RB44 project, conversion to suit my work requirements.

[TotalTreeCall]

Well my Vauxhall Movano van blew up two weeks ago, I've been in need of a tipper for a while now so I bit the bullet and took out a loan to buy this RB44 with a tipper on the back, it also has a wood chipper mounted to it and a 3 point lift arm which make it a special purpose vehicle so MOT exempt etc..

The set up didn't suit me at all with the chipper on the front and I also need a lockable box body for tools that I use for different aspects of my work, so 9 days of graft and about £1.5k in materials later and I've nearly finished the transformation!! Now looking forward to getting back to work. Also gonna build a removable tool crate that I will carry around on the 3 point lift arm on the back and hope to build a log splitter to run of the hydrolic PTO and should be able to run a bigger chipper off of the gearbox PTO at some point too

Edited May 22, 2014 by TotalTreeCall
typo

[mendiplogs]

Well my Vauxhall Movano van blew up two weeks ago, I've been in need of a tipper for a while now so I bit the bullet and took out a loan to buy this RB44 with a tipper on the back, it also has a wood chipper mounted to it and a 3 point lift arm which make it a special purpose vehicle so MOT exempt etc..

The set up didn't suit me at all with the chipper on the front and I also need a lockable box body for tools that I use for different aspects of my work, so 9 days of graft and about £1.5k in materials later and I've nearly finished the transformation!! Now looking forward to getting back to work. Also gonna build a removable tool crate that I will carry around on the 3 point lift arm on the back and hope to build a log splitter to run of the hydrolic PTO and should be able to run a bigger chipper off of the gearbox PTO at some point too

 

Hi TTC looks great mate well done there what weight will they take thanks Jon

[treequip]

Where do you keep the infeed for the chipper and, who did the welding on those barn doors?

[TotalTreeCall]

Hey Mendip,

 

The RB44 weighs 2,800 kg when just a chassis cab, and the max weight is usually 5,300 kg (some are rated to 7,500 kg) so that gives you 2.5 tons to play with for a tipper and chip etc, in my case I've had to use the tipper that was already fitted which weighs about a ton, and the chipper (200kg) so I've made the box as light as poss, gonns go weigh the truck again today, buy my calcs work out that I have between 3/4 to a ton left for chip.

[TotalTreeCall]

Hi Treequip,

The in-feed has to go in the back (or in the tool crate) and slots on easily when in use.

I did all the work myself including the welding, my welding isn't all that pretty but it does the job, the close up slot is just to show the door holders that I cannibalized from my Movano, just to hold the doors open so they don't blow around in the wind and **** me on the head Lol ;-)

[aspenarb]

Men in sheds I have got both the single wheel and twin wheel RB`s and the only difference between them is the 7.5 ton gross one has a twin wheel rear axle and runs the 17.5 tyres on conventional rims. This 17.5 rim does not leave much choice for off road rubber.

 

Bob

[TotalTreeCall]

Men in sheds I have got both the single wheel and twin wheel RB`s and the only difference between them is the 7.5 ton gross one has a twin wheel rear axle and runs the 17.5 tyres on conventional rims. This 17.5 rim does not leave much choice for off road rubber.

 

Bob

 

Haha yeh, need the A-Team theme tune to go with those pics lol

Yeh some of the RB's came from the MOD with the heavier 7.5ton rear springs/axle, so if I do find that I'm short on payload then I could fit the heavier axle later on and uprate to 7.5 ton gross weight.

[Gray git]

Looking good that man!

Thought you was mad when you told me about this a few weeks back but you have pulled it off :thumbup:

 

sent while pretending to do something important on my mobile.

[agrimog]

the rb44 was never available as a 7.5 tonne, that variant was a dodge 50, the parts arent interchangable as the rear axle is a lot beefier than the rb44, be aware that the front axles were unique to RB, as are the transfer cases, everything else is straight dodge comerciall

[Rich Rule]

Hey Mendip,

 

The RB44 weighs 2,800 kg when just a chassis cab, and the max weight is usually 5,300 kg (some are rated to 7,500 kg) so that gives you 2.5 tons to play with for a tipper and chip etc, in my case I've had to use the tipper that was already fitted which weighs about a ton, and the chipper (200kg) so I've made the box as light as poss, gonns go weigh the truck again today, buy my calcs work out that I have between 3/4 to a ton left for chip.

 

So after all that time and effort do you think it is worth it to be able a couple more wood chips than a Transit.?

 

I would want a lot more payload for the hassle of running one of those machines.