My '98 Ram 3500 has its original 2 to 3 yard Galion dump body. The floor is rotted and the longitudinal buttresses along the outsides are rotting. It's repairable but it will take some time to do a good job. I have the 11 gauge steel for the floor. May have enough paint as well. It will require sandblasting which is not a problem. I have forty tons in my overhead silos.
I priced a new Galion tub and the lowest price I got was $3400. They wouldn't delete the cab protector, tailgate, or latch hardware.
I saw a new aluminum 9' dual rear wheel one-ton flatbed on eBay for $2295. It is made and being sold by Martin in Martinsburg, PA which is 506 miles away. It has eight crossmembers vs five on my old body. Not too crazy about diamond plate but it could be covered with rubber hallway runners. The only structural drawback I see are no stake pockets across the back.
I don't haul much except firewood, mulch, and misc building supplies. Been thinking about converting a pintal pull trailer to gooseneck. This body already has the door cut in. The aluminum body would need reinforcements to set it on my dump hoist. I can do that.
Just wondering what others thought about these aluminum flatbeds and perhaps this manufacturer in particular. At some point, I will repair the Galion and swap it out if moving dirt and stone.
What's it take to keep the aluminum looking brite. Is it just wax or are there cleaners to make the job easier? It will probably never run on salty roads. See the body at the link below.
Flatbed truck body
I priced a new Galion tub and the lowest price I got was $3400. They wouldn't delete the cab protector, tailgate, or latch hardware.
I saw a new aluminum 9' dual rear wheel one-ton flatbed on eBay for $2295. It is made and being sold by Martin in Martinsburg, PA which is 506 miles away. It has eight crossmembers vs five on my old body. Not too crazy about diamond plate but it could be covered with rubber hallway runners. The only structural drawback I see are no stake pockets across the back.
I don't haul much except firewood, mulch, and misc building supplies. Been thinking about converting a pintal pull trailer to gooseneck. This body already has the door cut in. The aluminum body would need reinforcements to set it on my dump hoist. I can do that.
Just wondering what others thought about these aluminum flatbeds and perhaps this manufacturer in particular. At some point, I will repair the Galion and swap it out if moving dirt and stone.
What's it take to keep the aluminum looking brite. Is it just wax or are there cleaners to make the job easier? It will probably never run on salty roads. See the body at the link below.
Flatbed truck body
