How do you get 1.5 cords into a half-ton pickup... (pics)

Rugged made
Shop deals on ebay
Treestuff
Wesspur
Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
sleprac

sleprac

ArboristSite Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2010
Messages
60
Reaction score
6
Location
Shawangunks
View attachment 313880

I'm cleaning up some 3-year old cants that were left out in the woods on a farm where I do trail maintenance. Here's a bunch of mostly pine cants, but that's still 12 feet by 5.5' by 3' = 198cf. :msp_w00t: Well, less the wheel-wells, anyway... But there's almost no airspace, since they're all cut square, and stacked tight. I think a 128cf cord usually comes out to being something like 80-90 solid cf of wood...? Might be two cords of uncut cant in there...
Poor ol' Ford :msp_biggrin:
I'll try to get more pics of the next load to prove that stack is full bed-width.
 
Weight Estimates

Well, if it's truly 1.5 cords of dry wood, the truck would be carrying about a 5,000 lb load unless its fast-burning stuff like cottonwood, linden, poplar, etc. Then it would weigh about 3,300 lb. Most pine would be about 4,200 lb except for southern yellow, which would also weigh about 5,000 lb. Take a look:

View attachment 313884
 
Thanks for the table, Doc. Nice to see real-world weight stats. Most of this stuff wasn't exactly a popcorn fart by weight, but it's definitely half-rotten, and pretty light. Here's a similar weight, slightly less volumed load for today:
View attachment 313897View attachment 313898View attachment 313899

I'm starting to get into some cedar that's super-light, and a few black locust poles that aren't, but this load isn't stacked near as tight as the all-squared stuff. There's two previous truckloads in the background, with the 12-footers all stacked and the cut-off shorties in another heap.
View attachment 313900View attachment 313901

Also, the truck has beefed up (one ton) springs in the rear, and 8-ply tires at 65psi. Based on similar experiences at the dump with frowny-leaf springs, the pile in the back would weigh in around 3200 or more. The truck stands up a bit better when it's empty :biggrin:

But come on, I know this stuff's old hat to most of us, but let's see some pics from other folks with over-worked and overloaded wood-haulers! :cheers:
 
sleprac said:
View attachment 313880

I'm cleaning up some 3-year old cants that were left out in the woods on a farm where I do trail maintenance. Here's a bunch of mostly pine cants, but that's still 12 feet by 5.5' by 3' = 198cf. :msp_w00t: Well, less the wheel-wells, anyway... But there's almost no airspace, since they're all cut square, and stacked tight. I think a 128cf cord usually comes out to being something like 80-90 solid cf of wood...? Might be two cords of uncut cant in there...
Poor ol' Ford :msp_biggrin:
I'll try to get more pics of the next load to prove that stack is full bed-width.
Click to expand...

try 1.5 FACE CORDS. :msp_biggrin:
 
sleprac said:
Thanks for the table, Doc. Nice to see real-world weight stats. Most of this stuff wasn't exactly a popcorn fart by weight, but it's definitely half-rotten, and pretty light. Here's a similar weight, slightly less volumed load for today:
View attachment 313897View attachment 313898View attachment 313899

I'm starting to get into some cedar that's super-light, and a few black locust poles that aren't, but this load isn't stacked near as tight as the all-squared stuff. There's two previous truckloads in the background, with the 12-footers all stacked and the cut-off shorties in another heap.
View attachment 313900View attachment 313901

Also, the truck has beefed up (one ton) springs in the rear, and 8-ply tires at 65psi. Based on similar experiences at the dump with frowny-leaf springs, the pile in the back would weigh in around 3200 or more. The truck stands up a bit better when it's empty :biggrin:

But come on, I know this stuff's old hat to most of us, but let's see some pics from other folks with over-worked and overloaded wood-haulers! :cheers:
Click to expand...

