Welding Tips and Tricks

hey everyone

I have a 2008 dodge ram 1500 2wd single cab . 200k miles on it

its a decent truck its been paid off forever now and im wondering if it can hold up as a welding truck . I know being a welding student going out and buying a 3500 is out of my budget . Is it just to small a truck to hold a decent welding machine and some gas bottles ?? i dont plan on doing welding jobs every single day after graduation im keeping my day job . I want to be a weekend welder just to get my feet wet and make a little money on the side you know ??

im looking online for a welding trucks and they all look pretty expensive 15-20k and up and with that kind of money i can just buy a welding machine and all my tools !!! so maybe just working with what i have now is best start small and then trade up later

thanks everyone I feel like such a greenhorn stepping into this field haha but got to love humble beginnings

mikelove316 wrote:hey everyone

I have a 2008 dodge ram 1500 2wd single cab . 200k miles on it

its a decent truck its been paid off forever now and im wondering if it can hold up as a welding truck . I know being a welding student going out and buying a 3500 is out of my budget . Is it just to small a truck to hold a decent welding machine and some gas bottles ?? i dont plan on doing welding jobs every single day after graduation im keeping my day job . I want to be a weekend welder just to get my feet wet and make a little money on the side you know ??

im looking online for a welding trucks and they all look pretty expensive 15-20k and up and with that kind of money i can just buy a welding machine and all my tools !!! so maybe just working with what i have now is best start small and then trade up later

thanks everyone I feel like such a greenhorn stepping into this field haha but got to love humble beginnings

i did a quick look up off your truck, not for sure if its 100% accurate but i did 2WD 5.7 hemi with 8 foot box and it has a load capaicty of about 1600lbs so if you figure 600lbs for you and extra stuff in the cab.. fuel ect.. you have about 1000lbs to work with..

http://www.dodge.com/towing/D/vehicle_to_weight.jsp if you got here you can get a more accurate load out of this though..

i would recommend though that you change out your rear shocks for coil over ones to better handle being loaded all the time, this will keep the sagging and bottoming out when hitting bumps ect.

for my set up i have a 550lbs Miller 2E and on my truck i have a 1890lbs load capacity figuring in 600lbs for me and fuel and extra stuff in the cab i have about 1290 to work with.. so with the welder that leaves about 740lbs for other things.. but you dont want to have it at max capity all the time..

biggest thing is to figure out what everything you will need will weigh in at and see if it will work.. remember though keep a few hundred lbs of load capacity left over though.

And for a extra bit of info to give you a idea here.. with 1600lbs load capacity. if you had just you.

Fuel in truck 245lbs (figuring 35 gallon tank) take your fuel capcity times 7 will give you some margin of error.
Person 300lbs (over what most people weight but for aguments sake) add in your own weight +50lbs ie for cloathing food ect..
Welding Gear 75lbs (clamps, grinder, ect ect.)
Wire or stick Electrodes say 200lbs (figuring stick electrodes 4 flavors at 50lbs a can)
80 CF cylinder say 75lbs (includes holder and regulator)
Welder Generator 500lbs ( i used Miller Bobcat 225)
Second Wire feed welder 50lbs (miller 211 )

gives your 1445lbs well with in what your truck can most likely haul.. best thing here is just add and figure in your actual gear.. and your trucks real load capacity and see if it fits with some extra capacity for steel and such..

if you have no generator welder or generator i would get a 6000 watt gen as most are around 250-300lbs much less then a real welder generator... thus more load capacity and you realy dont need 200lbs of rods to do weekend runs but it wouldnt take much to get there.