My New Hauler + QUESTIONS

[PSYS]

Never owned a truck before in my life so I wasn't brand loyal. My wife & I bought our first home last year and let me go on record right now and say being a home owner with two small vehicles is next to impossible... OK, maybe not impossible, but very difficult. I was constantly borrowing neighbor's trucks or friend's trucks and in a few instances, even rented 10-foot rental trucks from Penske.

We picked up this used '11 Ram Sport 5.7L 4x4 two months ago and am anxious to haul my first load in it. Already came with a spray-in bedliner. Ideally, I'd love to have a utility trailer at some point in time, but this will do for now.

I'm going out to a co-workers land next week to chop some wood and am planning on cutting the wood to length 16" - 18", stacking it tight in the truck and then covering it with a tarp and tying it all down. Any other ingenius way you guys have come up with for making the most of your pick-up during wood hauls? I'm curious to see how everyone else does it.






(broken image removed)

 

[bobdog2o02]

Buy a trailer.

 

[roadiestar]

Nice looking truck.

 

[PSYS]

Thanks!

I think with as much wood as there is out there, I think for this initial run I may just rent another 12' Penske.
It's a 10-mile commute from their land to my place. I'd probably spend more than the cost of the rental ($100.00) in gas money alone going back and forth.
Plus, realistically, what does the bed of a short box pick-up truck hold as far as wood goes? 1/4 cord? 1/8 cord? It can't be much even when cut and split.

 

[AK13]

I'd say 1/4 cord in the bed. Maybe 1/3 tops. My Ranger has a short bed, but its probably not as deep as your truck. It holds about exactly 1/4 cord and you wouldn't want to haul anymore anyway because its pretty squat at that weight. I don't think I'd bother covering with a tarp.

Curious why you didn't go with the long bed. With a regular cab I would go with an 8' bed for max utility. Sharp looking truck though.

 

[Prof]

I get about 1/4 cord in mine. I don't stack much above the bed rail, so I never bother with tarps, tie downs, etc.--not saying that it isn't a good idea. but there is no substitute for putting the wood in the bed in a purposeful way and not getting greedy. I have an uncle who puts as much above the rail as below. He claims he hasn't lost anything, but I wouldn't follow him! Oh, and I always like to put a dent in a new truck with a piece of wood right away--I figure it will happen sooner or later and I should just get it out of the way My 5 year-old did the honors with my current truck. She thought I was going to be mad, but I was just happy she was helping me load the truck. That is one sharp truck though--maybe you should wait on the dent.

 

[Jags]

Yes - don't do this:

 

[PSYS]

I'd say 1/4 cord in the bed. Maybe 1/3 tops. My Ranger has a short bed, but its probably not as deep as your truck. It holds about exactly 1/4 cord and you wouldn't want to haul anymore anyway because its pretty squat at that weight. I don't think I'd bother covering with a tarp.

Curious why you didn't go with the long bed. With a regular cab I would go with an 8' bed for max utility. Sharp looking truck though.

Good question. Honestly, we were looking for a truck and I knew I wanted a regular cab from the get go. We don't have any kids and it's just the two of us so having a pick up truck with four full doors seemed unnecessary.

This one showed up in my search and it was too good of a deal to pass up, otherwise I probably would've went with the 8 ft bed. Only 20,000 miles on the odometer and every option except the sunroof. We traded in my wife's VW Beetle and negotiated with the dealer.

 

[PSYS]

I get about 1/4 cord in mine. I don't stack much above the bed rail, so I never bother with tarps, tie downs, etc.--not saying that it isn't a good idea. but there is no substitute for putting the wood in the bed in a purposeful way and not getting greedy. I have an uncle who puts as much above the rail as below. He claims he hasn't lost anything, but I wouldn't follow him! Oh, and I always like to put a dent in a new truck with a piece of wood right away--I figure it will happen sooner or later and I should just get it out of the way My 5 year-old did the honors with my current truck. She thought I was going to be mad, but I was just happy she was helping me load the truck. That is one sharp truck though--maybe you should wait on the dent.

You're right. I may as well head out to the garage right now, grab a chunk of maple and throw it into a rear quarter panel.
Let's get it over and done with, shall we?

