Homegrown concept for a truck
I've given up on finding an "ideal" truck from the factory, so I'm going to start looking for the right pieces to build one.
If I can pull this off it just might make as close to a pefect rig as can be had.
I want to start with GM, cheap and interchangeable parts. Clip the frame to end up with a short wheelbase, as if it was a short bed.
Axles off a 1 ton single wheel setup. 350 with a few tricks to make it pull at low revs, TH 400 tranny, NP203 full time transfer case (I think that's the right numbers), 4.10 gears, posi rear.
Central hydraulics off a clutch pump, Vee plow up front, pull plow on the back, both of them with compensating downpressure like Sno-Way has. Vee box, shorter and wider than most, about 1 1/2 yd capacity, but with auger feeds rather than drag chain. The box would be split crossways into two compartments so I could load either one material in both parts or split the load, half mix, half Magic salt (we have several accoutns that are part paved, part gravel and prefer mix on the gravel portions). A selector valve would let me choose which hopper to draw material from using only the one spreader control console. The pull plow would lift high enough to let me spread with it in place.
Good seats, heated mirrors and power windows (I like to plow with my windows down, gets around that snow/water/salt film that is always on the windows). Plenty of work lights, good flasher system.
I know this will take a whole boatload of time and a couple of dinghies full of money, but I think it would make a superb snow fighter and cost way less than a new truck, as well as being easy to work on (no computers).