# My First 1-ton Dump



## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

I just picked up this 2000 Chevy 3500 4x4 With a 8' Western Plow. One of my tennants is going out of business and sold it to me after alot of back and forth negotiating.

It only has 49,000 miles on a 5.7 litre 350. I don't think he ever washed it since he bought it, this thing was nasty. I would never think about selling a piece of equipment unless it was cleaned and detailed. oh well that just me.....

Anyway, there's a couple of things I have planned for this truck and would love your opinions on Strobe placement for the rear as well as any ideas for the front. Weather it would be a mini lightbar or flush mounted LEDS? Lert me know what you think.

Some of the things I plan on doing.
1. Sand Blast the bed
2. Wheel Simulators
3. Possibly a body lift
4. Looking for a V-Plow 
5. Strobes / Lighting
6. Sand Blast and paint plow

Thanks, Guys

Doug


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## THEGOLDPRO (Jun 18, 2006)

pretty sweet truck, what did you pay for it?


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Not bad, Have fun with it. Thumbs Up


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

THEGOLDPRO;1191159 said:


> pretty sweet truck, what did you pay for it?


I bought it for $10,000.00 with the plow. He started out last year wanting 22. I told him "GOOD LUCK".

I think I got a good deal!


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## Sp3cialized (Dec 16, 2010)

Crank those Tbars! Get that front end up off the ground a bit I bet your power steering/front end components will like you a lot more!


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## TKLAWN (Jan 20, 2008)

looks like you could use a new cutting edge. Shold plow alot of snow. Good luck with it.


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## Morrissey snow removal (Sep 30, 2006)

good luck with it doug did u get the fords all fixed up?


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## turbo5560 (Apr 6, 2007)

nice dump... on a side note. do you have a better picture of your dodge? i have an 05 and want to get some different wheels and tires and like to see how different wheels look on a truck before i buy them.


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## V_Scapes (Jan 1, 2011)

Definatly take care of that body. once they start getting just alittle rust on them forget it. ive been meaning to get a price to rhino line the underside of my dump body, mine has some rust on it and its only an 07! but if I where you id be more concerned with doing some serious maintenance on that thing like changing fluids and oils and inspecting the plow.


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

I would trick that thing out with some sick looking led lights.


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## BlackBirdWS.6 (Oct 21, 2010)

I really like the Cheyenne body style,it just looks like a work truck. I deff crank up the T-bars and throw some Timbrens on her though..


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

Morrissey snow removal service;1191240 said:


> good luck with it doug did u get the fords all fixed up?


Hey Chris...My mechanic doesn't work as fast as I ned him to. I just got back the 92 chevy he put a transmission in. He had almost a month. Need to look or a new mechanic!!!

Good Luck this Year!


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

turbo5560;1191261 said:


> nice dump... on a side note. do you have a better picture of your dodge? i have an 05 and want to get some different wheels and tires and like to see how different wheels look on a truck before i buy them.


Let me try to send these...


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## KMBertog (Sep 9, 2010)

nice setup! good luck with it!


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

RBRONKEMA GHTFD;1191300 said:


> I would trick that thing out with some sick looking led lights.


Im open to any suggestions. As you can see there are no lights what-so-ever on the truck. I want to light it up but do it right the first time.


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

KMBertog;1191343 said:


> nice setup! good luck with it!


Thanks...The first in a line of many hopefully. Will be adding a under the tsil gate spreader as well in the future.

Always admired you set up as well.

Doug


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## Bigrd1 (Dec 4, 2010)

If it was me I think i'd put some of those oval led power up strobes on the back sides of the dump in the boxes they make pointing back with another set of tail lights in the same spot. maybe a small led lightbar on the cab and some more power up strobes in the bulkhead on the sides and front! that's just me thought, i like my trucks to look like a disco ball rolling down the road! Good luck with it seem's to be in good shape.


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## TremblaySNOW (Oct 7, 2009)

I have the same truck, but with 6.5td and fisher 8.5 HD is yours 4x4?


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## TremblaySNOW (Oct 7, 2009)

Thumbs Upheres one that I have


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

TremblaySNOW;1191473 said:


> I have the same truck, but with 6.5td and fisher 8.5 HD is yours 4x4?


Yes mine is a 4x4.


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

TremblaySNOW;1191493 said:


> Thumbs Upheres one that I have


Your truck is Sweet!! I love the Simulators. Will be on mine soon.
I also like the color. Personally I hate red. Just because everyone has red as their company colors around here.
I will be probably be paimting the cab hugger orange and the dump bed black.


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

Striper1263;1191345 said:


> Im open to any suggestions. As you can see there are no lights what-so-ever on the truck. I want to light it up but do it right the first time.


Here is what i was thinkin for the headboard of the dump. I would do 1 in the center in the front and 1 on each side of the dump up front. The lights in the pic are the headboard led lights.


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## J&R Landscaping (Dec 25, 2005)

Truck looks good! Best of luck with it!


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## fargosnowpro (Dec 4, 2010)

Sp3cialized;1191228 said:


> Crank those Tbars! Get that front end up off the ground a bit I bet your power steering/front end components will like you a lot more!


If that isn't enough you could get a set of Truxx tbar keys too. A body lift isn't really necessary, I'm assuming you just want to take the rake out of the look of the truck right?