Thanks for the info, too!

 

[PSYS]

Yes - don't do this:
View attachment 133514

LMAO!!

 

[BrotherBart]

In Texas we always said we drove pickups so that we could toss the empty beer cans back into the back as we drove down the road.

 

[HybridFyre]

I have an F150 short bed but the bed is deep (probably similar to yours) and I can fit about a third a cord if I pack it tight

 

[Ashful]

Yes - don't do this:
View attachment 133514

Had someone do that with a dump truck load of topsoil in my back yard last year. Idiot forgot to release the tailgate before raising the bed.

A 1/2 ton truck will always run out of weight before space, when hauling firewood. Tarp & straps not necessary, you won't be stacking above the rails , if you like your truck .

 

[Halligan]

May I suggest installing some air bags in the rear. They really help keep the truck level when hauling a heavy load. Also, that truck must fly with the Hemi and the regular cab/shortbed combo. I have a crew cab lifted 2500 with oversized tires and the Hemi still moves it along nicely.

 

[MarkinNC]

Be careful when stacking in the back of the bed, sometimes back windows are casualties. The sheet metal can get dinged up as well which is why a lot of "wood haulers" are old trucks. Just be careful and you will be fine. If you are getting a 1/3 of a cord for the cost of gas, you are money way ahead. A lot of people (non wood burners) got hurt bad by their heating bills last year. just stack neatly and you definitely won't need tarps or straps

When you get home and unload the truck, I use a bow rake to pull the wood pieces to me (if you don't throw it out of the back of the truck) so I don't have to climb in the truck over and over again.

Trailers are the way to go. They have a lower loading height and carry more. BUT, then you have to get a brake controller, and you'll have to change the tires every now and again (not cheap) and you have to have a spot to park it.

 

[kjahnz]

May I suggest installing some air bags in the rear. They really help keep the truck level when hauling a heavy load. Also, that truck must fly with the Hemi and the regular cab/shortbed combo. I have a crew cab lifted 2500 with oversized tires and the Hemi still moves it along nicely.

Putting higher load range tires with air bags will really increase your load hauling ability. You will sacrifice a soft smooth ride with higher load range tires.

 

[Ashful]

Do note that these 1/2 ton dodges ship with tires not suitable for carrying loads. In fact, the factory tires on my dodge weren't even rated to the gvw of the truck! Replace with proper 10-ply truck tires, before using for hauling. That's actually the only "mod" I made to my factory 1500.

 

[MarkinNC]

The last set of tires I paid for my half ton truck were $1200 and 8 ply tires would have been more. You can probably get into a trailer for the same price as 4 LT tires. I can haul a cord of wood in my tandem axle trailer.

 

[Drvn4wood]

Nice truck. I only load up to the top of the rail and only from the back. I'm picky about my truck and would rather make an extra trip than ding a fender or break a rear window.

 

[Beer Belly]

you could build stake sides to put in when you're gonna haul, and remove when you're not.....didn't take long for my '13 Silverado got it's first firewood ding....it happens

 

[Beer Belly]

(broken image removed)

That is one purty truck

 

[Bigg_Redd]

I'm going out to a co-workers land next week to chop some wood and am planning on cutting the wood to length 16" - 18", stacking it tight in the truck and then covering it with a tarp and tying it all down. Any other ingenius way you guys have come up with for making the most of your pick-up during wood hauls? I'm curious to see how everyone else does it.

I cut it all exactly 16" (unless cutting for my dad). I do not tarp it. I do not tie it down

Plus, realistically, what does the bed of a short box pick-up truck hold as far as wood goes?

6 x 6 x 1.5 = .42 cords. With a slight mound, 1/2 cord. Being a half ton you don't want to haul more than that anyway.

 

[D8Chumley]

Putting higher load range tires with air bags will really increase your load hauling ability. You will sacrifice a soft smooth ride with higher load range tires.

This! I did the same to my F150 SCrew with 5.5' bed, but I also have a poor mans 2" lift (2" front spacers and 3" rear blocks + bags) and 35" E range tires. It rides like a truck now

 

[PSYS]

You guys are fricken awesome.

Thanks for all the great replies!!