Turn Your Pickup Truck Into a Dump Truck

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The truck's tailgate/bumper combination must allow the gate to drop below the level of the bed in order to operate.
The truck's tailgate/bumper combination must allow the gate to drop below the level of the bed in order to operate.
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The homemade dumper's greatest disadvantage (as compared with conventional hydraulic systems) is that it will only work well on fairly level ground.
The homemade dumper's greatest disadvantage (as compared with conventional hydraulic systems) is that it will only work well on fairly level ground.
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The author/inventor's
The author/inventor's "dump box" in action
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A light touch on the brakes activates the dump system.
A light touch on the brakes activates the dump system.
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The wooden box can be pushed back into place by hand.
The wooden box can be pushed back into place by hand.

Build a $100 (or less) alternative to the $1,000 (or more) hydraulically operated dump systems.

Having owned a pickup truck for most of my adult life, I’ve encountered many situations that caused me to wish I had some way — other than with hand or shovel — to unload the various materials I’ve hauled in the vehicle. Unfortunately, the only alternatives to manual labor that I’d ever seen, heard of, or read about were hydraulic dump-bed conversions . . . which cost a thousand dollars or more, including installation. And, when it came right down to it, I knew my own need for that sort of time and laborsaving device was neither frequent enough nor severe enough to justify much expense. So I continued to shovel and toss, thinking — as I’d bend and lift, bend and lift — “There’s just got to be a way to build an affordable dump system.”

The Light Dawns

  • Published on Nov 1, 1983
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