Kind of off topic, but Red's truck is making me ask....Couldn't you attach a work body to the truck the same way that the containers on the tractor trailers are attached.....those locking lever things?

Cool truck Red, I wonder if those are available here?

GDay Rick

Yeah mate on the longer trips every job has a fiver added to it to cover the costs , and the one off jobs do of cause

It peeves me we pay so much here when we make the stuff here ay

Eilleen

I think yeah you could use the same sort of idear if the locking dogs were smaller I dont think they make them so

I never gave a thought to the fact that mitsubishi tritons may not be available in America

Garry
I will get the photos in the morning its 416 am sunday here and still very dark I'll get shots of the lockdowns and how there fitted a bit ruff but efective no doubt you will find a neater way to set it up

Ill also include phots of how I unload the shed , simple as yeah

this system is about 6 years old and in need of paint but its simple quick one man opperation
there is a clamp in each corner

these clamps of angle iron , all i had at time , fitted tubeing would have beem better

slip round peg in squar hole

once the other two lofters are in place your ready to lift simply back up in low range carfully not to quick as to puch the shed to hard and topple it through the stopers on the rims

shes up, the rims may slip a little in the dirt and require a slight adjustment before removeing the ute there is usually an inch or two clearence at the rear of the tray and the shed but ive put the that stay in a bit of a hollow and still had no trouble getting out or back under to replace the shed

good clearence down the sides just take you time in the drive out and backing in squae up go steady
you may have noticed the black rope on one of the stays this is used to reload the shed , it is simple put from one front stay between the cab and the loading board of the tray to the oppersite stay tired tight and you drive slowly forward a few inches and the shed rocks forward off the stays and slides down the loading board of the tray into place , a slight leavering into exact position may be need ed particularly on the dirt but on nice level concrete your usually on the mark

HOWZAT!! IF thats not out UM NOT PLAYN
about three minutes toooo easy
that lill shed and all its contence weighs about a tonne the anvil stays with the truck its hinged under the back bur is also quick releace

Red, you clever fellow! I am duely impressed!

Red, nice set up I like it.

I never would of thought of a off loading set up like that. I would have been out there cranking up a set of camper jacks.

The clamp to secure it is a good idea also.


Thank for the look. You got me thinking now, and that could be dangerous.
Gary

Red,
Good job outa you.
I was in the full truck body and trailer industry befor I did this and I must say that is an inovative set up. I have a deck on rollers that I pull out to work, and can unload onto saw horses out of a pick up with a topper.
Jason,
As to the kind of truck to buy, I planed to get a new ford disel but they were too long. I though I'd go with an F150 but found the Nisan Titan to be a better truck. Have had it a year and a half (55,000) and am happy as a clam at high tide, except the day the check gets writen. I put air springs on it that put the weight rating for the truck at 3100 pounds, and I usualy have about 1500 in it. The automatic trany was made to be downshifted (has a little thumb switch) which is nice in the hills here on the coast. I has a computer thingy that brakes each wheel seprately when I try to run off the road. It scoots too. Has a 5.6L, 32 valve that I can pass anything with and the way I drive I still get 14 mpg.
I have found that it's important to protect ourselves, so as to not blow out an elbow truning the raido up, you should go with the sterio controls on the wheel. That is also a good item when the wife is along and turns it down to talk about something important, you can turn it up a little at a time with out being noticed.

Thanks fellers

I have to admit that I pinched half the idear for the jacks off a mate
he used half a rim on each jack and it looked to me to be to much friggin around
also he made his shed as a full body which ment when he lifted it off the truck , a toyota land criuser , it left a bare chasie which he then had to refit the flat tray back onto to do anything easle
this hole opperation I beleive takes about an hour
Bugger that says I I love my KISS system
I would like some day to build a wee camper shed for the ute and a fire tender unit all quick as a flash to change onto the same ute Lill bewdy ay

Thats an awsome set up ya got there Red. I am also trying to figure out what truck I shall get as my first rig. I was thinking of just starting with something smaller like a Tacoma with a trailer...but I am not sure as to what I am going to do yet, also will need to get a loan and all that fun stuff. Don't think I could afford a diesel until I have a nice constant base of customers and whatever I decide to get now dies on me.

