Some of you probably think using a commercial dump truck as daily driver is a stupid idea. Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t have a commercial-size dump truck then, isn’t it? Because, that would have been a whole lotta gas wasted. Technically, the used Dodge Ram 150 I used to drive was a dump truck because it was installed with a hydraulic pump that lifted the bed with a control arm, and I used to dump things out of it.
Hey, it’s a stretch, but it’s the same concept as a traditional dump truck. Use it to transport material, and then dump said material in a different location. If anything, you should be ecstatic hearing my story. If you enjoy driving commercial-rigged dump trucks (or are looking for more utility with your daily-driver truck) then you can get a hydraulic lift installed.
Some of the things I did with my truck were silly and fun, but most of the time it was very helpful when it came to doing some work around my yard. Man, I miss that truck…
What I Used it For
The main advantage was my truck had a dump-body on it. The pump was set under the pickup bed, and I had a set of buttons next to the driver’s seat. One set designed to raise it, and one to lower it. A hydraulic-powered control arm would do all the work for me with the push of a button. It went up pretty high, too – almost creating a 90-degree angle with the frame. Here’s some of the more fun (and lazy) things I used this truck for:
– Created a swimming pool with duct tape and a tarp, then dumped out the water and created a water slide (please don’t try that, I don’t want to be responsible for injuries).
– Dumped the snow out of my bed instead of shoveling (yeah, be jealous).
– Raised the bed to let it self-clean (removing dirt, stone, wood splinters, etc.) in the rain.
– Impressed a girl with it. It became the catalyst landing me a date (I’m dead serious).
– As you can see, there are plenty of fun and silly things I did with my “dump truck,” and if you’re a creative, self-respecting northern redneck like me, I’m sure there’s plenty more you can think of, if you haven’t already.
– Now, onto some more of the serious ways the truck’s dump body helped me out:
– Gathered wood for the wood-stove, then dumped it out in my yard (huge time saver).
– Used it to patch holes in my driveway with regrind. Slightly raised the bed and drove over the holes, used a shovel and rake to clear it out of the raised bed (made this project a lot easier).
– See above for the same ideas when it came time to spread loam in my yard.
While I used it for play, I also used it like a commercial rig – and moved material from one place to another effectively and efficiently. Now that the truck is gone, it takes twice as long to pick up loads of firewood, or patch the holes in the driveway with regrind.
It really was useful, and I miss it more for the utility it provided me, and not as much for the fun things I did with it.
It was Really Freakin’ Cool, Man
Bottomline: it was just really freaking cool. Because of the configuration, I was also able to raise it in order to get at my gas cap easier. Meaning I got to wow everyone at the gas station when I did that. Or, scare the shit out of myself and the person behind me at the pump when I started raising it and forgot I had loose objects in the back.
It had that WOW factor I love about personalized vehicles, and made my little Dodge Ram 1/2 ton stand out among all the others that were on the road.
