Hello all I'm a newbie and doing research before I buy my first mini truck. I'm interested in a newer HD Dump model but really need a rear bumper / receiver for light towing around my property. Has anyone made and fitted a rear bumper / receiver for this model of HD Dump?
What brand of mini truck you looking for. Do you want to make it yourself or buy something already made?
There are a few dealer and importers who will get you newer units, and I have seen new units on a few sites.
5 minutes with Google will show you a few dealers with newer and new Daihatsu hijets. As I posted I would like a HD dump no more than 5 years old, my issue is a rear bumper for a dump model. Also interested in understanding front end lift on these newer mini trucks. Finding a truck is not an issue, fitting a rear bumper receiver seems a big issue for HD dump, I may have to buy regular non dump to get a rear bumper receiver. Im thinking that I can not be the first to look into this issue.
I don’t think you will find a pre-manufactured rear bumper set up. But the aren’t to hard to weld up. On my S110, I utilized a factory tube that connects the rear frame just in front of the pivots for the dump bed. I figured they were as strong as anything on the truck. I fabricated brackets out of some 3-inch channel and went down to punt the bumper. Mine is the pick/tipper (scissors lift/dump) option, and a made up my bumpers to not only have a receiver in the middle, but also have receivers on the ends of the bumpers to mount outriggers when I use it as a man lift platform.
I put a hitch off a jeep had to narrow it. Hitch was free from a neighbor. And I drilled the frame of the truck and welded in thick wall Dom steel tubing.
Thanks for all your input. I decided to skid a dump version and just go for a regular version, just put an order in for a new one.
The dumps are lots easier to work on. On the standard units, you have to access the engine through a small hatch, and can’t quite get at everything and see it at the same time. On the dumps, you tip the bed, and then take off the engine protection plate (8-bolts) and there is the engine, you can see and work on everything.
The main issue when buying used mini-truck with dump bed is since the option is not cheap, the guy that bought it probably used it as a dump truck. Clean dump truck are pretty rare and if you must have one you may end up with a more beat up truck or wait longer to find one. Thats why I went with a regular truck and made my own dump bed conversion.
do y’all have any pictures of your hitch setup? I’m looking to buy an HD dumper (Hijet) but I gotta have a rear receiver.
On mine I utilized the cross tube which connects the two frame rails at the rear. Mine is the pick/tipper, and from the factory had a pair of out riggers that slid in and out of the tube to stabilize the rear of the truck when you use the scissors lift as a work platform. I utilized them, to carry the bulk of the load, with bolts into rivetnuts in the frame rail, as anchor points. I wanted to have sturdy outriggers when I work off the bed in the raised position, so I build my bumper out of 0.10 wall square tube, with receivers at the ends and in the middle. It’s kind of ugly, but beautifully functional. The tube is behind the square plate. Side view of teh rear bumper, with the first set of tail lights. Clearer view of the mount system. View with the new rear lights. They are re holding up much better. let me know if you want more pictures.
I chose the 3 inch square tube, for a couple reasons; First. it's easier to use as a step, to stand on and not slip off, like a round tubular steel design. Second, it made it easier to mount the square receiver hitch underneath to receive the tow hitch! Third, I liked the looks of it! By Designing and Fabricating my own brackets to mount it, the 3 inch square tube was a lot easier to work with! If I later want to add Stabilizers, All I have to do is slide a larger square tube, over the outside of the Bumper, at both ends, and I can Stabilize the unit for raising the lift, and not have too worry about tipping over! Think it out and plan your moves! Mine being off road, I eliminated my tail lights, and don't need a license plate! At least with Jigs and mine you can get a few Ideas! Good Luck! Limestone
My taillights are LED, units. I got them off Amazon. I did a lot of wiring mods to add the Overhead plow lights, and the rear light bar, and added a variable rate flasher, with the control stem poking through a hole in the dash. Which is surprisingly unobtrusive. I think if all I had been doing was upgrading to led lights it would have been pretty straight forward to just add the variable rate flasher control. You can get them on eBay or Amazon. Search for “adjustable led flasher relay”. I drilled a hole through the dash, and mounted the flasher unit with the adjustment knob poking through the hole, using double stick tape, and ran wires to the fuse box, where the old flasher mounted. I couldn’t find an LED flasher control, which actually fit in the socket on the fuse panel. So, mounting the adjustable one and running wires to the fuse panel was an easier option than finding one which fit the fuse panel. Flash rate adjustment, poking through the dash panel to the left of the steering column.
I put LED headlamps in mine, and had to add relays to get the correct current flow. Will I run into the same problem with the tail lights?
The wiring tothe rear lights is chassis grounded, and fed a normal switched hot. But you may be limited by the wire size. On mine since I was adding several new light circuits, used the stock rear wiring, to control a relay box that I installed at the back of the cab. On the dumps, and pick/tippers you have a shelf at the back of the cab, where the bed on a normal truck bolts on. I utilized it to mount the relay box, and intercepted the wiring to the rear light, using it to control the relays, and ran the wiring from the relays to a junction box. From the j-box, I ran new a new bundled wire to the rear bumper, to the atv style rear light bar, and to the front roof light bar which has the snow plow lights on it.
Did you build a custom relay box or buy an automotive style one? I’ve seen some that allow multiple relays, include lighted switches and have fuses protecting each output.
It's kind of a hybrid. The rooftop light bar is controlled by a packaged control/relay system with integral fuses, which is driven by a small control unit that came with the relay setup. And, I ordered a relay box off Amazon, to control the brake, turn, and backup lights. And fuse the circuits for the wire 16 and 14-ga wire now running to the lights.
It's kind of a hybrid. The rooftop light bar is controlled by a packaged control/relay system with integral fuses, which is driven by a small control unit that came with the relay setup. And I ordered a relay box off Amazon, to control the brake, turn, and backup lights.
