Bed weight?

[Frog9z]

With or without 4X4, I like weight in the bed of my SC during Iowa winters. I live in the country and county roads can get icy after a snowfall. What do you use for bed traction in the winter? I am not going to use sand bags. I put four 40lbs bags of water softener salt and emptied them into my salt tank, which I have just done now. It leaves salt residue on my bed liner and I have to let the bags drain. I need something different for next winter.

I looked for some plastic pieces I could fill with water yet wouldn't crack when the water freezes. I didn't find anything.

I did find a bag I could put the four bags of salt in and keep water off/out of them. I also thought of putting the salt bags individually in garbage bags.

What do you do?

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[Tom_C]

I don't do that, but maybe get some plastic totes to hold the bags of salt? You can get them fairly cheaply with snap fitting, or locking lids. If I'm hauling totes I will string a bungee across the top to hold the lid on if they don't lock Or, just put the bags into trash bags and tie them shut?

Or, shovel the bed full of snow?

 

[Big Blue]

With or without 4X4, I like weight in the bed of my SC during Iowa winters. I live in the country and county roads can get icy after a snowfall. What do you use for bed traction in the winter? I am not going to use sand bags. I put four 40lbs bags of water softener salt and emptied them into my salt tank, which I have just done now. It leaves salt residue on my bed liner and I have to let the bags drain. I need something different for next winter.

I looked for some plastic pieces I could fill with water yet wouldn't crack when the water freezes. I didn't find anything.

I did find a bag I could put the four bags of salt in and keep water off/out of them. I also thought of putting the salt bags individually in garbage bags.

What do you do?

Not sure why you will not use sand bags, but will use salt bags. I assume you have an open bed on your truck as you seem to be concerned about water proofing the bags. Salt will cause rust in places you didn't know you had places. I have always used two 70 pound sand bags. I remove them and store them for next year. It also gives me sand to use for emergency traction if needed.

As far as other options they do make heavy duty bags you can strap into the bed and fill with water and RV antifreeze to add weight. They may not be the best option if you need to haul things in the bed, without building a platform to protect it. @subquark uses one.

 

[Frog9z]

Not sure why you will not use sand bags, but will use salt bags. I assume you have an open bed on your truck as you seem to be concerned about water proofing the bags. Salt will cause rust in places you didn't know you had places. I have always used two 70 pound sand bags. I remove them and store them for next year. It also gives me sand to use for emergency traction if needed.

As far as other options they do make heavy duty bags you can strap into the bed and fill with water and RV antifreeze to add weight. They may not be the best option if you need to haul things in the bed, without building a platform to protect it. @subquark uses one.

Thanks for the reply

I used sandbags years ago and they broke. At least with salt, the bags haven't broken, and I can get rid of them and don't have to store them. The bags must have tiny holes in them.

As I posted before, I built a gas tank for the bed for fueling the tractor and combine. That served me well for bed weight during the winter. I was made an offer I couldn't refuse, so I sold it and am not going to weld another one. I just went back to my trailer tank for the Ranger and have the tank in the bed of my HD.

 

[airline tech]

I have not used them but have seen empty 5-Gallon Buckets with lids (old paint buckets) and fill them with sand.
Quick Google Search - 5-Gallon Bucket full of sand (DRY) = 70 Lbs

IDK the quality of a (old paint bucket) vs the Homer Bucket for durability of it in winter (cracking)
but the guys that have used the repurposed paint buckets have not had an issue of them cracking.

 

[Av8or1]

Toss a spare 10R80 back there. You might need it at any minute so it serves dual purposes

 

[Frog9z]

Toss a spare 10R80 back there. You might need it at any minute so it serves dual purposes

No, but maybe a t380/85R34 spare tire.

 

[Ranger_Rocks]

ShurTrax @subquark

https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/thre...-your-ranger-today.3511/page-1426#post-643539

 

[Frog9z]

Cleaning up the machine shed and moving equipment around. With this weather, I'll be planting sooner than usual. My neighbor stopped by for a couple of beers. He has some old inner tubes. I am going to take a couple of them. I'll close one end, put a bolt or two in it, fill it with sand, and close the other end the same way and just store them.

 

[Dereku]

Buy tube sand. It comes in woven bags, much stronger than regular plastic bags. Need a knife to cut it open. Think its sold for traction aid.

 

[isslandboy]

With or without 4X4, I like weight in the bed of my SC during Iowa winters. I live in the country and county roads can get icy after a snowfall. What do you use for bed traction in the winter? I am not going to use sand bags. I put four 40lbs bags of water softener salt and emptied them into my salt tank, which I have just done now. It leaves salt residue on my bed liner and I have to let the bags drain. I need something different for next winter.

I looked for some plastic pieces I could fill with water yet wouldn't crack when the water freezes. I didn't find anything.

I did find a bag I could put the four bags of salt in and keep water off/out of them. I also thought of putting the salt bags individually in garbage bags.

What do you do?

I have 2 front "suit case" weights from a John Deere tractor, they are about 100 pounds each, maybe a inch and a half thick, lay flat.

 

[got3fords]

Cleaning up the machine shed and moving equipment around. With this weather, I'll be planting sooner than usual. My neighbor stopped by for a couple of beers. He has some old inner tubes. I am going to take a couple of them. I'll close one end, put a bolt or two in it, fill it with sand, and close the other end the same way and just store them.

Inner tubes have two ends?

 

[5thranger]

Cleaning up the machine shed and moving equipment around. With this weather, I'll be planting sooner than usual. My neighbor stopped by for a couple of beers. He has some old inner tubes. I am going to take a couple of them. I'll close one end, put a bolt or two in it, fill it with sand, and close the other end the same way and just store them.

You are in Hawkeye country in Blue Grass not ISU bet you get some grief for that.

 

[Trustable]

I’m in mid Michigan for reference. The first winter I had the truck (first rwd/4wd) I used tube sand from Lowe’s they leaked a little after 4 months but I also have a liner which is kind of abrasive. If you put them on a rubber mat I doubt they would move. Your best bet may be getting some container with a rubber bottom and putting the tubes in there.

I never ended up doing it again though. I found for my conditions and driving style it didn’t help. It did ride much nicer though with some weight in the bed.

 

[majorv]

I don’t use anything, but I’ll admit my FX4 rides much better with some weight in the back. My Dad had an old Chevy pickup and kept a couple of concrete pavers in the bed for weight.

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