First, Second, Third, Fouth Load of the Year

[TMonter]

Picked up my first load of wood for the year (I have about 2.5 seasoned cords already from last year).

This was a really big Red Fir (Douglas Fir) that filled two full pickups. It was about 28" at the base and was a standing dead tree. It's not completely seasoned but in a few months when I start burning it it will be ready.

Nice to start having wood roll in.

 

[TMonter]

Another Picture from Side:

 

[jpl1nh]

Yowza!! Quite a load!

 

[elkimmeg]

Who got more of the workout you or the truck

 

[TMonter]

The Truck's got 3/4 Ton Springs so it does okay. Although I believe in the next year or so it's gonna need new shocks. The Truck has been a gradual project of mine to keep working on all the little things and turning it into a decent utility truck.

Paid about $1500 for it three years ago and I've put a couple hundred dollars in parts into it.

 

[Todd]

Jeez! I hope your tires are rated for a load like that! Even Doug Fir weighs 3000lb per cord and it looks like you have close to that. Be careful, I'd hate to be going down the road with a load like that and blow a tire. :bug:

 

[TMonter]

Tires are rated for 2300 lbs per tire and I inflate them to the max for the load and check them before every trip. Eventually I'd like to pick up some 10 ply recaps or used tires for some extra load capability.

 

[TMonter]

Well I added all my firewood pictures of this year (save my very first load in July) to my Webshots albums.

I had to travel about 25 miles one way to get the loads of wood. Not too bad considering the quality of the wood.

I figure a load costs the following:

Truck gets ~12 MPG. Gallons used per trip: 4

Chainsaw Gas 1 gallon per 2-3 trips $1.00

Misc things like snacks, Firewood permit ect. $4.00 per trip.

Total cost per cord excluding my time = 12+1+4 = $17.00

Months of heating per cord: 2

Average Avista Bill Savings ~200.00

Telling the gas company to stuff it: Priceless.

 

[thephotohound]

Did you say that fir is going to be dry enough to burn this season? Isn't that cutting it close?

 

[TMonter]

No. By Late December it'll be ready to burn NP. Gotta remember, the Pacific NW has exceedingly dry air and has a tendency to dry wood out quickly and I'm cutting standing dead wood that has less than 35% moisture to start.

I have about two cords of firewood that has been seasoned a year that will get burned first. I also usually pick up a load of really dry pine at the end of the cutting season to burn for the first 2-3 weeks.

 

[Eric Johnson]

I knock down the trees and block up my wood in the summer and then let it sit in the woods over the winter. Then I spend the following summer hauling it all home. I've found that on average, it loses about a third to half its weight between the time it's cut and the time it's hauled. Either way, I can get a face cord into a narrow-bed Ford Ranger, but the drier wood makes it a lot easier on the truck.

 

[TMonter]

Are you cutting green or standing dead timber though? Makes a big difference. All the timber we've cut this season has had all yellow needles on it when it was cut down.

 

[Eric Johnson]

It's live and dead green when I cut it. Fortunately, I'm under no pressure to move it out right away. I'm always amazed, however, at how much lighter it gets just sitting around on the ground, covered with snow most of the time. I hauled a pretty green load last week and it was like driving uphill the whole way home. Tonight, with a dry load, like driving a sedan. The truck rides better with a load, but you don't want to overdo it. Do you split those big rounds, TM, or cut them with a saw?

 

[TMonter]

Split em. In fact both loads split with a maul no problem with the exception of a few rounds which I used a wedge for. That's the nice thing about doug Fir, it's pretty straight grain most of the time and it splits nice.

 

[TMonter]

Here is the third load. Spent most of the day filling up other trucks so I didn't get quite the usual full load.

 

[TMonter]

Load 4.

Starting to wind down, I'm thinking either 1 or 2 more loads and I'll be done for the season.

 

[Gibbonboy]

Nice Dodge! I have a '79 Power Wagon Club Cab that I use off-road. Usually use my small trailer behind the station wagon for on-road hauling, since the truck bed is way too high to load the big rounds into. The PW doesn't ride smoothly until you get a half-ton or so in the back.