# UHaul trailer to haul gravel



## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

I need to move a couple tons of gravel for a patio build using a U-haul trailer (two trips).
On the trailer itself has a fill line for this type of stuff. The line is only about 4" from the trailer floor which is far below the trailer's weight capacity.
My estimate to load a ton into their 4x7 utility trailer will load about 12" and their 5x8 would be 8 inches. Anyone use a U-haul trailer to haul this much material and how did it go?

TIA


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## firehawkmph (Dec 12, 2009)

Why don't you just have it delivered, couple tons would fit in a one ton dump, not that much money.
Mike Hawkins


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

The problem that I always have is material management. Having them drop everything at once sounds good on paper but I have a small property with a tight driveway. I can get the trailer to where I need it but dump truck would have to drop at the far end of the driveway. Basically, I need to spread out and compact what I pick up immediately and then head out for more.


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## joecaption (Nov 30, 2011)

Hard to picture how your able to get a vehical and a trailer someplace that a 1 ton dump truck will not fit.
I agree with firehawkmpg on this one, sounds like a whole lot more work doing it with a non dumping trailer.
The time to go rent it, two trips picking up the stone, a whole lot of time trying to shovel it out, the clean up time on the trailer before returning it, then the return.
(If you do use that trailer do yourself a favor and buy a HD tarp and lay it out in the bed of the trailer before filling with stone, far faster clean up time.)


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I have overloaded a few trailers. 5x8 x8" is a meter 



Wet 3/4 crushed that could be as much as 3500 lbs.
file:///C:/Users/Owner/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.IE5/NHYFSXYV/Cubic_Yardage_Chart-D.pdf


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Hi Clutch,
I'm having trouble with your numbers. 5x7 one foot deep is one yard which could be about 2,500 pounds. And you are talking 2 trips.

What number are you using for the weight of your gravel per yard, 27 cubic feet?

Bud

Also, check to see if anyone rents a dump body trailer.


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

The driveway is exactly 101" wide; house on one side, fence on the other. 
When I was shopping for a truck, I was looking at the F150s, I then did some quick measurements and even though I would be able to back it into the driveway, I wouldn't be able to open the doors. So long story short, I doubt a dump truck would fit. Plus it's $100/drop; I might as well use the bagged stuff at big box.

One yard is 27 cubic feet, right... 3x3x3 and one yard is about 2500 lbs.
Is the actual size of a 5x7 trailer smaller than 5x7?


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

A rental Store, should have a dump trailer that can haul this, and you can dump straight from it, a partial load, move over and dump more, to spread out the material better. 

Or as already suggested a 1 ton, or a 1.5 ton dump truck can get in anywhere that a truck trailer can get.

Only suggestion is check your overhead clearance before moving the dump box, those pesky cable wires love to grab on and stretch, then snap.:vs_mad:


ED


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## joed (Mar 13, 2005)

How about a dump truck load and then rent a motorized wheel barrow to move it.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

Clutch keep in mind that GVW includes the weight of the trailer and that trailers are limited by the weight rating of the tires as much as the axle GVW.


8" of road base or class I stone dust in my 4x7 trailer weighs in at 1500 - 1700 net pounds depending on moisture content.


At 1500 it tows really smooth. At 1700 is starts to sway a bit if I go over 50 MPH.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

The U-Haul website says the max. load for their 4x7 is 1770lb (GVW = 2400lb) assuming the tow vehicle/hitch can handle it (5x8 = 1890/2890). There is no mention if or how their 'loose load line' impacts/alters that.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

lenaitch said:


> The U-Haul website says the max. load for their 4x7 is 1770lb (GVW = 2400lb) assuming the tow vehicle/hitch can handle it (5x8 = 1890/2890). There is no mention if or how their 'loose load line' impacts/alters that.


And besides if you fill it to the line with stacked lumber, instead of stone, the GVW will be different, I ignore the line, and fill to the limit, in weight of material.

Drive responsibly, and keep control of the load.


