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Flat Bed Tow Truck Logging?

Started by Ljohnsaw, June 18, 2018, 09:07:22 PM

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Ljohnsaw

So driving along, I had a wild idea when I passed a flat bed tow truck.  You know, the kind that tilts down and makes itself a ramp and winches a vehicle up on to it.

I'm guessing they have a load capacity of 8,000-10,000 pounds and the bed looks to be about 20' long.  I have a friend with a tow company so I will give him a call and also find out if you need a CDL to drive them.  You could back up to a log pile and drag one log at a time up the bed.  If the winch can't pull the dead weight (since cars usually can roll), either use a wheeled log arch or a big arch on the back of the tilt bed.  Then, when you have a full load, strap/chain them down and retract the bed.  Dumping the logs at the mill would be pretty simple, I'm guessing.  Wondering what a used but not to abused unit would cost.

Thoughts?
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

Southside

You will need log bolsters on the sides to keep the logs from rolling off, there are very specific DOT rules that address bolsters and their construction.   Those roll backs are aluminum, not sure how long they would stand up to that sort of use. 
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mike_belben

Rollbacks are great but there are some downsides.  

The jerdan bodies are aluminum to save gvw for payload capacity and stay under CDL.  They can bend and also wipe out the long cylinder underneath that slides the deck in the tilt carriage.  Seen it few times.

It is much cheaper to insure and maintain one good truck with numerous trailers than to put policy on multiple trucks.  The insurer has no choice but to assume there are multiple drivers and charge a premium consistent with that risk.

There arent many insurance companies left that want to write a policy on your hobby rollback thats not for hire. the gray area between commercial and personal is riskier for them.

The tilt is probably not sufficient to get the logs off.  Its not uncommon to have to lash to something solid and drive out from under the load.  
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Ljohnsaw

Well... That's why I asked here!  Didn't think about what the trucks were actually made out of and the insurance.  Thanks for the response - it was sort of a wild idea smiley_dizzy  Does DOT come into play if not on a CDL and not commercial/for hire?
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

mike_belben

They decide when they come into play and what you are in violation of.  It differs everywhere. 

If the truck has hydraulic brakes, less than 26k gvw on the door tag and plate and total rig plus payload scales below 26k then you should slide by on a class D.  May need medical card or commercial plate for state or county requirements.  In mass for instance all 10k gvw trucks require commercial plate and fmcsa inspection.. Since 2011 or 12 i think.
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dsroten

I own a rollback as part of my auto salvage business.  21k gvw so no cdl required on my particular unit.  It's a steel bed so no worries there.  But it would be miserable winching one log at a time on to it.  And after you got a couple logs higg the winch would be pulling at some funky angles since its mounted flush with bed floor.  I've delivered split rail fencing with it, and that worked ok but we had to drag them off.  Not steep enough to dump itself.  There's better ways to handle logs in my opinion.

Skeans1

Here's something to think about will a mill unload you without bunks? Out here no bunks to no unload but our short logs are 17' long also to keep logs on log trucks and mule trains.

Crusarius

Instead of flat bed you should look at the garbage roll off trucks. You can make log bed / bunks that can be rolled right up on the truck transported then dropped at the yard and unloaded later. It ends up being kinda costly but makes it quick and easy to transport logs and can stage the bunks for someone else to load then you only have to pick them up and move it.

You can also make just about anything out of those containers. Roll off camper / portable office, car hauler, The options are endless.

mike_belben

Ive seen a hooklift bring in a bobcat, haul off the cans then come back for the machine.  Not cheap to get into but pretty versatile.  
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Satamax

Quote from: mike_belben on June 19, 2018, 05:08:26 PM
Ive seen a hooklift bring in a bobcat, haul off the cans then come back for the machine.  Not cheap to get into but pretty versatile.  
Mike, in the USA, you don't have many hooklift?  Here, lots of masons, brickies etc, have at least one. 
This is the one of my friend Remi. 

