anyways.


I've side loaded a smaller mini skid with 10' ramps onto a flatbed and into a chip box. I'm not sure I'd want to sideload an articulating loader. That weight is a lot of torque on the frame, suspension and bed.

I'm glad I don't side load anymore now that I have a bobcat 100, it's about 1000lbs heavier than my old machine.
 
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Stabilizer legs help load onto trailers.

Ramps aren't cheap. The 10', 10K per axle ramps, 16" wide, aluminum are 2000 bucks.


Only once have I loaded from the truck to a horizontal or raised surface, getting onto a retaining wall between neighbors, allowing me into the backyard.

I don't know the bridging capacity, but I was only offloading a sub 3k machine.
 
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ATH said:
I like that too. Certainly better than moving the ramps around. We'll have to explore cost options. Obviously, 10 ft long heavy duty aluminum ramps are not going to be cheap...

The disadvantage I see what they roll off truck like that:
*Surface would be slick when wet and with mud on the tires I doubt the machine could make the climb.
*I think many hydrostatic loaders (I'm sure I read this is the case for the Avant) cannot be put into "neutral" allowing them to be food up with the cable.
---I suppose it would just take some coordination with a remote on the tow cable and driving the unit to get it up there if it is slick.
Click to expand...
There is a really aggressive coating you can put on a rollback deck that will pretty much eliminate the muddy tire problem. One of the rental companies locally uses it on all of their trucks, you have to be careful running your hand across it because it will skin your fingers in a hurry, but it gives great traction for rubber tire machines. I can find the name of the stuff if you would like.
 
Reach said:
There is a really aggressive coating you can put on a rollback deck that will pretty much eliminate the muddy tire problem. One of the rental companies locally uses it on all of their trucks, you have to be careful running your hand across it because it will skin your fingers in a hurry, but it gives great traction for rubber tire machines. I can find the name of the stuff if you would like.
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If you think of it, that would be great... Don't go out of your way. For now I'll just put it on the list of possibilities. If I end up with a vehicle where I need that, I'm a bug you again if you don't come across it easy now. Thanks!
 
Jehinten said:
An equipment trailer or dump trailer? If it's an equipment trailer you can ramp from the trailer to the truck bed, allowing for smaller ramps. This would require that the trailer be unloaded at every job. Depending on what is being towed, it may need unloaded for use at most jobs anyways.


I've side loaded a smaller mini skid with 10' ramps onto a flatbed and into a chip box. I'm not sure I'd want to sideload an articulating loader. That weight is a lot of torque on the frame, suspension and bed.

I'm glad I don't side load anymore now that I have a bobcat 100, it's about 1000lbs heavier than my old machine.
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Dump trailer.

Currently haul the loader in that It need to stop back at the job site to pick up the loader after dumping. My goal is to eliminate that return visit.

In Avant 528 only weighs 3100 lb without attachments... The thought of sideloading gives me pause. I was generally asking to see if that concern is well placed, or if it is actually safe to do. It is kind of sounding like it is less than ideal.
 
ATH said:
If you think of it, that would be great... Don't go out of your way. For now I'll just put it on the list of possibilities. If I end up with a vehicle where I need that, I'm a bug you again if you don't come across it easy now. Thanks!
Click to expand...
OK, I will try to remember to make a call tomorrow to see if I can come up with the name of it. I used to know it, but simply cannot remember. If I forget, don't feel bad about asking again.
 
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ATH said:
Dump trailer.

Currently haul the loader in that It need to stop back at the job site to pick up the loader after dumping. My goal is to eliminate that return visit.

In Avant 528 only weighs 3100 lb without attachments... The thought of sideloading gives me pause. I was generally asking to see if that concern is well placed, or if it is actually safe to do. It is kind of sounding like it is less than ideal.
Click to expand...


My mini was 2200lbs on an old f350. I'd be pretty hesitant to do it with my current mini. A bigger truck it'd probably be fine. With that angle of a ramp, a wheeled machine is steadier on the breakover than a tracked machine.
 