ED


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

de-nagorg said:


> A rental Store, should have a dump trailer that can haul this, and you can dump straight from it, a partial load, move over and dump more, to spread out the material better.
> ED


I agree with Ed, rent a dump trailer. It is much easier to manage and can hold more stuff than a U-Haul. Plus, with sold sides, it is much easier to trap and contain the material than the more open U-Hauls. 

And, you can dump it where you want it. 

I used it to haul compost for my back yard when I redid it last year, as well as dirt and other stuff to mix in. Well worth the extra price of the rental.


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

Thanks guys. Money is a concern so the dump truck is not a viable option. The drive is about 12 miles away with 10 on the highway and no stop and go so I think I may push my luck with an slightly overloaded uHaul. Not sure why the line on the trailer is drawn so low (4"). Filled to that line on the 4x7 trailer would only give me about 9.5 cubic feet/875 lbs. To max out the 4x7 trailer by weight it should be drawn to 19". Maybe there thinking folks are using their trailers to move gold bars.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Clutchcargo said:


> Thanks guys. Money is a concern so the dump truck is not a viable option. The drive is about 12 miles away with 10 on the highway and no stop and go so I think I may push my luck with an slightly overloaded uHaul. Not sure why the line on the trailer is drawn so low (4"). Filled to that line would only give me about 9.5 cubic feet/875 lbs. on the 4x7 trailer. To max out the 4x7 trailer by weight it should be drawn to 19". Maybe there thinking folks are using their trailers to move gold bars.


It is not just the trailer but they may be insured as 1/2 ton but it is the hitch and the car towing it. Fill the tires up before you over load it.


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

Nealtw said:


> It is not just the trailer but they may be insured as 1/2 ton but it is the hitch and the car towing it. Fill the tires up before you over load it.


That's what I thought, so I plugged in an F-350 and the cargo load results were the same.
I'm towing with a Tacoma.


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## ZTMAN (Feb 19, 2015)

Any time I bought gravel and had them load it into a trailer, the quarry wanted to see the trailer registration and then you had to drive over their scales. They will not let you over load a trailer around our parts.


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

Clutchcargo said:


> That's what I thought, so I plugged in an F-350 and the cargo load results were the same.
> I'm towing with a Tacoma.


I spent one summer driving a loader for a gravel crusher. We didn't own the gravel so could not sell it but everyday the guy up the street begged for a pick up load. One day the boss was their and he said to load him. I had a 5 yard bucket and couldn't tell how much i had so I was gently shaking the gravel out over his truck. The guy kept yelling dump it dump it, finally the boss gave me the full dump signal. You want to see what 3 yards does to half ton. :surprise::biggrin2:


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## Msradell (Sep 1, 2011)

Nealtw said:


> The guy kept yelling dump it dump it, finally the boss gave me the full dump signal. You want to see what 3 yards does to half ton. :surprise::biggrin2:


Did he ever make it home? :vs_laugh:


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Nealtw said:


> I spent one summer driving a loader for a gravel crusher. We didn't own the gravel so could not sell it but everyday the guy up the street begged for a pick up load. One day the boss was their and he said to load him. I had a 5 yard bucket and couldn't tell how much i had so I was gently shaking the gravel out over his truck. The guy kept yelling dump it dump it, finally the boss gave me the full dump signal. You want to see what 3 yards does to half ton. :surprise::biggrin2:


I saw that once, their frame buckled at the cab meets box area.

The frame was a half inch from the ground, I wonder what they told their insurance company?

ED


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## Brian Famous (Feb 4, 2019)

Nealtw said:


> Clutchcargo said:
> 
> 
> > That's what I thought, so I plugged in an F-350 and the cargo load results were the same.
> ...


I have a half ton, and cringe at the thought of putting a yard of stone in the bed. I've put as much as 1,700 in it, but probably wouldn't do that again (I have access to a trailer now). I can only imagine what that thing looked like with 3 yards in it. Even more priceless had to be the look on the guy's face (and maybe your bosses...).


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

One final comment and best of luck to you.


I've been to the quarry many times. I tell the scale man to tell the loader I want as close to X pounds as he can load me. +- 100 pounds I always get what I requested. YMMV depending on the skid steer drivers skill but it works for me.


