# Cord Estimate



## RDabate (Dec 22, 2009)

I'm only on my second year of burning, and I'm horrible at estimating how much a cord its.  Do any of you have an estimate on how much wood can fit in the back of a 6 1/2 Ft Bed of a pick up?


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## peterc38 (Dec 22, 2009)

Superman said:
			
		

> I'm only on my second year of burning, and I'm horrible at estimating how much a cord its.  Do any of you have an estimate on how much wood can fit in the back of a 6 1/2 Ft Bed of a pick up?



I have a 2007 Toyota Tundra w/ 6 1/2 foot bed. I stacked exactly 1/2 cord of cut and split wood and then put it in my bed. I barely got it all in. It was mounded quite high in the middle and really weighted down, so I would say 1/2 cord max for a 6 1/2 foot bed.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Dec 22, 2009)

I would concur.

It's easier to get 1/3 cord in a short bed than 1/2 cord. But it can be done.


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## Bigg_Redd (Dec 22, 2009)

Superman said:
			
		

> I'm only on my second year of burning, and I'm horrible at estimating how much a cord its.  Do any of you have an estimate on how much wood can fit in the back of a 6 1/2 Ft Bed of a pick up?



If you stack the wood flush with the bed it's .45 cord

If you stack 6" above the bed rails it's .6 cord


These #'s assume your bed is 6' wide (mine is) and 18" deep (like my truck)


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## Wood Duck (Dec 22, 2009)

Next time you have a pickup full, unload it into a stack only one split wide, 'face cord' style. Then measure the front dimensions of the stack (e.g. is it 5 ft long by 3 ft high?), and multiply by the length of a split (convert inches to feet) and you'll actually know how much fits. Then post it here. I think we get a lot more guesses than actual measurements. Before you post the answer, post a picture of the wood in the truck and we can have a contest to guess the amount. Put me down for 0.42 cords, even before I see the picture.


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## deck2 (Dec 22, 2009)

I have a 6.5ft box with a tool box so i get just over a face cord throw in there. before i put the toolbox in easily get a 1/2 cord in!


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## Jags (Dec 22, 2009)

Stacked neatly  - about 1/2 cord
Tossed in - about 1/3 cord.


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## LLigetfa (Dec 22, 2009)

I wouldn't buy cords from you guys then.  Either that or I won't buy used trucks from you.


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## LLigetfa (Dec 22, 2009)

For those of you that cannot read a measure tape and convert to cu ft, maybe you can estimate the weight of your load.  Here is a chart of firewood and weight.

http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/firewood.html


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## Jags (Dec 22, 2009)

LLigetfa said:
			
		

> For those of you that cannot read a measure tape and convert to cu ft, maybe you can estimate the weight of your load.  Here is a chart of firewood and weight.
> 
> http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/firewood.html



So if he was collecting maple (taking a middle of the road weight for green maple) at 4390 per cord - 1/2 of a cord is 2195 pounds evenly distributed in the bed of a truck, there is a problem?  Dunno, maybe my truck is a manly man truck or something, but it pretty much laughs at 2000 pounds evenly distributed in the bed.  That is actually just about the right weight to level the truck out instead of its normal butt up stance.


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## Jags (Dec 22, 2009)

You would really hate to see how I load my trailer.

That was green White Oak.


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## smokinj (Dec 22, 2009)

Jags said:
			
		

> You would really hate to see how I load my trailer.
> 
> That was green White Oak.



I load the same way its only going to take so much weight why stack


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## Wood Duck (Dec 22, 2009)

That doesn't look like White Oak to me - maybe Mossycup Oak /Bur Oak, but I guess that wasn't your point. So how many cords in the trailer?


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## Flatbedford (Dec 22, 2009)

Follow this link and scroll down about 1/2 way http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/passes/firewood/ 
Pretty good idea of what will fit in a truck.
I tried to copy the pics into my post, but I didn' work the way I thought it would.


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## firefighterjake (Dec 22, 2009)

General consensus is a standard sized bed will hold 1/3 of a cord loose stacked wood.


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## Jags (Dec 22, 2009)

Wood Duck said:
			
		

> That doesn't look like White Oak to me - maybe Mossycup Oak /Bur Oak, but I guess that wasn't your point. So how many cords in the trailer?



Gar-own-double-teed White Oak.  A little over one, by my guess.  I don't stack until it gets staged for winter burning (in an old wash house next to the house) so I rarely get a measurement of any load.

Want to hear something pretty amazing?  If you look at the size of some of the rounds on the bottom, they get pretty big right?  Yeah, that was only one section that split from the tree.  The trunk is still standing and supporting the rest of the tree.  It was (is) a big sucker.

EDIT: Whoops, sorry for the unintended hijack. :red:


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## Flatbedford (Dec 22, 2009)

Here we go. With pictures


Small Pickup -- 1/4 ton




    With or without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. One load ticket required.


Short Bed Pickup -- 1/2 ton




    With or without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. One load ticket required.


Long Bed Pickup -- 1/2 or 3/4 ton






Without racks this truck bed holds approximately 1/2 (one-half) cord of wood. One load ticket required.

With racks this truck bed holds approximately 1 (one) cord of wood. Two load tickets required.


Standard Truck -- 1 ton




    With high racks this truck bed holds approximately 1 1/2 (one and a half) cords of wood. Three load tickets required.


How much weight your truck can carry is for you to figure out.


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## My_3_Girls (Dec 22, 2009)

Bigg_Redd said:
			
		

> Superman said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Chevy Silverado, 6.5' bed - exactly .43cords, lightly mounded in the middle, even with the sides.  .42 to .45 is my estimate.  Put a bag of kindling in the passenger seat, and call it 1/2 a cord load.


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## LLigetfa (Dec 22, 2009)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> Here we go. With pictures
> 
> 
> Small Pickup -- 1/4 ton
> ...


How is it that three different sizes of pickup can all carry 1/2 cord?  The answer is that document is meant only to determine the issuance of a load ticket.  They don't care if YOU get your money's worth.


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## Flatbedford (Dec 22, 2009)

I figure a small truck and a shortbed 1/2 ton would be about the same size. A full size long bed should be a little more though. I saw something like this somewhere else on the net that was a little better than this one. I'll keep on looking.


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## ISeeDeadBTUs (Dec 22, 2009)

I'll just take the things given already . . .

6.5' long X 6' wide(I doubt that is quite accurate) = 39[]

Cord = 128 cuFt

1/2 X 128 / 39 = 1.64

At 20" deep, a truck bed 6' X 6.5 would hold 1/2 cord

Change the width to 4' and the stacking height required for 1/2 cord becomes 30"

It becomes obvious that, for those of us that burn 8 cord -or more- certing home wood in a 6.5' pickup is not the best way to go.

I stand by my statement that though it's possible to get 1/2 cord in a 6.5' pickup, it's more likely to get 1/3 cord. :coolsmirk:


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