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Transporting lumber

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Transporting lumber

Postby tabs » 19 Sep 2016, 12:25

Hi

my brothers demolished his detached garage and so now has a stack 12 feet long 6 x 2 lumber which I can have for free.

I have a Ford Focus with Aero Bars on (but no roof rack for it)and am wondering about the legality and practicality of trying to trransport the timber on top of my car?

Has anyone done this and is it feasable? If so any hints?

Cheers

Tez
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby StevieB » 19 Sep 2016, 13:07

Honest answer - Hire a van or trailer - period. One man and a van type hire for a couple of hours might be cheaper.

How much weight are you thinking of, and how strong are aero bars? Do you need it 12ft long or can you cut it down first?

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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby tabs » 19 Sep 2016, 16:35

Having just looked at the cost of hiring a large van from Enterprise(£40 for a day) I think you're probaby right! :)
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Malc2098 » 19 Sep 2016, 17:53

It's not worth the danger or points for an insecure load.

Go for the van.
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Pinch » 19 Sep 2016, 19:31

Yes, overloading is easily done.

I mean... these chaps have over done it slightly...

Image

:lol:
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Malc2098 » 19 Sep 2016, 20:58

:lol:

Peugeot 504 estate? The perennial removal van!
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Wizard9999 » 19 Sep 2016, 21:20

If it helps reinforce the decision you seem to have made already, I carried 100 12' lengths of very wet feather edge on the roof bars of my jeep, the result...

Image

Now I don't give a rat's ar5e about the state of my car, you may love yours a little more.

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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby tabs » 20 Sep 2016, 10:25

Wow, those roof bars are about the same thickness as mine as well - hadn't even thought the bars might not be upto supporting the weight. 100% hiring the van.
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby RogerS » 20 Sep 2016, 14:07

Wizard9999 wrote:If it helps reinforce the decision you seem to have made already, I carried 100 12' lengths of very wet feather edge on the roof bars of my jeep, the result...

.....
Terry.

:shock: I bet you went round corners v...e...r...y slowly
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Tusses » 20 Sep 2016, 18:33

1st thing I always did when I got a new car was to get roof bars for it !
Times have changed a bit now though, and you can get pulled over for it and fined.
Back then you got pulled over to be told off !

Most cars have a roof load limit, you can check what your is. 75Kg comes to mind for most cars .. so not a lot.
Just like each car has a towing weight limit.

I'd still risk it if I had the bars, and I wasn't going far. 12' is shorter than the car length, so no over hanging to worry about
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Jimmy Mack » 24 Sep 2016, 10:54

I transport panels and timber on my roof rack a lot...I've had a couple of incidents in the past, years back. One when I was carrying a couple of sheets of 9mm ply and the wind lifted the front and the top sheet snapped in half, blew off and (looking in my rear view) narrowly missed a BMW driving behind me! :shock: Another time I had to hammer on the anchors approaching a roundabout when a car came flying around it...the panels on my roof slid forward and down my bonnet :eusa-doh:

You'd think I'd of learnt my lesson, but I still use the roof...but cautiously...Small loads, ratchet straps (always) and clamps along the front edge of packs of panels...and or course a slow n steady ride...and not get too bothered at folk beeping me for doing 50mph on the dual carriage way :lol:

I've always wondered what the official rules were...I guess (hope) weight limits and common sense?

I've always had Estate Cars...what I find frustrating is in an effort to make them more 'sporty' looking they now have these impractical low profile roof rails offering poor purchase for 'Aero Bars' and the inability to strap down to the car by wrapping around the rail!

Try to distribute the weight to the outside edges, close to the rails and fixings and away from the centre of the rails.

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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Doug » 24 Sep 2016, 14:10

Many years ago a young poor mate of mine :eusa-liar: when carrying more timber than his vans gross weight used to cut blocks of wood & place them between his limit stops & springs before loading up, that way the van didn't look overloaded if he should pass any plod.
It was certainly a rough ride home, or so he told me, thankfully his new van has a higher carrying weight & upgraded springs so no need to undertake such tricks.
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby RogerS » 24 Sep 2016, 14:15

Doug wrote:Many years ago a young poor mate of mine :eusa-liar: when carrying more timber than his vans gross weight used to cut blocks of wood & place them between his limit stops & springs before loading up, that way the van didn't look overloaded if he should pass any plod.
.....


:) One of the benefits of the self-levelling air suspension on a Discovery ! You can seriously mis-distribute the weight loading - should you be so daft - but to the outsider, it all looks nice, safe and level.

One thing no-one has mentioned is that most cars etc have a Do Not Exceed roof loading
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Tusses » 24 Sep 2016, 15:13

Tusses wrote:Most cars have a roof load limit, you can check what your is. 75Kg comes to mind for most cars .. so not a lot.
Just like each car has a towing weight limit.
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby RogerS » 24 Sep 2016, 15:25

Tusses wrote:
Tusses wrote:Most cars have a roof load limit, you can check what your is. 75Kg comes to mind for most cars .. so not a lot.
Just like each car has a towing weight limit.



Oo :oops: ps...
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
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Re: Transporting lumber

Postby Wizard9999 » 24 Sep 2016, 20:45

I still carry timber on my roof, despite the previous incident. I've convinced myself that the re shaped bars are in fact an improvement as they naturally prevent anything heading side wards when I'm cornering. But I do not carry anything like as much as on that overly ambitious day and yes, slow and very stead is the order of the day. I had some feather edge on my roof last weekend in fact, the yards ticket actually gives you the weight and it is surprising as it is always more than I would guess. I was passed by the boys i
Ue on my way home and they didn't give me a second look.

A few months back I ought one of those big water tank things off ebay, the IBC 1000 litre ones. Rather over estimated the size of the opening of the old Jeep and ended up having to strap that to the roof. Not for the faint hearted as it stands a metre high and I thought to myself I hope I don't pass any police on my way home. I ended up going back a different way to the way I had taken to the people I was buying it from. Bit of a brown trouser moment when I pulled up at a junction to see a very large police station opposite me. They must have had something more serious to deal with because two cars pulled out and went past me and again took no notice of me. Think I got lucky there.

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