Dump Truck Turned Into Big Dump Trailer

Dump Truck Turned Into Big Dump Trailer TRUCKS Conversions 24-6-18 "Owning a conventional dump truck is often more trouble than it's worth," says Fred Vlietstra, Kalamazoo, Mich. Vlietstra farms with his brothers Marvin and David and nephew Fred. With bedding to haul for their dairy herd, sand and dirt to keep holes filled in the lots, plus hauling gravel for driveways and field stones away from their rock picker, they have a lot of work for a truck. "But it's not work enough to justify owning a newer truck, and with an older one, you have the headaches of maintenance and also licensing," he notes. To obtain the benefits of a dump truck without owning and licensing one, Vlietstra bought an old one and turned it into a trailer. He got the 1973 Ford F-600 truck that he bought from a neighbor for $200. He cut off the cab and discarded the front axle. Then he pulled the frame I-beams together and made a hitch to fit a tractor drawbar. He left the rear suspension and axle in place. The sides on the 5-yard, 10-ft. dump bed were too high to reach over easily with their skidsteer loader and rock picker. So Vlietstra removed the bed and replaced it with a 15-ft. long flat bed with 1-ft. sides. The truck had an old Garwood hydraulic dump hoist, which he left in place. He added hoses to hook up to tractor remote hydraulic outlets. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Fred Vlietstra, 5398 Ravine Road, Kalamazoo, Mich. 49009 (ph 616 345-7695).

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