Sheet Goods On Trailer - Size Ok?

[Sir Stinkalot]

Not sure where to put this one ......

I have just won an Ebay auction for some chipboard sheets which will be great for lining the garage. Ok cement sheet may be better than chipboard however the price was right on the chipboard and I missed on some blueboard last week.

30 SHEETS are 20mm thick and 8 SHEETS are 10mm thick
The sizes:
1840mm x 3900mm and
1840mm x 3700mm

Now the issues with picking them up ...... if I hire a 7x4 trailer would the overhang be ok provided I secure well enough? Its only 900mm each end so that should be safe enough? They will be too wide to sit in the trailer and be stacked on top 680mm .... is this also ok?

Only 1/2 hour drive or so.

:fingerscrossed:

Cheers

Stinky.

[Bedford]

What do they weigh and what is the trailer capable of carrying?

900 sticking out the front might restrict your turning ability.

[Jim Carroll]

Micheal there is going to a lot of weight with that amount of sheets for one trip.

Maybe a tandem trailer would be better as it would also have tandem wheels.

[seanz]

You might want a bigger trailer. Chipboard isn't that heavy but you've got a couple of cubic meters there. Also 900mm over the front could be a bit dodgey vis a vis reversing into driveway, you need sufficient clearance betwen trailer and cat when cornering.

Can you get a 8X4 tandem?


Edit.
Right, so it's unnanimous then?
:D

[AlexS]

Can't you put them on the roof racks.:D

[Sir Stinkalot]

Also 900mm over the front could be a bit dodgey vis a vis reversing into driveway, you need sufficient clearance betwen trailer and cat when cornering.

Thanks all for the quick responses ..... nothing is ever easy is it! I hadn't really considered the weight aspect so two trips may be in order. A larger trailer may be difficult as all of the local hire places seem to have only the smaller ones. I will ring around tomorrow.

No problem with reversing no matter what I get .... I cant do it! Normally I just take it off and push, or if it is loaded just make sure I don't go where I cant get out again :B We have rear lane access so it will be in one way, stop and block the lane to unload, and then drive out the other end :2tsup:

The seller may have a friend that could deliver so it may be easier if he doesn't cost too much.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Can't you put them on the roof racks.:D

I noticed that when I did a search for an answer before posting :clap3:
..... I just don't think they are the same length!

[Barry_White]

Hire a Car Trailer.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Hire a Car Trailer.

Looks like it may be the way to go ..... either that or a 13x6 cage ..... both seem to be the same price and I have found one locally. Shame it is 3x the cost of the 7x4 but on the plus side it would be one trip and safer.

[ian]

Can you hire a small truck instead?
If I can do the sums right, all up you have 4.8 cu.m which (depending on which chipboard you've bought) could weigh up to 3.6 tonnes ( at the low density end, it's still arround 2.7 tonnes)
add in the trailer and it's probably much more than your car can tow



and down right foolhardy in an unbraked trailer!

[Sir Stinkalot]

mmmm another good point Ian ..... no wonder I keep finding my way back here!

Perhaps a couple of trips with a Car Carrier/Transporter Capacity: 1200 Kg.

I think I am going to have bloody chipboard coming out of my ears ...... and on the walls of the shed .... Perhaps I can on sell the leftovers :;

[artme]

Undy's suggestion is the sanest if you only want tod do one trip.

Don'tknow about down there but up here you can only have an overhang at the back of a trailer and that is limited.

[Cliff Rogers]

I moved 6 1200x2400 sheets that were 20mm thick on a frame on a trailer & lost them down the road when I had to brake hard for an idiot.

They are very heavy & hard to hold in a stack.

[AlexS]

I moved 6 1200x2400 sheets that were 20mm thick on a frame on a trailer & lost them down the road when I had to brake hard for an idiot.

They are very heavy & hard to hold in a stack.
:worthless:

[Sir Stinkalot]

I moved 6 1200x2400 sheets that were 20mm thick on a frame on a trailer ......

When I started to read this Cliff I thought you may have been showing off ...... moved 6 1200x2400 sheets on a trailer in the morning and then sipping a cuppa by lunchtime :U. That was until I read on :-.

Well I am glad that I asked the question as I have now gone from a 6x4 trailer in one load to a small truck :o.

Actually works out well. The tray is large enough to fit the full length of the sheet, at a squeeze I may be able to do it all in one load and it wasn't much more than hiring the car trailer.

Car trailer or 13x6 caged trailer are running at about $75 for three hours ..... I have the little truck for 6hrs $80. Picking up the truck just around the corner from where I am loading the chipboard and dropping the truck back off near home at their second depot.

If anybody sees any potential danger in the little truck please speak now .....

Cheers

Stinky.

[Jim Carroll]

Sounds like the best option Micheal and ask if they have any straps you can use to tie down the load.

Dont want a gust of air to get under the sheet.

