Hope someone here can help with this one.
I can save a bunch of money on my winter heating coal by picking it up myself.
It is sold by the Ton.
I need to know if my F 250 Super Duty 4X4 with 7.3 Diesel and extended cab can handle 2 Tons in the box. The coal guy says it will fit but stops short of saying it is ok. I don't have a clue, have no idea how much room is needed for 2 tons of coal and want to be sure.
I have another option which would be put 1 ton in the box and another on a utility trailer behind it.
Any thoughts or experience with this kind of loads?

Thanks.

Gary

 

Welcome to FTE!

I've had a little over 5000 lbs of patio stone in the back of mine. But that was only for a few blocks.

Is making 2 trips out of the question?

 

Making two trips with the price of fuel these days kind of eats away the savings on picking it up myself.

This trip is around 120 Miles round trip into eastern PA and almost all highway miles.

Like you, I see guys pulling out of the Home depot all the time with their trucks squatting under serious loads but I guess I have no idea what the weight I see in them is. I also see lots of guys with their trucks fully loaded with fire wood above the rails but have no idea what that might weigh.
The trailer deal is not out of the question but it really makes it hard on this end for unloading when I get home. The truck can back right up to the coal bin while the trailer can't.

Thanks again.
Gary

 

4000 pounds is a lot or weight for these trucks (250 & 350 SRW's) when travelling 120 miles round trip. That weight will exceed the tire ratings (axles too), even if "E" rated tires are used. I have "F" rated tires and 4500 lb rated wheels and have hauled that weight a short distance. I wouldn't want to haul it on the highway that far. You should consider splitting the load wth your trailer. Stopping that load while in your truck bed could be an adventure.

BTW your truck probably weighs 7400+ lbs and is rated to carry a GVW of 8800 lbs. (at least legally, provided it is a 2004 or older F250). If you do the math, even 1 ton is past your legal limit.

 

price of fuel is one thing. price of new axles and bearings is another. penny vise dollar foolish.


your call.

 

Thanks for the good info guys. Since my truck is a keeper and I have taken meticulous care of it since new in 02, I think I will have to re think my less then brilliant idea.

On another note, You mean to tell me when I see that Chevy commercial where the BIG front end loader dumps the ENTIRE bucket into the bed and squats the truck is a bit over the top?

GO FIGURE!

Gary

 

rent a u haul trailer and split the load, the combo would work,$50 /day for the trailer. i think 4000lbs would hurt that truck.

 

Another way to figure out what you can legally carry is:
GVWR (sticker on the door jam will tell you this) - actual weight of the truck= amount of load you can put into the truck.

ex.

GVWR = 8800
Actual truck weight = 7200

8800-7200=1600 pounds legally

Now, not everyone does this legally. These are the manufacturers recommendations.

 

I own a couple of trailers capeable of the job but they can't drop the load right where I need it. Not high enough.

On the truck I can back over the bin and shovel it out and down. On the trailers, I can back to the bin and shovel it up.

I can save $160 by picking up 2 tons myself but it will cost about $30 in fuel and a couple of hours. Unloading would be easy with the tail gate over the coal bin but the thought of shoveling 2 tons up and into the bin is not at all appealing to my back.
I might do as suggested and make two trips, 1 ton each and I think this is even a bit much but it sure will save my back and not kill the truck.
I have already carried 20, 80 pound bags of sand and concrete on it and to be very honest, it hardly was noticable.

Gary

 

I hauled 4400# in the back of my 1999 F-250 for 40 miles driving at the speed limits no problem. I have the factory overloads. At the time I had BFG load range D tires good for 3305# ea. The rear axle weight of these trucks at the ground is usually around 3000# when empty. With the factory load range E tires 3415# ea, the axle rating and tire rating are right around 6800# at the ground. I would go ahead and haul your load, if you have the factory tires. Make sure you have the 80 psi cold pressure in them. If your truck is a long box, that would allow you to get some weight on the front axle. My cc sb has a hard time getting weight up front. When I loaded the 4400# of rock the front axle only saw a 100# increase in load vs empty. 99-04 F-250 and f-350 trucks are almost identical. Just don't do any difficult off road manuvers with all that weight.

 

20 x 80 = 1600 LBS, not quite 4000.

 

According to the spec sheet here, my truck is an 02, 4X4 Super Duty with what I think is the Super cab. Has rear half doors and flip up jump seats in the back. Factory tires are in good shape.

It has the 7.3 Diesel and tow package and the door tag says GVRW of 8800 Lbs.
The spec sheet says my truck weighs 6010 pounds leaving 2790 pounds of pay load capacity.

Am I doing the math right? If so I should have no problem with 2000 pounds in it and making two trips.

Thanks again.
Gary

 

Is it a long bed or short bed. If it is a long bed I would totally feel comfortable hauling the whole amount, especially if it not hot out and you drive the speed limit.

 

It is the short bed.

 

F-150's haul 2000# no problem. 99-04 F-250 are good for more than their GVWR b/c they are almost the same as the F-350's from this era. The differences are rear axle spacer block height, badges, and the GVWR they put on the truck - otherwise they are identical.