# Use Uhaul truck to transport 2 cords?



## illini81 (Jan 22, 2018)

So I’ve been watching Craigslist like a hawk, looking for truly seasoned wood.  I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to buy truly seasoned wood in my area is to buy it from a homeowner.  I just found someone selling 2 cords of three year seasoned oak and hickory.  They’re about 25 miles from me. 

I was the first to respond to the post, and so the wood is mine, as long as I can get it.  The trouble is, I don’t have a truck.  Up until now, I have gotten quite a bit of wood just dumped on my property from people who don’t want it (friends, neighbors, etc).  I’ve also borrowed trucks a few times. 

I don’t feel bad borrowing a truck for a few quick trips in town, but I’d feel bad borrowing a truck for a job that would take me probably six trips and would involve highway driving. 

Has anyone ever rented a Uhaul to pick up wood?  Since the wood is seasoned, I’m estimating that it weighs 5-7000 lbs total.  I’ve heard up to 7,000 lbs for a wet cord of oak, and also that wood loses half it’s weight when it dries.  So that would be a max of (2 cords) x (7,000 lbs) x (1/2) = 7,000 lbs.

Uhaul lists a max load of 6,385 lbs for their 15’ truck.  I would imagine there’s a fairly significant safety factor on that number.

Am I crazy to be considering this?  Has anyone else used Uhaul to transport wood?


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## peakbagger (Jan 22, 2018)

Long ago, I had some friends who were mobile service techs for U Haul. U Haul had specific language in the contract to prohibit hauling firewood. They on occasion would end up with trucks with bent frames caused by hauling wood. Maybe things have improved over the years?. I would expect more than a few folks say the heck with it and do it anyway.


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## Dobish (Jan 22, 2018)

homedepot also has rentals.


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## blades (Jan 22, 2018)

Home Depo, Baby dumps, 1 ton , better choice is if you could rent a dump trailer and barrow a pick-up to tow it.


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## illini81 (Jan 22, 2018)

peakbagger said:


> Long ago, I had some friends who were mobile service techs for U Haul. U Haul had specific language in the contract to prohibit hauling firewood. They on occasion would end up with trucks with bent frames caused by hauling wood. Maybe things have improved over the years?. I would expect more than a few folks say the heck with it and do it anyway.



That makes sense to me.  I wonder though if that is because the trucks can hold enough wood to significantly exceed their weight capacity?  For example, a 24' truck has enough volume to hold just over 11 cords, which would weigh around 11 x 3,500 lb = 38,400 lb if dry.  However, it only has a weight rating of 6,500 lb.  People probably aren't putting 11 cords in a Uhaul, but even two or three unseasoned cords would significantly exceed the weight rating.


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## illini81 (Jan 22, 2018)

Dobish said:


> homedepot also has rentals.



The trucks at the Home Depot near me all say that they are limited to 1000 lb loads...


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## warno (Jan 22, 2018)

My local hardware store has a 1 ton pickup and a dump trailer they rent out. And I've seen a large skid loader stuffed in that dump running around town before. I don't know if you have anything like that near you or not.


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## jackatc1 (Jan 22, 2018)

Oldie but goodie 

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/4-cord-of-hardwood-vs-a-uhaul-truck.1432/


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## mike van (Jan 22, 2018)

I would look first to a landscape or snowplow guy, they're pretty slow right now, maybe you could go with them, help load, etc - ???


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## illini81 (Jan 22, 2018)

mike van said:


> I would look first to a landscape or snowplow guy, they're pretty slow right now, maybe you could go with them, help load, etc - ???



I had the same thought.  I found a place that advertises that they do stuff like this.  I offered to help with loading.  They said it would be $275.


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## illini81 (Jan 22, 2018)

jackatc1 said:


> Oldie but goodie
> 
> https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/4-cord-of-hardwood-vs-a-uhaul-truck.1432/



Very similar, except that he's trying to move 4 cords instead of 2...


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## EatenByLimestone (Jan 22, 2018)

I rented a trailer once for firewood.  It worked.


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## Tar12 (Jan 22, 2018)

Got a buddy thats got a diesel? Go rent a big dump trailer and getter done! If you snooze you are going to lose..


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## DuaeGuttae (Jan 22, 2018)

My husband and I used to use a U-Haul cargo trailer to move wood on occasion.  We never even put a full cord of oak in, however, because it would be easy to overload the weight limit for the trailer or the tow vehicle (in our case a mini van) by using the full capacity of the trailer.  We were also careful to keep the weight distributed more to the front and less to the back.

In our area the cargo trailer was about $15.00 for a day, no mileage charges.  It was worth it for us to have a hitch put on our van to take advantage of getting wood when homeowners decided to get rid of it.  We always cleaned out the trailer with a broom and leaf blower before returning it.  If you have a way to tow, you could probably do three trips with a cargo trailer.


