Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[Ambull01]

Ambull I'm gonna warn you, you got a 4l60 trans in that piece. Don't abuse it too much or you'll be sorry.

It has to be the 4L60-E

 

[mainewoods]

That's an awful nice van to be hauling firewood in,Ambull. I admire your enthusiasm though.

 

[MechanicMatt]

Reaction shell, imput housing. Lots, maybe I'm just biased, I work for the general and have had my hands in too many of them. Keep the fluid clean and cool and remember its the same trans that's in s10 pickups. The 4l80 was the beefy trans of there era. The new 6l80 is a nice trans, as long as the fluid is kept cool.

 

[MechanicMatt]

Reccomend a trans cooler and synthetic fluid

 

[MechanicMatt]

Btw what's the 8th digit of your vin?

 

[Ambull01]

That's an awful nice van to be hauling firewood in,Ambull. I admire your enthusiasm though.

Thanks sir. I'm just following everyone's advice and using what I have. I bought it from wife's grandfather for $500 about 2 months ago so I don't have a lot invested in it. He will be PISSED if he finds out I'm hauling wood with it lol. He has an emotional attachment with it or something. He bought it new and has been babying the whole time.

 

[Ambull01]

Btw what's the 8th digit of your vin?

M

 

[Ambull01]

Looks like I can buy a brand new transmission for less than $300 so no worries. That's cheaper than most of the chainsaws you guys own.

 

[mainewoods]

Sounds like he gave you a very generous "family" discount on it. Might be best to find another "beatah" to scrounge with.

 

[MechanicMatt]

M 305 and no new trans is $300 you mean used. She is a older model. Still got the ole style small block not the newer LS based engine. Well enough car talk, back to firewood!

 

[Ambull01]

Sounds like he gave you a very generous "family" discount on it. Might be best to find another "beatah" to scrounge with.

Yeah he did. A lot easier going camping with it vs loading everything into my caddy. I'm planning on getting something else soon but for now it will have to do. I'm also getting a single axle trailer this weekend so I may not have to load anything into the van.

M 305 and no new trans is $300 you mean used. She is a older model. Still got the ole style small block not the newer LS based engine. Well enough car talk, back to firewood!

Yep you're right. There's only one hill near me so shouldn't strain the van too much hauling wood.

 

[zogger]

I have a van just like that. It has a rear seat that collapses into a bed. I'll take the rear seat out plus the middle seats. Just a few bolts holding the rear seats in and a latch holds the middle seats. Pretty simple to take out. It's based on a Chevy 1500 truck so it should be able to haul some wood, just not as much because the van is pretty heavy. When I get a trailer, I'll leave the bed in the van to take naps when I get tired scrounging.

Lay down a big tarp, and then scrap cardboard before loading rough wood in, will help immensely on cleanout. As long as you don't go to the roof inside nuts, it should haul a lot more than the caddy trunk. Just do a running tally in your head guesstimate weight of the wood, big round "this dude weighs a scosh more than a dogfood bag, call it 60 lbs" etc. Keep track that way, decide according to your specs what a moderate load is. Ya, you can look at your springs too, all that jazz.

I have to do this loading the tractor rear tote box else all of a sudden every bump and hill I gots no front end on the ground..steering gets fun then.... I got it down now though, wicked heavy oak and hickory fresh green, one big row in the back and some little stuff. Lighter wood two rows. Fluff wood like older dead tulip poplar or willow or real old pine, fill it up.

 

[svk]

On Sunday I took a couple hours out of my weekend grind to spend some time in the woods with my older daughter, youngest son, BIL, and nephew.


From Saturday: Here's how to haul two full sheets worth of OSB to remote locations by ATV. Steep hills can be interesting though.

 

[Ambull01]

Lay down a big tarp, and then scrap cardboard before loading rough wood in, will help immensely on cleanout. As long as you don't go to the roof inside nuts, it should haul a lot more than the caddy trunk. Just do a running tally in your head guesstimate weight of the wood, big round "this dude weighs a scosh more than a dogfood bag, call it 60 lbs" etc. Keep track that way, decide according to your specs what a moderate load is. Ya, you can look at your springs too, all that jazz.

I have to do this loading the tractor rear tote box else all of a sudden every bump and hill I gots no front end on the ground..steering gets fun then.... I got it down now though, wicked heavy oak and hickory fresh green, one big row in the back and some little stuff. Lighter wood two rows. Fluff wood like older dead tulip poplar or willow or real old pine, fill it up.

Cardboard and tarp is a good idea. I read an older post in this thread where someone suggested building a wooden box to Dancan for his box. I have a sheet of 4x8 plywood that's been sitting in my shed for a few months. Was going to use that to lay on the floor then attach a horizontal board toward the front to keep logs from sliding. Cardboard sounds much easier though.

