Do you put weight in back of your truck?

I just took out 150lbs of the 250lbs I had in there cause we aren't getting much snow this year, and my poor add a leaf isn't happy with the weight

 

never put weight in, only my first winter...figured 4x4 with lsd should be good enough. haven't got lots of snow, but def lots of cold. i live in area on nj where you go from 0 ft above sea level to wher ei live at 1200 ft above see level, so lots of hills. no problems yet with no weight

 

A couple of years ago in the first winter with my Taco, I was in 4x4 mode in deep snow during a winter storm, without sand in the back. I figured 4x4 is good enough... While accelerating (too aggressively) from a stop light, I hit a really deep patch of snow and the tail swung out. Being a Midwesterner for most of my life, I steered into the slide like I'm supposed to. I slid across 4 lanes of traffic without hitting anyone else (thank god!) but ended up side-swiping a big metal light pole wrapping my Taco around it. I guess I was over-confident in the 4wd. Since then, I put 5 60# tubesand in the back and it does help with 4wd. Plus I drive smarter now as well.

 

not sure what everyone else is driving, mbut maybe a dbl cab sb that i drive has more wieght than a 2dr. if thats helps the in the snow i dont know, but we will see

 

I too have the double cab, but added the sand sacks due to the steep terrain I must traverse to reach the hooch...plus it can get slicker than a diamond in a goat's backside, thus the decision. The 4x4 works great, but the fish tail factor is a possibility, and the sand in this instance worked great. Lotta peeps here use wood, but the sand is easier to load/unload, and this summer I can save a s-load of jack by dumping the sand in the driveway and have a "beach vacation" right here at home...

 

2 homemade ~120lbs sand bags. canvas laundry sack, lined with a constructors grade trashbag. a few 2x4's cut up to keep everything in place. works great.

 

Nope...I live in the Desert...whats snow?

j/k...i'm from Indy so i'm well aware of the shitty weather!

 

What does your setup look like? I can't find anywhere in the bed where the 2x4s could attach. Got a pic by chance?

 

2 60lb sandbags set inside a garbage bad (so they don't get wet if water ever got in the bed) and then wrapped with non-slip shelf liner. They don't move at all! And I can use them to keep other things like my rubbermaids from moving around too (no need for the bungees).

 

I'd suggest put weight back there, even if you have 4wd (especially those who have bigger tires). I got into my first accident a month ago. I was driving to work on a below freezing morning. Roads looked dry; (havn't got too much snow here in NY) so of course I was only running in RWD. Took a routine turn to get on a highway/tolls ramp (rollin through the turn in 2nd gear just like I do every morning) , and just like that the back end broke loose and I spun 90 degrees into a honda accord sitting at the light. Happened so fast I had no time to react. The turn must of had a glaze of black ice (tires not screechin was a dead giveaway it was ice). The cop screwed me over and gave me a ticket becuase he said the intersection looked fine (he wouldnt even believe the girl I hit who told the officer I spun into her)... ever since I bought five 60 lb sandbags and laid them across my bed over the rear axle. I'v already noticed a difference. Lesson learned; def better to be safe than sorry!!! Now I have to argue my case in court because of the dumb cop charged me with a "failure to keep in the right lane"...wish me luck

btw if anyone is wondering my 08' Taco only suffered some minor bumper damage (3 inch lift def helped). It was a pretty light tap but I did manage to put a huge dent in her car and ripped the gas cap cover off Prob also helped I have the stock unpainted bumper w/o foglights which I plan on replacing with an Allpro, so Im not too upset.

 

Good idea 05; didn't use the trash bags...threw a wide metal snow pusher in the back of the truck 2 days ago...now I'll have to wait and see if I can slide one over the sack that got punctured w/out it spilling all over the bed. I did put the bags over the 2 sand sacks in the wife's AWD Element, not a grain lost in hers...lesson HOPEFULLY learned. I think too the sacks over the wheel wells kept me stable on the ice I encountered this morning coming up the ridge when I went to purchase a news paper; minimal slippage sie to side...

 

yes i do, i have three 75 pound sand bags so 250 pounds. it makes a huge difference... i lucked out though... im a roller coaster mechanic and all the sand bags we use to test the rides are perfect to put in the back end of my truck....great canvas no leaks in them!!

 

no wieght needed here:

 

I throw sand bags in the back just the help the back end from fishtailing in incy conditions.

 

I have 4x4 but still do put weight.

when at highways peed, I don't use 4x4, I'd rather have weight in the back than spin out going in a curve over a frozen overpass.

 

I have 4 of the 50 lbs tubes of sand plus what ever snow ends up in the bed. Works like a charm. In my ranger every winter I used to put two of the rectangle hay bales in the bed. Those were great because they would soak up the water then freeze. Plus when spring arrived I always had some hay to spread around the yard.

 

OK so iI've tried it with and without weight in the back. I actually think it handles better without the weight.

 

yes I do. I carry about 300lbs. in it every day. I also two a trailer with a jeep on it 2x a year and a 14 ft. enclosed trailer loaded down 2x a year.
So far no problem.

 

For this last 24" snowfall, I had 500lbs of deer feed in the back of my truck. It definately makes it track better in the snow. Now it's quite a bit lighter, but the deer are happy

 

I've only had mine for two weeks now and with all of the snow we've gotten in Northern Maryland it has not been an issue. I just throw it into 4x4 and go a little slower.

But I was wondering the same thing though if it's really worth putting some extra weight in the back.

-Packet