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## ksmobile1 (Jan 22, 2018)

illini81 said:


> So I’ve been watching Craigslist like a hawk, looking for truly seasoned wood.  I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to buy truly seasoned wood in my area is to buy it from a homeowner.  I just found someone selling 2 cords of three year seasoned oak and hickory.  They’re about 25 miles from me.
> 
> I was the first to respond to the post, and so the wood is mine, as long as I can get it.  The trouble is, I don’t have a truck.  Up until now, I have gotten quite a bit of wood just dumped on my property from people who don’t want it (friends, neighbors, etc).  I’ve also borrowed trucks a few times.
> 
> ...


Just sweep it out when done   ,,, loading and unloading will be a pain in the ass but that's on you LOL. Weight-wise I don't think that would be a big issue as long as you keep the center of gravity as low as possible. They do build a substantial safety factor in that so I would think five to seven hundred pounds is not going to hurt anything.

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## cjgoode (Jan 23, 2018)

uhaul also rents pickup trucks, many big rental companies like enterprise also rent 3/4 ton and larger pickups.  Availability in certain areas is hit or miss.


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## trguitar (Jan 23, 2018)

I used a U-Haul truck about 10 years ago to move some wood. I just swept it out diligently, and there was never a problem.


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## ksmobile1 (Jan 23, 2018)

trguitar said:


> I used a U-Haul truck about 10 years ago to move some wood. I just swept it out diligently, and there was never a problem.


Another option would be to go on Craigslist and find a guy with a pickup truck in a dump trailer to load it and deliver it and dump it that way you can have a flat price for the truck labor and everything included and getting it to your property. Usually you can find somebody that's laid off that would work very inexpensively and it could help you out


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## BoiledOver (Jan 23, 2018)

Some sympathy for your issue. However, I cannot image life without a pickup or utility trailer. Both is even better, and a cargo trailer too.

If you were to possess a pickup or trailer, you would not have to fret over such an issue. In fact, you could very easily get a few years ahead on your firewood pile.

Plan your life, and live your plan.


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## illini81 (Jan 23, 2018)

BoiledOver said:


> Some sympathy for your issue. However, I cannot image life without a pickup or utility trailer. Both is even better, and a cargo trailer too.
> 
> If you were to possess a pickup or trailer, you would not have to fret over such an issue. In fact, you could very easily get a few years ahead on your firewood pile.
> 
> Plan your life, and live your plan.



100% understood.  Unfortunately a pickup isn't in the cards right now.  However, without one I will be up to about 15 cords of wood after I figure out how to get the 2 cords from CL, so it's working out ok.  The trouble is that I only started getting wood 9 months ago, so none of it is seasoned.

My eventual plan is to do exactly what DuaeGuttae suggested - set up a minivan for towing.  Although I will probably buy a trailer instead of renting one.  Seems like it is very easy to find free wood within 5-10 miles from my house, so i think the minivan will do just fine with small loads and multiple trips.

I already have a backlog of wood that I'm going to have to start turning away - my next door neighbor has about 5 cords of oak he just cut down that he is willing to dump on the edge of my property, the mother of a friend of mine just took down 3 oak trees - I'm not sure how much wood, but I'd imagine there's a lot - and she said it's all mine, and a coworker's neighbor just took down an oak that he may or may not want (can't make up his mind).  But again, the problem is that none of it is seasoned... Just. need. to. get. ahead...


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## ksmobile1 (Jan 23, 2018)

BoiledOver said:


> Some sympathy for your issue. However, I cannot image life without a pickup or utility trailer. Both is even better, and a cargo trailer too.
> 
> If you were to possess a pickup or trailer, you would not have to fret over such an issue. In fact, you could very easily get a few years ahead on your firewood pile.
> 
> Plan your life, and live your plan.


Yes agreed, one pickup truck 6 trailers for all different purposes. I don't know what I would do without them.

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## weatherguy (Jan 24, 2018)

Rent a uhaul that can handle the weight then just clean it out really well, I used a leaf blower. It's the only way that makes sense money wise. I'd do it again if the situation arose.


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## BoiledOver (Jan 24, 2018)

weatherguy said:


> Rent a uhaul that can handle the weight then just clean it out really well, I used a leaf blower. It's the only way that makes sense money wise. I'd do it again if the situation arose.


What makes sense, to me anyway, is to own a utility trailer that can be used for transporting lawn tractors to and from the shop, bringing home a new refrigerator, moving furniture for friends and family, hauling firewood, going to the dump, trips to the lumber yard and landscape center to name a few uses. Maintained, they will last your lifetime.


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## Woody5506 (Jan 24, 2018)

How many miles would you be traveling? I wouldn't be overly concerned with the Uhaul weight rating...Consider those a safe suggestion. Or, put it this way, I've overloaded trucks at work (per the instruction of the driver) plenty of times by more than just a few hundred pounds...try a few thousand. Would I want to drive over weight loads like that? Not really...but it happens constantly.