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## KPDMinc (Nov 7, 2016)

big box stores (even some gravel yards) will deliver in those re-usable bags. to off-load and move them, they use a smaller type tractor / forklift - they could put them exactly where you want, and those machines can go anywhere you can back a trailer. Last time I had it done, was a $75 delivery fee. Small price to pay in lieu of moving all the gravel 2 - 3 times...


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## jproffer (Mar 12, 2005)

Colbyt said:


> One final comment and best of luck to you.
> 
> 
> I've been to the quarry many times. I tell the scale man to tell the loader I want as close to X pounds as he can load me. +- 100 pounds I always get what I requested. YMMV depending on the skid steer drivers skill but it works for me.


Here we load dump trucks with a CAT 980G loader. It has a hoist scale, but it's off by (last I heard) about 800 pounds. The regular operator knows that, but if someone else is in it for a day.....whoooo. In a dump truck, that 800# probably doesn't matter much since they rarely max their loads out anyway, but in a pick up it would matter a lot.

And our policy is that we don't load pick ups....we used to, but....

Kinda funny story as to the reason we don't any more (so I'm told....this happened before my time here):

Guy comes in wanting a pick up load of something. Backs up to the big pile, but backs up too far so his bumper is kind of sitting on the pile. Guy didn't notice...backhoe operator didn't notice. 

Operator was feathering out a load into the bed, guy is watching his rear "squat"...keeps giving the operator the "keep it coming" sign..."It's not even squatting yet...come on with it".....operator finally over-rules the guy and tells him he's not putting any more on it. If he wants more, he'll dump a bucket or 2 outside the gate, and guy can load it with his own shovel or backhoe or miracle it in there, as far a he cared...he wasn't comfortable loading any more.

Guy begrudgingly takes off to leave with his "light" load...bumper comes off the pile, blows both rear tires and has to shovel all that rock off to change them before he can have the BH come back and reload him. Second time around he don't say a word. Tells the operator "however much you think. If I gotta make 2 trips, so F-in be it...just don't overload me"


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## rcpaulsen (Oct 17, 2018)

I bought 400 8"x16"x1.5" patio blocks many years ago and hauled them home fifteen miles on a 5x8 utility trailer. I don't remember what the rated capacity of that trailer was, but it handled the load with no problem, and I used it frequently for many years after that until it was destroyed in a traffic accident.

I now have a different 5x8 trailer that I bought from Tractor Supply. This trailer is rated for 2,000 pounds. I recently loaded 300 of the blocks onto this trailer because I am moving my patio about fifty feet, but I haven't moved the trailer since I loaded it. After it sat for three weeks, I noticed that it was leaning and I assumed it had a flat tire. After checking and determining that there was no flat, I noticed a chunk of leaf spring lying in the grass. It had snapped under the static load.


I'm wondering if it's just a fluke, or if there's an appreciable difference between the trailers being sold at the big box stores and the ones from a "real" trailer dealer.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

2K pounds is 2K pounds. Three weeks is a long time to leave a load on and I suspect you may have been overloaded both times.


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

rcpaulsen said:


> I bought 400 8"x16"x1.5" patio blocks many years ago and hauled them home fifteen miles on a 5x8 utility trailer. I don't remember what the rated capacity of that trailer was, but it handled the load with no problem, and I used it frequently for many years after that until it was destroyed in a traffic accident.
> 
> I now have a different 5x8 trailer that I bought from Tractor Supply. This trailer is rated for 2,000 pounds. I recently loaded 300 of the blocks onto this trailer because I am moving my patio about fifty feet, but I haven't moved the trailer since I loaded it. After it sat for three weeks, I noticed that it was leaning and I assumed it had a flat tire. After checking and determining that there was no flat, I noticed a chunk of leaf spring lying in the grass. It had snapped under the static load.
> 
> ...


I didn't find an 8x16x1.5 block to get the weight. But I did find and 8x12x2 and they had similar volumes. The 8x12x2 weights 14.6# So, using 14.5#'s to adjust for the difference, your 300 bricks weights 4500 pounds. 

