Trailer purchase

Better trailer for loading logs and occasionally brush?

  • Total voters
    21
colb said:
Yeah, but that's too big a truck for that payload isn't it? It's a great truck. I like it.
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When I add up the tools, gear, boxes, fuel, subframe, body, and tongue weight of the chipper, it’s right on par. I also use it to haul logs on occasion, and the payload is there.
 
oceans said:
When I add up the tools, gear, boxes, fuel, subframe, body, and tongue weight of the chipper, it’s right on par. I also use it to haul logs on occasion, and the payload is there.
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Does tongue weight count towards payload?
 
colb said:
If @oceans is maxed out with an ftr I'm thinking I need an fvr...
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That I can’t say for sure, the weight of the bed itself makes a big difference too. We have an F650 (26k gvw) with a 14’ chip box that holds about 17 yards, and full of oak chips the truck, with full toolboxes and four mats in the rack only weighs 24k. His truck has a rather heavy bed on it, from the looks of it. How are you looking to configure it?
 
Reach said:
That I can’t say for sure, the weight of the bed itself makes a big difference too. We have an F650 (26k gvw) with a 14’ chip box that holds about 17 yards, and full of oak chips the truck, with full toolboxes and four mats in the rack only weighs 24k. His truck has a rather heavy bed on it, from the looks of it. How are you looking to configure it?
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Good eye, Reach. It is a rather heavy bed, never mind the wooden sides and roof. Leave it to me to try finishing the truck in the middle of a pandemic.

I have drawings and a cut list to build it out of aluminum, but I can reason with paying that much right now. So I went with wood on top of the landscape body. The aluminum version will hold more by being taller, but I’m also putting in an I-Pack box and more saddle boxes. I can never seem to have enough room without my climbing gear ending up on the passenger side seat and floor.
 
oceans said:
Good eye, Reach. It is a rather heavy bed, never mind the wooden sides and roof. Leave it to me to try finishing the truck in the middle of a pandemic.

I have drawings and a cut list to build it out of aluminum, but I can reason with paying that much right now. So I went with wood on top of the landscape body. The aluminum version will hold more by being taller, but I’m also putting in an I-Pack box and more saddle boxes. I can never seem to have enough room without my climbing gear ending up on the passenger side seat and floor.
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The standard backpack/I-pack seems to be 2 feet long. I feel like I could use 3 or 4 feet, which seems like a custom build...
 
colb said:
The standard backpack/I-pack seems to be 2 feet long. I feel like I could use 3 or 4 feet, which seems like a custom build...
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Sounds like a custom build to me too. There is a company out there that can do the build just how you want, but I haven’t been in touch with them yet. They do appear to be a great outfit:

tlwoods.com
 
I know I've kind of been all over the place in this thread regarding what I'm looking for, but through the process of this discussion and checking prices I'm strongly leaning towards buying a used grapple truck over a dump trailer or new grapple trailer. The used trucks cost similar but have a larger debris capacity and lifting capacity. I'm planning to work on getting my CDL this next month to allow me to operate this truck.

My next question is regarding the style of grapple trucks, between a straight truck or a short wheelbase grapple loader that tows a dump trailer. I can see pros and cons of each.

For starters,

Truck and trailer-
Pros: price tends to be lower
Can unhook the truck for a tight work zone, and forward the material to the trailer.
Cons: slightly harder to get into tighter spaces than a straight truck
Backing down streets (dead ends, cul-de-sacs) is harder than a straight truck
Screenshot_20220101-201601_Chrome.jpg
Straight truck-
Pros and cons, basically the opposite of above.

Screenshot_20220101-201125_Chrome.jpg


My question here is, what have I not thought of for one style vs the other and if you have experience with both which do you prefer?

*pics added as examples, not specifically what I'm looking at as I haven't narrowed down my options yet.

Thanks again for all of the help so far.
 
Jehinten said:
I know I've kind of been all over the place in this thread regarding what I'm looking for, but through the process of this discussion and checking prices I'm strongly leaning towards buying a used grapple truck over a dump trailer or new grapple trailer. The used trucks cost similar but have a larger debris capacity and lifting capacity. I'm planning to work on getting my CDL this next month to allow me to operate this truck.