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## DuaeGuttae (Jan 24, 2018)

illini81 said:


> 100% understood.  Unfortunately a pickup isn't in the cards right now.  However, without one I will be up to about 15 cords of wood after I figure out how to get the 2 cords from CL, so it's working out ok.  The trouble is that I only started getting wood 9 months ago, so none of it is seasoned.
> 
> My eventual plan is to do exactly what DuaeGuttae suggested - set up a minivan for towing.  Although I will probably buy a trailer instead of renting one.  Seems like it is very easy to find free wood within 5-10 miles from my house, so i think the minivan will do just fine with small loads and multiple trips.
> 
> I already have a backlog of wood that I'm going to have to start turning away - my next door neighbor has about 5 cords of oak he just cut down that he is willing to dump on the edge of my property, the mother of a friend of mine just took down 3 oak trees - I'm not sure how much wood, but I'd imagine there's a lot - and she said it's all mine, and a coworker's neighbor just took down an oak that he may or may not want (can't make up his mind).  But again, the problem is that none of it is seasoned... Just. need. to. get. ahead...



We found that getting the maximum hitch for our van allowed us to use a U-Haul a few times while we watched Craigslist for what we wanted rating-wise on the used market.  When a good utility trailer came up, we were immediately equipped to go buy it and tow it home.  Once, though, when we needed to fix some wiring and had a good wood opportunity, we rented the cargo trailer for once again for 15.00.  It’s great to be able to take advantage of free wood quickly when you’re a suburban scrounger.

Congratulations on getting so much wood dumped.  We never managed that.  We always picked up.  Now, however, we live on land with lots of wood (and no stove).


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## Tar12 (Jan 24, 2018)

Why not rent a uhual truck and therm go rent a dump trailer?


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## weatherguy (Jan 24, 2018)

BoiledOver said:


> What makes sense, to me anyway, is to own a utility trailer that can be used for transporting lawn tractors to and from the shop, bringing home a new refrigerator, moving furniture for friends and family, hauling firewood, going to the dump, trips to the lumber yard and landscape center to name a few uses. Maintained, they will last your lifetime.


I agree but for a once off it's cheaper to rent a uhaul and get the wood. I've actually been looking for a trailer for all the things you mention but they ain't cheap.


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## drz1050 (Jan 25, 2018)

That 6k limit is very conservative, that truck can hold 8k+ easy without riding on the stops.

Just start braking early, and take turns easy. You'll be fine.


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## illini81 (Jan 25, 2018)

Tar12 said:


> Why not rent a uhual truck and therm go rent a dump trailer?



To be honest, I've never driven a truck with a trailer, and I would be a little nervous driving a truck and trailer loaded to the gills for my very first time.  Otherwise, I would go this route.  I have driven a  loaded Uhaul many times.


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## EatenByLimestone (Jan 25, 2018)

Make 2 trips.


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## saewoody (Jan 25, 2018)

I’m pretty sure if you rent the 15 footer from U-Haul, or an equivalent, you will be just fine. There is plenty of room for two cords (which will be just over 250 cu ft). That will only fill the truck up less than half way. All your weight will be low, and in no way will your load get top heavy. The truck will handle that weight. I worked for a moving company nearly every summer from 16-26 years old. On a 16 footer, we would regularly load 6,000-8,000 pounds of furniture. And that was floor to ceiling.   I see no issues with the load you are talking about. 

Here is a screen shot from the U-Haul website and the link (which I’m guessing you have already looked at). 
	

		
			
		

		
	






https://www.uhaul.com/Trucks/15ft-Moving-Truck-Rental/DC/
I say go for it. 


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## Tar12 (Jan 25, 2018)

illini81 said:


> To be honest, I've never driven a truck with a trailer, and I would be a little nervous driving a truck and trailer loaded to the gills for my very first time.  Otherwise, I would go this route.  I have driven a  loaded Uhaul many times.


I can understand the reluctance...and I would only only load the trailer...you just slow everything down when pulling a trailer...I have a 14K tandem dump with 3ft sides that holds a cord and a half...sure is nice hauling that much at a time.


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## illini81 (Jan 25, 2018)

Tar12 said:


> I can understand the reluctance...and I would only only load the trailer...you just slow everything down when pulling a trailer...I have a 14K tandem dump with 3ft sides that holds a cord and a half...sure is nice hauling that much at a time.



Yeah, I'm sure I'll get comfortable with a trailer eventually.  But since I'm totally inexperienced with it, it just feels like a big jump for this rush job.


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## Tar12 (Jan 25, 2018)

illini81 said:


> Yeah, I'm sure I'll get comfortable with a trailer eventually.  But since I'm totally inexperienced with it, it just feels like a big jump for this rush job.


