Getting the best out your truck settup

Roller · 7th February 2008, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quercus

Jeez... mate... You've got a big theft problem goin' on there or what?

Fumes can become hazardous though... When I bought my van, I had the choice betwee a cargo net and a fully closed aluminum wall. I chose the net at first, but when the delivery of the van was due, I noticed they'd put in a wall instead. I disliked it first, but now I'm happy about that though. It kinda minimizes the rattling sound of the gear and holds back the fumes.
Especially good when you're a smoker, like I am. Don't wanna let my van explode when lighting one uh huh!!!!!

Don't you have a problem with theft over in Belguim? we sure do over here in England, is that a Mercedes Vito van?

quercus · 7th February 2008, 09:50 PM

Nope not really a theft problem here. I had my gps and car stereo stolen once when I was living in the city. Now I live in suburbia so no theft problem here. That's a MB Vito indeed. Best value for money...

ARGTrees · 8th February 2008, 12:01 AM

I got some neat little set ups on a couple of my trucks. Going to play with camera over weekend. Will post up some photos. General trucks can be seen at

ARG Trees truck and chipper hire Australia

cb01 · 11th February 2008, 07:26 PM

Hi Guys.
Here is a spot for vans and trucks. Can solve any storage needs you can think of.

cb01 · 11th February 2008, 07:28 PM

sorry about that it's American Van

cb01 · 11th February 2008, 07:29 PM

the .com didn't show up. new at this

JohN Dee · 11th February 2008, 07:39 PM

Hey cb01.

What part of the green industry do you primarily work in?

That's a kewl looking site right there. Can you tell us any of these products you've placed in any of your vehicles and their convenience they provide you with?

treevet · 11th February 2008, 08:11 PM

I have a little twist to this thread that still stays within the description. BTW, if you had a neat set up like Quercus around here, an ex employee or someone else would rob you just as sure as my name is Treevet.

My take on this, for truck set up, if you see a truck you like for tree work, buy it (or a reasonable facsimile). Around here most of these new guys want to go out and take a big loan for a shiny, brand new truck. If you buy smart, you can probably buy sometimes 2 or 3 of the same truck, used for the same price. I have 3 16 foot mid eighty/early nineties dumps and a 10 ton 14 foot dump trailer prob for same price as new 16 foot flat dump. Sometimes all 4 of these units are filled up with one takedown I have a 55 foot and a 75 foot picker for the price of one new in between. I have late 80 s 12 ton 70/90 jib crane and that old avatar bomber to pick up wood for 1/3 rd of what it costs for a new crane. Etc. with stumpers chippers, sprayers...

The payment is similar as the new stuff is in loan payments and the old stuff is in the form of repairs/parts. You can always sell/upgrade the old stuff.

With all the trucks I have and one employee I am often asked when HO sees 6 or more trucks where the rest of your help is and after that, how did all these trucks get here. Simply drive out 2 trucks and drive one back and so on. I currently have 9 trucks.

Work gets easier and more fun the more trucks you have. Old iron rules.

You better be a good mechanic or have a real good cheap one like I do though.

TreeDimensional · 11th February 2008, 09:30 PM

I'm a lot like treevet when it comes to purchasing equipment. When I need something, say for instance a truck, I try to locate one that will perform the task, at a price that the truck will be working for me, not me working for the truck.

As I am also a farmer (Original multi-tasker) we have always had 1/2 tons. These little gems have always been work horses during the week and cruising machines on the weekend.

In my part of the world there is also another problem. We call it the "keep up with the Jones' " syndrome. Last June I was looking for a replacment for the tired '93 Chev 1 ton diesel 4X4 (chip truck). It didn't take long to realize that a new one was out of the question, $75,000.00 for a New Dodge extended cab 1 ton was clearly going to have me working for the truck for a LONG time. I asked the sales guy where he figured a truck is worth that kind of money. His reply still puzzles me to this day, he said "well people in the cities buy them to haul their boat or 5th wheel to the lake a few times a year". So in my province the truck is what a car was 30 years ago. I also agree with treevet that the stuff they put out these days could't hold a candle to trucks built in the '60s.

