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Thread: Transporting 12' lumber for hobbyists

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Marietta, GA
    Posts
    275
    Years ago when I was still in construction I switched from a pickup to a 1/2 ton SUV (Bronco and then Expedition) and a 5'x12' trailer with 2' high sides. All it takes is a little pre-planning to have the trailer when you need it. Saves driving around with an empty bed and a cab stuffed full of tools all the time. I can carry way more by weight and volume in my trailer than I could in a 1 ton pickup with an 8' bed and, like Jim says, it's much easier to load and unload. Overall maintenance and other expenses are less on the 1/2 ton/trailer combo also.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Northern UT
    Posts
    762
    I routinely transport 50 - 80 bf of hardwood in lengths up to 11' in my 2004 Toyota Corolla. The back seats drop down and the boards rest on the dash. 11' just fits inside the trunk that way. Any longer and I have to break out the trailer and Suburban, which I hate doing due to the cost of gas. I get 36 vs 11, so it makes a big difference.

    I would definitely look at delivery or a trailer rental, but since you don't have a hitch, I would check on delivery.
    I am in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition, even some affection, but with Montana it is love.... It seems to me that Montana is a great splash of grandeur....the mountains are the kind I would create if mountains were ever put on my agenda. Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans. Montana has a spell on me. It is grandeur and warmth. Of all the states it is my favorite and my love.

    John Steinbeck


  3. #33
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Fredericksburg, TX
    Posts
    2,576
    I build handicap ramps for Texas Ramp Project and often carry the material to the jobsite. Most of the material is the 8' plywood and other 2x material but I have started using more 10 and 12' material to reduce joints and waste. Material will be in the 1000 to 1500# range with tools and one problem not addressed is the overhang increases the weight on the rear axle more so than load contained in the bed. I don't have to drive more than 30 miles and flagging on the overhanging material makes it legal for the 6 1/2' bed with tailgate down. Just need to make sure and stack some material on top of the longer material to make sure it does not bounce and also secure all the material from sliding out the open end. Good luck.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Ingleside, IL
    Posts
    1,417
    92 Dodge Caravan with hydraulic load leveling. I took out all the seats except the drivers seat. Can get a pile of 4x8 material in it, and 12' boards with the hatch closed.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  5. #35
    I always prefered to rent trailers. Mostly because $15 a day meant that I didn't feel compelled to rush home and offload a stack of lumber that I had just loaded up earlier in the day.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    El Dorado Hills, CA
    Posts
    1,311
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Eure View Post
    I really do miss the days when we had 8' beds on our PU's. I farmed most of my life and the last 2 trucks I bought had 5 1/2' beds. Can't haul jack with them. Trucks nowadays aren't made for the working man, only for the weekend warriors and soccer moms. I had to special order an 8' bed for one of my trucks and it took several weeks longer because it wasn't a production model. Cost more also.
    I miss those days also. My first truck had a 6.5' bed, but it was 8' to the end of the tailgate and a full 4' wide between the wheels. I was single then, so a standard cab was fine. If there were more than 3 people, some of them could sit in the back.

    Some of the trucks nowadays have beds that appear to be about 3' long. What a waste of an engine and 4 wheels.
    Steve

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Cobbing View Post
    Thanks for all the replies so far. The advice to rent a trailer is probably the best solution for most hobbyists with a truck.
    Unfortunately in my case, I have a 4-cylinder truck. Even if I installed a class 3 hitch (about $200 - $350 I think), my little truck wouldn't have the guts to do my particular haul. My truck works great for 90% of the homeowner tasks I use it for, but not bigger jobs like this.
    I use a trailer - I have 8', 12', 16' and 18' trailers. I pull the bigger ones with huge loads with my diesel truck but I have pulled the two smaller trailers and a 2-horse trailer loaded with llamas with my Jeep Cherokees. It all depends on the load.

    I have hauled 22' boards on the 16' flat bed and 24' boards on the 18' gooseneck - I extend some of the extra over the front (be aware of the turning clearances) and let some hang out the back with flags. I'm careful to keep the center of balance in front of the axles. I don't know if there is a legal limit to how far a load can extend out the back but you can google how far can lumber stick out the back of a trailer (or truck)

    I use lots of straps and run straps around the back of the load. Boards in a stack can slide.

    JKJ

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    lost in the NW Atlanta 'burbs
    Posts
    163
    https://www.homedepot.com/tool-truck-rental/load-n-go-truck-rental/

    I'd check their daily rates, $80/hr. after that first 75 minutes could get expensive. But you shouldn't have any trouble hauling your 1500-lb load on it. As much as I hate to recommend the Big Ernge, it's a great place to rent a truck for a short-term thing.

    Or check out local car rentals for a long-bed 3/4-ton pickup. Or a medium U-Haul box truck.

    HTH,
    Bill



  9. #39
    Be careful how much lumber you pile on a trailer before you take off with a small pickup. I used to take my car trailer behind my Toyota pickup, and pile so much material on the trailer that I could not go over 35 mph because the truck would start fishtailing. Luckily it was only about 20 miles home.

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    E TN, near Knoxville
    Posts
    12,298
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Andrew View Post
    Be careful how much lumber you pile on a trailer before you take off with a small pickup. I used to take my car trailer behind my Toyota pickup, and pile so much material on the trailer that I could not go over 35 mph because the truck would start fishtailing. Luckily it was only about 20 miles home.
    That is frightening!