Are you originally from the Land of Lincoln?


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## illini81 (Jan 25, 2018)

Tar12 said:


> Are you originally from the Land of Lincoln?



Yessir.  Born and raised in Wheaton.  Both sides of my extended family are from Champaign/Urbana.

My parents moved to Upland, Indiana while I was in college, which is where I met my wife.  Where are you at in Indiana?


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## Tar12 (Jan 25, 2018)

illini81 said:


> Yessir.  Born and raised in Wheaton.  Both sides of my extended family are from Champaign/Urbana.
> 
> My parents moved to Upland, Indiana while I was in college, which is where I met my wife.  Where are you at in Indiana?


Born in Decatur and raised in Charleston Illinois moved to Indiana in 1989...I am 25 miles southwest of Lafayette Indiana  and 64 mile from Champaign/Urbana...if you were still there I would haul that for you!


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## brenndatomu (Jan 25, 2018)

You won't hurt that truck one bit by putting 7000 # (even 8) in it...go get your wood!


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## illini81 (Jan 26, 2018)

Tar12 said:


> Born in Decatur and raised in Charleston Illinois moved to Indiana in 1989...I am 25 miles southwest of Lafayette Indiana  and 64 mile from Champaign/Urbana...if you were still there I would haul that for you!



Thanks for the kindness.  There’s a good chance we may end up back in Indiana in a few years.  Possibly in West Lafayette.  If so, I’ll be starting all over on wood hoarding… so I may come find you!


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## Tar12 (Jan 26, 2018)

illini81 said:


> Thanks for the kindness.  There’s a good chance we may end up back in Indiana in a few years.  Possibly in West Lafayette.  If so, I’ll be starting all over on wood hoarding… so I may come find you!


Well... if you do move to West Lafayette you will not have to go very far to find me as I work in West Lafayette!


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## Allagash350 (Jan 26, 2018)

Funny I am in a similar situation. I have 4 or 5 cords at my dads house from when I had my landscape business. I moved about 6 cords to my house before I sold my truck and dump trailer. I already started a new job and driving a f250 wasn’t making sense. 

I’ve been wanting to move it and have plenty of friends with trucks and trailers, but I think I am going to rent a Uhaul, and here is why. 
A ramp!  This will also be helpful for you if you can’t get close access with a truck or trailer. 
My pet peeve with wood is handling it more than necessary. My dump trailer I would throw in the wood, dump it, or try to unload it from the trailer, pick it up and restack it. 
The idea of loading a wheel barrow and running it up and down a ramp to my piles sounds better to me. 

I also thought i could use a few pallets strapped to the wall to keep it upright during transport.

The truck can handle it, gvwrs are necessary but also sometimes a joke. My first f250 had the same suspension as a f350, had a gvwr or 8800lbs I think, and the truck weighed 6600. I routinely had that thing loaded with a 8ft sander and 2 yards of sand, and a 9ft v plow and didn’t even come close to really overloading the truck. 

The newer trucks have crazy weight ratings now, my 2016 was like 3600lbs I think. 

Keep an eye on it and the tires, if you think it’s too heavy just make two trips. I’m sure the sellers will appreciate you getting it done in 2 trips than 6


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## jetsam (Jan 27, 2018)

If you have a CDL, you can rent a 26 foot flatbed with a moffett (truck mounted forklift) from Pennske. Palletize the 6 cords, toss 'em on with the moffett, take 'em off with the moffett. No restacking!


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## jwfirebird (Jan 27, 2018)

kinda doubt he would if hes talking about never hauling a trailer. ive grown up with campers and such and have half a dozen trailers now, each one has a purpose. were i used to work i drove a 550 crew longbed dump everyday and most of the time i had some kind of trailer on it. there is nothing to it but too practice. if you rent a trailer and borrow a truck, they are pretty high these days and the trailers that have the ramp that sticks up so you can see where the end is are the best. the low ones you cant see over the gate. going forward is no different than driving just a truck. just backing up takes some practice just have to go slow and plan your route so its easy.
i would rather do that anyway its cheaper, and easier to get closer the pile probably than a huge truck. i wouldnt let a huge truck off my driveway


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## Tar12 (Jan 27, 2018)

There is another option...I have a local guy here who has several tri-axels...before I got my dump trailer I had him haul several loads of gravel for me...$150 a load for 22 ton...might be worth checking out. Know any farmers with a grain truck?


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## EatenByLimestone (Jan 28, 2018)

Just figured I'd jump back into this thread.  I rented a 6x12 ramp back utility trailer from uhaul for less than $40 yesterday.  It was well built and had a double axle.  It could easily handle a couple cords of wood.


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## Marshy (Jan 28, 2018)

I wouldn't hesitate to use a uhaul! That's my $0.02!
OP, did you get your wood? Hope you didn't wait too long.


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