OK Oppo, I need some ideas

"fhrblig" (fhrblig) 03/04/2017 at 14:10 • Filed to: None

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I maintain a fleet of several rear-wheel-drive cargo vans, and in winter we use sandbags for ballast over the rear axle.

Here’s the problem... sandbags are filled with gravel, and over time they generate a large amount of dust which then fouls up the cargo areas. Does anyone know of a good substitute for sandbags, or something that wouldn’t generate as much of a mess? I’m really getting tired of cleaning these things.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:14

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Get a small pallet of those and you will not have any problems whatsoever.

Roadster Man > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:16

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Cinder blocks?

PS9 > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:17

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Solution: Trade the vans in for a fleet of 2017 M235is. Perfect 50/50 weight distribution and all wheel independent suspension. No axle, no problem!

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:18

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5-gallon paint buckets with lids. Fill with sand or gravel. Keeps the mess contained. We don’t have snow here, but we use them for ballast for both traction and holding down tarps/canopies/tripods around the ranch our company leases.

XJDano > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:18

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If you have a place to store them, get CMU blocks and fill holes with concrete. The reason people use the sand or gravel is because it’s cheap & disposable. Or you can buy some tarp and burrito wrap & tootsie roll wrap the ends, secure with zip ties. It will dicinigrate, but a cheap temporary solution.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:19

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I guess plate weights if you can find some cheap used ones.

gmctavish needs more space > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:19

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Bodies

404 - User No Longer Available > PS9 03/04/2017 at 14:21

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I thought it’s M240i for 2017?

XJDano > gmctavish needs more space 03/04/2017 at 14:21

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Problem with that is as they decompose they lose weight. Just add more bodies. More bodies, more traction.

PS9 > gmctavish needs more space 03/04/2017 at 14:23

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Put the bodies in the van
Put the bodies in the van
Put the bodies in the van
Put the bodies in the
...

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Urambo Tauro > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 03/04/2017 at 14:27

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^This.

But if buckets are too likely to fall over, and you need the sandbags to lay flat instead, wrap them in thick trash bags.

CaptDale - is secretly British > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:35

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Cinder Blocks bound together.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Urambo Tauro 03/04/2017 at 14:40

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Could also try milk crates to keep them upright. I’ve never tried using them hold paint buckets, but they work awesome to keep propane tanks from rolling around truck beds. And they are always handy to have around to carry tools, etc. Heck, you could probably just throw regular sandbags in the milk crates and they wouldn’t scrape the floor and wear out to make as much dust. We usually just use a ratchet strap around them to keep them from moving around pickup beds.

shop-teacher > gmctavish needs more space 03/04/2017 at 14:47

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That’s a whole ‘nother kind of mess.

Svend > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 14:55

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Paving slabs will do the trick.

they weigh in about 40Kgs.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 15:05

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We use steel road plate with angle iron ears welded on and a lifting eye in the center. We are talking pickup trucks, but similar idea. Some plate steel that could be cut to size and layed in the back. You could even cover or coat them if you want to be fancy

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 15:07

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High-density mdf sheets. They also make for a decent loading floor. I’ve also used water softener salt, which I chose by going to the lumber/hardware store and picking the most weight/dollar.

However my experience with adding weight to the back of a vehicle is that the increase in tail-happiness due to the shift in weight distribution tends to offset any traction increases.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 03/04/2017 at 15:07

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I used to use 50lb elevator weights in my vehicles. Think of a square kettle ball, and you’ll have the idea

AfromanGTO > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 15:07

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Get some 100lb plates.

wafflesnfalafel > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 16:52

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When I had my little Nissan pickup I had a couple sand/gravel bags that were made from a super thick, ripstop nylon fabric that was completely waterproof/dust proof. Maybe look for those...

wafflesnfalafel > 404 - User No Longer Available 03/04/2017 at 16:53

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M237.5i

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > fhrblig 03/04/2017 at 18:12

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Convert the vans to mid engined

pip bip - choose Corrour > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 04:51

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concrete blocks?

fhrblig > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 03/05/2017 at 09:43

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The problem with those 5-gallon buckets is that they would probably be a little too tall and unstable in the back of a van that’s moving. I know this because we deliver a lot of those.

