Bed Ballast - Dumb Southerner Question

[Panik]

So I'm in the NW corner of GA, Rome to be more exact. We relocated here from Tampa, FL about two years ago, so last years was the first year driving on snow/ice. I realize that where we are doesn't get a whole heck of a lot of snow or ice, however last year's "snowpocalypse" was a bit of an interesting experience. I had to be out in it driving in it and the next day due to obligations and saw a great deal of stupidity and what that combined with lack of equipment infrastructure (plow trucks/salters) can cause.

 

At the time I was driving a 2wd Jeep Commander and did better than about 95% of the folks on the road. About half the folks driving by our neighborhood couldn't make it past our location due to the ice and the steep road slope. I won't say the Jeep was a mountain goat or anything, but consistent speeds, a light touch on steering and not stomping on the go-pedal handled most of the issues and allowed me to compensate for when I lost traction.

 

My question is whether or not it is worth buying 200-300lbs of play sand and strapping it in the bed of the truck for these occasional situations? Idea being a little more weight over the rear axle for traction and better weight distribution. I already traded out the stock SR-A's for Hankook ATM's, but aside from that the truck is stock. Truck's a Z71 CC 5.3L 2WD 3.42 and has the auto-locking rear differential.

 

 

[Btuggle88]

I live in South Carolina and kinda in the same boat , I stick some old yard pavers in the back of my truck, a couple hundred pounds, to kinda help seat the rear of the truck to the road and the weight helps to keep it from spinning a lot unless I'm playing. I would get something durable not plastic bags cause you want it to last for a long time cause it doesn't snow a lot down here and you don't want to have to buy more sand every time it snows.

[Panik]

Thanks for the reply. LOL, everything I have been hearing from the Southern and Mid-South meteorologists sounds like this could be an interesting winter. (Could also be me wish-casting)

 

I was considering picking up 6 or so 5ga plastic buckets at the same time as the play sand and using those and ratchet straps to hold everything down. Between the kids and the dogs, the play sand would eventually get used replenishing the sandbox on the porch.

 

I actually have an old crane/equipment weight that would probably do the trick, but I'm not sure I really want to have to pull out the tractor each time it gets loaded and unloaded. Plus, I would have to get a couple of pad-eyes welded onto and figure out a very safe method for restraining it as it is a hefty piece of metal.

[Jay700]

I'm in northern mighigan where snow and lots of are just a part of life. Up here we run a couple hundred pounds in the back of trucks more if we have plows. This year im running two 80 pound bags of sand and two 50 pound bags of salt. I'm the event I do get stuck with I won't I can use one or the other bags or both and mix them too help get me out.

[aggets]

I'm in northern mighigan where snow and lots of are just a part of life. Up here we run a couple hundred pounds in the back of trucks more if we have plows. This year im running two 80 pound bags of sand and two 50 pound bags of salt. I'm the event I do get stuck with I won't I can use one or the other bags or both and mix them too help get me out.

 

Im from Wisconsin and jay is right on target. I use 5 gallon pails easy to transfer and store in the summer. A good set of tires posi rear end and some weight in the back will get you through all but the deepest of snow.

[MikeNH]

Up here in the frozen north Home Depot and the like carry "tube sand". Basically 50 lbs of sand in a plastic bag shaped like a tube. They stack easily and of course if you get stuck you slice one open and get sand. I'm wary of open buckets cause they'll collect rain and get heavy or freeze.

[Btuggle88]

Last year my yard pavers froze together and I had to wait until they thawed to unload them.

[Ventilator]

Think about whatever you use as a possible projectile into the back of your cab or through the back window if you were to get into a collision.

 

Wood, pavers, blocks, buckets, would not be my first choices.

 

Get some of the tube sand, or sand bags, salt bags and set them directly over or slightly behind your axle. You can cut boards to fit across your box and slide them down into the slots in the bedsides to contain your weight in this area, or build a H frame box to drop in around your wheel well humps.

 

With your truck being a 2WD, this is even more important that a 4WD which also has engine weight over the front wheels for traction.

 

Sand bags and salt bags are the safest, and if you drill holes in your boards, you can use ratchet straps to keep it all safely contained where you put it, in the bottom center of the box. Like others have mentioned, it never hurts to have a little sand and salt, especially if you have an ice storm.

 

If you use wood, as in logs, cut them the full length of the box. Put a piece of plywood up against the back bed rail first before cutting to length. Stack them lengthwise in the box, and ratchet strap them to the permanent tie downs in the bottom of the bed. They will not move, slide around, or become projectiles in a crash.

[Panik]

Sorry for not responding early was at MIL's prepping for the holiday drunk fest. On the way home I picked up four 5ga. buckets with locking lids and 200lbs of sand. Whole thing will go into a lidded crate that can be secured over the axle. I've done the whole sand bag thing for the tractor ballast box and they usually don't last but a couple of months and even then sand get everywhere. If I could get tube sand down here I would give it a shot, but I think we're a bit too far south.

[redwngr]

Pay extra attention to Ventilators comments about holding in place whatever you select.

 

Your life could depend on it. Especially when others are not likely to have things under control in the situation you describe.

[Btuggle88]

The thing about living in the south if we get an inch of snow the world shuts down. Lol

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

Here in northern NC it's a little better, but there's still some people that either can't drive in snow to save their lives or they want to drive like an idiot and act stupid. It's annoying when people say people in the south can't drive in snow. I agree that there's less people that do know, but most do. I'll drive around in it just for the hell of it, more snow the better. I won't do that if it's all ice though. I'd like to see someone in the north central part of the US deal with a bad hurricane lol.

 

I will add though that the real difference between the north and southern part of the US is that here in the southern half (at least in my town) almost everything shuts down just for a couple inches of snow on the roads. The only real thing I'll do to prepare for snow is if it's gonna be bad enough I'll top off the gas in my truck. If I had a generator I would get that ready and of course get fuel for it.

[Mckenzie]

Case of beer and 4WD is all yah need

[Btuggle88]

I grew up in SC and NC and part of high school in the mountains and that's how I learned how to drive in the snow, love driving in the mountain on all the curves.

[SouthernSilveradoGuy85]

I grew up in SC and NC and part of high school in the mountains and that's how I learned how to drive in the snow, love driving in the mountain on all the curves.

 

I live on the eastern part of NC (right off I-95) and I've been to the mountains once. That was to a trucking school to get my CDL (The reason was because I figure if I learn in the mountains I can drive anywhere). The day I had to take my last test (road test) it was snowing and I still did the test. Grant it, it just started to stick to the road when I did it and it felt like a normal wet road from rain. Then when I left that same day to come home I looked in my rearview mirror at the best looking sunset (other than at the beach) with the mountain line.