New LDV Chip truck

After careful calculations of weights and measurements I've finally started to build the new truck. The Tax ran out on the old one yesterday and it aint ever going to pass another MOT which runs out in a few weeks.

The aim of the project is simple enough, build a better truck but use my old aluminium tip bed and add some tool storage.

I bought the tool box a while ago and that is what started the project. Next I needed an extra LWB LDV in reasonable condition and cheap! Last week I picked up one from Essex with a 12foot dropside rear body on it, it was like driving a train!

Heres a pic of the old truck on its last day at work!

Pretty rough!! But it went well. I'm sad to see it go, its been nearly 6 years!

Aanyway I removed the chip box and it was way heavier than I had imagined. It got put on bit by bit and I never knew what it weighed. I unbolted everything but couldn't lift it off, I just tipped it out the back. It was made of plywood over steel frame and the wood must have absorbed a lot of water it was very heavy.

The rear bed is now a inch or more higher than it was! The tipper is coming off next week and then I may break it for parts of just send it the scrapyard!

plywood ways a fair bit after getting water logged, i had a plywood back on a metal frame when i took it off the wood weighed more than the metal!!!!

So the components are all there for the new truck.

So far all I've done is put a new wooden base on the tool box and bolted it onto the new LDV chassis.

The tipper gets put on next week.

So far so good!!!

plywood ways a fair bit after getting water logged, i had a plywood back on a metal frame when i took it off the wood weighed more than the metal!!!!

Yes lesson learned I think. At least the steel box will weight the same in a few years time so I know where i am with it.

Get the old truck on ebay somebody will probably buy it!! As for the toolbox looks good, although don't know how thief proof it is. I've known roller shutter doors be put in very easily. They hit the middle of it with a sledge hammer which causes it to pop out of the runners then they just bend it out the way. We found that a bit of steel bar half way down means that this should be easier to stop. You could put a steel (Or wood) shelf halfway up which would have the same effect. Or it maybe that that shutter is better than the roller shutter door type and wont come out the runners as easily.

Rob

Looking forward to seeing it finished.

Yeah not sure what to do about that yet. I'm thinking of leaving it unlocked, there won't be any valuables in there overnight anyway so no point in getting it wrecked for nothing, they might as well look inside and steal a shovel if they want to. The industrial estate its on is locked at night and has security and cameras and there is also plenty of other vans to break into, so far I've had no trouble there (three years) but I have been lucky I think.

I'll put the old one on ebay once the tipper is off. I can photo it then and that's better than havign to tell everyone that the tipper is not included. I was also going to advertise it on the ldv owners forum but it seems to be off line!