Tar Oakie

Mate if youd like to see how the inside works check out the thread on lets see your shoeing rigs

Red!!! I cannot tell you how impressed I am with you and your mate's ingenuity! That is a GREAT set up!

Now, thanks to Bill, I know why my Hubby likes the stereo controls on the wheel!!! Hmmm.......

Sorry, been on the road for the last 3 days...speaking of trucks...

Currently have 2 rigs on the road. My old 1996 Ford F250 with a gas 351, has 155,000 miles on it and just made the trip back to Mass from Aiken in record time. I bought this truck used in 2000 with 30,000 miles from the insurance money when my 1994 F250 got totalled. It was great had an almost new truck completly paid for.
This allowed me to buy truck #2 two years later. My first GMC, my mechanic talked me into it, 2002 GMC Sierra 2500 with a Duramax diesel and automatic Allison transmission. It was expensive (with Stonewell body I have about $52,000 into it), but I had it completly paid off in 33 months. It gets about 18 miles to the gallon with the Stonewell (16 towing the motorcycle trailer behind it). I love this truck and probably never buy another gas engine truck again.
Word to the wise, don't buy a diesel if you are not meticulus about your maintainence. Oil changes every 3000 miles (once a month for me), fuel filter changes every 30,000 miles, and use fuel treatments and injector cleaners once a month. Taking spotless care of your truck will insure you get 300,000+ out if it.

Dianne

Hi Everybody,

I've been reading these posts for a while and soaking up all the information that I can. (you guys are helpful and I don't even have to ask questions) I just wanted to add that supposedly the break even point for a diesel truck is around 60-70k. If you drive that or more a year, it is supposed to be cheaper to go diesel. As a side note, my brother got a 2005 Duramax this past year. After shoeing with him in that truck, my next one will be a diesel. It's got all the power you need and still gets 16 mpg pulling a 5x8 shoeing trailer. However, Dianne is absolutely right about the maintenance. Additionally, consider that a diesel is going to cost quite a bit more per oil change and the fuel filter will cost $35-$55 depending on the truck.

Those are just my thoughts.

P.S. Red, I have yet to see an Australian invention that I didn't find just plumb handy.

I like to give folks nick names
I dunno wheather I like 10 blokes lookin or singer see,in
sorry
I'll just go away now

Oh and thanks comes form necessity I supose ay
I just dont make a big living and simply couldnt afford to run and pay for anything flasher

Hey guys,

Over here we have to be careful about fuel economy as we're paying the equivalent of $8-9 a gallon for petrol or diesel.

This is what i use
http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews/car-and-driving/volkswagen-transporter-van-range-1004397.html

- i have found it returns 31-35mpg loaded depending how you drive. The economy doesn't even go worse than this when you're thrashing it. It will do in excess of 115mph and has more torque than you'll ever need.

It will carry in excess of a ton( mine weighs in at 2800kg loaded) although i don't carry all the paraphenalia that some do ( all the gear, no idea...). My van contains:
A Swan anvil & stand with toolflute
A Swan make & fit forge
1 x 19kg propane bottle
A fairly extensive shoe range, mainly concave, to include bar shoes, alli plates, and hoof repair/building materials.
My toolbox, footstand and chaps
A rack for turning hammers, nails and little used tools(eg heel cutter etc)
An arc welder and extension cable
A vice

That's about it. There's still space for a mattress(joke)

I don't know why european vans haven't caught on over there, they are fantastically reliable and fuel efficient.

You get a/c, a 6 speed box, remote central locking with alarm, bulkhead, twin sliding doors and a handy tailgate to protect from the sun (actually, not much chance of that here) and rain ( much more likely).

But they're probably expensive compared to your home grown products.

Regards,
Matt