My next question is regarding the style of grapple trucks, between a straight truck or a short wheelbase grapple loader that tows a dump trailer. I can see pros and cons of each.

For starters,

Truck and trailer-
Pros: price tends to be lower
Can unhook the truck for a tight work zone, and forward the material to the trailer.
Cons: slightly harder to get into tighter spaces than a straight truck
Backing down streets (dead ends, cul-de-sacs) is harder than a straight truck
View attachment 79585
Straight truck-
Pros and cons, basically the opposite of above.

View attachment 79586


My question here is, what have I not thought of for one style vs the other and if you have experience with both which do you prefer?

*pics added as examples, not specifically what I'm looking at as I haven't narrowed down my options yet.

Thanks again for all of the help so far.
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I like the direction you’re headed vs. the previous route. I’ve been in your shoes and I’m finally moments away from what I think is a good kit that can be grown into. My 26,000 GVWR grapple truck is almost complete. It can work autonomously, or legally pull a 10,000 trailer under CDL.

I will have close to 20,000 of payload for longer days or larger jobs, but can run smaller, tighter jobs without the trailer in tow. It could also forward to the trailer as you e suggested, but can do so rather efficiently, because it can carry all the material to the trailer rather than leap frogging it.

I am also working towards my CDL, but time has not been on my side lately. The beauty is, though, I can still be effective for my operation without it. When I get my Class A Combo Air Brake CDL, my options will greatly increase simply by what can be towed (thnk grapple truck towing the spider crane, etc…). I’ve promised in another thread to post a bunch about my truck with all the specs. To me, it’s as good as I can afford right now.
 
It's been a long process, but I've finally got my next, bigger piece of equipment. Between bouncing around ideas of what would be most valuable to me and the process of getting my CDL this has been about a year in the making.

Yesterday I bought my first grapple truck. Not only will this be useful for my jobs and storm cleanup, but I intend to sub out to other companies in my area to haul away their street side debris. Screenshot_20220609-152647_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20220609-152721_Gallery.jpg
 
Screenshot_20220624-181436_Gallery.jpgScreenshot_20220624-181827_Gallery.jpgThis truck has been working great so far. No more cutting down brush for the chipper, just as long as it's not longer than 20'

The load of logs is from an uprooted Hackberry that would have been 3 or 4 loads in the dump trailer, not to mention cutting them smaller for the mini skid.

There will be certain jobs where this truck won't be the right piece of equipment, but it's a real time and labor saver in the right setup.
 
Serf Life said:
What’s the cost/setup for a load of brush and logs? Tub grinder outfit?
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To dispose of the debris? The first load I took into the mulch yard they told me it'd be $100/load. I figured whatever I paid that day would be my cost for the foreseeable future, so I talked them down to $65/load.

That particular outfit seems to make up pricing as they go, so I figured I had some wiggle room on that disposal rate.

I'm looking into pricing now for them to come out to my property to grind.
 
Where I am in nj the dump charges $12 A yard for wood chips and $30 a yard for wood. I never paid a dime to get rid of wood chips for 38 years but had to start paying 6 months ago as there are so many new tree services in ocean and Monmouth county. All the spots I had to dump filled up. You can imagine how hard it is to keep prices reasonable to make a profit and pay the bills.
 
Luzl78 said:
Where I am in nj the dump charges $12 A yard for wood chips and $30 a yard for wood. I never paid a dime to get rid of wood chips for 38 years but had to start paying 6 months ago as there are so many new tree services in ocean and Monmouth county. All the spots I had to dump filled up. You can imagine how hard it is to keep prices reasonable to make a profit and pay the bills.
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Same thing here, there’s only one yard to our east still accepting chips, and at $3 per yard, the others out further have taken rates as high as $500 per load, and they don’t take brush at all. The only place that takes brush starts at $6/yard and goes up from there. It is getting hard to make anything, especially since we operate properly insured and taxed, and very few others do.
 
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