Weighing Down Bed for Winter

[WY-Dave]

250ish # hitch, the forwaed winter box (blankets, recovery, mini shover) and the rear is usually empty. We have German Sheps that go pretty much everywhere and the rear box is where we put the groceries.

Oh yeah the horse stall mat from the local tractor shop. That sucker is heavy.

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[Rado]

First WELCOME to the group from another Mainer ! I am in Dedham, What area are you in ?
I have a 1500 4x4 and so far never loaded the bed ! Other then the snow that fills it up.. As mentioned GOOD tires and 4x4 work great,and a Full tank . At work they put sand bags in the beds !

 

[firebuff17]

I don’t use 4x4 all that much. Weather changes to fast around here. What snow we do get is usually only on the pavement for less than a few hours.
With that said I have (5) 5 gallon buckets with tops filled with sand. They fit perfectly between the tailgate and the 2x6 that is cut to fit the slots behind the rear wheels in the bed.
The added weight is nice. I can feel the difference. The truck and good tires do a very good job but the added weight gives the extra confidence that it will hold the road in the turns.


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[RodeoRam]

Empty bed for me. If you have 4x4 you dont really need anything.

Sounds like you've never been in a Great Plains blizzard. Heading home from work one morning in northern CO, half a foot of snow, and it's still snowing sideways with a 40-mph wind coming down from WY. I was going 35-40 mph in 4 high in my '01 1500 all fat, dumb, and happy. Next thing I knew, the wind was blowing my back end around. Luckily, it was in a wide spot on the road and no traffic, and I saved it at about a 45-degree angle.

Weight on the back tires in the snow is a good thing. Shoot, even in the summer, some weight in the bed gave me better gas mileage because the wheels made better contact and traction since that suspension was so stiff.

 

[waynestractor]

Shoot, even in the summer, some weight in the bed gave me better gas mileage because the wheels made better contact and traction since that suspension was so stiff.

That is a very odd statement, and for the life of me I can not figure out how you would get better fuel mileage with extra weight in your truck during the Summer...

 

[RodeoRam]

That is a very odd statement, and for the life of me I can not figure out how you would get better fuel mileage with extra weight in your truck during the Summer...

I stumbled across that during a trip from Colorado to Tennessee and back. I was unloaded going west to east and averaged about 15 MPG. Coming back to CO, I had a weight set and bench that was about 500 lbs. and got 18 MPG. I thought it weird that I would get lower mileage going downhill and lighter than I did coming back uphill and heavier. Not very scientific and no idea on wind speeds and direction, but most things being equal, the weight on the wheels made sense. I would notice that when there was some weight in the bed, the truck had a smoother ride like the wheels weren't hopping as much because that half ton had a stiff suspension. I could load the bed with 50 bales of hay, and the back end would only squat a couple of inches. So if the tires are making better contact with the pavement, less torque is being wasted.

Now, it would also make sense that there would be a limit to too much weight putting you on the backside of the mileage curve. It starts to become a problem of too much tire contact patch increasing resistance with the road and just the inertia of the higher weight and more resistance in the wheel bearings.

Does that theory make sense, or am I just way off base?

 

[gofishn]

with my 1999 2500 4x4, I would always toss 6-8 sand bags in the bed, between a rack I made for the bed slots.
Add a shovel and ready for Winter.
3/4 ton simply bounced aorudn too much, running light, for Winter conditions. Sand is really useful if ever stuck. once shoveld down to clear ground, simply toss some sand a few feet in the patht he tires will travel and can usually get out simply by driving slow. Only happened to me the once but helped out many others, over the years.

Had this 1500 4x4 for last 5 years, with no sand.
Just never get around to it. Always take a shovel.
Funny, 1500 rear end feels far more planted than the much heavier 2500 truck did.
THis truck even has a topper but still, I do not get feel the wind move my rear end as much, I think it;s due to the 2500 having much stiffer suspension.
add some weight to it and the ride smooothed out and truck felt planted.

 

[Bigskyroadglide]

I have a full set of tools probably 150 lbs, a full size spare in addition to the temp one under the bed and 4 50 lbs sand bags full of sand in my bed along with a shovel.

I keep tank full and avg about 17.5 mpg in winter.

About 18.6 in summer minus the 200 lbs of sand. Shovel stays in truck full time. Never know when you might need

 

[ljmasonwy]

I have six 70 pound bags of "tube sand" dried sand in a plastic tube then into strong tube. I duct taped three together and attached them to the bed hooks in the rear... along with great tires, I don't have too much trouble.

 

[CVX20]

I don't use anything in the back even though I live in the Great White North but I am curious as to why people put the weight right over top of the rear axle.You'll get more advantage out of the same weight if you put it as far back as possible.Simple physics.

 

[waynestractor]

I don't use anything in the back even though I live in the Great White North but I am curious as to why people put the weight right over top of the rear axle.You'll get more advantage out of the same weight if you put it as far back as possible.Simple physics.

Except that that in turn unloads weight from the front tires...

 

[Gom]

Nothing, I did for both of the 2wd pickups I had years ago. Now I press that 4x4 button.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Like most of the responses, Good tires and driving with common sense goes along way. That being said, I do put a few bags of sand or salt in the back of the truck bed (350lbs), near the tailgate for added ballast. That way if needed for traction on the roadway I can use the sand not just for me but possibly another motorist. I also have a paved driveway which gets icy around the end of winter when we get freezing rain and or drizzle. That way I'm not running from store to store to try to find salt and/or sand for additional traction assistance.

 

[Hleuckanator333]

Funny I was just going to build a new weight for my ram 1500. I build a 2x4 frame between the rear of my wheel wells to the tailgate, the full width of the bed. Put down plastic against the bed floor and poor concrete Into the form. I bend rebar to make lifting brackets and set them in the wet concrete. Over the years I've made many of these weights all designs changing a little to better suit my needs. I strap it down using a thick ratchet strap. It can be an awkward little beast to get in and out but with a hoist or fork lift it's a breeze.

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[Barney556180]

My wife feeds the deer up behind our house, so I keep 5-6 big bags of corn in the cab end of the bed. I replace as my wife uses them up.

 

[ErnieD]

Hey all,

Just wondering what you guys use, to weigh down your beds during the winter.

I have a 2017 1500 hemi, and I live in Maine.

Thanks, in advance,
Jeff

I am guessing this question is because you have a 2x4? I have a 4x4 and live in colorado. I just switch to 4x4 and drive slower

 

[Fbnmark]

I just shovel some snow into the bed, here in SE Virginia it usually melts in a few days.

 

[Keith Jones]

I have 2 large dogs and buy 55 lb bags of food for them. In the winter I'll buy 6 of those bags and keep them in my bed. I take one out as I need it but keeps at least 200+ lbs in my bed most of winter. I take whatever is left at the end of winter and store it in my garage. Keeps me stocked for quite a while.

 

[DmanInDFW]

Just move to Texas. No snow tires, no weight to add. We accept out of staters... as long as you aren't from Cali!

 

[Ram1958]

Never add weight to any of my vehicles. Reasoning is. Added weight increases fuel consumption. Increases stopping distance. Reduces steering ability. Does nothing for driving on or suddenly hitting ice patch. Good winter tires rated for ice traction. If you don't have 4x4 I recommend light weight kitty litter if start off traction is needed. Another thing to consider. An unsecured bag of sand is a potential projectile.