City-Boy Firewood Question

[DiTrani]

What's the most firewood I can haul in 8' 3/4 ton? 1/2 a cord? More? Less? I've got the camper package, so I would imagine I'm limited by volume and not weight (even if I might be over my ratings a bit)?



We're having a fireplace put in and there's no way I want to pay city prices for wood, but the economics of shlepping out to the country to buy it and hauling it back depend on how much I can carry at a time.



Of course with the proper trailer I could haul several cords, but I don't know anyone with such a trailer nor is there anywhere around here that I'm aware of to rent one.

 

[Joe G.]

If you build some side boards out of plywood for the truck you can haul a cord. I did that for years with my old corn binder.

 

[georgej]

corn binder

ha ha That's a name I have'nt heard in a while!!!





George

 

[BV]

Firewood

Yep - What Joe said and let me add that if you get wet Apple/Cheery/Oak/Walnut which can weight up to 62# a square foot would be 7,680# of wood - More then I would want on my 3/4 ton.



And please remember to burn good dry (seasoned) wood so you don't have build up in the chimney which can cause a house fire.

 

[pkennedy]

FEI For Everyones Information- 1 cord of wood = 4'x4'x8' block of wood. Volume cord = container 4'x4'x8'. Face cord = container 2'x4'x8'. 1 cord wood on pickup is approx. tapered in middle to top of cab stacked neatly 8' to back anything less your getting taken softwood dry =1500- 2200lbs hardwood dry = 1800-3000lbs approx!!!!!! However you do it, it comes out at 128 cubic feet per volume cord and commercial dealers will try to random load to make there profit margin higher. Split wood takes up more volume than unsplit, appears decieving but stack both amounts in same area (wood shed) after being split and it will be obvious, hope some of this helps you. P. S. 1 cord split and stacked = 1 good day of exercise. PK

 

[fkovalski]

I hauled a pallet of concrete (35x92 lbs) weighing in at 3220. I have the camper special and snow plow prep. Traveled 80 miles up to the divide with no problems. The weight just leveled the stance of the truck. I wouln't do this all the time, but for an occasional trip this would be my max. Air up the tires properly.

 

[RBSOB]

And the answer is....

cd, you should easily be able to haul 2 full cords in 3 trips with your truck, with out any side-boards. The volume of the 8 foot bed is roughly 80 cubic feet {1 cord =128cubic ft. }. Add 18-24inch sideboards and a full cord per trip will not be a problem... . volume or weight!!! Don't know about Mass. but here in "rural" east Ct. {about 90 miles} good dry oak is 80-100/cord cut & split. If you don't mind hauling,cuting and splitting logs, half that cost. If you really want volume... . there are loggers here that will deliver!!! Thats the kind of volume I've been processing the last few years. Have Fun, Jim G.

 

[Blakers]

Depending on where you are, buying wood may be more money than buying fuel oil or natural gas to heat with. Cutting your own is a better deal unless you can make more money doing something else.



I used to make maple syrup, so I went through lots of wood - sometimes a cord a day!



Around here, the cheapest wood to buy is slabs from a sawmill - you can buy a bundle (which will fill your truck) for about $8. 00. Then take it home and cut it up. Watch out for mud on the bark though as it will dull your saw in a second.



For heating your house, sometimes it's cheaper and easier to buy coal. I guess it all depends on where you live.



Blake

 

[Hummin Cummins]

Blakers is right

I love burning slab wood. No splitting, it stacks in the woodburner nice and full, and the wife can handle it easy. A sawmill near me will deliver to me 3 bundles on a load for 11. 00 each. I can heat my little 1500 sq. ft. ranch house with 9 bundles for the year. I used to get pole wood delivered by the tri-axle load, then cut, then split, then rank, its fun work for the first cord or so, then it becomes not so fun. If there is a sawmill in the area, I would give the slabwood a try. If someone doesn't burn it, around here they chip it for mulch. It does me more good heating my house than dressing up the wifes posies.

Any type of heat source that is burned is dirty, but coal is real dirty. But it is cheaper and easier.

 

[Okie-Go]

I have a 20 ft. x 82" wide gooseneck that with my 28" sideboards will haul 3 chourds just about level all the way back. In an empty pickup with 8' bed a half chourd should be level all the way back. Will prolly have 4 tiers about bed high. In oklahoma where I haul my wood from everything is in a rick which is equal to a half of a chourd. Have fun hauling it. I can buy it in Oklahoma and haul it down here to south texas and make money with my keeping a rick for myself.

 

[dresslered]

I just ordered a cord of wood for the winter and I was very pleased to see that it was delivered in the same kind of truck as mine (Cummins 3500 4x4). Although it had a custom bed, he was easily running around with two cords of hardwood.

 

[Skydiver]

Firewood is great!

