Vaughn Derosier used a dump trailer for hauling wood, dirt and rocks but needed a better method. After considering some options, he bought a 1967 military Jeep M715 for $1,300 to convert into a dump truck.

The Jeep’s “Tornado” engine was bad, so Derosier bought a 2nd Jeep with a working motor to swap engines. He also used the second vehicle’s interior seats as they were in better condition.

“I wanted to keep the original look of the Jeep with the modifications,” Derosier says. “I also valued their standard 10,000-lb. front winches. The tires were good, and all the lights worked, so I thought I could convert it to haul wood, dirt and rocks and make trails throughout my property.”

He unbolted the box and hinged it off the rear with a large piano hinge he owned. A 1/4-in. plate was added under 40 percent of the box to even the pressure on the metal floor. He purchased a log-splitter cylinder, hydraulics and a 24-volt electric-over-hydraulic pump to lift the box.

“The toughest part of the modification was placing the cylinder in the right spot to get the best angle for ease of use and room,” Derosier says. “It went well and works great for what I need. It’s one of the handiest things I’ve made.”

He estimates he spent nearly $800 on the cylinder, hydraulics and the scrap steel he added to the Jeep.

Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Vaughn Derosier, 362 9th Ave., Clayton Wis. 54004 (ph 715-357-3443; derosiermachine@yahoo.com).