[Scribbly Gum]

The truck sounds like the best option.
Some years ago I went into our local BBC Hardware Store (remember them) and when I arrived, a gent in a Mitsubishi L300 van with roof racks was loading sheets of chipboard onto the top. He had two sheets on when I arrived and I thought, now that's going to be an interesting drive home.
When I came back out of the store, he had eight sheets - yes eight! - on the top and was going back inside - presumably for more.
Just then, the whole lot collapsed.
The roof racks were the gutter type. How they held seven sheets is anyone's guess.
The sheets didn't fall off the roof but the top of the roof was completely crushed.
There was a collective groan from everyone in the carpark at the time.
Chipboard sheets are very heavy.
Cheers
SG:doh:

[ian]

at the risk of stating the obvious ...
have you driven a truck before?

they drive nothing like a car, and to reverse you MUST use the external mirrors and/or a guide -- a guide is highly recommended

watch your tie downs, the cheap (~1 inch wide) ratchet ones are only rated at about your intended load.

I'm not sure of teh load capacity, but at 3.6 Tonnes of chipboard plus the truck you'll be looking about 6-7 tonnes of mass which you need time and distance to stop

[Sir Stinkalot]

at the risk of stating the obvious ...
have you driven a truck before?

they drive nothing like a car, and to reverse you MUST use the external mirrors and/or a guide -- a guide is highly recommended

Hi Ian,

I have driven the self move enclosed trucks a number of times and I just take my time on the road to be safe.

I managed to reverse down the rear lane (about 10 blocks long) without incident 3 or 4 times late last year when we moved in ..... even in the dark with the Stinkette as the guide. Again slow and steady.

I have a few straps but as Jim said I will ask at the hire place for some more. I was thinking of strapping the stack of boards together and then making up some side boards to extend the height of the tray sides.

It still may be two trips and I will just have to play it by ear on the day. Good to have any potential issues fleshed out before day however.

Stinky

[Bedford]

I was thinking of strapping the stack of boards together and then making up some side boards to extend the height of the tray sides.


I would lay the sheets on some 4x2's across the tray, run a ratchet strap around the pack and pull it down tight on the other side.

Extending the tray sides will only make it harder to pull tight, it would probably be better without sides.:)

[seanz]

You might want a bigger trailer. Chipboard isn't that heavy but you've got a couple of cubic meters there. Also 900mm over the front could be a bit dodgey vis a vis reversing into driveway, you need sufficient clearance betwen trailer and cat when cornering.

Can you get a 8X4 tandem?



Trailer and cat, eh? I dunno......who writes this stuff?

Anyway, let me try to make myself slightly clearer, hopefully.

If the load over-hangs the front of the trailer by too much it might hit the car as you turn corners. Right? If you check the clearance before you load the trailer and decide "She'll be right there's just enough", you might find that as you back into a drive-way as the trailer goes over the gutter the clearence will be diminished by the trailer bending up and down on the towball/pivot point. This will (following Murphy's Law) happen when you also have the trailer turned sidways to the point where the clearance is at its' least.

Now, go and learn how to back a trailer.......it's an essential life skill.
:q:;

Oh, and when you strap down the chipboard you might want to protect the edges of the chipboard from the straps......and the straps from the edges.

[malb]

As a rough guide, a pack of 30 sheets of 16mm 2440 x 1820 melamine chipboard weighs around 1400 Kg. The sheets you bought are 50% longer and thicker as well, say 2500Kg or more for a single load. Definitely outside the capacity of the average 7 x 4, and pushing a car trailer and the towing capacity of many tow vehicles one the wweight of the car trailer is included.

Opting for the truck is a very good option.

[Cliff Rogers]

......If anybody sees any potential danger .....
Those sheets will be heavy to load & unload, I hope you have a friend(s) to help 'cos it will be hard work.

[ian]

I have a few straps but as Jim said I will ask at the hire place for some more. I was thinking of strapping the stack of boards together and then making up some side boards to extend the height of the tray sides.

It still may be two trips and I will just have to play it by ear on the day. Good to have any potential issues fleshed out before day however.as already mentioned, what will keep the boards on the truck is the pressure applied pulling the boards DOWN onto the tray (which creates the friction to resist the chipboard's urge to slide arround)

as a single load the total mass of all the boards might exceed the upper load limit of the truck

loading and unloading
a forklift both ends would be really good -- but be prepared for the case where the fork can only lift around 1 tonne at a time --> which might mean 4 stacks & 4 lots of chocks.
four big burly blokes both ends would be the next option

if it's just you and the Stinkette, the whole process might take a few days (or require the sheets be broken down before loading) -- at the lower end of the density range you're looking at around 80kg for each of the 20mm boards (and 110kg at the upper end of the density range). To put this in perspective, modern cement bags only weigh 20kg. The old "standard" working effort was 100lbs (~45kg) man per lift and carry -- I've forgotten how many "lift and carries" (with the load carried by the arms not on a shoulder) were considered reasonable before resting.

[Cliff Rogers]

I doubt Stinky will have any fork lifts at home.

The truck looks like a pan-tech, not a flat bed so a fork lift won't work.

