I run a nursery and we sell mulch in bulk. We sell about 25 trailer loads a year(70 yds a trailer) alot. I see all kinds. Yesterday a man came in he buys about 15 to 20yds. a year. He hauls it in a nicely restored 1948 international 1 ton. There are 4 or 5 guys that come in with old trucks still being used the way they should. 56 ford 53 chevy and a 30 model A. All in good shape. I enjoy seeing vechiles being used as they should regardless of age.

About an hour later after loading the 48 a guy came in in a new pick-up(chevy) and he had to put a tarp down over the bed liner before I could load. 4-wheel drive. I am willing to bet the only time it goes off road is in his front lawn to wash it.

I have loaded mulch into just about everything but the backseat of a convertible.
Trunk of a jag xj6
boats
trailers that should not be on the road
backs of vans and hatchbacks
If you really want to see a car squat load a rabbit pick-up with mulch

One last thing

My theory on pick-ups.
They spend 90% time empty and 10% time overloaded
Happy Easter Larry

 

Picturing all that you described is definitely worth a chuckle

 

I know where you are coming from with the loading of mulch. My dad started an organic farm growing veggies and he used to make his own compost for fetilizer. He got to the point where he was making so much that he used to sell some to gardeners and even to a couple of towns who used it on their flower beds. They would bring big trucks in and haul 25-50 yards. After he passed away I decided that I would continue to make the compost and sell it. I use a TL80 new Holland with a large loader on the front and occasionally people will come in with light duty trucks and of course lay tarps in the bed before i load it in. I will load about 5 yards at a time and this compost is heavy but since I sell it by the bucket they always think they can get 2 bucket loads on a 1/2 ton. A couple of times I have had to tow them out of the field to the road. Springs and shocks compressed to the max. Funny to watch the truck driving down the road and wondering if there is enough of the front tires on the road to turn

 

My wife did some landscaping just after we bought our impala I had an 84 S10 with a small block in it, you think she used the truck to haul the clippings, and yard debris to the dump? NOT, I about hit the roof.(took me an entire afternoon getting the shiz out of the carpet) I agree with what you are saying, but as much as a new vehicle costs vs how fast they depreciate, I can understand the guy throwing the tarp.....sort of. Thanks for the grin, and the memory. hard to believe that is as long ago as it is.

 

Nice post - I like seeing those old trucks still on the road doing their jobs.
I laugh when i see an Escalade pulling a small trailer when getting 10 small bags of mulch (2 cu ft) at home depot... Can't risk getting the thing a little dirty... Geez. I brought 10 bags of the same mulch in the trunk of my 86 Cutlass, just had to bungee the trunk lid. I did line it with a tarp for easy cleaning.

What deserves an honor is my old 78 Pinto bringing home over 10,000 lbs of Oklahoma flagstone when i was landscaping my yard. I hauled 600 lbs or less each trip in the trunk and back seat floors. It took many trips over the course of a year but it took a while to do the whole yard - I was not in a hurry.

Again, I saw newer suvs pulling little tiny trailers so they could get only 50 lbs of rock.
One guy their said something about me needing a truck, but I told him this was better than 400 a month; he went away.

 

That poor pinto HAD to be begging mercy

 

Its a furd your not supposed to show it any mercy

 

Enjoying this thread. I bought four bales of hay last fall to insulate my dog's house out on the back deck. I live in a suburban neighborhood and own a sedan, the '46 and the Cutlass. So you can guess how I hauled them.... on the trunk (back deck) of the sedan. Yeah, she squatted. I bet it was quite a scene to see that LeSabre tooling down the road with four bales of hay on the trunk! By the way, I love old pickups and stop and look them over whenever possible and agree that they should be used as intended, a work vehicle.

 

I remember loading 10 2cu-ft bags of mulch in an '87 Grand Am SE, talk about overloaded. We had to take a couple bags out just to get in the driveway.

 

Worst overload I ever saw. Garden wagon rated for about 500lb and not intended for highway use. Looked to have about 12 to 15 bags of 80lb concert being pulled by a small car at about 30mph. I can still hear what was left of those poor bearings scream.
Larry

 

Old trucks are great. A good friend o my wifes just had her 41 ford 1/2 ton upgraded with a late ford pickup straight 6. She uses it all of the time to haul stuff on her property. She will keep it forever. Restored to drive and use great stuff

 

That old car took that abuse in stride - not a single thing broke or gave problems from that abuse. I give it credit for that, for sure.

I simply bring my Olds to a stop sign and the #@%!^# front wheel breaks off... https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...html#post74952

 

Speaking of old trucks working, I have had a pipe dream of taking something like a 41 ford COE and mounting it on a Freightliner classic chassis with a monster sleeper shaped like an airstream trailer. Crapper/shower on board with a kitchenette. Truckin in style How many people can write off their hobby? With the economy in the gutter the likelyhood is nill, but.....

 

Great idea Chad. Have you ever seen anyone take an old COE and put it on a modern rollback, so they could carry their toys in vintage style instead of trailering them? I once saw a picture of an older COE with a ramp bed that looked pretty original, but I don't think I'd want to transport anything very fair like that.

 

I used to go to the Quarry and get $10 scoops of gravel in mt Ford f250...

They were big scoops and the quarry men took delight when I said "Yes the whole scoop"...

At two ton + of gravel the old Ford would steer by esp ...

 

Speaking of old trucks, we had a customer stop in with an old GMC COE ( Crackerbox) that he had driven over the road for years until he retired, then he modified the rear suspension to air ride and made a roll off camper body and a dump body that he could interchange as the mood hits him.