# stainless steel or aluminum dump box



## sle (Dec 28, 2006)

Just as the title says. I will be purchasing ah ford 450 cab chassis.
Im tired of painting the box every other year due to rust.
Dont know much about them, any comments would be helpful.
Thanks


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## CGM Inc. (Dec 15, 2008)

Stainless if you can afford it!


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## SullivanSeptic (Nov 30, 2008)

For the price of stainless, you can just buy a new box every four years. I would just buy steel and try hard to keep it washed. Or buy steel and have it media blasted and repainted the right way. My trailers always rusted up in about 2 years until I repainted them. Now my main trailer has 5 years of hard times on a good repainting and it has no rust. Just my 2 cents


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## dfd9 (Aug 18, 2010)

SullivanSeptic;1302848 said:


> For the price of stainless, you can just buy a new box every four years.


How does downtime figure into the cost of a new box every 4 years?

Personally, I'd go with stainless, the aluminum will oxidize.


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## got-h2o (Sep 26, 2008)

Airflow makes a really nice stainless box, and pretty cost effective for what it is. I can actually probably price you one, my buddie is a dealer. Tafco makes nice alum ones too. My buddie has one that's basically a flatbed with fold down sides. It's a salt truck and is actually holding up quite well. Personally, I'd go with the Airflow though.


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## SullivanSeptic (Nov 30, 2008)

dfd9;1302852 said:


> How does downtime figure into the cost of a new box every 4 years?
> 
> Personally, I'd go with stainless, the aluminum will oxidize.


Down time would be maybe a week if it was set up right. With my trailer, i've removes boards, sand blasted, painted and put new boards on in a full week. But I understand some people need their truck all the time. I was just chiming in on my thoughts


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## nh785 (Oct 22, 2009)

alum-- you will get another 800# of legal payload


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## StuveCorp (Dec 20, 2005)

I asked last time I got a quote on an 11' contractors box and was told they wouldn't even give me a price it was that much more. You will still have to polish and clean stainless or aluminum to keep it looking good. You could probably paint it every year for the price difference, just have it prepped real good and use good paint it should last 3-5 years.


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## CGM Inc. (Dec 15, 2008)

Aluminium is also pretty soft if you haul armour stone or heavy other stuff that isn't flat.


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

biggest prob i see with new steel built stuff is thay paint over the oil's and dust and smooth surfaces. 

like said try and get new box and not painted if possible. then sand/grit blast it to remove all crap and scuff the surfaces up for the paint to bit in to. then use a good oil base primmer and paint like rustoleum paints for good finish and easy touch up. 

thats what i would do.

and most stainless stuff these days is crap quality and will rust. true non rusting stainless will not hold a magnet . 

and yes aluminum is nice/cool/light but as said hard core use = low life span.


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## sle (Dec 28, 2006)

Thanks gentlemen for all your comments.
What happened was that i sold my baby 2008 corvette 6sp and I already have a buyer for
my durmax dump. Boy it is hard as hell to sell a vehicle nowadays.
Any ways, so I found a nicely used 2007 with low miles witch I'm going to buy.
More than likely I will go with Stainless Steel. The way I see it, is if I don't buy anything the IRS will take it. Why not take the tax deductible.
As soon as I have it setup with the box and plow I will post pics.
Thanks again for all your insight.

BTW, I sold my corvette because its doesnt make any money for me.


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## sweetk30 (Sep 3, 2006)

if stainless better match it up with a stainless skin plow blade like fisher has. payup


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## kuhndogg (Mar 3, 2009)

Just ordered a 2012 F550 with a Henderson SS dump bed. It was around 10k. Its worth it in my book. No dicken around. Your set for the life of the truck. Plus then you don't have to look at all of the rust.


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## Morrissey snow removal (Sep 30, 2006)

i would go stainless a freind put one on his f550 it was an airflo real nice dump body


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## JohnnyRoyale (Jun 18, 2006)

We've had great success with aluminum. Like said before, I wouldnt want to be hauling armour stone in it it though. It ran with an undergate salter for 7 years before we sold it and did not have one oxidizing issue and and it looked as good as new when sold.


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