[artme]

Corners should be protected as stated above, although for shed lining it may not be so important. You can get metal angles that are made for this and the timber merchants probably just toss them aside, so they should be freeby.

[ian]

It still may be two trips and I will just have to play it by ear on the day. Good to have any potential issues fleshed out before day however.Hi Stinky
did you try and do the pick-up Friday or Saturday?

If teh Stinkette was along to lend a hand, is she still talking to you?

[Handyjack]

Truck is the way to go.
Have something available to cover the load. A downpour or burst water main will damage the goods. Chipboard does not like water.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Hi Stinky
did you try and do the pick-up Friday or Saturday?
If teh Stinkette was along to lend a hand, is she still talking to you?

Ian ..... Today was D Day ...... disappointment day! After confirming everything with the seller during the week, including again before booking the truck, I got a call today to say that the chipboard was at his mates yard and he cannot get hold of him to open the gate. As a result I had to call Budget and cancel the pickup of the truck. I said I would need to rebook which was ok but it is not clear if I have blown the $80 hire rate or not ..... guess I will find out when I have a firm date to book in.

As frustrating as it is the delay is good. This morning we got 1.4m3 of potting mix dropped off and we had to move it from the road into 9 half wine barrels without a wheelbarrow. Worked well taking the barrels to the street, filling them and then bringing them back with a hand trolley. Only problem was they were very generous and ended up giving us about 3m3 of potting mix. This resulted in having to find spare bags to fill to get the soil off the street .... It certainly was a good warm up to the heavy lifting of the chipboard which didn't end up coming.

Ok so we ended up driving down to have a look at the sheets (attached photos). There is fairly significant water damage, but there also seem to be some good sheets in there. Whilst there is some work to get the good material out I still think it is a good deal for $100, or $180 picked up, or perhaps $260 if I need to pay for the truck again :((. As it is only for lining the shed, that gives me 900mm off cut to play with (only need 3000 high) and there is so much I will be happy to get 1200 out of the 1800 sheet.

It was good to be able to get a look at them. I think access will be difficult due to vegetation and it looks as if he put them on the old trailer in two loads with his fork. I might suggest that he get his fork started again and arrange it so I can pick up in two loads. I think there is too much for one load even with the truck.

Good news is I now have some time to plan it out. If I don't think it worth while I think I am in my rights to pull the plug.

Thanks all for the feedback ...... it has certainly helped me work through the best options available.

Cheers

Stinky.

[ian]

Hi Stinky
some considerations
How many sheets do you need to line the shed? I'm thinking the long dimension will be horizontal as it is when using gyprock, so all you need do is chock the sheet on it's side about 50mm off the floor and nail/screw it onto the studs

what will it cost to get rid of the waste? The condition of that tarp suggests (to me) very significant water damage, not to mention damage from the chocks being out of alignment. It looks like you might be paying the seller for the privalige of taking msot of the load to teh tip.

[ian]

Ok so we ended up driving down to have a look at the sheets (attached photos). There is fairly significant water damage, but there also seem to be some good sheets in there. Whilst there is some work to get the good material out I still think it is a good deal for $100, or $180 picked up, or perhaps $260 if I need to pay for the truck again :((. As it is only for lining the shed, that gives me 900mm off cut to play with (only need 3000 high) and there is so much I will be happy to get 1200 out of the 1800 sheet.

It was good to be able to get a look at them. I think access will be difficult due to vegetation and it looks as if he put them on the old trailer in two loads with his fork. I might suggest that he get his fork started again and arrange it so I can pick up in two loads. I think there is too much for one load even with the truck.Stinky

have you picked up that chipboard?
how much was usable, how much needs to go to the tip?

[nrb]

What ever you do make sure you fix those sheets tight,I have had problems when braking even moderately,that stuff is very slippery and will slide forward or come off if you take off in a hurry.If you can screw then together without spoiling would be one suggestion.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Hi Ian,

End the end I decided it wasn't worth the effort. After booking the truck and not being able to get access, and going to have a look at the sheets, I advised the seller that I wouldn't be able to follow through with the transaction. He was very good about it and agreed that the condition perhaps wasn't as good as he had stated and in the end they were picked up by somebody else for the same price as my winning bid so everybody wins.

So I am still on the lookout for suitable shed lining material. The chipboard wasn't going to be ideal but had it been as expected and the pickup was successful it would have worked out well. Missed out last week on some 4.5mm fc sheet which was disappointing however I am in no hurry so I will just wait until something comes up.

Cheers

Stinky.

[ian]

Stinky
I'm not clear on why you want to line the shed -- if it's for insulation, 4.5mm FC is probably way too thin

just some ideas for you to ponder
two thicknesses of 16mm gyprock would produce a fire rated wall
for insulation, roof blanket material, with the foil facing in, could be faced with 6mm MDF for appearance and durability (I think 6mm is thick enough not to warp), but is possibly too light duty to hang things from
3.6 m long sheets of 12mm MDF (which I think is available in 1200 and 900 widths) could be laid long edge horizontal and would support light weight items on screws -- heavy stuff would ideally be on batterns attached to the studs