How much top soil?

Have a 2012 4dr auto, wondering how much top soil I could take.

I know a full box is roughly a yard but that's what? 2000lbs? Would that be safe to take for about 5km of highway driving. Or is this a bad idea.
Experiences? Thoughts?

 

Isn't the max payload something like 600lb? Why risk it? If you need to move that much weight, rent a low trailer for $30/day.

 

My thoughts: That's too much. Read the sticker in your door jamb (I think it's there), figure out your load capacity, and stay within it. (Although my old S-10 had 1500lbs in it once. It did fine, but when I read the weight receipt when I got home... Rocks are heavy!)

I wouldn't put anything over a 1,000lbs in mine. How do your springs look?

 

Like new. No rust at all. Never had any weight in the truck. Only got 30,000 kms.

I know what the actually payload is I'm just curious if anyone has done this and have had any issues.

 

I've done a 1/2 Yard in my 2007. That was heavy enough for the truck I felt.

 

x2.

 

A cubic yard is 3ftx3ftx3ft, so if it's screened black dirt each yard probally weighs about 500lbs, (give or take), your bed is roughly 5ftx4ftx2ft, so you could theoretically put 2yds in your truck weighing roughly 1000lbs. IIRC they say max payload is 1200 for your truck (don't quote me) so I would go to get the soil and watch them load so you can see how much your truck squat's by watching the rear springs, and just stop them before the bump stops get to the frame.Then you should be alright to drive carefully home remembering that you have a loaded truck not a race car.

 

" I know a guy" that had 1 yard of lightweight fairly dry compost in the back, with 20 psi in "his" firestone airbags it handled fine. Wet would be a different story. Start with 1/2 a yard and judge from there - it's a short trip so better to make 2 trips than cause a problem.

 

I have TSB leaf pack I have done a ton of coal 20 miles and a yard of top soil multiple times for 5miles. Look at my avatar that's 1800lbs of pears. I've hauled that load twenty miles at least fifty times.

 

I have hauled roughly a cubic yard of soil many times. The truck is clearly overloaded and it sucks but I take it slow and careful, no highways and it is about 8 miles from the place I get it to my house. A cubic yard of mulch is no problem.

 

I've been pouring footers using 80 lb bags of Quikrete loading 22 bags each time. Traveling about 5 miles (highway) back home, no issues.
I would think highway is a better way to
go, less work on tranny and brakes. I have original struts and springs.

 

I loaded 2400 lbs of Quikrete in mine a couple of weeks ago. Even with AALs and OME rears it sagged like a sumbitch I wouldn't do it again hahaha.

 

Do it and dont listen to the dude that said rent a trailer.

The worst part is shoveling it out of your bed. I've done it a few times with mulch, not fun.

 

For a double cab long bed (the configuration with the lowest payload capacity), it's 1215 lbs. Even if you subtract 200 for a driver and some stuff that might be in the truck, you're still over 1000. Not sure where you got 600 from.

Having said that, a ton would be pushing it badly. Maybe with good aftermarket HD springs it would be okay for a short distance at low speeds, but I certainly wouldn't do it regularly.

 

One trick a friend showed me, is to place empty 5-gallon pails tightly within the bed, and have the dirt poured in. Each full pail can then be pulled out when needed, with little bed cleanup afterwards.

 

My 1st Gen Tacoma had a 6ft. bed. Dropping in a 1/2 yd. was easy. I sometimes see a little over-spill now on my 2nd Gen 5ft. bed.
Depends on who is operating the front-loader.
Also helps to have a sheet of plywood on the bed. Makes getting the soil out with a flat shovel easier not to mention saving the bed bottom.
I like the bucket idea.

 

just to add to the "go for it" suggestions, Ive had a full load (over the bed rails) of damp soil and with my air bags at about 30psi I did fine driving 10 miles or so. she was pretty heavy but I babied it and did fine. ive done that about 4 or 5 times so far with my access cab with no problems. again if you take it easy, I don't think you should have a problem. ive also hauled paver stones that added up to about 1200lbs and didn't have much trouble either. just take it easy.

 

Not to get into a pissing match, however. I'm a contractor, for 30+ years, have owned and operated many trucks through many projects. My Tacoma's overloaded with my son, my dog, myself and a few tools. (we're all large), I would have it delivered for whatever, $ 40 or less probably. Top soil weighs way more than your estimate or than you think, you're probably not insured while driving with that load in the bed, whatever you may think, it's plain assed dumb damaging your truck, taking any sort of risk for the sake of ego or $ 40 or both.

I always laugh when I see guys at Home Depot tying 2x4's to the roof of their Mercedes..

Just Googled a yd of top soil @ 3,000 lbs

Anyhow, be safe, have fun, do it right..

 

Plywood and a big assed solid thick canvas tarp. Put the tarp down covering the bottom and sides of the bed. Put the dirt it. Shovel out most of the dirt, grab the top of the tarp that's over the front of the bed, and pull it out, it'll will bring all the dirt out. Bed will be clean. Seen it done with dirt here. I think the tarp wasn't cheap, it was a thick one..

 

Weight of a yard of top soil will depend on how wet it is too. Weight can vary by several 100 lbs.

I would NOT try to haul a yard of dirt in a Tacoma. Get it delivered.