Manure Hauler Built From Milk Truck

Manure Hauler Built From Milk Truck MANURE HANDLING Equipment 19-3-6 The truck that hauls a dairy farm's main product can also be used to haul its main by-product, says Madisonburg, Pa., farmer Glen Miller, who converted a milk tank truck into a durable manure hauler. "The stainless steel tank will last a life-time," Miller says. "We empty our 469,000 gal. pit twice a year and probably haul 100 to 110 loads per clean-out. We started using the truck in 1991 and it just works great." The milk-to-manure conversion came about after Miller installed his big pit in 1990. A local milk hauler had a 1972 Mack truck and 4,000-gal. tank for sale for $4,000. The truck's 237 cu. in. engine had less than 100,000 miles on it. There were a few repairs to make to the truck. Miller had them done by a lo-cal welding shop that also converted the tank to handle manure. The shop first rebuilt the rusted out cradle underneath the tank, repaired the rusted portions of the frame, and cut off the rear compartment housing the truck's milk hose and pump. The next step was to install a turret, which extends 2 ft. into the tank's fill port and 1 ft. above it, to keep manure from splashing out. To spread manure, an 8-in. square "drop" box was mounted on the rear of the truck. A Badger slinger and valve assembly was fitted to the box. The discharge unit operates with a two-spool hydraulic valve mounted on back of the truck cab. Handles extend inside the cab for easy access. New tires all around and a new paint job completed the conversion. Including truck, the total cost was about $10,000. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Glen Miller, P.O. Box 124, Madisonburg, Pa. 16852 (ph 814 349-8286).

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