When it is all said and done, I have spend hundreds of hours getting greasy, puzzled at how the thing was put together at the plant, and welding up nessasary sub frames, cause the engineers never contemplated that "I NEED A WORK TRUCK". Oh ya I almost forgot the wiring. I need more than a plastic cover on the tail-light wires. We have gravel and sub zero temperatures 1/2 the year. Tail-lights, who needs stinkin' tail-lights. I think I have used up that excuse, anyone have a better one?

quercus · 11th February 2008, 09:30 PM

Things get stolen out here too, Treevet... I tought of that and have full insurance for the van and what's inside of it. It's a real shame when you care for equipment and take pride for it and then it get's stolen. When the alarm of the van goes at night. It only takes about 10 seconds before I show up in my upper window on the first floor with a shotgun. I've got the higher ground from there, so they are either trapped in the van, or have to run away from it since I overlook the parking from about 4 meters up and behind of it. and I WILL protect my business, at first with rubber buckshot... and if they get the engine running, then there's always a few slugs to blast through the sunroof....

Therrin · 11th February 2008, 10:18 PM

Q, it's nice that over there you can kill someone for merely stealing property from you without threatening your life to do it.

How I wish the same were true here. Here you can only shoot at someone in *SELF* defense.... not in defense of your climbing lines or your harness.

Not that I don't agree with you, but we have to keep it to a simmer and stick with non-lethal intervention.

12ga bean bag rounds and Rubber ball rounds are supposed to be non-lethal though

Jury's still out on hooking a 500,000V stun aparatus to the door handles.

When doing private bodyguarding I used a stun gun and pepper foam. That foam is great! Cover's them with this stuff they can't see through, they go to wipe it out of their eyes so they can see, and they get it all over the place, really messy. I ended up locking one guy in a bathroom till the cops came and you could hear him howling like mad! Had the gunk all over himself in no time.

(incidentally, it also has a UV marker dye in it for positive ID later using a blacklight)

Not to get too far offtrack... just to point out that prevention is probably worth more than having to wake up at O'dark-thirty and grab the shotty.

cb01 · 12th February 2008, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohN Dee

Hey cb01.

What part of the green industry do you primarily work in?

That's a kewl looking site right there. Can you tell us any of these products you've placed in any of your vehicles and their convenience they provide you with?

Hi john
I was a line clearence tree trimmer for a few yrs.(7) then the co. decided to contract the work out. thought they could save some money (not). They will probably want to try in house again in a couple more yrs.
For now they have me doing underground constrution, and I do trimming and removals on the side for friends and family.
I've only purchesed a few small things for myself but we use them quite a bit at the utillity I work at for our vans. They seem to have pretty good stuff.

Therrin · 13th February 2008, 12:25 AM

DannyboySFC just turned me on to some niffty air-bag suspension modules for the rear end suspension in our Toyota Tacoma Prerunners.

Talk about getting the best out of your truck setup!! Increases the truckbed carrying load to 5,000LB!!! That's a helluva lot for a toyota truckbed!

For a little extra you can get a compressor installed, and have controls run up to the dash. Auto-leveling as well for uneven loads. Also provides more traction when driving on difficult surfaces with the bed empty.

I was tempted to tell you all to just google it, I'm sure you'll eventually find it.