It is not surprising that your leaf spring broke. I am surprised that your axle didn't break or the frame didn't crack. (you should check it to make sure.)

As for the quality, there is probably a difference, and, you also pay for what you get. But as @Colbyt stated, 2K is 2k. And your 2K trailer was being asked to transport 4.5K pounds as well as holding it up for 3 weeks without additional support. (If you had put some concrete blocks under it with some wood to brace it, raised it up and did the same for the front, it might have have been okay. Or, better yet, unloaded it.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Trailer weight specs are determined by the certified specs the manufacturer gets from the governing authority (DOT, etc.); i.e. 'the plate'' and I assume that authorization is based on testing by some recognized method. Company liability lawyers will be part of the loop. Most trailers used third party purchased axles, which have their own ratings, but it also depends on the rating of the hitch assembly. The one thing I've noticed about 'big box', etc. trailers vs. an actual manufacturer is their bodies are lighter, which gives them more load capacity for a given rated GVW. I once borrowed a neighbour's Big Orange trailer to take my lawn tractor to the dealer at the walls and fenders flapped all the way there and back. Also, I think it is a common NA standard that anything over 3K needs a braking system.
Safety margins are designed into everthing, but with a load almost double the GVW (not even considering the hitch class), it was luck that got the load home safely.
One of my favourite sights, and not uncommon around here, is a gutting camper trailer loading with a cord of firewood, sitting on the side of the road on a Monday morning with either its 10" tire flayed or the bearing fried when the cottager decided to bring home firewood. Those pop-up campers are basically designed to carry their own weight and that's it.


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## rcpaulsen (Oct 17, 2018)

Colbyt said:


> 2K pounds is 2K pounds. Three weeks is a long time to leave a load on and I suspect you may have been overloaded both times.



No doubt! 



I hired a friend's son to load the blocks, move them across the yard, and unload them because my old retired body can't do it anymore. He took 1'45" to load them, then left for the day because it was too hot, saying he'd be back the following Saturday to finish.


He never came back.


At first I was going to have had him load a dozen at a time on my garden wagon. That would have taken 25 trips back and forth across the yard, and it was a hot day, so I was trying to make it easier for him. Expensive mistake . . .


PS - Won't hire that kid again!


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Are you still friends with his dad? :vs_laugh:


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## ktownskier (Aug 22, 2018)

huesmann said:


> Are you still friends with his dad? :vs_laugh:


I'll bet he doesn't invite you over for cookouts that much anymore. And if he does, don't eat anything his son cooks, especially with a "secret sauce"...


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## Clutchcargo (Mar 31, 2007)

It turns out that a slight overload (~21-2200 lbs.) was no problem for the uHaul trailer. The stopping distance took me a little by surprise though. Not white knuckle surprised but enough for me to leave plenty of distance to what's in front of me and plan my stops.
I think that might be the reason why the load capacity is limited to 1900 lbs.
My next load is 3200 lbs. of pavers. I'll let you know how that works out. I think I'll be buying the uHaul insurance for that trip.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

^ That's why most if not all jurisdictions require brakes on anything over 3000lb gvw. Insurance might not get you too far if something happens and they get an inkling that it was overloaded.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Overloading wheel bearings doesn't necessarily result is an immediate catastrophic failure. It can instead damage the bearings or bearing surfaces where the resulting failure may not show up for many miles. Even though you completed the trip it was and will be on the next trip, irresponsible. 

Sorry, but you know it and all who read this in the future should be encouraged to follow the load requirements.

Bud


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## Calson (Jan 23, 2019)

It also matters whether the trailer brakes are rated for the load and the weight of the trailer. My current truck has great disc brakes front and back which helps when towing a heavy trailer that does not have brakes but with most cars what they can tow and what they can safely tow are two different matters.
With my last project I got a powered wheel barrow that had tracks to move the gravel and it save a lot of time with the 6 yards of gravel used.


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## huesmann (Aug 18, 2011)

Also, only brake on a straight!


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