Lube skid

[CM1995]

We would like to have an easier way to perform 250, 500, 1000 hour services in the field. Currently we do 250's and some 500's in the field but have to bring the iron to the yard for the 1000 hour services due to the volume of oil.

Looked at Thundercreek trailers at Conexpo and got a price for a nice fuel and lube trailer.

Specs -

2 - 55 gal product tanks. We would have engine and hydro
1- 110 gal waste/reclaim
2 - pumps and reels for engine and hydro
1 - waste vac
4 - 115 gal diesel tanks
1 - diesel pump
1 - 100 gal DEF with 2 way pump for dispense and fill
Electric jack
Light tower
Gas powered air compressor with generator
Air hose reel
Power cord reel
35LB grease keg with pump and hose reel
Used filter/oil drain pan with bottom suction
Aluminum wheels - why not?

Total OTD price $68,000.

Not bad for the equipment, fit and finish of the trailer. I was able to put my hands on one at Conexpo and it's a well built trailer. As we add more DEF machines this trailer can not only fuel and lube but help keep our DEF cleaner and ultimately be cheaper than the 2.5 gal jugs. Funds are always tight and we are not there yet with only 2 DEF machines other than pickups so the 2.5 gal jugs suffice.

The biggest bang for buck at the moment is GPS, it's been a game changer in the current labor market. Looking at either outfitting our current 325FL with full auto or upgrading to 325 Next gen with full auto. Full auto on either is around $60K. The cost of tractor upgrade is figured elsewhere.

The obvious choice is funding GPS and putting the trailer on the back burner at the moment. However we still want something better than 5 gal buckets to perform services in the field. So that brings us to a lube skid.

What would work for us would be -

2 - 50+/- gal product tanks for engine and hydro
1- 75+/- gal waste tank
2 - reels for both products
1 - waste vac

Don't need a grease keg. We have 3 Milwaukee battery guns and 2 kegs in each of our job boxes along with 2 wheelbarrow compressors. Also have a large IR compressor we could mount on the skid but that gets cumbersome.

Have a spare F350 LWB SRW, 3500 dually flatbed and several trailers to haul it on. It would be nice to find a skid that would slide between the fender wells of the 350 SRW but I don't know if that's available.

So anyone have any advice on manufacturers? Make our own? We've thought about it but know where to source all of the components.

 

[Shimmy1]

Interesting dilemma. I won't be able to help much, I rarely put more than 500 hours a year on anything, and haven't had it happen yet that I needed to do a 1000 hour service in-season. I've went a hundred hours over, and done them 200 hours early.

I'd build my own if I was in your position. That $68k trailer sounds like something a guy would need if he was servicing 100+ pieces, and doing a 1000 hour service per week. Or, he's in the ag industry and wants to look important with the most expensive fuel trailer money can buy.

 

[CM1995]

We operate all year, it's just slower in the winter with all the rain. There are 2 hoes, 2 CTL's, dozer, loader and roller that pretty much stay in the field year round. We'll bring them in for cleaning and a thorough go over once or twice a year.

The trailer is something we'll grow into. Not only for service but the fuel aspect as well. If we are running 3-4 pieces hard on a job we could burn 100-150 gals a day. The 953c will burn though 50 gals in a day like water.

 

[Shimmy1]

That trailer wouldn't have enough fuel for me. When I'm running tractors hard I'm burning close to 400 gallons per day. Currently I'm running a 750 gallon fuel trailer and will have 300 gallons on the back of the 550. I'm actually considering searching for a decent single axle bulk truck that isn't beat to death. Sometimes it's a pain going 20 miles the opposite direction to refill the fuel trailer.

 

[Coaldust]

Have you considered a box van on a medium duty chassis? You could use 110 gallon metal IBC’s for product and air dispensers. Seneca Tank builds a self contained all in one dispenser tower with pumps, hose reels, meters and pumps.

 

[CM1995]

That trailer wouldn't have enough fuel for me. When I'm running tractors hard I'm burning close to 400 gallons per day. Currently I'm running a 750 gallon fuel trailer and will have 300 gallons on the back of the 550. I'm actually considering searching for a decent single axle bulk truck that isn't beat to death. Sometimes it's a pain going 20 miles the opposite direction to refill the fuel trailer.

