My 55 that I bought right off the farm has a grain chute in the tailgate. That, I am nearly certain, is the only location of the chute. The truck simply backed up to the dumping point or even the front end loader of the tractor, the chute opened and the grain pours out.
If you would like some close up pictures of mine I will email them to you.

 

Another way for farmers to unload a load from the box of a pickup was to make large "T" out of 4X4s with an eyelet at the end of the long post. They'd lay the T with the horizontal beam at the front of the box, load their hey or straw, drive to where they wanted to unload , hook a chain to the eyelet and pull the truck forward, dragging the load out.

 

Many of the landscape guys still do something similar to unload tree trimmings etc.

 

Around here they just drive around until it all blows out on the road...

 

...Ah yes, the dreaded grain shute. I live in farm land Saskatchewan. And let me tell you, all us guys that rebuild trucks... HATE THEM. They are NOT a factory option, not even a dealer installed item. They were hacked into beautiful sheet metal by some back yard novice metal man, doing himself a favor. And who ever was doing the installing, did the planning as he stumbled along... ... Some were installed on the side, some in the tailgate. ALL were crudely done..... And, its an extra major pain in the butt trying to fix that gaping big hole in an otherwise nice tail gate. ...Now this is a first for me... someone actually WANTS one on his truck... TSK, TSK, TSK......... I included a couple pictures of said mutilation.........
Stan. .....

 

Just wondering if it could have been used in a feed lot? Maybe it was set up to load feed troughs without having to back up to them?

 

Sstan - when restoring the body, I would have it fixed. Since I'm not, may as well have it looking like it did most it's life. IMO anyways

BJ - interesting thought! Makes sense to me

 

Just pick this up today. 1948 F-68. Grain Shute in side of box. Must be a Western Canadian Farmer thing.

 

Well, for anyone who was curious, I found an old pic! I think BJ had the right idea. I can imagine a string to the drivers window to open the chute, filling a trough.



Thats my truck... and it looks like stove pipe from the pic. Just the size, and with that seam.

 

Here is a photo of My 52 M3

 

I think I saw one of those grain chutes in a pic on the working trucks thread.

 

I personally like the chutes, it adds character, these where trucks for work, not for show. I would never cast aspersions at someone for how they want THEIR truck. You want a trailer queen, great, you want a rat rod, awesome, you want to paint it pink, O well, its yours, and the great thing is, the human body has all the means to look in the other direction if something bothers you, although it is hard to look away from a pink truck.

 

Sweeet! I think I saw it on eBay recently. I recall the chute, and sending a buddy the link to show him. Man, I wish I had the chute and not a hole. I'll have to whip something up

 

Our old farm trucks had a chute on the back and the side... before they had a hoist, grain had to be shoveled off by hand. As Dad tells it, they would shovel out the back chute first, then turn the truck to line up the side chute and shovel the front half out the side.

I enjoy seeing older vehicles, tractors and farm equipment in their "work clothes" complete with modifications that made life easier way back when.

 

I've seen the rear chute openings. I guess I never paid attention to one being on the side. Don't see it much out here in the desert.


I like your idea of recreating it on your truck. With the patina it would look great, and a whole lot better than that gaping hole.


Good luck
Bobby