27RMT0N said:
There's a guy around here that uses a medium duty rollback truck to haul equipment around. That could also tow a dump trailer, and would allow one guy to show up with a machine to load material into the trailer, and drive off with the machine and the loaded logs...

View attachment 101371
Click to expand...
A friend of mine that runs a boutique millworks has one. He gets quite creative with it and sometimes will haul logs with it.
 
southsoundtree said:
Stabilizer legs help load onto trailers.

Ramps aren't cheap. The 10', 10K per axle ramps, 16" wide, aluminum are 2000 bucks.


Only once have I loaded from the truck to a horizontal or raised surface, getting onto a retaining wall between neighbors, allowing me into the backyard.

I don't know the bridging capacity, but I was only offloading a sub 3k machine.
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I’ve done similar, made me giggle a bit.

I gave them away but sometimes you can find them. Those wide delivery truck loading ramps can be fairly cheap if you can fine them pulled out of a box truck. Heavy as can be, but work great.
Used them as matting and ramps to get into the chip box. Even better with a brush cart.
The ones I had are underrated for the mini and thought about fabbing a stiff leg in the middle but went with real 10’ ramps instead
 
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ATH said:
If you think of it, that would be great... Don't go out of your way. For now I'll just put it on the list of possibilities. If I end up with a vehicle where I need that, I'm a bug you again if you don't come across it easy now. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I called the rental company today that uses is, they tell me they use a product made by Scorpion Bedliners. It is mixed with an "extremely aggressive grit" that to me looks like a finer version of the gravel they spread on a tar and chip road. Really aggressive, to say the least. They say there's a local shop here that applies it for them, I'm sure there's one near you too.
 
So I'm thinking I might want a cabover - for turning radius and fitting into driveways or between driveways parking on the street. Maybe that's a bad idea?

If I do that, the next decision is 2 door or 4 door. Found a few similar vehicles. 4 door is $10K more on these...the reason I'd want 4 door is gear storage (climbing gear, hand saws, battery power tools, hand tools, etc...). Would still need external tool box(es?) for chainsaw and gas storage. Those could be under bed boxes. Might have to do a bigger box between the bed/cab for the stuff that would go in the truck if I had a 2 door. Maybe give up 18" of bed space to have access to equipment. Or maybe under bed toolboxes for all of that?

I guess I'm looking for experience/thoughts/ideas.

img.axd


img.axd
 
ATH said:
So I'm thinking I might want a cabover - for turning radius and fitting into driveways or between driveways parking on the street. Maybe that's a bad idea?

If I do that, the next decision is 2 door or 4 door. Found a few similar vehicles. 4 door is $10K more on these...the reason I'd want 4 door is gear storage (climbing gear, hand saws, battery power tools, hand tools, etc...). Would still need external tool box(es?) for chainsaw and gas storage. Those could be under bed boxes. Might have to do a bigger box between the bed/cab for the stuff that would go in the truck if I had a 2 door. Maybe give up 18" of bed space to have access to equipment. Or maybe under bed toolboxes for all of that?

I guess I'm looking for experience/thoughts/ideas.

img.axd


img.axd
Click to expand...
I'm fond of large L-pack style toolboxes, much easier to set up for organization than just piling it all in the back seat and digging for things all the time. Even if it's in boxes, you still have to pull half of them out all the time to get to the ones in the middle, or on the bottom. Toolboxes can have shelves and hooks installed easily enough.
 
Reach said:
I'm fond of large L-pack style toolboxes, much easier to set up for organization than just piling it all in the back seat and digging for things all the time. Even if it's in boxes, you still have to pull half of them out all the time to get to the ones in the middle, or on the bottom. Toolboxes can have shelves and hooks installed easily enough.
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Yeah but all that room of the crew cab you could take out the seats and really customize the hell out of that. If you didn’t have a crew. Some shelves, full width slide out drawers, oh my! Weather tight and secure.
 
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