I don't think I'll go over 1/2 the maximum payload in this van, just to be safe. You popping wheelies on a tractor? Now that's some redneck fun right there.

Have a weekend of scrounging planned already. Going to in-laws to try and finish up cutting the poplar. After reading through this site I realize poplar sucks as firewood but hopefully it will get me through this year, they have big logs all in the open ready to be cut, and they have a log splitter. Can't turn that down. Also have a bucked oak tree waiting to be transported home. Trailer is waiting for me there too.

Sunday I have a lady that responded to my firewood posts on a local community website (can't believe that post worked!). Said she has several downed trees from a year ago, a few that fell down this summer, and a few more that can come down. I have no idea what type of trees, how big they are, etc. Just have to go there and see I guess, although I don't know an oak from a poplar. I hate surprises.

 

[Ambull01]

On Sunday I took a couple hours out of my weekend grind to spend some time in the woods with my older daughter, youngest son, BIL, and nephew.

View attachment 377453 View attachment 377454 View attachment 377455
From Saturday: Here's how to haul two full sheets worth of OSB to remote locations by ATV. Steep hills can be interesting though.
View attachment 377456

Now that's some good wholesome family time. I like that kid holding his ears in the rifle pic. You can tell that's not his first exposure to a fire arm.

 

[svk]

I realize poplar sucks as firewood but hopefully it will get me through this year, they have big logs all in the open ready to be cut, and they have a log splitter. Can't turn that down. Also have a bucked oak tree waiting to be transported home. Trailer is waiting for me there too.

Poplar/aspen burns great just not for very long. Great for starting fires too. Burn that when you are at home on weekends and evenings and use the good stuff for workdays and overnights.

I don't know an oak from a poplar. I hate surprises.

When you scout out a scrounge with unfamiliar species just post up pictures of bark and leaves (if possible) in a new "Tree ID" post in the firewood forum. Someone here can ID anything you will come across.

 

[Ambull01]

Poplar/aspen burns great just not for very long. Great for starting fires too. Burn that when you are at home on weekends and evenings and use the good stuff for workdays and overnights.


When you scout out a scrounge with unfamiliar species just post up pictures of bark and leaves (if possible) in a new "Tree ID" post in the firewood forum. Someone here can ID anything you will come across.

It may take a long time until I'm comfortable with leaving a fire burning while I'm not home. Don't know how you guys do it.

 

[svk]

It may take a long time until I'm comfortable with leaving a fire burning while I'm not home. Don't know how you guys do it.

Unless you are burning in an open fireplace with screen instead of glass there is really very little risk of fire coming out of a good fireplace or furnace. Much more of a risk of chimney fire from burning wet wood or never cleaning it.

 

[Ambull01]

Unless you are burning in an open fireplace with screen instead of glass there is really very little risk of fire coming out of a good fireplace or furnace. Much more of a risk of chimney fire from burning wet wood or never cleaning it.

I'm going to put in a fireplace insert. It's a chimney fire that I'm concerned about. I have a unlined masonry chimney. House was built in 1891, a Victorian style house. Probably had lining of some kind once upon a time but now it's just brick and mortar I guess. There's no creosote build up. I had it checked and cleaned by a chimney sweep guy. He recommended not to use it. Father in-law said it will be fine, been working so far since 1891.

To be safe I should probably skip wood burning this year and just stock up on firewood. Next year, after installing the SS liner and insualtion, I'll be ready to go plus have a nice supply of firewood stocked up.

 

[zogger]

I'm going to put in a fireplace insert. It's a chimney fire that I'm concerned about. I have a unlined masonry chimney. House was built in 1891, a Victorian style house. Probably had lining of some kind once upon a time but now it's just brick and mortar I guess. There's no creosote build up. I had it checked and cleaned by a chimney sweep guy. He recommended not to use it. Father in-law said it will be fine, been working so far since 1891.

To be safe I should probably skip wood burning this year and just stock up on firewood. Next year, after installing the SS liner and insualtion, I'll be ready to go plus have a nice supply of firewood stocked up.

That is a much better idea, seeing as how you are just now accumulating wood. Even split, most will be too wet to burn now.

You could get by this year to some extent with a mixture of dead ash and tulip poplar and various small crispy dry branches of whatnot species, if the logs are split, debarked as much as possible, criss cross stacked for max sun and airflow. Both of those will dry pretty fast. Also keep several days inside and give the splits a few days near the fire so they can get some good inside drying. Just rotate a day in and burned, stay ahead that way. I do about three days here on the wall behind the stove, gives all the wood a last little bit good drying. All my bundle wood is also dried inside a few days before it is bundled or bagged. Not much, I only do a little of that, but it helps.