If we're on a large job we can get 500 or 1000 gal tanks for free from our fuel supplier. It's the larger of the smaller job scale that doesn't warrant an onsite tank.

 

[CM1995]

Have you considered a box van on a medium duty chassis? You could use 110 gallon metal IBC’s for product and air dispensers. Seneca Tank builds a self contained all in one dispenser tower with pumps, hose reels, meters and pumps.

That is a great setup if nothing more to keep everything out of the weather. Problem is tags and insurance is so expensive I don't want another piece of rolling stock. Sold our 1999 4700 we used as a service truck due to the cost of ownership.

 

[Shimmy1]

That is a great setup if nothing more to keep everything out of the weather. Problem is tags and insurance is so expensive I don't want another piece of rolling stock. Sold our 1999 4700 we used as a service truck due to the cost of ownership.

Lots of guys here roll the truck on the lowboy, usually need to haul a little dozer or whatnot anyway. No need to license if it never hits the street. Just out of curiosity, how much per year are we talking? To give up a service truck, it would have to be stupid expensive, like more than $5k per year?

 

[CM1995]

Lots of guys here roll the truck on the lowboy, usually need to haul a little dozer or whatnot anyway. No need to license if it never hits the street. Just out of curiosity, how much per year are we talking? To give up a service truck, it would have to be stupid expensive, like more than $5k per year?

Just under $3K for insurance and tags per year. Sold the 4700 and a F250 in order to save a little over $5K a year. For once in my 20+ years of business our auto policy is more than our GL. We need tort reform in AL but that's another issue..

It was a 1999 4700 with a 5 sp, max velocity down hill with a tailwind and no passenger - 60 MPH. No body wanted to drive it on the interstate where average speed is 75+ and our projects are far enough apart we can't take side roads for times sake. The truck was in good shape but it was nearing 25 years old so I decided to get rid of it.

We took off the welder, compressor, oil, grease and waste tank that was on it although those components are nearing 16-17 years of use. So we have those components we could use on a lube skid build.

The more I think about it we could take our '13 F350 spare truck, put a service body on it and build out a lube portion on it.

 

[Junkyard]

I’d build your own. Figure out skid size that fits nice in the truck and work from that. There are sources for tanks in difference volumes and shapes, your oil supplier can hook you up with product pumps, hose reels etc. Waste oil pump can be an electric pump or a diaphragm style air pump. There are also pre-built skid available from the various service body manufacturers. Last year I price one through custom truck in KC, two products and waste oil. I want to say it was $6,500 and would fit in your pickup. Just add air.

 

[CM1995]

JY $6500 ain't bad, I bet we'd have that much or more in building one adding in labor.

We have an air diaphragm pump off the old truck but I don't like it as you have to swap hoses to evacuate. I'd rather have one with valve for any new build.

What type of tank - plastic, steel or aluminum? Plastic being the cheapest, steel problems with rust and aluminum being more expensive. Being as small as what we're looking for aluminum might be the ticket and too price prohibitive.

 

[JLarson]

Sage oil vac makes some really nice skids, they sell parts to build your own too.

 

[CM1995]

Well we are leaning towards building a service truck using our '13 350 SRW. The plan is to take the pickup body off and get a CM flatbed or equivalent.

We've acquired an old square 50 gal fuel tank for waste and going to fabricate 2-25 gal square steel tanks. Or so that's the plan at the moment.

 

[heymccall]

I support four 3 machine pipe crews, that average 2k hours a year. 2 hoes and wheel loader each, plus landscaping equipment.
The triple 60gallon tanks, 10w, 15w40, and waste, are more than sufficient for us. The waste has a reverser valve so it sucks in thru the reel, and when reversed, dispenses through the reel. Obviously the reels aren't on the skid, nor is the compressor.
Fits between the sides of my Stellar Tmax11 on my Pete.
I'm home every weekend and have bulk product tanks there.
Each crew has a 500 gallon diesel tank on site.

Curry Supply built the setup, and the rest of the configuration.

 

[Zewnten]

Made one for a shop I worked for. Made it 4ft wide and 8 ft long so it would fit in any full size truck bed. The only issue we had was the tanks were so cheap they didn't hold up to the air compressor or driving vibrations very well but that was upper management's decision not mine.