I would say that you have at most 2,600 lb on board. That's it. So, your full-size half-ton will carry it. My little Ford Ranger will carry about 2,200 lb when racked up as shown in my avatar with 80 cu ft of split firewood, packed tight. That includes oak, locust, ash, and mulberry. She groans and moans but gets the job done.
 
sb47 said:
I don’t believe that is anywhere close to 1.5 cords, ether by weight or volume.:msp_biggrin:
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'm not even in the ballpark by weight:jester: But remember, that first load as seen in profile is actually squared cants stacked tight. Almost no airspace... volume is as volume does. Just happens to weigh far lass than an equivalent amount of healthy hardwood because it's 3 years dry-rotted softwood. Ford = Full Of Rotten Donnage:msp_biggrin:

Now Doc, I know that Ranger is working it's ass off, (sweet avatar pic, btw) but I must respectfully disagree when you say my beefed up half ton can only handle 400 pounds more than your (shortbed?) quarter-ton...
And here I thought it was the Dodge and Chevy crowds that would shoot me down first :msp_scared:
 
sleprac said:
Yeah, I'm not even in the ballpark by weight:jester: But remember, that first load as seen in profile is actually squared cants stacked tight. Almost no airspace... volume is as volume does. Just happens to weigh far lass than an equivalent amount of healthy hardwood because it's 3 years dry-rotted softwood. Ford = Full Of Rotten Donnage:msp_biggrin:

Now Doc, I know that Ranger is working it's ass off, (sweet avatar pic, btw) but I must respectfully disagree when you say my beefed up half ton can only handle 400 pounds more than your (shortbed?) quarter-ton...
And here I thought it was the Dodge and Chevy crowds that would shoot me down first :msp_scared:
Click to expand...

I don't think he said your truck would only handle 400 more pounds than his. I think he is estimating the weight you had on at the time the picture was taken, saying that is only 2,600 pounds. Reread it again.
 
Make Two Trips for a Cord

My rule of thumb is that when a customer orders a full cord of split firewood, all cut to length, I make two trips and give my truck a breather. Usually, they throw in an extra $10 anyway for the gas. I just explain to them that a half-to pickup cannot hold a full cord without being racked up cab high and dangerous driving. Customers understand, especially when they know I'm delivering good hardwood for fuel rather low-density campfire wood.
 
Wood Doctor said:
My rule of thumb is that when a customer orders a full cord of split firewood, all cut to length, I make two trips and give my truck a breather. Usually, they throw in an extra $10 anyway for the gas. I just explain to them that a half-to pickup cannot hold a full cord without being racked up cab high and dangerous driving. Customers understand, especially when they know I'm delivering good hardwood for fuel rather low-density campfire wood.
Click to expand...

Well said, Doc. I agree 100%

I would never think of representing these loads as anything resembling firewood (except maybe for my own bonfires) I simply thought some folks would get a kick out of the size, what with all the "what is a cord really" threads on here. :deadhorse:It might as well have been styrofoam logs or Photoshopped... Didn't mean to ruffle any feathers, and sorry if I posted in the wrong forum, but I was just hoping to see some heapin'-half-ton wood-hauler pics. :cheers:

As far as weight goes... well thats about as far as the truck can squat and still drive decently. All the other times its been like that (flat leaf springs, hitting the bumper stops occasionally, little 6 cyl in 4-low with the front hubs free) the Transfer station scale is charging me for 1.5 - 1.6 tons (2000lb short tons) in construction debris.

I'm also not advocating overloading, but we all know it happens. To make sure it did happen, we need pics. Dem's da rules:msp_biggrin: These loads moved less than a mile, and mostly off-road.

Thanks for the great responses, Doc. You're an honest feller, and I'm pleased to have made your acquaintance.
 
Just to make you feel like you ain't alone, here's a pic from a while back, 88 1/2 ton with 1 ton springs under the back, and 3/4 of a cord of green red oak in the back, pushing 2 tons there.

Safety cops, if I'd hit anyone while hauling this load, they'd have been trespassing. No public roads for this load. Others close to that, I plead the 5th.

attachment.php
 
Nice loads guys... Kevin i cringe at your pictures due to no back window protection... :msp_scared:
 
Wow, Steve. Who needs sandbags when ya got traction like that in the winter? :rock:

Nice loads, guys.
 

Similar threads

S
New pic of 1-ton loaded with over 2 cords went by weight station
2 3
Replies
56
Views
5K
GeeVee
GeeVee
OH_Varmntr
Been doing lots of cutting lately. Pics and story inside!
Replies
5
Views
1K
OH_Varmntr
OH_Varmntr
rwilk
How many cords do you guess
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
rwilk
rwilk

Latest posts

Back
Top