I’m leaning toward using old cat litter jugs and filling them with heavier gravel, because then they could be secured via the handles and would fit mostly flat against the sides.

fhrblig > Urambo Tauro 03/05/2017 at 09:45

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The only problem with trash bags is that they aren’t durable enough to last the 4-6 months the sand bags are in the vans. It’s better than nothing, though, so that’s what I did in the van I cleaned out yesterday. Fortunately I can get rid of them all in the next month or so.

fhrblig > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com 03/05/2017 at 09:46

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I’m thinking of lining milk crates with tarp material and then putting sandbags in them. Since Harbor Freight loves to give away tarps...

fhrblig > PS9 03/05/2017 at 09:47

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If only they could carry a payload of up to 3000 lbs, I’d be on it.

fhrblig > DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time 03/05/2017 at 09:48

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This is what I really would like to do. I think I’m going to start going to garage sales this summer and see if I can find some cheap weights.

fhrblig > XJDano 03/05/2017 at 09:51

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I thought of this, but whatever we use for ballast will move around a lot, even when you strap it down. I worry that over time these things will start to crumble and leave bits everywhere. Still not as bad as a sand bag, though.

fhrblig > Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa 03/05/2017 at 09:52

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What is it?

fhrblig > Svend 03/05/2017 at 09:54

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I think that would reduce the available space too much, though.

I wish someone would create something like a metal van floor overlay that would incorporate weight between the axles. That would be the perfect solution.

fhrblig > gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee 03/05/2017 at 09:59

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If you’ve ever driven a RWD cargo van with no ballast in the snow, the weight is definitely preferable. A couple years I had to go over Wolf Creek Pass (near Pagosa Springs) in a nasty snowstorm and on my way back through I had nothing in the back of the van (because I had delivered all my heavy boxes). Fortunately there weren’t many other people on the road, but it was still some code-brown driving.

fhrblig > AfromanGTO 03/05/2017 at 10:01

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I like the idea but not the price. For all the vans I’d need to put them in it would be roughly $3k.

fhrblig > Roadster Man 03/05/2017 at 10:02

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Even when you bungee them to the sides they move too much. Plus they crumble over time.

fhrblig > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 03/05/2017 at 10:02

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I was thinking rear-engined.

fhrblig > CaptDale - is secretly British 03/05/2017 at 10:05

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But they would still move too much, and bound together they would be difficult for a driver to re-position when needed.

fhrblig > pip bip - choose Corrour 03/05/2017 at 10:06

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I think they would probably crumble too much and be too hard to secure and re-position when needed.

fhrblig > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc 03/05/2017 at 10:08

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That would be better, but I feel like the cost would be too much.

We have a bunch of old obsolete radio equipment that’s heavy. I’m tempted to see what we could do with it.

fhrblig > wafflesnfalafel 03/05/2017 at 10:13

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This would be the best option. I found a company selling something called DuraBags that look thicker and sturdier than what we’ve been using. I think this is what we’ll probably end up doing.

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 10:19

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My dad had a couple old g20 vans until a few years ago. With winter conditions likely eight months of the year up here, I’ve done my share of driving in snow. Eventually you just accept the fact the ass end will be dancing whenever it’s given the opportunity. Sure, if you put her in the wrong spot, like a small icy slope or a ditch, it could be problematic, but otherwise it’s not too bad if you’re expecting it.

They also take to sideways action very nicely, (I am a child) but with added weight in the back the code-brown when the back starts approaching 90° to the road becomes more frequent.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 10:31

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That could work pretty well. You could also just throw down a tarp or two in the winter and just toss them come spring. Heck maybe the lowest cost/amount of work long-term would be to get a spray-in bed-liner on the floor and just hose it off at the end of the season. I don’t know what all is in the vans, so that is obviously situational as to if it will work.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 10:32

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I’ve seen that before in trucks when I lived in Syracuse. I believe somebody makes a rectangular hard plastic “sandbags” but I couldn’t find them when I tried google earlier.

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 10:45

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Curbstone

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 11:40

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Or check Craigslist for weight sets, a few 45lb plates would work well too

Urambo Tauro > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 12:23

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Yeah, maybe another, more durable layer would solve that. If you can get empty sandbags, or perhaps burlap sacks or some kind of tough, woven material, that might work. They won’t control dust, though. So you’d still have to use trash bags, and use the heavy material for an outer layer.

I really like the milk crate idea, though. If you have a flat surface and don’t need the bag to contour against a wheel-well, then that might be the way to go.

AfromanGTO > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 13:22

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Look for them when a gym upgrades their equipment or shuts down. They don’t like carrying them to the next place.

DC3 LS, will be perpetually replacing cars until the end of time > fhrblig 03/05/2017 at 13:52

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Also you could put some kind of grip or skateboard tape on the back to help keep them from sliding around.

CaptDale - is secretly British > fhrblig 03/06/2017 at 11:52

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Cement slab?