Turn Your Pickup Into A Dump Truck

Turn Your Pickup Into A Dump Truck PICKUPS Modifications 8-1-33 Unloading firewood by hand from his pickup convinced James Miller, Paris, Tenn., that there had to be a better way. After 3 years of experimentation, he finally came up with a simple "dump truck" design. "You can build it for $85 to $100. All components can be bought at a local lumber yard or hardware store," says Miller, who offers a complete setof plans for the dump box for $11. "It's worth that much to learn the placement and positioning of the rollers which are key to the success of the dump box. It took me months to figure it out," Miller told FARM SHOW. The dump box is simply a wood-framed plywood box on rollers built to fit just inside the pickup box. It's strong enough to haul dirt, gravel, wood or any other material. To unload, you simply park 10 to 12 ft. in front of the desired unloading area and lower the tailgate. Then back up quickly and apply the brakes. A pair of heavy nylon straps keeps the box close to the back of the truck. Pull forward a few feet to empty the box and then roll it back into the back of the pickup by hand. "It requires no modification of the pickup other than a couple bolt holes to attach straps and rollers. You also have to have a low enough bumper so that the tailgate can drop below horizontal to allow the box to dump," says Miller. When not in use, the box can be easily removed for storage. Miller says the design adapts to any truck from small imports to the biggest American-made pickups. "No matter what size, it's so well balanced you can pick it up and roll it easily with one hand," he says. The pickup box is made from 1/2-in. CDX plywood and framed with 2 by 4's. It's strong enough, says Miller, to haul anything the pickup can carry. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, James Miller, Miller Enterprises, 312 N. Market St., Paris, Tenn. 38242 (ph 901 642-3933).

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