Transporting compost in a minivan? Bad idea? Really bad?

[applestar]

Kind of late joining this thread, and I don't know how much they cost, but have you considered renting or borrowing one of those hitch trailer wagons? They come in various sizes. People with horses use them for buying bales of hay. Aside from the typical rental store, I think Home Depo, etc. Has them to rent too.

If you don't have a hitch, I remember once renting a U-haul trailer to pull with my Toyota Carola, and they had a contraption. I got stuck trying to reverse at a bridge toll gate because I accidentally went to CARS ONLY out of habit, and caused a terrific traffic jam, but that's another story....

[Moley]

Kind of late joining this thread, and I don't know how much they cost, but have you considered renting or borrowing one of those hitch trailer wagons? They come in various sizes. People with horses use them for buying bales of hay. Aside from the typical rental store, I think Home Depo, etc. Has them to rent too.

If you don't have a hitch, I remember once renting a U-haul trailer to pull with my Toyota Carola, and they had a contraption. I got stuck trying to reverse at a bridge toll gate because I accidentally went to CARS ONLY out of habit, and caused a terrific traffic jam, but that's another story....

On the Jersey TPKE? ouch

I got to drive around my parents fifth wheel 38 foot travel trailer last summer, up 80 then down 84 into PA, into their community. I did have to back it into the lot before my father came up to meet me, not my finest reverse motion of a trailer but I got the job done.

kinda...

[Green Mantis]

I like DDF'S idea, but you MUST need duct tape in there somewhere, lol.

[TheWaterbug]

I got to drive around my parents fifth wheel 38 foot travel trailer last summer, up 80 then down 84 into PA, into their community. I did have to back it into the lot before my father came up to meet me, not my finest reverse motion of a trailer but I got the job done.

kinda...

Backing up with a trailer is one of those extremely non-intuitive tasks that you need to do about 100 times before you "get" it. At least for me, that is.

I once saw a demonstration/ruse in London where a guy built a bicycle with a reversing gear so the handlebars turned in the opposite direction of the front wheel. He offered $50 to anyone who could ride it 20 feet in a straight line, and he charged $5/attempt. I watched a few dozen people try, and no one got further than one attempted turn.

I feel the same way about backing up with a trailer.

[ThomasCA]

Did you go to the one in SP? Looks similar in your pictures.
I basically live there LOL. Great mulch and beautiful community gardens.
...and the Depot right across the street.

[TheWaterbug]

Yup. The San Pedro site is almost on my way home, so it's convenient. It's also cleverly hidden so you'd never know it was there unless you were already told that there's something there.

I don't know what their raison d'etre is, but they'd get a lot more "customers" with a larger sign.

[TheWaterbug]

I would think so. I'll guesstimate that each bag I filled was ~75 lbs, so that'd be 1,500 lbs in the minivan, max.

Owwwww.

I used 5 of the bags this on Saturday to mulch my corn patch and to try and amend some crummy soil. I dragged most of the bags on the ground, but for one of them I didn't have enough space between the plants, so I heaved it up over my shoulder.

My herniated disc hasn't stopped complaining since.

Next time I'm dragging it, even if it means killing some strawberries.

[applestar]

Ouch! Hope you feel better soon!

[toxcrusadr]

Actually, get one of those garden carts with two big wheels and a flat front. It will lay down like a frontloader bucket and you can drag things in and out of it without lifting them. That's the ticket for people who can't lift things off the ground to get them in the wheelbarrow in the first place.

[PunkRotten]

I picked up a garbage bag full of this same mulch about 2 weeks ago. I live in los angeles county in the valley. I got a little concerned about where the mulch came from. Gave them a call and asked if it has pesticides or other chemicals in it. They told me the mulch is made from the lawn clippings that come from green recyclable trashcans that are collected from homes. We have one too but never use it.

Anyway, since the the mulch is made from this source there is no question the mulch is not organic. So I am not gonna be using it.

[rot]

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a couple of things
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PunkRotten - I've gotten some awful stuff out of the green bins from my neighbors. People are unclear on the concept of what goes into those things so I'm with you. The stuff can't be trusted. Lived in Reseda for many years previously. Ask my cat, Sid Vicious.
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Hauling compost or manure or whatever - get a box that you're pretty sure you can lift when full, line it with a trash bag and just fill until the box is full. Remove bag, tie off, repeat. You will end up with a bunch of bags that you can at least lift and move about.

I have a rule about helping people move: never fill a box to more than you can pick up and carry yourself, if it takes two people to carry that box - I'm not moving it and you're moving it by yourself or with somebody else - not me. When my girlfriend moved in, she packed everything she owned just about into a box for a new clothes dryer. It took four of us to move it and we damn near killed ourselves doing it. Never again.
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The oder of horse manure lingered for a better than a week in the back of my pick-up under the shell even though everything was already in plastic bags. Careful what you put in the family van. You've got a low threshold of tolerance for leakage.
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to sense
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[Tilde]

Heh, back when I used to pick up municpal compost and mulch (not in the mood to haul anymore since I'm making my own) I used to fill the back of a sedan with 30 gallon storage containers (atop tarps) - 2 on the floor of each, smaller ones on the seats, and more in the trunk.

Now I'm driving something with pretty much no trunk space or towing capacity but am getting a tow hitch installed (for the hitch bike rack). Does anyone know of any reason not to get one of those floating cargo tray things to use to haul the occasional bale of hay (what are the usual dimensions?) or box of manure?

[toxcrusadr]

"It took four of us to move it and we damn near killed ourselves doing it. Never again. "

Two-wheeled inflatable tire dolly. $29.99 at Harbor Freight or your favorite local store. I've saved my back many a time.

"Does anyone know of any reason not to get one of those floating cargo tray things to use to haul the occasional bale of hay (what are the usual dimensions?) or box of manure?"

Good idea! Should work fine, just take it easy the first time and get used to having weight back there. It will change the suspension feel, response on bumps, and cornering. By trial and error you'll find a reasonable weight you can put back there. And make sure that doesn't exceed the load capacity of the hitch - that's "tongue weight" and not 'towed weight' BTW.

[Tilde]

Thanks, toxcrusadr. I'll find out the tongue weight and subtract 50 pounds to give myself a margin for error. Oooh, a reason to dust off (and check the wear on) my cargo straps!

I figure a cargo tray is more practical than looking into and licensing a two-wheel trailer, especially since we realllly shouldn't be hauling with it ...

I miss having a good wheeled hauling/cargo vehicle. My little 140hp runabout is nothing compared to the 250hp van I had my first job driving making deliveries all over town. I miss the hauling capacity but not the ~15mpg!