 

[CM1995]

Nice truck and setup HM. Can't justify that much expense for our smaller operation but if funds weren't pulled in every direction..

Northern Tool has a broad selection of fuel and lube products on their website at pretty good prices especially their Ironton brand. I've bought various small tools and things in both the Ironton and Roughneck Northern Tool brands. My fuel guy actually suggested I look there as they have started to buy 12V fuel pumps and other products for their tanks.

It's all made in China so wondering if anyone has any experience with the Northern Tool pumps and accessories?

 

[heymccall]

I wasn't suggesting that you buy a truck like mine.
I was showing the 60/60/60 supports our operations well, and that bigger isn't really needed,, IMHO. Also, that the waste tank with a diaphragm pump can be valve reversible.

And to suggest contacting Curry to see if they catalog a skid to fill your needs.

 

[CM1995]

I wasn't suggesting that you buy a truck like mine.

I know. Just complimenting the setup.

 

[AzIron]

Skids these days that I like are over 15 grand setup and then I am pushing overloaded in my 550 the 750 I just acquired would be nice for a skid but we go to many directions. Currently using a 80 gallon bulk tank and 55 gallon drum for waste in the back of the 550 it works and is cheap

Were going to do a thunder creek in the next 12 months is my plan I have about 6 machines with def and the new ones without egr will really put the def away.

Thunder creek has probably the best def system around and so that solves my bulk def problem around here I know to many job fuel tanks that have been stolen from overnight that I dont want to find out at 5 bucks a gallon. Also we will hit a job for about 10 days with 5 machines and move on so the fuel supplier wont do it

We are starting to work about 100 miles from the yard mainly because of growth in our biz and driving a 1 ton 2 hours away sounds better than a 550 to deliver fuel and change oil

But I agree 68 to 70 grand is expensive but in my time alone it will probably pay for itself way faster than I think

 

[treemuncher]

Just my $0.02 here from my experience:

* Make a skid that you can load/unload from the truck bed with a forklift or crane if you don't need it full time. Easier to update or perform repairs on the unit this way and the truck bed is still available for other hauling if needed.

* Used oil barrels or totes will get you a cheap, easy to replace containers until you want to fully commit to a particular size when you have your needs completely figured out.

* Dont' forget to add a pressure washer to your build - indespensible in the field once you have one available on a daily basis - wash glass anytime as well as keep radiators clean as needed and clean up after hydraulic repairs. Easy to build your own system from components, and fairly cheap.

I have a 200 gal fuel tank with fork ports under it for easy removal from my service truck. 4 bolts to get it free with welded nuts under the truck floor so no extra wrenches required. On the top of the tank is my grease hose reel that lays sideways in order to fit the allowable space. On the back of the tank is a welded-on shelf that has a 120 lb keg of grease banded into place which is run on air pressure. A 120v heater blanket around the grease keg heats the grease during winter nights so that the grease flows quickly in the morning at the job sites.

I have a 55 gal plastic barrel for my pressure washer needs. That will usually get me by for a week's worth of windows/radiators in muddy conditions. Dry conditions may require more for the radiators if it's really bad. Running the welder/gen and the pressure washer from the truck's pto took away 2 extra engines/batteries/oils/parts to maintain and deal with. I have a 3 way valve to allow me to add antifreeze to the pump during winter months and a small Pelonis heater in the box to keep the water warm enough on the winter overnights. Everything is weather tight within the box.

From my experiences, I would certainly want to keep everything in the dry as much as possible if I was building a fuel/grease skid. If you build a trailer, you should also consider a filtration cart if you want to keep your hydraulics in the cleanest condition and you can keep the cart/fittings super clean. Typically, I drain my hydraulic system into a 55 drum, make my repairs, polish up the oil for 30 minutes or more with the cart and then pump it back into the machine's reservoir. It's much more efficient than spilling oil everywhere and my hydraulics don't go down as often as they used to.

Everyone's needs vary. You just need to figure out exactly what volumes will work best for your business. Look for used hose reels and pumps to fit your needs if you want to save that cash. And those quick, lever style oil drain plugs are also a time/mess saver, especially in the field.