Laz, we sub it. Found that it was to much of a pia to store it. Then ya need
to keep a loader there to refill it, the loader needs to push too.. We use a
company that does highway sanding and he makes a pass through as needed.

But Fisher has a poly hopper out that you might want to look at.
www.fisherplows.com

Roy

Laszlo--

I'm a week late in posting, but since no concrete info was conveyed,
I'll put in a remark:

I think what you'll find is very much standard:  the contractor I work
with has ended up buying whatever the best deal was at the local
contractor's supply house.  For the past 5 years, we've rotated Monroe
products into our fleet, and they seem to be as good as anything else.
The sand available in the area is rather coarse so we cut the inverted
vee above the track to about 2/3 to 1/2 its original spread to promote
good flow.  The only other mod we do is to install a tractor light in
the "spread" circuit, aimed down from the chute so as to help us to
monitor the spreading.  We grease the units twice a month or so, and
when it gets warm enough, we rinse 'em out.  At the end of each season,
we follow a good washing with a light spray of oil on the conveyor so
that it works again next fall.
If you pop for stainless in any model, I just want to remind you that a
lot of the components are still mild steel -- the chains, the bearings,
the conveyor....the stainless units we had were on a far larger trucks
that were mounted through the season -- the higher cost of a large unit
just needed to be spread out over a greater number of years.  However,
the only benefit I saw in the stainless unit was that it only LOOKED
better after 3 or 4 seasons....Honestly, if you show the machines a
little maintenance, you'll be at the end of the their useful lifetime
by the time you rot through a box or any structure in a 1 to 1.5 yard
unit.

Remember -- we're talking about work during a cold, wet, and usually
dark time -- so you can get sophisticated with your selections and your
setup, or you can keep it simple.  Only you know what's best for you,
not me or your salesman.