Need to haul some rocks, ideas?

[Blk88GT]

LOL @ Egon

I actually like this truck, not like my last one

I've got access to a fair amount of scrap lumber, I'll see what I can come up with.

 

[n8wrl]

How deep do they have to be to cover 250 sq feet?
How wide is the trailer? 8'? If so, one trailer-load is 160 sq-ft, 2 'loads' does it. Maybe you can get 2x10's or something for the perimiter?

But I'm with others - ditch the trailer, load the truck till you're tired and do it in several trips.

-Brian

 

[Z-Michigan]

do you have acess to any wooden pallets? Instead of putting sides on the trailer, build a "box" out of old pallets, chain or strap the box to the trailer.

If you want to try pallets - they're often available free from printing/copying shops. They get paper by the pallet load, but don't accumulate enough pallets to resell them (unlike many businesses that use pallets).

IMHO I would decide whether you like the truck or the trailer better and put rocks in the one you like less. You may think you're going to set them all down gently but that may cease when you get tired. I suppose if you have a really good bedliner it may not matter much, but...

 

[Blk88GT]

That's why I intended on using the trailer, less wear and tear on the truck. I'll figure something out and post some pics.

 

[orezok]

A while back I picked up some landscape rock in the 12" to 24" range with my equipment trailer (no sides), I picked up some used construction protection fence (looks like chainlink but is made out of a heavy plastic). Put the fence flat on the trailer, loaded the rock on top, burrito wrapped the fence over the rock and put 3 or 4 - 2" tiedown straps over the "burrito". The plastic fence can be molded over the rock easily and nothing moved at all.

 

[QRTRHRS]

You can lay a couple of sheets of OSB or plywood on the trailer deck if you are concerned about keeping the deck looking good.

Not long after we bought our place in 98', my wife was driving along a nearby road and saw a pile of rocks. The property owner happened to be there so she asked him what he wanted. One hundred bucks was the reply.

I rented a dump truck and hauled my tractor with loader over to pick them up. Some of them filled my five foot wide bucket by themselves. Large rocks don't neccessarily load all that well. I did a lot of hand work to get the bucket loaded.

In the end, I hauled home eight loads, whew! Getting them home was half the battle.

It took me up until last year to get a 70 foot long by three foot wall with steps going up to our one barn laid up.

 

[Blk88GT]

I'm not too worried about the trailer deck, which is why I would prefer to use that rather than my shiny truck. I don't want ALL the rocks there (although I'm sure my grandparents wouldn't care if I did) I just want some of the nicer ones to do some landscaping.

 

[Highbeam]

I like rock walls and have built plenty and moved them all ways. Loading them by hand into a pickup is a problem becuase you pick up the rock from the ground set it on the tailgate, after filling the gate you get up in the bed and move the rocks to the front of the truck bed. Same process to unload unless the rocks are tiny enough to throw them out. The pickup bed is very convenient for small loads of specialty rocks chosen for character but too small for large loads of bulkl rocks. It won't take long at all to be very overloaded.

How about hauling the trailer to the site and filling it up over a couple of weekends before bringing it home and then unload it over a couple of weekends. Minimal handling and minimal trips towing. I have been wanting bedsides on my PJ trailer too. Trouble is I would then have to weld on some tie down hooks.

 

[Blk88GT]

I've got stake pockets, D rings and all sorts of stuff welded on the trailer. I'm going to try and smack something together over the next few days. The hardest part is trying to figure out where on the trailer to build the sides. I definately don't want it all on the tongue, but not all over the axles either.

I'll play around with it and let you guys know.

 

[MrJimi]

Blk88GT,,but not all over the axles either.

That is the best place for it?? or did I understand this wrong?
weight over axles is a good thing, Martha Stewart said so