Payload

[CG]

What I think of payload is the weight capacity a truck will handle safely. I believe that today's half ton trucks while called half ton will handle more than half ton versions of our 67-72 Chevy trucks. I think this goes for all the weight classes. And I also realize most of us have hauled more than what the load ratings in our 67-72 trucks is relatively safely.

Ive been looking for options in the future to convert my C30 to a dump bed. There are a lot of options out there and a lot of varying weight capacities.

So I'm thinking my 71 C30 should safely carry 2000lbs (one ton). Now I'm trying to decide with that in mind what capacity should my hydraulic hoist be rated at.

So as I'm pondering I got to thinking, I sure see a lot of the 67-72 C30/one ton trucks being used as car haulers. How can this be? Most things being hauled on one of those weighs more than a ton.

Maybe school me on payload, and help me decide on what size hydraulic capacity for me to be saving up for in the future. I don't know if it will ever even happen, but I think its great to dream =)

BTW Im not talking about towing capacity, but if you want to add that to the discussion that would be great.

[special-K]

The numbers that matter are mfgr's GVW rating, subtract net weight (weight of truck empty) and you have the actual payload.

Especially with 1 ton trucks, most of the most common uses did exceed mfgr's GVW rating. What's funny is the MVA allows you to register them above that rating. In Maryland, a 1t can't be registered below 10,000# while 1/2ts & 3/4ts can be registered 'up to' 10,000#

I would want hydraulics rated well above the payload.

[Ol Blue K20]

CG, I would bet your truck with the original camper. Loaded with gear and supplies for a trip was technically overloaded.......

[1976gmc20]

My recollection is that my 1973 K/20 had a GVW of 7500 pounds but that was based on the 8 ply tires. It would have been 8500 GVW with 10 ply tires and everything else the same.

I think it weighed somewhere between 4000 and 4500 pounds empty, so the payload would have been 3000 to 4000 pounds depending on tires. So that just goes to show that "three quarter ton" or "one ton" doesn't correspond to actual payload.

Not to mention, of course - that I hauled a lot more than that on occasion I did discover that 8 ply tires will blow out with too much weight at too high a speed. Drive slow and you can get away with a lot of overloading.

[joedoh]

check your gvwr as said.

my 2001 2500hd has a bed payload of almost 2 tons. I have had more than that on it for a scrap run and it didnt squat much at all. 10 ply commercial tires.

this one was motor and all, almost a complete 1952 3/4 ton truck cut in half. defintely way more than 3/4 of a ton!

[CG]

Couple of kits I was looking at. Open to opinions on these, or love to see something you have used. Im thinking 5ton would be fine, up to 8ton max? Im not skilled enough to cobble up something from scratch. And on these any welding needing done would be tacked by me and have a pro buddy finish weld.

https://northernhydraulics.net/index...ct_detail&p=70

https://primarymover.com/collections...=5644327092255

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by CG

Couple of kits I was looking at. Open to opinions on these, or love to see something you have used. Im thinking 5ton would be fine, up to 8ton max? Im not skilled enough to cobble up something from scratch. And on these any welding needing done would be tacked by me and have a pro buddy finish weld.

https://northernhydraulics.net/index...ct_detail&p=70

https://primarymover.com/collections...=5644327092255

I don't remember the brand but I put one of those kits under a flatbed that I made from scratch on an old GM pickup for some folks I used to work for 30++ years ago.

It seemed to work okay for them but they just used it around their mountain resort to haul firewood, and trash to their own dump. I worked for them in the winter and that was one of my projects one year.

[Chevyland]

I’ve had quite a few of these 69-72 c30’s
Dump trucks and flatbeds.
Every one of them could handle 3tons
2-1/2 is more comfortable if you have to go far

As far as the dumps
It seems like the pto driven ones we’re always stronger than the electric

I saw you responded to the other guy in Utah that was questioning if his dump bed is worth anything.
If I was you, I’d get a flatbed trailer and go pick it up.
Everything is there and it came off another 157” wb
(A very easy fit) if you really want a dump bed.
That is what my nephew is doing with one of my dead trucks
If he changes his mind, I’ve got a dump bed for you here in Ca.

[burnin oil]

5 ton should be plenty. 10k pounds should buckle your truck. I think it was Pierces kit directions that talked about the location of the scissor lift and effect on capacity. If the lift can move the first few inches it will be fine. Food for thought but a dump bed puts alot of strain on the frame at the lift mechanism and hinge. I would suggest a frame that hooks to the truck frame to support it and take the point loads while distributing it out onto the truck frame. It can be done without the extra rails but will be hard on the truck. I have a parts truck that was a dump and the hinge pins are a solid 1" bar that span both rails. Its far from straight and had wollowed out the frame and reinforcement plates holes. I wish it had a scissor lift since the bed was pretty nice other than needing a new floor installed.

[72c20customcamper]

Sad to say but dumps on small 1 tons are few and far between here. Either they have a dump trailer or a large dump truck

[Dead Parrot]

Your answer may be in your first post. Go talk to the driver of one of those C30 car haulers. Find out what they did to make it safe and legal to carry a 2 ton car on a 1 ton rated truck. Find out the max load they can legally carry. And who made the conversion.

The difference between a tilt bed car hauler and a dump bed truck would seem to be resizing the bed, adding some sides and a good tailgate.

[CG]

Originally Posted by Chevyland

... I saw you responded to the other guy in Utah that was questioning if his dump bed is worth anything.
If I was you, I’d get a flatbed trailer and go pick it up.
Everything is there and it came off another 157” wb
(A very easy fit) if you really want a dump bed.

I would love a road trip to do something like that. Unfortunately I dont have a job that would allow me to do that anymore. Started a new job about four months ago so Im bottom of the rung with no vacation time. Old job I was at so long I could pretty much do as I pleased ... Oh well =)

I don't really have a need (at this time) for dump bed, I was just thinking it would be a neat addition as long as I was building a flat bed. I'll have to take from my truck/car fund to pay for it which right now is very low haha.

Gotta raid my stash and sell some stuff if I really want to do this.

[1976gmc20]

As far as the dumps
It seems like the pto driven ones we’re always stronger than the electric

That's always true but if it's just occasional use the electric is cheaper and easier. I did set up a PTO/hydraulic system on my C/50 for the log loader and it really was pretty easy. Cheap too, but I found a lot of junkyard parts

If a dump bed has some extension out over the end of the frame where the hinge pins are, then it takes a little less power to start it lifting. That configuration is not so good for dirt/rock hauling but commonly used for farm grain trucks.

[burnin oil]

Plan ahead and make the flatbed so that frame can be placed under it and hinges welded between the two. This would make for an easy conversion down the road when funds are available.

For the GVWR the company that made the ramp probably raised the rating. It can be done by a shop but i am unsure of the process. GvWR is not permanent by the manufacturer. My 5500 is good to 19,500 but came with a sticker stating that the end configuration was set by the chasis upfitter.