    I understand a common cause of fishtailing/swaying is when the center of gravity of the load is too much to one side or worse, too far back over the axle with not enough weight on the tongue. I think there should be 15-20% of the weight on the tongue at the hitch for a rear hitch vehicle and the center of gravity should be as close to the center of the trailer as possible. If not, the trailer may start to sway without provocation or it may start after a gust of wind or from the pressure/vacuum from a passing truck.

    I had the same experience twice in 50 years of driving, once when hauling a uhaul across the country when we were passed by a fast semi. On that one the balance was close but probably not quite heavy enough in the front. The second time was hauling a load of trees and shrubs for planting and the fishtailing started when I got up to about 30 mph. I stopped and redistributed the load to put more weight up front and the problem went away.

    I've heard that some haulers will actually measure the weight at the wheels and tongue but most of us have no way to do that and can only guess. When I hauled my tractor or bobcat on a rear hitch trailer I was careful to put it so the weight "looked like" it was just in front of the axle. Now I use a gooseneck trailer and do the same thing although I understand it's not as critical. I read that most trailers are designed so an even weight, such as a load of hay, distributes the load properly. (I'm glad, I haul a lot of hay)

    Hay_IMG_20141008_170536_565.jpg

    JKJ

  11. #41
    It's definitely possible to overload the tongue, but with relatively small loads it's just not that big of a deal. If you put too much weight on it, it can take weight off your front tires which can be bad, to say the least. You can also damage your hitch or bend the frame of your vehicle, exceed the capacity of your rear tires, etc. The more the merrier, for sure, but if you're pulling 3000lbs with a bumper hitch it probably can't hold 20% of that weight safely.

    Like I said, though, for a 1500lb load comprised of boards, too much tongue weight is probably not something you need to realistically worry about. On the other hand letting those 12' boards hang off the back of an 8 or 10' trailer could cause serious handling issues.

    I'm not sure how you can balance weight toward the tongue and simultaneously keep the center of gravity toward the center -- but you definitely want to keep your center of gravity as low as possible, if you can. Still, if I had a 10' trailer and a mix of 12' and 10' boards, I'd rather have the 12'ers higher up if it meant letting them overhang the tongue.

    This is way safer than the alternatives (source: google image search):


  12. #42
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,675
    Every vehicle setup for towing has essentially two tongue weight limits. The first is the limit before one needs to use a Weight Distribution Hitch to keep the front end of the tow vehicle from getting "light" and having steering/braking issues. The second is the max tongue weight regardless. (My vehicle's specifications are ~350 lbs for the first and 720 lbs for the second) In North America, that's typically about 10% of the trailer weight including load when the trailer is properly load-balanced. Tongue weight is also considered part of the total vehicle payload limit. So yes, one must be very careful when loading up a trailer to insure they don't exceed the tow vehicles safety specifications for tongue weight, regardless of the trailer's actual load capacity. Oh, and if your trailer uses inertial/surge brakes, there are very few WDHs that can be used, so that complicates things greatly...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #43
    Thanks everyone for the informative replies. I've learned a lot.

    After considering all the options, I decided to rent a cargo van. I had measured the inside of the Dodge ProMaster that was at the local Enterprise and it had 10' of length in the cargo area. When I showed up yesterday morning, they had a different Dodge ProMaster with a high ceiling and 12' of length in the cargo area. I was able to fit all my lumber easily. Absolutely worth the $70 rental fee to avoid trying to use my truck (1900 lb towing capacity) and worry about breaking, handling, and wear and tear and the old gal.

    So, to answer my own question: I think the best way for a weekend warrior / hobbyist like me is to rent a cargo van. Inquire with your rental place if they have the extra-long vans for 12' loads.

  14. #44
    I bought a little utility trailer at Harbor Freight over 10 years ago and it is still working fine. I took a little load from tearing out a staircase to the dump today with it. It is only rated to handle 1100 lbs but they have one that will take 1800. I'm not sure if I'd use it will really long pieces close to it's capacity, however. The extra length can cause more up and down load which it might not handle. But my trailer has hauled lots of stuff including a 300 inch 6 cylinder truck motor for my son and has done it without issue. It folds up too. At my old house I put it under the screen porch folded up.

    But for what you describe, I would rent a trailer from U-haul. The are heavy but that is because they are rediculously overbuilt. Even their littler ones should handle the load. They have some with tongue brakes which could help if you are worried about your tow vehicle. They don't need any electrical connection for the brakes, when you brake your vehicle it engages the trailer master cylinder to brake the trailer. Only works if you are stopping quickly but for a slow stop your truck should be fine.

    I towed a display of electrical equipment many years ago. It was a recloser. I noticed when I hooked it up the tongue weight was very low. When I got up to speed it wagged around a lot. So I stopped by a cut through a hillside and picked up a rock that probably weighed about 50 lbs. I put that as far forward as I could on the trailer. Problem totally solved. Some other guys who used the display trailer asked me what the rock was for. They had noticed the wagging previously but didn't know what to do. The trailer should have had the axle further back but adding a rock was a lot easier.

  15. #45
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    6,529
    Glad it worked out for you! $70 is a good deal for a big van, especially since you lucked out with the 12’ version.

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