But I'll give ya the link

Firestone Ride Rite, Coil Rite, Sport Rite - summitracing.com

zesan · 13th February 2008, 04:50 PM

I usually upgrade the bumper. new trucks can't take any hits they just fold up I know it's for safety but a fender bender means new doghouse. Also one way to not hit deer is to aim for them

Done it · 17th February 2008, 04:22 AM

This is tabletop/flatop I converted to a tipper. I got 2 rams for the price of 1 as they were closing down, only problem was I had to make the pump tank bigger. No one knows it's a tipper unless they see it go up. Couldn't put it right up as it was half loaded, rams are 3 & 1/2 ton each. Cost me $850, tray is longer, wider & lower than the factory fitted tipper. It's a Toyota Dyna.

Treelore · 17th February 2008, 08:00 AM

This is my old truck, and it gave me its best. Never had a better truck!.....

7th February 2008, 09:50 PM	#27 (permalink)
quercus Mature tree Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: belgium Posts: 428	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup Nope not really a theft problem here. I had my gps and car stereo stolen once when I was living in the city. Now I live in suburbia so no theft problem here. That's a MB Vito indeed. Best value for money...

8th February 2008, 12:01 AM	#28 (permalink)
ARGTrees Sappling Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 34	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup I got some neat little set ups on a couple of my trucks. Going to play with camera over weekend. Will post up some photos. General trucks can be seen at ARG Trees truck and chipper hire Australia __________________ ARGtrees Truck and Chipper Hire Australia

11th February 2008, 07:26 PM	#29 (permalink)
cb01 Sappling Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: usa Posts: 9	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup Hi Guys. Here is a spot for vans and trucks. Can solve any storage needs you can think of.

11th February 2008, 07:28 PM	#30 (permalink)
cb01 Sappling Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: usa Posts: 9	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup sorry about that it's American Van

11th February 2008, 07:29 PM	#31 (permalink)
cb01 Sappling Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: usa Posts: 9	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup the .com didn't show up. new at this

11th February 2008, 07:39 PM	#32 (permalink)
JohN Dee Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 750	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup Hey cb01. What part of the green industry do you primarily work in? That's a kewl looking site right there. Can you tell us any of these products you've placed in any of your vehicles and their convenience they provide you with? __________________ Climber with slow climbing speed, must make up with mighty chainsaw roar. Free Tree and Green Industry Link Directory Red : Green : Blue

11th February 2008, 08:11 PM	#33 (permalink)
treevet Over mature heritage tree Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Posts: 958	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup I have a little twist to this thread that still stays within the description. BTW, if you had a neat set up like Quercus around here, an ex employee or someone else would rob you just as sure as my name is Treevet. My take on this, for truck set up, if you see a truck you like for tree work, buy it (or a reasonable facsimile). Around here most of these new guys want to go out and take a big loan for a shiny, brand new truck. If you buy smart, you can probably buy sometimes 2 or 3 of the same truck, used for the same price. I have 3 16 foot mid eighty/early nineties dumps and a 10 ton 14 foot dump trailer prob for same price as new 16 foot flat dump. Sometimes all 4 of these units are filled up with one takedown I have a 55 foot and a 75 foot picker for the price of one new in between. I have late 80 s 12 ton 70/90 jib crane and that old avatar bomber to pick up wood for 1/3 rd of what it costs for a new crane. Etc. with stumpers chippers, sprayers... The payment is similar as the new stuff is in loan payments and the old stuff is in the form of repairs/parts. You can always sell/upgrade the old stuff. With all the trucks I have and one employee I am often asked when HO sees 6 or more trucks where the rest of your help is and after that, how did all these trucks get here. Simply drive out 2 trucks and drive one back and so on. I currently have 9 trucks. Work gets easier and more fun the more trucks you have. Old iron rules. You better be a good mechanic or have a real good cheap one like I do though.

