pics of Your moblie collection system

[mapleman3]

Hey guys, as I think of next season already, I'm thinking of upgrading my collection ways... I will have 2 trucks , 1 for some of the buckets we will still have and then a bigger beater truck to go get sap from the north bush, so I will need at least a 3/4 to 1 ton truck, I will be sucking from a ground tank, so I would love to see some pics posted here of your trucks and pump systems.. and a description? I'm sure it will help many here to see.

Mine is below that my wife goes to buckets with and the kids too...(I have shown these I know)

2001 Dakota 4X4 Quad cab 210 gal truck tank with 12v rule 1500 bilge pump, switch off the trailer power connection

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

Along with that bigger truck, you need a bigger sugarhouse, a bigger evaporator, a bigger RO, more barrels to hold all the syrup, .................

[mapleman3]

I Like your thinking !!!!! :) :) ;)

[WESTVIRGINIAMAPLER]

......and soon it won't be fun any longer, just another job.........

[MaplePancakeMan]

Thats the 1977 f-250 i use to collect. It has 1 ton leaf springs and it has generally 275 gallon cage tank is on there. However, i've put 2 of them on there with very little give in the springs So i've had 525 gallons on there at one time and drove 1/2 an hour.

http://icons-pe.wunderground.com/data/wximagenew/t/TheShovler3/77.jpg

[mapleman3]

What do you use to pump the sap to the tank?

[MaplePancakeMan]

1 1/4" sump pump with the little gas generator that you can see on the back next to the tank. Toward the end i cleaned up an old 1 1/2" pump. It moved a full tank in about 7 minutes.

[Gary R]

Although my system is too small for you, here it is. The BAT mobile. 4.5" lift, 33'' Buckshots, spool in rear end. All pumping is done manually. Lift buckets to pour into tank, lift buckets when full from drain in tank. I do plan on pumping to an elevated tank next year. All this bucket lifting is getting old after only 1 year:) .

[mapleman3]

Now thats a cool sap vehicle :) your right though not sure it will hold 400+ gallons.. unless you want to see it doing a wheelie ... yeeehawwww ;)

[ennismaple]

Here's ours: 525 Gallon poly tank pulled behind our International tractor. We can fill that puppy in 7 minutes with the 2" Honda gas powered transfer pump!

[Fred Henderson]

I have a 1500GPH 12 volt bilge pump in the blue tank. We use this in woods that we lease so as not to damage the land or root system and have to a bigger tank on the tractor and then down the road about a 1/2 mile.

[Fred Henderson]

Sap Hauler: Ok so it took two trys. When its not hauling sap it is grooming trails or hauling wood.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Fred, i love that sap hauler. If i had a lot of snow i'd just love to drive it!

[mapleman3]

gotta agree with that.. looks like a fun ride thru the woods!!
Almost have to bring the wife out on a romantic drive thru the woo.... NAAAAW LOL ;) what was I thinking

[Fred Henderson]

I am in 2 wheel drive most of the time except I got one B$#@ch of a hill that I have to back down and before I go down I lock the differ and I do us 4X4 coming back up. We got 3 bucket and one tote with 15 taps dumping into it down there.

PCM, if I were you I would get rid of that gen and pump and go to a 12 volt bilge pump. You can get one on eBay for almost nothing. Its just a matter of time before you contaminate a bunch of sap with that gas.

[Fred Henderson]

gotta agree with that.. looks like a fun ride thru the woods!!
Almost have to bring the wife out on a romantic drive thru the woo.... NAAAAW LOL ;) what was I thinking

My wife loves it. The step up is a little higher but she makes it OK.

[Gary R]

Maplepancakeman that's a nice looking truck. Most of those around here are junk from running in the mud.

Fred, that's got to be the meanest machine there is for in the woods. Very cool!

[Fred Henderson]

I have had the RTV for 3 years but only got the tracks at the beginning of winter. I looked at several different kinds and settled on these Soucy's made in Canada. The company came here and let me use their demo and I fell in love so to say.

