My Son needed a dump bed...but still needed his toolbox, full-length storage in the bed and a contractor's rack. I bought a motor coach leveling jack for $100 and made this 12V dump bed. We have dumped 2,000lbs net with ease and it is used daily. When I realized the power of a DC motor I decided to try the 18V application illustrated in my previous posts. Although DC is slower than my hydraulic fel, it doesn't require a pump, fluid, tank, cylinders and controls. Furthermore, DC motors with speed control and forward-reverse are readily available for free. I got some out of kid's battery driven play cars and now from the Craftsman drill driver. They all appear to be hell-for-stout!
12V pickup truck dump bed
- Thread starter Gary66
- Start date
free-standing dumper
I'll add this info since a couple people were interested in the dump bed.
I designed this to be almost free-standing. If you examine the picture of the leveling jack, you'll see two pieces of strap steel extending from the tailgate area down to the jack motor. Nothing is attached to any part of the truck to hold the pressure of the jack lifting the load. The jack is attached to the strap steel. As the jack tries to lift the load by pushing toward the tailgate, the straps are holding the pressure. The system works against/for itself. I DID weld the framework of the hinge plate to the truck, and that plate is what the straps are welded to. I should have made the "straps" out of 1/2" X 2" steel. Then the system would have the same power coming down as going up. I intended to use the downward travel of the front of the dumpbed as a power lift for loading heavy things into the truck. The heavy crossmember of the contractor carrier (which I modified) would have a pulley to lift from. Load on the ground, cable attached and run up and thru the pulley then to the clevis at the top of the bed (with the bed fully raised, which is nearly verticle). As the bed is lowered the cable lifts the item for loading onto the bed. Unfortunately the straps just bulge and bend when compressed. I have to admit I fail often too.
I'll add this info since a couple people were interested in the dump bed.
I designed this to be almost free-standing. If you examine the picture of the leveling jack, you'll see two pieces of strap steel extending from the tailgate area down to the jack motor. Nothing is attached to any part of the truck to hold the pressure of the jack lifting the load. The jack is attached to the strap steel. As the jack tries to lift the load by pushing toward the tailgate, the straps are holding the pressure. The system works against/for itself. I DID weld the framework of the hinge plate to the truck, and that plate is what the straps are welded to. I should have made the "straps" out of 1/2" X 2" steel. Then the system would have the same power coming down as going up. I intended to use the downward travel of the front of the dumpbed as a power lift for loading heavy things into the truck. The heavy crossmember of the contractor carrier (which I modified) would have a pulley to lift from. Load on the ground, cable attached and run up and thru the pulley then to the clevis at the top of the bed (with the bed fully raised, which is nearly verticle). As the bed is lowered the cable lifts the item for loading onto the bed. Unfortunately the straps just bulge and bend when compressed. I have to admit I fail often too.