How much does gravel weigh?

[AllBlkdOut07]

Originally Posted by ksukats57

When you put it that way, then no way is it 2k lbs. I'm thinking back to a time that we hauled mulch and it was pretty heavy, but it must have been way more than a yard if 9 bags is a yard. cause arent bags 40lbs?

Not sure, the 2 cu ft bags might be 40 lbs, 3 cu ft bags are a bit bigger and heavier.

[puma]

Let's put it in this perspective.

A 24 ft end dump trailer can haul only 18 yds of gravel to stay underweight and can haul 20-22 yds of heavy mud/soil. That same trailer could haul almost 30 yds. of fluffy soil or mulch if it would fit inside.

Gravel with fines, wet or dry weighs a hell of a lot per yd. Wet gravel weighs just that much more. If you were buying gravel at a quarry and it was wet than your paying for the weight of that water and getting less gravel per load since quarries sell by weight.

So a cu yd. of wet gravel in a pick up bed is too much weight. Period!

[AllBlkdOut07]

Originally Posted by puma

Let's put it in this perspective.

A 24 ft end dump trailer can haul only 18 yds of gravel to stay underweight and can haul 20-22 yds of heavy mud. That same trailer could haul almost 30 yds. of fluffy soil or mulch if it would fit inside.

Top soil weighs nearly as much as gravel though, especially is it's wet and/or packed. 'Fluffy' loose soil is still far, far heavier than mulch. Mulch is so light. Fill a 5 gal bucket with mulch (not packed of course), then fill two other of the same buckets with gravel and soil, then lift and compare them.

[Hatfieco]

Soil and gravel are very close when it comes to weight. A loamy soil will be around 1.2-1.4 where gravel is anywhere from 1.2-1.8 tons per yard (depending on fine content). Puma you are exactly right about everything except the part about 30 yards of fluffy soil. Even "fluffy" or loamy soil is still heavy. If anyone is actually interested in soil weights look up diatomaceous earth, super fluffy almost like flour and it still weighs in at around 1 ton per yard.

[chemist]

I'm seeing a lot of talk about fine content or crushed/powdered stone content. This was "modified" 3/8" gravel. That is basically translated to small gravel with A LOT of fines in it. It was also noticably wet--it wasn't dripping, but if you pick it up with your hand, your hand would have been wet and dirty. So basically, whatever it weighed this was the worst case scenario in terms of weight per cubic yard of any gravel material. So, all of that will need to be factored. I'm half temped to do it again just to have the truck weighed...

I think after I pay this truck off it's getting a 3/4 ton axle and an extra leaf. Also, looking at the tires, they're P rated tires! I couldn't believe it. When I buy tires they'll be LT tires, load rated E--unless anyone's got a better suggestion?

[Hatfieco]

Basically wet sand with some rock in it. I would say between 3000 and 3500 is what you had in the back if it was a true yard, coulda been more. If you plan on doing that a lot I would go for a one ton rear and some airbags. It will help keep ya from bending axle tubes. Even so 3k right over the axle is still a lot especially when cornering.

[puma]

Originally Posted by Hatfieco

Soil and gravel are very close when it comes to weight. A loamy soil will be around 1.2-1.4 where gravel is anywhere from 1.2-1.8 tons per yard (depending on fine content). Puma you are exactly right about everything except the part about 30 yards of fluffy soil. Even "fluffy" or loamy soil is still heavy.

The fluffy soil around here is what they call 4 way mix and it's more than 50% peat moss. So when it's dry it will blow away in the wind like sawdust. That's why a semi will be within weight limits with 28-30 yds in it but will only be able to haul 18-22 yds of the heavier top soil/clay. You are 100% correct about the heavier top soil/clay being very close in weight to gravel. Even different rock changes the weight. Granite weighs somewhat more than limestone.

In any case a cu. yd. is still too much to haul in the box of a pickup truck.

[AllBlkdOut07]

Ah ok..as I figured Peat is super light.

[chemist]

Originally Posted by Hatfieco

Soil and gravel are very close when it comes to weight. A loamy soil will be around 1.2-1.4 where gravel is anywhere from 1.2-1.8 tons per yard (depending on fine content)...

So I would assume modified gravel closer to 1.8 tons... Makes sense with what I've recently been reading. Holy crap! Well, that was definitely not what was intended by simply going to get some gravel. But since the truck did well with that, I'm not worried about much else I intend to throw at this truck...

[unseen]

I have done landcaping for the past 15 years and i can say that one yard of #3 stone is about 2000 lbs mulch veries with dirt content anf moisture any wher fron 450lbs dry and 800 dirty and wet. and remember for every 10 deg over 200 your trany fluid will lose about 35% of its life.

[chemist]

Yeah, I was watching the transmission temps. It got to 200--by top of the mountain. Never went over... This truck is NICE!

[Black01Z]

6000lbs in a half ton? You my friend are an idiot. Thats about max for a dually!!!!
(legally and safely)

[rangermaniac]

That is a crap load of weight in the bed I hauled 4.5 tons of limestone home on my 10,000GVW trailer with brakes and it wasn't fun (I hate 3.55's), stopping was great because of my new trailer brakes but I would never try what you did in the bed. The scales said I was grossing 16,500 lbs.