Switch-N-Go system...

Anybody had any experience with these? There is a dealer for them that just opened up near me. They have a few of these trucks for sale and each comes with 2 bodies. Im looking some opinions.

http://www.bucksfab.com/switchngo.htm

 

I'am also interested but I do have some things I don't like about the system which is the tails of the rails don't sit on the ground its is almost like a dead lift rolloff system. For that system you need their boxes with the special snipe on the front to get the box etc started on the rails.

The other thing I don't like is with the that snipe you can't get the load you are putting on the deck or box far enough forward.

The other mini rolloff systems I have seen they either use a hyraulic ram with a cable or the electric winch is mounted in the middle of the rails and the reeving line is run through a sheeve on the head of the rails.

I'am thinking of building my own set of rails its not that hard to build a better version of the Switch and go wouldn't take long. All you need is to buy a scissor hoist set up with a subframe and hinge plates. The rails you make out of either heavy C Channel or Rectangle tubing etc.

You look at the price of the roll off system which is 10 grand installed which is alot of money.

Heres a rough price what it would cost you to make your own.

3000.00 Hoist
1000.00 Steel
1500.00 Winch
1000.00 Hydraulics
1000.00 Misc parts
--------
7500.00 Roughly

Even thou I'am not a big fan of hook lifts you may want to look at them too.

 

A good friend of mine has one mounted on a Fuso 4 x 4 cab over , he loves it , he carries his track bobcat on it all the time . He has 5 bodies for it . ( flat , dump truck style, and 3 can bodies) He also has a stellar shuttle hook lift on a large international , he has had more problems with the stellar system than the switch and go .

 

its a nice system like anything it has limits but i think it is not bad for the money
a few guys in the area have them

 

Conventional rails will always be easier maintenance and less troubles plus its less weight on the truck. Like I said before the switch and go doesn't have long enough rails so the tips contact the ground. You really do need the rail tips to bear some of the weight when you get the box started. It keeps the truck from squatting and taking all the weight on the rear springs.

I watched the local disposal company pull a heavy box onto his F-Superduty (450) hook lift I never seen 7.50R16 14plys flatten out. This was when the box was just riding on rollers on the truck. The suspension on the truck flattened right out once the box was on it was fine.

My dad has had 1 ton winch trucks with a 12' deck pulling something heavy aboard its lifted the front wheels off the ground.

 

I saw a truck with the switch n go system at the expo it looked like the best tool for a small landscape company. I liked the idea that you could roll off the bed and pull a gooseneck. The next truck I buy will be a c5500 with the switch n go. You can get the landscape bed and haul your mowers and on days when you are doing landscaping you can use the dump bed or you could drop of containers for your crews with mulch and tools in it. I also like the how you can roll of the dump body and load it by hand at ground level then roll it back on. But it is kinda pricey and I also think you could copy and build your own system for a lot less.

 

When you think the winch you can pretty much buy anywhere the hoist that raises the rails is just a scissor hoist. If you were good at fabrication a system like that would be easy to create.

I would probably use a hydraulic winch instead of the electric just to save on the trucks batteries. A Milemarker 12,000lb unit would work good they make ones with power in and out.

 

I have seen this truck and man its sweet here a pic I took of it when Matt took me to see it. Ever since I saw it. I decided that my next dump truck (F-550) will have a switch and go. One dump bed, one can, one frame (for a hydro seeder). Plus one of my best friends is buying in the spring a Chevy 5500 with switch and go and 12 cans to start a mini roll off service. So I will be able to help him move them around when he is really busy.