V-Box -- Leave On Or Off While Snowplowing

[mac]

Do you leave your V-Box on or off while snowplowing.
We leave our V-box off all time, unless they're needed.

[CNY Joe]

I would leave it on while plowing, It will help as added ballast, and its one less trip you have to make. Once you are doing plowing you can then just salt the lot. JMO

[Mick]

Needed for ballast on the flatbed. Without it, the rear end "floats". I used the sander as ballast for this storm. I still need more, so I'll try a half yard of sand/salt next time.

[Lawngodfather]

Some truck the v boxs stay in all winter.

Always plow with the v boxes in/on.

[gordyo]

I leave it on, but was getting pretty tired of the guys backing into snowbanks and bending the chute up. Solved that by having a big steel bumper built all around the chutei so if they back up into something now there teeth rattle.:grinz

[Lawngodfather]

How about some pics of that Gordyo?

[mac]

We never plow with the v-box on. We find its quick to plow all the lots then come back and sand/salt later if needed. Then sanders hook-up to the trucks in about 5 minutes. No lifting required.

[windmill]

Sander on all the time. I'd love to find a way to take it off or on in 5 minutes. How do you do it?

[mac]

Its basically a 10' x 10' x 10' cube made out of 2" steel tube, with two winches. You just drive under the sander and lower it down, hook up the power and control cables and you’re away to the races.

[windmill]

OK probably something along the line of what I wanted to do out of 6x6 posts. Your way sounds better and safer. Any chance of some pictures? :) How do you have your sanders fastened to the truck? And is your sander empty when off?

[Mick]

Windmill, I don't know if this helps you. I rigged this up to store my Vbox. I just back under the rear one that has a one-ton chain hoist. I hoist it up and put a 4x4 and 6x6 under the rear of the Vbox and a 4x4 under the front of the box. It's high enough that I back the one ton flatbed under it in the garage at night. When I'm ready to hook it up, I can just hoist it up, remove the boards, lower it, unhook the hoist, hook up the two connectors and the ground wire, strap it down and I'm ready to go.

[windmill]

Is the 2" tubing inside the wooden form I see there? Would the 2" posts be the same type as is used in some basement house supports? I like the versatility you have being able to back the truck in and not loose any space.

[Mick]

Originally posted by windmill
Is the 2" tubing inside the wooden form I see there? Would the 2" posts be the same type as is used in some basement house supports? I like the versatility you have being able to back the truck in and not loose any space.

That's Mac who uses the tubing frame. This is all wood. This is all full-dimension lumber I get from a mill. Mostly 2x6s and 2x8s. On the back I use a 2x6 with a 6x10 on top of that to lift the box then set it down 4x4 and 4x6 in back and a 4x4 toward the front of the box.

If you'd like, I can get some better pictures of it.

[windmill]

If you wouldn't mind, and have the time, that would be great. I think mine would take a little longer to set up since it is bolted into my box, but I'm trying to devise a system that would be secure yet release quickly. I wish I were a welder so that I could try out my ideas myself. It's hard to explain to someone the ideas you have in your head. Oh well.

[Pelican]

The only time I took my V-box off when I had it was to use the truck for hauling. Otherwise, it stayed on the truck. It weighed 1000 pounds, was nice ballast for plowing. In extreme cases I'd put about a yard of material on for more weight.

It took me about an hour to remove the box and reinstall the tailgate, when you consider prepping the machine for lifting and everything else involved with the process, then another hour to reinstal the box for the next storm.

[Mick]

Windmill, I took several pictures from different angles. But I think this does the best overall job of showing it.

[urethane dino]

We leave them on all during the storm, we need to pretreat lots, and then treat duing the storm as well
Dino

[John DiMartino]

I always keep one spreader in all season,and the one on my Dodge ill pull out as needed. A agree with Dino I need to have one truck just to pretreat lots.

[gordyo]

Originally posted by Lawngodfather
How about some pics of that Gordyo?

Here you go Lawngodfather

[gordyo]

A little closer

[Pelican]

Jeff,

That looks like it's welded on. What do you do in the summer months or is this a dedicated truck?

[V65Sabre]

We leave ours in for the season but it will come out very quick. Four tiedowns,unplug, lift out with the backhoe ( we have taken it off with two guys and two heavyduty sawhorses) 10 ,15minutes max.
Gordyo , that is a great idea for chute protection. I've often thought of doing a similiar and I think you just pushed me enough. Looks like yours might even take a good whack from someone following to close.
John

[gordyo]

It is all bolted on to the truck so it comes right off with the twist of a few wrenches. It bolts on with four 3/4 " bolts on the two bottom brackets and the top brackets take (1) 3/4" bolt each that thread into the nuts that are welded onto the backside because it is a very awkward area to get at. If you do this the one thing that is a must is to disconnect the dump lift unless you are the only driver cause it will bend like a pretzel if someone comes along and puts the dump body up. The guy that was driving the truck during the last storm backed up to close to the rear of a car and hit it with this guard. Car had a little damage but if it had hit the chute I would have had to lay out some big money for a new one.

[Pelican]

Makes sense. I can't see any bolts, it looked welded on from here. Good job!

Too bad we have to make provisions to compensate for driver error, I've had to modify my truck too for the same reason.:headwall

[Lawngodfather]

My big one has one, it's part welded on part bolted on.

I have to make it higher when I raise the chute up.

[CPSS]

I see a lot of guys using ty-down straps to hold their spreaders on the truck. I've always used chains. There is a tremendous amount of stored energy in the form of weight if you were in an accident. Just a thought.......