Firewood Delivery Truck

Chris(Glen) · March 06, 2016, 11:59:31 PM

Just wondering who out there has a box set up with multiple sections and how you pin each one? I am picking up a F650 with a flat deck converting it into a dump and going to have 3 1 cord sections and haul my 2 cord trailer behind it speeding up my delivery process due to the distance from most customers. So if anyone has any designs/pictures of their rigs for cylinder placement & the gates that'd be great.

North River Energy · March 07, 2016, 06:09:12 PM

When/if I get to that point, each compartment 'door' will be hinged from the top, with some sort of release mechanism at each lower corner. Possibly something like an older snowplow hitch pin, spring loaded with some provision to lock in the retracted position. And a positive back stop.
Good luck with the design, and post a photo when you get it sorted out.

DeerMeadowFarm · April 11, 2016, 01:31:32 PM

My neighbor bought wood from a guy who had an old Chevy C-60 set up for 2 cord. He had a screening plant screen for a divider set up like NRE mentioned, hinged at the top but he had a long pipe for a pin that went through a pipe welded at the bottom of the screen from one side of the truck to the other. That's actually how his hinge was built as well.

One thing to be sure of, is how level you are when you dump. Having a cord of wood hanging at the very top of your dump body is a little unsettling to me. When they were building my neighbor's house the local trucking company flipped a tri-axle on it's side when a load of wet loam stuck near the headboard of the dump.

OH logger · April 11, 2016, 07:25:24 PM

I almost thought "barn doors" would work. hinged on the outsides and open in the middle. or hinge on one side and swing one way :-\. would have to be stout though to hold back on or two cord of wood WHILE tipped. on a side note how are most of your back gates operated on your delivery trucks?? mine flips down to level but sawdust and stone and stuff gets hung up on it when I dump because the tailgate hits the ground :(. wood dumps good though luckily. I often thought my next on will have barn doors but that could get tight in some of the spots I dump if its narrow. top hinge is out too because I don't like the idea of a rail of any sort on the top side of the bed sides for wood to hit when dumping. (you have to mound the wood ya know :D :D :D).

North River Energy · April 12, 2016, 10:46:51 AM

Quote from: OH loggertop hinge is out too because I don't like the idea of a rail of any sort on the top side of the bed sides for wood to hit when dumping. (you have to mound the wood ya know

I reconfigured my f350 to a full height top hinge gate a few years ago. Definitely speeds up the delivery process, and allows for tighter grouping of the piles on multi-cord orders.

This is when it was still an upper and lower gate. I extended the bottom of the top half to replace the original lower tailgate.

DeerMeadowFarm · April 12, 2016, 02:38:36 PM

NRE - I assume with a top hinged gate you can dump closer to the truck than when using a tailgate; do you ever have problems with wood going under or against the truck and messing stuff up? I have a regular dump-truck tailgate and even with that I've had chunks of wood knock a lens off my taillight. :(

North River Energy · April 12, 2016, 04:38:03 PM

^
No problems as yet. The lights are somewhat recessed, but I could cover them with a section of expanded metal if it became an issue. Sometimes I back up too close to an existing pile, but then the tires or trailer hitch hit first.
Welcome back.

starmac · April 12, 2016, 05:04:40 PM

It is easy enough to build hilift hinges on a top swing tailgate to clear humped up firewood, in fact I would want them wether I humped the wood up or not. They just basically make it impossible for the load to hang up.

Personally I would want top hinges above all others, they keep the box from trying to spread, which unless they are built very heavy they will do over time.

OH logger · April 12, 2016, 08:56:48 PM

thanks for the pics. that's a nice lookin setup that can haul the wood ;) NRE does wood ever hit it hard enough to hurt the top hinge or does the wood kinda "flow" under it??

North River Energy · April 12, 2016, 10:34:28 PM

Like water through a properly sized drain.

OH logger · April 13, 2016, 05:43:24 PM

even if its heaped HIGHER than the hinge?? and if so how much higher can you go?? thanks

North River Energy · April 13, 2016, 06:35:27 PM

This is an average load @185+ cubic ft, so no need to go any higher. If the hinge gets whacked, it's when I'm loading, but that's rare.
The hinge pins are 3/8 grade 5 bolts.