Need Help with Tail gate on Chipper Truck?

T

tylee10

Location
Langley
so I bought a 2003 ford f450 flatdeck dump. we just built the box out of steel and wood for our first time chip truck. I guess we have to start some place. anyways I need some help with putting a gate door on the truck but I've been looking at hinges and I have no clue which ones to use, the back is wood so it would have to be drilled to that and be able to open when dumping. Which hinges would u use? or would you just use a slide in gate instead? would be interested to hear about both and if anyone has done wooden box before any photos of there hinges that they used to put it together. please don't post the welded ones on as this isn't a welded box but wood. I will post photos later. Thank you.
 
My thought would be T-hinges, or Strap hinged as the are often called. As big as you can reasonably fit, and use carriage bolts to bolt them through the doors and sides of the bed, rather than screws or lag bolts, as those will work themselves loose over time.
 
The simplest and cheapest tail gate is channel steel on each side and 2 x 8 lumber that slides down into the channel. The 2 x 8's often come in handy for other used on the job.
 
Yeah, the channel iron can be screwed to the wood by drilling holes in it about 8" ~ 12" on center. I did this on a wood box trailer (actually a dump grain truck) that I had for a number of years. I used 2x10 pressure treated planks, and cut out handles (2 per plank, along top edge) on them by drilling 1-1/2" holes about 5" apart, then cutting out the wood between them with a jigsaw. That made it much easier to slide the planks in and out. A little more work than a swinging gate, but only a couple minutes to do.
 
Channel/slide would get old fast, barn-door all the way. What were you thinking as far as locking the doors together? If loading wood you'd want something rugged as far as shear strength.
 
Serf Life said:
Channel/slide would get old fast, barn-door all the way. What were you thinking as far as locking the doors together? If loading wood you'd want something rugged as far as shear strength.
Click to expand...

I've used Channel/slide for over 30 years and the only things that got old were the lumber.....and me!

I've seen a lot of doors damaged when they opened by accident while dumping.

Did I mention the channel with lumber can easily be opened with the chipper still attached? Pretty handy for loading some wood after the chipping is done.

To each their own!
 
I've gotten by for several years with a piece of 3/4" plywood, 2 foot high and nearly 8 feet long, mounted on two 6" t hinges. Works well for me even though the hinges are not particularly heavy duty, the only downside is that you need to support the weight of the gate while swinging it open. Once open its supported by a snap that connects to a D ring on the outside of the chip box.

The tailgate also opens with the chipper on, once you Jack knife the chipper. Jack knifing also gives the mini the necessary space to load wood into the back of the truck.
 
Jehinten said:
I've gotten by for several years with a piece of 3/4" plywood, 2 foot high and nearly 8 feet long, mounted on two 6" t hinges. Works well for me even though the hinges are not particularly heavy duty, the only downside is that you need to support the weight of the gate while swinging it open. Once open its supported by a snap that connects to a D ring on the outside of the chip box.

The tailgate also opens with the chipper on, once you Jack knife the chipper. Jack knifing also gives the mini the necessary space to load wood into the back of the truck.
Click to expand...

any pictures of the tail gate?
 
I've always liked the idea of locking storage.

And upper panel, hinged on top, props open.

Folds down and locks.
Steel frame and sheet metal, non-load bearing.
 
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