Just how tough is the ST's box?

[Mark S 3]

So I just spent the weekend shingling my garage. Good news is it is done, bad news is now I've got a load of old broken shingles to take to the dump.



Has anybody hauled old shingles in their ST before? Is the bed able to take the weight & all the nails easily enough? I was thinking of laying down a sheet of plywood so the nails wouldn't scratch as bad, should I bother? or is the plastic the ST is made from scratch proof enough that I don't need to worry?

 

[Thomas Rogers]

You will get scratches, but only scratches, probably no punctures. It will be an easier job getting the shingles in and out if you DON'T put the plywood down as then they will slide easier.



However, if it were me, I would put it down just to cut down on the scratches.



I know it would be a lot of extra work, but have you considered getting some rugged cardboard boxes and putting the shingles in them for their trip to the dump? Heck, pay a neighbor kid to pull the nails and stack the singles in the boxes and place them curbside. Sure, it would cost a little for the boxes and the the labor, but it would make loading and unloading a lot easier. And, yes, I know how heavy old shingles are and recognize that each box would be pretty heavy (hold from the bottom).



TJR

 

[shawn stonbraker 2]

The box is pretty strong. Just make sure not to over do it. I only heard of a couple of people that have put a hole into the bed of the ST. The nails will scratch the bed but there isn't too much to worry about. The bed won't rust from the scratches. Mine has a few and I just call the beauty marks. Make the ST look like it has been used like it should be.

 

[Jim Dolinski]

how about atarp in the bed, should minimize sratching and make cleanup a breeze.

 

[Chops]

Definitely put something in the bed.

I guess you mean asphalt shingles?



Anyway, I recently re-tiled my main living area floors, and used the ST to take the broken ceramic tiles to the dump (very very heavy). The Trac can do it just don't overload it. Take it easy on road dips and bumps.

 

[EddieS'04]

TJR or JimD, has a good idea about the cardboard or a tarp lining the bed..

 

[farout squarecat]

Tarp will rip easily, use plywood or the like to line the bed.

 

[Fer Echegaray]

Hauled paving stones

Scratched the botton while unloading them

Bought bed mat

Worried about side walls

Need tarp.

:huh:



:lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[J Piroth]

I've packed the bed full of an old deck (complete with LOTS of rusty old nails), scrap that the previous owner left under my house (including two old doors, some chicken wire, random pieces of wood, etc.), five FULL bedloads of pine logs (after a tree dropped in my yard during a tropical storm) and various other items in the 4+ years I've had it.



I've got scratches, but the Trac handled it all like a dream. I wouldn't worry about it at all, unless you're really concerned about leaving the bed scratch-free. I just figure- it's a truck bed, it's supposed to get scratched and fulthy. That's why I bought a truck and not an SUV.

 

[Mark S 3]

Thanks for the ideas,



I think I'm just going to cut up some old boxes to use as a makeshift liner and go from there. That way once I'm done, the liner just gets tossed out with the last load of shingles.

 

[Data Kruncher]

I used cardboard to make it easy to unload a combination of soil and lava rock last week. The smooth bottom made it easy to shovel it out.



This weekend I used a big tarp to carry off more soil/rocks/roots, and bring in a 1/2 yard of fresh topsoil. When you load up the bed a shovel at a time, you just don't get the same visual impact as when a bobcat operator drops a half bucket of dirt into the bed all at once. The bed was pretty full when I drove out, slowly and carefully. I did get a bit nervous when the bobcat bucket was an inch or two from the back window though.



Lots of work, but the ST handled it with ease. Can't say the same for myself, what with the heat and all.

 

[JohnnyB]

The bed of my '01 was scratched up some, but its a truck and I use it like one. Put something down and you should be fine. Using my '07 the same way.[Broken External Image]:

 

[Johnny O]

Remember, I've got lift shackles. :lol:

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