In France, may be even europe wide, they are mostly based on the ampliroll system. 
I've checked photos of hooklift in the us, they all seem weird, different. 
French CD4 sawmill. Latil TL 73. Self moving hydraulic crane. Iveco daily 4x4 lwb dead as of 06/2020. Replaced by a Brimont TL80 CSA.

Crusarius

One time I went to a four wheeling event and a guy had a small rolloff like that he had removed the sides and strapped his jeep to it. He pulled in dropped it right on the ground unstrapped and drove the jeep off. was a super slick setup. was able to do everything on the ground with tons of room around it.

You can pretty much customize those boxes to be anything.

mike_belben

We have plenty of hooklifts but theyre mostly in service at one business or another and bring a premium.  This country has had sling wreckers and rollbacks forever.. Long enough that there are plenty of ancient crusty ones sitting around waiting for a buyer or the owners death to force estate sale.  Basically you can shop around and find a rollback for a few grand.  Not a hooklift.

I exported trucks and equipment for a scrap yard that was also the yard for the owners dumpster business.  We cut up rollbacks now and then that were too far gone.. Never one hooklift that old or rough.  thatd have been a fast money maker for me to flip.  He'd buy burnt or rolled trucks at auction to get good hook bodies and wed fix then put onto another cab chassis then into service.
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Ljohnsaw

Well, this thread took an interesting turn and very informative!

Maybe it is a regional thing but could someone clarify:
Sling wreckers - those are the old ones with a little crane (or two) on the back and have the two big rubber straps and typically pick up the front of a vehicle, right?  Sometimes has the hardware that cradles the wheels and lifts them directly.  Equipped with one or two, sometimes three winches.
Rollbacks - I think that was what I originally asked about, a flat bed that goes back and tilts and has one winch, right?
Not sure what it is called - used to haul dumpster/containers and similar in function to the Rollback.
Hooklifts - No clue - what do these look like and how do they work?

Thanks!
John Sawicky

Just North-East of Sacramento...

SkyTrak 9038, Ford 545D FEL, Davis Little Monster backhoe, Case 16+4 Trencher, Home Built 42" capacity/36" cut Bandmill up to 54' long - using it all to build a timber frame cabin.

thecfarm

Google hook lift,I did.  ;)  Now I know.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Crusarius

then google dumpster rolloff. That is pretty much same thing just uses a cable and a dumping rail. Both work the same way and would be ideal for what you want to do.

mike_belben

Youve pretty much got it figured right john.  Slang for each may differ by region.  A hooklift is a type of can transporter.  So is a rolloff, just mechanically different.  Rollback is what shows up when you call triple A.  

3 axle swing boom wrecker is what comes when DOT gets ya.  $750/hr.
Praise The Lord

WV Sawmiller

   On a project in Saudi Arabia we built a big hospital and in the service tunnel under the hospital we had a spot for two RO/RO trash dumpster. Even had vacuum and compactor system inside where the trash bags were placed in a dumbwaiter looking affair, push a button and it was sucked downstairs where it was compacted then slid into a dumpster. When full a diverter switched the trash input from one dumpster to another. The engineers/architects designed the system and had the dumpsters placed on a chest high dock.

   Ever try to unload a gravity feed dumpster on to a raised platform? Did not work. Of course as the O&M pogues we inherited the system. We finally ended up having to install a winch to pull the dumspters off on to the dock. The engineer who designed the original system probably got a bonus out of the job.

   If you buy an old hooklift truck for logging you might have to incorporate a similar design to offload. That may be fine if unloading at your site but customers may not be so accommodating of the idea.
Howard Green
WM LT35HDG25(2015) , 2011 4WD F150 Ford Lariat PU, Kawasaki 650 ATV, Stihl 440 Chainsaw, homemade logging arch (w/custom built rear log dolly), JD 750 w/4' wide Bushhog brand FEL

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Skeans1

The guys out here use the chain drive hook lifts normally for chunk trucks they're dumpable the whole nine yards, but from what I've heard from the guys it's quite a ride when there's some wind when dumping.

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