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## STIHL GUY (Sep 22, 2009)

nice purchase...goodluck with it


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## TremblaySNOW (Oct 7, 2009)

thanks for the complement, If you put simulators on just becareful of the air valves Thumbs Up I've had them get cut before so I've put stainless metal one, here's another pic
P.S I'm thinking I want to built a new dumpbox like yours and put a front hoist


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

RBRONKEMA GHTFD;1191709 said:


> Here is what i was thinkin for the headboard of the dump. I would do 1 in the center in the front and 1 on each side of the dump up front. The lights in the pic are the headboard led lights.


I looked into the Headboard LED's....About fell off the terlet....$535.00 ea. So if I take your advice, which I personally liked, I would be spending $1500.00 or better. If I was the one going to be driving it all the time, I might consider. But with my employees they have the "Mine over Matter" mentallity. "It aint mine....So it doesn't matter".

Looking for something more frugal!!

Doug


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## Brant'sLawnCare (Jun 29, 2007)

Nice dump for the price. I gotta get some Timbrens on mine too. And crank the Tbars.


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## Dissociative (Feb 28, 2007)

LED self contained lights of a variety of manufacturers will work all over the dump....last forever and look nice...

dual rotator halogen perm mount on the headache rack of course...

and a 4 or 2 outlet strobe kit for the front......or some HAW leds....

thats all you need....back up alarm and a few extra back up lights too....


ohh and yeah.....your spreader will most likely block your tail lights so a set of LED STT tails in the body as well....


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Dissociative;1200543 said:


> ohh and yeah.....your spreader will most likely block your tail lights so a set of LED STT tails in the body as well....


Mine are mounted up on the headache rack in light boxes facing backwards. I like that setup as if you are pulling or hauling a tall load then the brake/turn/parking lights are more visible.


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## IC-Smoke (Feb 15, 2008)

Nice truck!!!! you will get a ton of use out of it!

pull the box and blade and have them sand blasted then repainted... Use POR15 or Chassis saver under the bed to help keep the rot down!

I painted my box and had maaco paint the cab on my dump truck and it turned out pretty good:


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## Dissociative (Feb 28, 2007)

White Gardens;1200608 said:


> Mine are mounted up on the headache rack in light boxes facing backwards. I like that setup as if you are pulling or hauling a tall load then the brake/turn/parking lights are more visible.


+1 another good idea


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## RBRONKEMA GHTFD (Dec 17, 2006)

Striper1263;1195798 said:


> I looked into the Headboard LED's....About fell off the terlet....$535.00 ea. So if I take your advice, which I personally liked, I would be spending $1500.00 or better. If I was the one going to be driving it all the time, I might consider. But with my employees they have the "Mine over Matter" mentallity. "It aint mine....So it doesn't matter".
> 
> Looking for something more frugal!!
> 
> Doug


HOLY SH!T! I couldn't find a price on them. I think they look cool, but for that kind of money you could outfit like 3 trucks. NEXT HAHA!


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

White Gardens;1200608 said:


> Mine are mounted up on the headache rack in light boxes facing backwards. I like that setup as if you are pulling or hauling a tall load then the brake/turn/parking lights are more visible.


Could you shoot me a couple of pics of your setup? I think I know what you're talking about but want to be sure.

Thanks, Doug
[email protected]


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Here is an image I posted a couple of days ago in the central IL thread on here.










The two on the top of the headache rack are STOP/TAIL/TURN/PARKING. They help supplement the truck tail lights that are mounted down low that are obscured (but still visible) by the salt spreader.

The two light boxes on the back, at an angle, are two amber ovals in grommets, with hideaway strobes in them. The angle compensates for when I'm spreading salt and the bed is tilted up.

Sorry, truck is filthy, need to get it washed up but it just keeps snowing and I haven't had time too.


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## Striper1263 (Nov 30, 2007)

White Gardens;1202140 said:


> Here is an image I posted a couple of days ago in the central IL thread on here.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I likey!!

How do you have the wires ran? Are they exposed under the box or are they in a conduit like I remember seeing somewhere on here.

Doug


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Striper1263;1202399 said:


> I likey!!
> 
> How do you have the wires ran? Are they exposed under the box or are they in a conduit like I remember seeing somewhere on here.
> 
> Doug


The truck was built professionally for the previous owner so I didn't do the wiring.

What they did though was use a jacketed/insulated wire ran along the frame rail, to the hinge point, and back to the front of the box where there is conduit from the bottom, up to the headboard and through a hole with a grommet in the center. They then ran two conduit rails from the center to the boxes at that point.

Something like this

http://order.waytekwire.com/products2/M50/360/900/0/1/Trailer%20Cable/Wire%20And%20Cable/

The only real mod I want to make is to either move my forward strobes from the parking lights up somewhere for more visibility of the strobe or just add another light bar on the front of the headboard. Right now, being in the parking lights, they aren't very visible when I'm spreading salt with the plow on.

I'm actually thinking of getting some old school Beehive type marker lights, 2 on each side facing forward, with a hideaway LED in each one.


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## jgoetter1 (Feb 23, 2007)

I had the same truck with the 350. I had to sell it because the motor was too weak to plow and haul.


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

Ya, 350 seems kinda small for these trucks. A 454 or better is the only way to go.


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