Tacoma working like a Pack Mule.

Began a major home repair task. The demolition is to remove a brick planter and brick work on the front of the house. The final goal is to replace a rim joist that is rotting due to water being held in the planter. Then rebuild.

So, all this brick, block, mortar, stone needs to be hauled to the landfill, roughly 25 miles one-way. I'm limited to 1000 +/- lbs per run. I'm "measuring" the load by the distance from the edge of the rear fender above the wheel to the ground. Roughly an 2-2 1/2" compression is 920-1120 lbs. Loaded height is 34 inches.

Once to the landfill......its either choking dust or slimy mud. Need 4WD to reach the dump face. The grades, bumps, holes left by the heavy Waste Trucks and the Landfill bulldozers are serious obstacles. Not to mention the plethora of tire flatters sticking up.

Yesterday, after a rain the landfill was a slimy mud hole. I saw an F150 (2wd) bellied in mud. A helpful bulldozer (probably 80,000 lb) was setting up to push the F150 out. I considered hanging around to see the level of carnage, but rain was beginning. I unloaded and bugged out.

So far, I've run 3 loads totaling 3400 lbs. I suspect there are at least 6 more runs. Its surprising how heavy brick, block, mortar and stone can be.

The Tacoma is handling the work without complaint or trouble.

 

Be smart......post a pic of your waste on craigs list...post what you will pay in cash. Be reasonable, and let other people use there trucks to remove your waste.

 

I leave the truck idling while I unload. One of the grades is pretty steep. The horizon is blocked by the hood. The Tacoma climbs it with just a firmer press on the throttle. Only had minor wheel spin in the slimy mud.

Tried the "junk haulers" path. No fruit when the hauler found out the composition of the waste. So, I'm the hauler and will make the number of trips necessary to avoid overloading. Doesn't make sense to load 2000+ lbs to save a trip or 2 while risking the truck. 1000 lbs of brick/block/mortar only fills the bed about 40%. I'm sure if it was loaded level, then well over 2500+ lbs would be on board.

I cross the inbound scale around 5400-5600 lbs. Out bound scale just over 4400 lbs.

 

Made the final haul to the landfill. All the brick, block,mortar and stone is done.

Final tally 10,300 lbs.

The Tacoma handled all the work with ease. Fuel efficiency hit the toilet, but that was expected.

 

Dude...you are on your way down a new career path...

 

Sorry, won't haul or peddle flesh.

 

Somebody call the pants police.

 

How was braking under that load? I had my bed filled with gravel a few years back and it was VERY noticable. Rear had a good sag also.

 

@Taco302

Braking was no problem. Acceleration was fine.

I was running at full load or a pinch over, so, I take it easy. I begin coasting long before any turns or stops, then brake firm and gentle. Acceleration is similar, I keep the engine around 2000 rpm and just let the truck roll. I'll take 1/2 mile to reach 60 mph. I keep the max speed to 65 mph.

The truck handles heavy, but that is expected when loaded at capacity. My average load was 1050 lbs based on the landfill's scales (weigh in/out).

I managed the weight by measuring the load height at the rear fender wells to the ground. At 34 inches, I had about 2.5 inch of spring compression, which took a load from 1000-1100 lbs. Many times the bed was only about 40% full or less. I never "filled" the truck bed. The rear of the truck didn't "sag". It was a bit lower than level, not severely. I also kept most of the load forward of the rear axle.

I suspect you were heavily overloaded with a bed filled with gravel.

 

My girl is a bit older, and only packs a 2.7, so I guess this explains it.

 

I had a pallet with 36 bundles of shingles in my old frontier (~2600 lbs) Super overloaded. Wouldn’t do that for a long trip but made it back from Home Depot. Had about the same in my F150 with broken up concrete was dropping off to someone who wanted a fill and it wasn’t even on the bump stops. Hauled it like a breeze. Point is most trucks you can really exceed the hauling capacity as long as you’re careful and take it easy.

 

Do you know how much weight you had with the gravel load?

Do you know the maximum load your truck can handle?

Even the 2.7 should be able to handle reasonably well at it's maximum load.

 

It's amazing how capable these trucks are when loaded carefully and correctly.

 

gas, grass or ass..............

 

So my father in law did 4 trips with 1 ton of rock to his camp traveling 60 miles 1 way 4 times.
He’s a sick man!!
He was running 30 miles on the interstate and like 15 miles climbing a mountain road with a broken leaf spring that I had wire tied until he get his spring tsb!
Sick bastard but later he had to be towed cause the rear axle broke free.
He has a 05 4 banger 5 speed manual.
I broke my springs hauling 5 wheels and tires on my 08 4cyl 5 speed manual?

 

There is a lesson or 2 in those experiences.

 

It was a half ton, so 1,000 lbs, give or take a couple hundred. I just told the tractor operator when to stop, lol. Took 2 trips for the full 2k lbs. It handled the job, but made for a slow trip home with caution.

Next time I'll hitch a trailer, and not on a bumper ball, lol. I've hauled way more in a trailer, for a much greater distance. 1K miles

 

Load it until the front tires come off the ground. Then get in and they'll sit back down.

I've spent about 20 years as a field mechanic, seen some stuff. Insane what people think will work.

Strangest recent thing, a pickup truck, I couldn't tell what kind. The hood and roof were covered with real growing grass, then astro turf on the sides.

 

As a reference (I have a '05, Acess cab, V6, 4x4, 111,000 mi.) I have hauled the following: lots of rock and gravel, about level with the top of the inside fender wells. A Bobcat bucket load of 1" gravel is about 1000#, a load of coal with bed about 3/4 full weighed 900# on the scales. Never had a problem with loads like Knute (OP). He did it the right way, separate loads. Be sure you air your tires up to about 50-60# for heavy loads!