[DS Maple]

I posted this a few weeks ago under another topic, but here it is again. The machine is a 1968 Tucker Sno-Cat with a 125 gallon poly tank. To transfer sap we have a 2" pacer gas powered pump that goes between this and the sap truck (which is either a '02 F350 pickup or a '99 Chevy dump depending on the day.) The tucker will go just about anywhere though. Dublin NH is nothing but a big hill and this thing doesn't even flinch coming up out of the woods, (unless there is a problem with the tracks, which happened yesterday.) The tank on the Tucker can also go in our Polaris Ranger, but the Ranger doesn't do well when there is much snow on the ground. In the future though I would like to get the hydraulic driven Pacer and set it up to run on either the Tucker or the tractor. The tractor has one remote and the Tucker has three, so I'm thinking it would work well on either machine.

[davey]

can someone throw up a quick reminder of how to post pictures?
thanks

[Fred Henderson]

After you write your reply scroll way down to where it says manage attachments click there and it will direct you to your browse.

[MaplePancakeMan]

Fred, whats the difference between my sump pump and the 12 volt bilge pump either one i'm going to need to power with the generator yes?

[mapleman3]

Thats a good question, how long for the bilge pump to do it's job?? I have a 1500gph rule I can use, I will be right next to the tank I will be pumping from, should only take 15 minutes to pump 375 gals if the calculations are correct, but does head effect that too??... that may work for me. maybe I'll buy the next size up from that and keep the 1500 for the smaller truck and leave that system as is.

The 12 volt wouldn't need gas, just a line to the battery(through the trailer connection works, just fuse it

I would much rather not use gas, I know it's faster but just 2 more things to worry about... 1 run out of fuel.. 2 doesnt start that one time

I found this on ebay.... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Rule-2000-Bilge-Pump-12-Volt-Brand-New-In-The-Box-NR_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ26449QQihZ013QQitemZ 230237884392QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
12v 2000gph rule for 79.99

[royalmaple]

The bildge pumps are rated at 0 feet of lift flow.

If you look at a flow rate chart on them, they drop off pretty quickly once you add some elevation to the system.

[tuckermtn]

another plus on using a 12 V sump or bilge pump is there is no gas anywhere near the sap/collection system...

Sugarmaker (chris) uses a 3700 gph Rule that I think is big enough to overcome the lift and flow issues...

I think you can get 12 v sump pumps from places like Northern Tool as they are used with battery back-ups in some sump systems...

[danno]

Our sap hauler. That's allot of weight for a '48 JD M but she handles it fine:)

http://s234.photobucket.com/albums/ee56/littlejohn170/?action=view&current=saphauller001.jpg

The "M" is also my wood splitter and snow plower. I picked of the trailer for $8 and a pint of syrup. Pic taken today during probably the last gather of the season. Sad, but it's been a great season here in Central New York.

[gearpump]

Here's a pic of our system. I think I am also the only one who has an electric start sap pump. I got a 2 inch pump hooked up to a 8 hp gas engine with a clutch so that the motor can idle along and then when the throttle is pushed up the pump is engaged. We also have a Rule 1500 pump in the small tank for buckets.

Marty

[Fred Henderson]

Fred, whats the difference between my sump pump and the 12 volt bilge pump either one i'm going to need to power with the generator yes?


The 12 volt bildge pump will run off your truck battery, Thus you wouldn't need the gen set.

[Sugarmaker]

Jim,
Sorry to send you through my web site but cant find the picture of the truck anywhere else. ( I know its in some file some where).

The truck/tank pictures are under 'pictures' then click on the 'evaporator restoration' picture.

Anyway using F-250 with 325 gallon leg tank and a 3000 gph RULE 12 volt with float switch to pump from the dumping station to the tank. About 4-5 feet of rise.
Also have the Rule (12 v) 2000 gph on the remote pump. Works well. Pumps out 35 gallons from the totes in short order and no sap lifting. This pumps into the dumping station then the big pump raises the sap to the tank.
Really would like to have 1 ton springs or air shocks to help with the load.

Chris

[maple flats]

I haul a BIG hill with the tank full. I worry about the brakes overheating. Therefor I only use a 125 gal leg tank on my half ton Silverado. I does not squat much but I would not dare go to a bigger tank. At the bottom of the big hill there is a stop sign and a creek immediately across from the intersection. I am looking for a bigger truck for next season, one that i feel comfortable hauling 300 or even 400 gal/trip. For my pump I use a 1" 4 cycle Briggs pump that moves about 1800 gph at the 4-5' lift I have to pump. My old pump was a 2 cycle but that often gave me starting fits, this one starts good everytime. A bilge pump might make sence, how much amp draw are you looking at on one in the 2000 gph range?