Hey all,

I usually keep sandbags in the back of my 2wd ranger edge, because I am on gravel roads and in fields a good bit, and it helps with traction and the ride smoothness a lot. I have a problem with the conventional tube sand that i buy at the hardware store, as it doesn't last very long before the bag splits. Are there any other options for weighing down a truck bed that are more durable?

Thanks!

 

Go to a local tire shop and ask for a used/worn out tractor tube . Cut it down so a sand tube will fit inside with an extra 6-8 inches on each end and close the ends with zip ties.
Not only contains the sand , but more waterproof .

 

Ive heard of guys putting the tube sand in like old inner tubes to keep it out of the sun...basically anything to keep it out of the sun will help make it last.

EDIT: OTRtech Beat me too it!

 

i use cheap bags of potting soil. usally after thanksgivings a co-op or a place like that has them for 25cents or less. but the tractor inne tube is a good idea.

 

bags of cement. i know at the lumber yard where I used to work, we would give away the old bags that got hard from sitting around. And there was a guy that worked there that went to a place that sells steel, and they had a piece of 1/4" steel that pretty much fit right between the wheel wells of his F150 and he was able to close the gate. that weighed it down pretty good.

Dont use anything that can move around too easily, like cement blocks or bricks or anything like that

 

just shovel the snow into the bed and then it melts when the snow does

 

tried that didnt work to well in less u wanna shovel it in there

 

Thanks for the tire tube idea...I will have to try that out! As for snow, well, I keep weight in my truck year round, and there isn't much snow to be found in Missouri summers!

 

Lowe's actually sells sand bag bags. Empty bags to fill with sand. They are like $0.52 each. They hold a 40-50lb bag of sand.

 

I have a buddy that drops a 1/2 inch steel plate that measures exactly the dimension of his GMCs 8 foot bed. Weighs a top. Has to fork lift in.

 

Do you have any fire wood or good sized logs you can get a hold of? We had a few trees topped during the summer so we have a ton of huge 50-100+ pound logs laying around our backyard. I'm going to throw 5 or 6 of those bad boys in the back of my Ranger, stick with my cheap Uniroyal A/T tires and hope for the best. I don't care if it snows 4 feet again like last year, I'll never touch a 4WD.

 

i've got some ramps (the kind you drive up on to change oil) i made out of angle iron
they weigh about 80lbs each.....i set those in the bed and strap them down tight with no issues
those along with my tools add up to about 250 lbs....my bed cover keeps people from swiping them

but now that i've got the 4x4 with no bed cover, i may just stick with the ramps or a couple 50lb bags of oil dry from work....

 

my bed has a bedliner with the notches in the rear to put a board in. 2 bags of cement fit perfectly between the board and tailgate. Does not move. Did it my first winter...bags of cement are like 4 bucks each....wrapped them in plastic to keep moisture out...used them the next summer for a project.

 

or it melts then freezes then snows more and the **** happens again and your stuck with an ice cube

 

i had snow already in the back (about 3") so i threw about 200lbs of bricks in there and covered them up with snow to lock them in and hide them. works like a charm

 

I'm just curious, are you folks sticking with all terrains or throwing on a pair of snow/winter tires? I'm broke so that's why I'm stuck with my A/T's with barely any tread left. It'll be like trying to get traction with 4 bowling *****!

 

IMO there is no difference between sipped A/Ts and Snow tires. That's just me though.

I know a Ranger guy around here that once the snow flys he moves his diamond plate toolbox with a ton of stuff in it (probably 100-200 lbs) from the front of the bed to the back. He a locking tailgate though so it doesn't get loose and dump out the back.

 

Go to Lowes and purchase 4 bags of ready mix concrete.
Carefully remove the inner door trim panels from your Ranger.
Find a suitable mortar box, a shovel and few buckets of water and mix the bag contents to a somewhat soupy consistancy
Shovel the mixture through the openings directly into the door cavities**
Re-install the door trim panels and Voila! Extra, secure weight without sacrificing valuable interior passenger or cargo space, with the added peace of mind in knowing that the weight will not become a projectile hazard in the event of a traffic mishap!
The fact that your windows may not go all the way down anymore may be bothersome but sometimes there are sacrifices to be made when it comes to safety.


** Be sure to seal the rust openings at the bottom of the doors with a good quality duct tape prior to inserting mortar mixture




You're welcome

 

My toolbox full of tools weighs the bed down enough for me

 

extra weight is for little girls.

 

I use salt bags. 5 - 20kg bags to be exact. Right over the rear axle.

 

I think the toolbox idea would work, never really thought of that. Might look really stupid though

 

I'm talking about the toolbox already in my truck, not an extra one

 

How do you keep the bags of (whatever) directly over the axle?

 

They don't really have to be directly over the axle. Around here, they always seem to absorb water and then freeze in place for the rest of the winter..

Definitely NEVER use concrete blocks or wheel/tractor weights. Unless you like dents in the back of your head.



GB :)