Firewood =Take out the ashes, slightly burned carpet,bugs in the house,termites,dangers of a chainsaw(cut through my boot),chimney maint. ,broken back glass of truck(yea I was full of energy that day).

Don't get me wrong. From 1982-1985 I lived in a small 2 bedroom house and all I had was a wood heater.

I do miss it,but firewood is messy.

These days I burn about 300 gallons of propane a year. Last year it was 260 gallons,year before that it was 380. I buy it in August for $1. 01 a gallon. The 300 gallons is used for heating water & home,drying clothes,stove, & the grill is even plumbed to the house.

Can you say INSULATION. It works.

Tim

 

[Joe G.]

Don't forget how many times you have to handle the wood. If you cut it yourself you have to cut it down (1), buck it up (2), split it (3), load it (4), unload it (5), stack it (6), carry it into the house (7), put it in the stove or fire place (8), and (finally) carry the ashes out (9). This does not include bandageing wounds, putting your back out, and cleaning up the mess.

 

[WadePatton]

yeah but

I don't see you guys who pay cash for fuel open the windows when it gets too hot in the house on a 20 degree F day.



I just laugh at the city folks who come out here and want to quickly close the door and worry about my open windows.



Most of the wood I burned last year has been dead for 10-15 years. I'm just cleaning up my place. Black Locust takes a very long time to rot. Yeah, I spend a little time and money getting it out of the woods, and it's a bit of a chore, but I like to crank up the heat and watch my electric bill (my only utility besides phone) stay right on $30.



My stove doubles as a dishwasher too. Paper plates baby!



I cook on it--the original Crock Pot.



When I build my big house I'll put in a propane system for dryer, cooking, waterheater, and heat. But like an old farmer out here, the propane heat will just be for times when a wood fire isn't necessary. He's been on the same tank of fuel for over 10 years.



When I get tired of sawing there's a sawmill two miles from here with plenty of slab wood.



Hey, maybe dual chrome chimneys for the house!Oo.

 

[Joe G.]

Wade,



I don't think a lot of city folks realize how much sweat equity is in a cord of wood. Keeps you warm on a cold day in the woods even if you don't burn it. Our wood shed is packed with oak and madrone. Very dry and really burns hot especially the madrone.

 

[Skydiver]

From 1981 - 1983 I even had an old 1951 shovela pulp wood truck that had a working winch and could hold 3. 5 cords of wood. I never bought any pine trees,I just followed behind the tree surgeons. One old (American)Indian would NOT climb a tree unless he had about 2 double shots of canadian mist.

Man did I learn the hard way?

Tim

 

[DiTrani]

Originally posted by Joe G.



I don't think a lot of city folks realize how much sweat equity is in a cord of wood.

Oh yes we do. That's why lots of us just pay you country folks to bring it over and stack it up on the side of the house



Thanks for the replies guys.



Chris D - stuck in the city but not happy about it.

 

[WadePatton]

I have so much and the work is enjoyable, I thought about selling some... but that might make a chore out of it!



It is fascinating how much they'll pay for a few sticks down in Metropolis. That's where the bucks are. You can name your price to those apartment-with-a-fireplace dwellers. And they don't want much.



I just can't stand driving down there.

 

[GLEE]

HAULING FIREWOOD

I GUESS I AM REVERSED, I HAUL 3/4 CORD OF GREEN OAK OR GREEN MAPLE FROM BROOKLINE,MA TO MY CABIN IN MID-COAST MAINE. THE ONLY THING NOT STOCK IS THE AIR-LIFT KIT ADDED TO MY 95 CLUB CAB 8FT. BED 8800LB. GVW CTD 4WD. IT HANDLES A LITTLE SOFT IN A TURN,AND A IT GOES DOWNHILL PRETTY FAST,(GOTTA PUT IN THE 3500 WHEEL CYLINDERS,SO I;M TOLD ) , AND ONLY ON THE STEEP HILLS AROUND AUGUSTA DO I DROP A GEAR, ACTUALLY OVERDRIVE, AND RIGHT BACK UP TO 65MPH, EVEN PULLING A TRAILER. THE TRUCK ACTUALLY RIDES BETTER WITH ABOUT 800-1000LBS. IN THE BED!!

 

[Todd T]

I'm with Wade on this one, we burn wood for heat all winter long and laugh at the city dwellers when they come out. i haul mine on a trailer, two loads a year of Oak. on a 18foot foot trailer with two foot sides i put on 3 1/2 to 4 cords (unsplit) at a time. its a load you know you got back there too.



our furnace is in the basement and plumbed into the ductwork of the regular furnace (I cant go without AC, I'm a baby in the summer time) i have a 15" plastic pipe in one half of the basement window, just pull the trailer up and start sliding it in





I dont put any wood down there until we have had a frost or two each year.



your 2500 should hold 3000 lbs easy.