Oops, that's not good...

"Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch" (bman76) 02/23/2016 at 00:59 • Filed to: I've got 11000 problems and a hitch is one

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We may have missed a somewhat critical calculation.

What I “need”

Two weeks from now I’m making a second run to Arkansas to char some wood. Some of you may recall !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! The difference is that, where last time was just a test run of 14 boards, this time is the production run. How many more boards am I taking this time?

400 boards

“Cool, no problem, we’ll just throw it on a trailer and drag it down there.”

This is the amount of thought that my classmates had put into this. I’ve been !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! putting out other “fires” and trying to get AWS 2G structural welding certified to stop and think about that number. Today I found out that I would be the one driving the truck and trailer, at which point it dawned on me...

We have no idea how much that wood weighs.

A couple of quick calculations and a call to the lumber yard later I got my answer.

11,000 lbs

Fun fact: a Chevy 1500 with a 5.3 V8, which the university motor pool has, can only tow 11,000 lbs. Add a 24 foot trailer into the mix, and I’ll need closer to 13,000-15,000 lbs capacity.

What I have

So now I’ve got to search around the University to find a 3/4 ton pickup or if that fails, try to convince a local dealership to loan me a pickup for a week.

This would also work.

Additional fun fact: I’ve never towed more than a uhaul sized trailer before. So I’m clearly the most qualified to drive a combined 20,000 lbs of vehicle and cargo.

Dusty Ventures > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:11

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How long are the boards?

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Dusty Ventures 02/23/2016 at 01:13

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75 of the 400 are 20 footers.

Dusty Ventures > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:16

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Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Dusty Ventures 02/23/2016 at 01:20

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Costs money we don’t really have at this point.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:24

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Any hills involved? (I didn’t read the backstory yet.)

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief 02/23/2016 at 01:26

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Manhattan, KS to Fayetteville, AR

There are some hills.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:29

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use the motor pool truck, it'll do it. you can usually exceed it by a bit, but it'll be a pain in the ass for you and the truck

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:30

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:/

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 02/23/2016 at 01:31

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I’ll try to find a bigger truck, but if worse comes to worse it’ll have to do.

Dusty Ventures > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:32

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Fair enough. Didn’t know what your budget was since you mentioned seeing if you could get a dealership to loan you a truck for a week.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:32

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it's a chevy, it'll do it

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Dusty Ventures 02/23/2016 at 01:35

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Haha, no problem . Loan probably should’ve said donate .

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power 02/23/2016 at 01:37

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Haha, just don’t rat me out to motor pool.

Birddog > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 01:40

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I don’t see any issues using the Fleet truck. We all overload them eventually and they can handle it. Occasionally.

You’ll love towing the longer trailer. The longer they are the easier they are to maneuver.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > Birddog 02/23/2016 at 01:45

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Getting it through downtown Fayetteville may be a challenge, but at least I’ll have some help (classmates) with me this time.

XJDano > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 03:16

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If you were that worried about the trailer & weight surely the university has plow trucks or dump trucks. Which would suck for the ride but could handle it.

I hope it's not going to be snowing in 2 weeks.

Gone > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 06:00

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Two trips, a proper rig, or don’t do it. If you guys get popped by troopers for overload, you don’t want to be near that truck. The ticket you get will be amazingly expensive. That and I can’t imagine KSU will be happy (my guess) - misuse of uni property and liability issues.

3k overweight fines (it only goes up):

Arkansas is about a ~$225

Kansas is ~$150

Mizzou is $287.50

OK I couldn’t find quickly

Plus possible impounding fees. In TX, DPS would additional look to find every possible ticket-able offense (so I’m sure all others would). It’s a super easy visual check since that truck will squat like no other. The big ass KSU decal will also not be in your favor. And if a wreck happens your ass is fucked.

Being overloaded and not having experience with heavy loads at all is also a recipe for disaster in general.

You’d need a Class V hitch (only 12k rated BTW), a 15k load rated trailer (which may not exist in bumper pull configs and will be dually axle or triple single) that will weigh 5k+ on its own. Even a 12k trailer is at least 3.5k-4k weight. You’re pulling at least triple the trucks weight. This is a bad idea. That’s a shitload of weight to haul down. To do it properly you need a 1ton and a gooseneck setup.

READ THIS IF YOU SKIP EVERYRHING ELSE: Find an alumni to do this for you for free/cheap - and this can be amazingly easy through FB, internet forums, university alum assoc, etc. KSU should be more than happy to help you up front to avoid a potential disaster.

The odds are slim of something bad happening, but be safe. It’s not *that* important to endanger yourself and others. I am “that guy” but I think it’s important.

Seriously, I can get the gear for this and if I was close (I am not at all) I would personally do this for you. This a a crazy bad idea IMO.

Gone > Gone 02/23/2016 at 06:17

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Forgot...there’s bound to be more than one kid there who’s dad has the right equipment to do this. Get in touch will fellow students as well.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 06:31

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I went from an eleven foot boat to a 21' trailer, and the 21' trailer is easier to deal with, even with tons of equipment on it.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 06:32

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Also, if it means anything, we overload our Silverado 2500s all the time, just leave yourself a bit more room to stop.

Sweet Trav > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 07:11

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Fun story...

My dad and I lined the pond in our back yard with field stone, picked from fields as I drove his 89 Chevy heavy duty 3/4 ton truck. I have to imagine each load was bout 10,000 lbs in the bed. I’ve never EVER seen a 3/4 ton truck suspension sag like it did with those rocks. We abused the living hell out of that truck and it lived on for another 5-6 years of Daily driving. If we can abuse that truck like we did, you can sure as hell rent a trailer and tow some wood with it.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 07:27

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If you are going to use the fleet truck just remember to use engine compression to help slow you down going down hill, last thing you want to do is overcook the brakes halfway down a hill. Also remember that with a shorter wheelbase towing that much, the thing can get squirrely in a cross wind so keep you speed around 50-55.

64Mali > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 07:38

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You’ll be fine. Just take it slow and plan for an extra 400 feet for braking. You just wont win any gas mileage awards.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 09:11

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I’m gonna second Looseonexit here... you need to really think long and hard about doing this with the 1500 and a bumper pull trailer.

I’m not saying the truck can’t do it - it can. But it is dangerous - a lot of a vehicles tow rating comes from the brakes ability to handle the extra load. If you cook your brakes and wreck, it’s gonna be bad. Worse when the cops show up and realize you exceeded the GVW.

Have you looked into an equipment rental? There’s an outfit near us (Rentals Unlimited) that will rent you an International heavy duty truck with an 18' flatbed for $125/day or $500/week plus .65/mile (I looked, its gonna be about $450 in mileage as well). Maybe you could find a similar outfit that would be willing to donate a rig like that to you, or at least give you a hefty price reduction.

Also check on Craigslist. Sometimes you can find like a landscaper or something who could do it. They are going to have the rig for it - heavy duty truck plus long trailer. And right now is a slow time of year for them.

shop-teacher > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 13:29

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Sounds about right for architecture school. One person who knows what they’re doing and does all the work, and a bunch of other chickens running around with their heads cut off.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > shop-teacher 02/23/2016 at 20:21

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I certainly don’t do all the work, but I’m always surprised by the things that most people are just completely oblivious to. We’re a group of grad students, they should know these things.

shop-teacher > Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch 02/23/2016 at 21:25

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There’s a reason you have to intern for three years after all that college learnin’ :)