11th February 2008, 09:30 PM	#34 (permalink)
TreeDimensional Banned Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 381	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup I'm a lot like treevet when it comes to purchasing equipment. When I need something, say for instance a truck, I try to locate one that will perform the task, at a price that the truck will be working for me, not me working for the truck. As I am also a farmer (Original multi-tasker) we have always had 1/2 tons. These little gems have always been work horses during the week and cruising machines on the weekend. In my part of the world there is also another problem. We call it the "keep up with the Jones' " syndrome. Last June I was looking for a replacment for the tired '93 Chev 1 ton diesel 4X4 (chip truck). It didn't take long to realize that a new one was out of the question, $75,000.00 for a New Dodge extended cab 1 ton was clearly going to have me working for the truck for a LONG time. I asked the sales guy where he figured a truck is worth that kind of money. His reply still puzzles me to this day, he said "well people in the cities buy them to haul their boat or 5th wheel to the lake a few times a year". So in my province the truck is what a car was 30 years ago. I also agree with treevet that the stuff they put out these days could't hold a candle to trucks built in the '60s. When it is all said and done, I have spend hundreds of hours getting greasy, puzzled at how the thing was put together at the plant, and welding up nessasary sub frames, cause the engineers never contemplated that "I NEED A WORK TRUCK". Oh ya I almost forgot the wiring. I need more than a plastic cover on the tail-light wires. We have gravel and sub zero temperatures 1/2 the year. Tail-lights, who needs stinkin' tail-lights. I think I have used up that excuse, anyone have a better one?

11th February 2008, 09:30 PM	#35 (permalink)
quercus Mature tree Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: belgium Posts: 428	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup Things get stolen out here too, Treevet... I tought of that and have full insurance for the van and what's inside of it. It's a real shame when you care for equipment and take pride for it and then it get's stolen. When the alarm of the van goes at night. It only takes about 10 seconds before I show up in my upper window on the first floor with a shotgun. I've got the higher ground from there, so they are either trapped in the van, or have to run away from it since I overlook the parking from about 4 meters up and behind of it. and I WILL protect my business, at first with rubber buckshot... and if they get the engine running, then there's always a few slugs to blast through the sunroof....

11th February 2008, 10:18 PM	#36 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,273	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup Q, it's nice that over there you can kill someone for merely stealing property from you without threatening your life to do it. How I wish the same were true here. Here you can only shoot at someone in SELF defense.... not in defense of your climbing lines or your harness. Not that I don't agree with you, but we have to keep it to a simmer and stick with non-lethal intervention. 12ga bean bag rounds and Rubber ball rounds are supposed to be non-lethal though Jury's still out on hooking a 500,000V stun aparatus to the door handles. When doing private bodyguarding I used a stun gun and pepper foam. That foam is great! Cover's them with this stuff they can't see through, they go to wipe it out of their eyes so they can see, and they get it all over the place, really messy. I ended up locking one guy in a bathroom till the cops came and you could hear him howling like mad! Had the gunk all over himself in no time. (incidentally, it also has a UV marker dye in it for positive ID later using a blacklight) Not to get too far offtrack... just to point out that prevention is probably worth more than having to wake up at O'dark-thirty and grab the shotty.

13th February 2008, 12:25 AM	#38 (permalink)
Therrin The Tree World Bandit Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Lancaster, Ca Posts: 1,273	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup DannyboySFC just turned me on to some niffty air-bag suspension modules for the rear end suspension in our Toyota Tacoma Prerunners. Talk about getting the best out of your truck setup!! Increases the truckbed carrying load to 5,000LB!!! That's a helluva lot for a toyota truckbed! For a little extra you can get a compressor installed, and have controls run up to the dash. Auto-leveling as well for uneven loads. Also provides more traction when driving on difficult surfaces with the bed empty. I was tempted to tell you all to just google it, I'm sure you'll eventually find it. But I'll give ya the link Firestone Ride Rite, Coil Rite, Sport Rite - summitracing.com

13th February 2008, 04:50 PM	#39 (permalink)
zesan I'm new here so be nice Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: indiana Posts: 4	Re: Getting the best out your truck settup I usually upgrade the bumper. new trucks can't take any hits they just fold up I know it's for safety but a fender bender means new doghouse. Also one way to not hit deer is to aim for them