I'd lay it flat with tailgate down. Securing it so it doesn't slide around. And put a red flag on the end for other people to see and cover you if you have a state law requiring it. I think that laying it on top of the gate is just asking for it.

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Anything past 2 feet of the rear bumper is illegal.

 

I wouldnt assume the weight is not a problem since you're probably pushing 1000lbs and half of it is sticking outside the truck. If you have a hitch, rent a trailer.

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I have hauled long pieces of material and one thing you need to think about is placing weight on the lumber in the bed to keep from it bouncing up while driving. You can use cement blocks as the weight material just under the back window. Measuring my 2018 bed to the end of tailgate is 7' and you will have 5' sticking out, plus the truck will be lower in the back from the weight.

MLogan
2018 RTL-T
Smyrna, TN

 

Are you kidding? That would be useless with the tailgate up or down. And as I stated before, anything that is more than 2 feet past the rear bumper is illegal. Also, if you block the view of the license plate, that is also illegal.

 

Get some ratcheting tie down straps and use the anchors in the bed. Those come in handy when moving stuff so keep them in your trunk for future use. Put a red flag on the end (lumber store can supply that) and remember how long things are when you drive so you make good turns without hitting anyone else. You want a secure load that won't fall off and waste your money or injure others. I've heard truckers say you should be able to turn your car upside down and shake it and the load shouldn't fall off.

 

If you are worried about it bouncing up at the front of the bed, just put a ratchet strap between the front bottom cleats.
I have a heavy duty roof rack so anything longer than 10 feet I will typically haul on the rack.
If you do haul the 12's in the bed, make sure to use a ratchet straps at both the front and back as well a ratchet strap like a lasso around the whole load on the part that overhangs so that individual boards won't be loose.
If you plan to do this regularly you might want to get a hitch mounted prop to help support the overhang.

 

FYI the bed tie downs are rated at 350lbs

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Use one ratchet strap to wrap the end that is hanging off of the bed at about the 9' mark. Ratchet it tight.

Use two ratchet straps to go back to the front of the bed on both sides. To be clear, attach these to the strap used to wrap the lumber.

 

How much weight can the tail gate support?

 

According to engineeringtoolbox, a 2x8x12 lumber is approx 32lbs each. Pressure treated is at 52lbs each. According to Home Depot Canada, a 2*8*12 Dimensional lumber is 31lbs (https://www.homedepot.ca/product/-2x8x12-spf-dimension-lumber/1000100170)

My recommendation is to get a trailer to haul the 30 pieces of lumber, Just purely for the length as that 6 feet of wood dangling behind my truck is weird. Though the bed, with the gate down will cover about half the length of the lumber.

Also, using the gate down, you can safely stack 6 pieces of lumber side by side between the wheel wells. And you need to stack 5 pieces on top, to haul your 30 pieces. There is no safe way to tie them up so the pieces dont move back under acceleration. Hauling them with the gate up, is just akward as they start to spring up and down and having a pinch on the corner of the tailgate is bad.

Thus, I recommend using a trailer to haul them, LIke a UHaul 6x12 utility trailer. An overkill for sure as the trailer itself is 1730lbs, but its just a safety thing at this point.



The G1 supported, with the gate down, a static load of 300lbs I believe. I would expect something similar for the G2.

Correction: Vehicle Specifications | 2020 Honda Ridgeline | Honda Owners Site

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2WD, AWD and different trims, have varied payload numbers. similar to G1.
According to the 2020 model Press kit, the payload is at 1584lbs (trim related); same as the 2017 rating. Usually the AWD in the lowest trim form, would have the highest payload as it does not have much of the other trim's luxury features. For Example, the 2020 Sport AWD, does not have a sliding rear window and have a 1580lbs payload. While the RTL has 1549lbs and the RTL-E & BE are at 1499lbs. Pattern is similar to the G1's.

 

"Payload" is 1452 lbs which typically includes passengers. I don't know tailgate number.

The other factor is if lumber is pressure treated which adds significant weight.

This is a heavy load for the Ridgeline.

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Correction: nobody really knows what the payload is, regardless of what it says on the door jamb. There was a huge thread on here in 2017 about incorrect payload stickers... many stickers were indicating less than they should have been, based on Honda’s PR info. The only way to know for sure is to weigh your truck and subtract that from the GVWR.

Regardless, several people have hauled in excess of 2000lbs in their bed, albeit for just a few miles, whereas Honda recommends not to exceed 1100lbs in the bed.

Edit: according to Google, wet PT wood can weigh up to 5.5lbs/ft for 2x8, so 66lbs per 12' board. Thirty of those could weigh just shy of 2000lbs.

Untreated would weigh around 3lbs/ft for yellow pine, which comes out to just under 1100lbs for 30 12' boards.

 

i googled the approximate weight of one 2x6x12 pressure treated wood is and it is between 14-26 pounds. So i will calculate on the side of caution and figure the total weight of 30 pieces would be around 780 lbs. Based on the specs of payload for the G2 RL, it states 1,452 pounds (thanks smuook). My main concern was the overhang. Based on our local limits in Toronto, Ontario, any load that overhangs by 5 ft, then a red flag is required. I'm trying to save multiple trips, but i guess safety first. I should take two trips.

 

Good on ya... do the math to be safe! Even if it is rough estimate.

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Found these helpful

 

That Canadian one sounds like the guy that built the wooden snowplow for his hitch...

 

It's been 30 years and six states since I have driven a fire truck on those streets but ff I'm seeing the landmarks correctly it looks like Next Level Carpentry buys his stuff at Kneck's Lumber in RCSD. Brings back some memories.

 

I usually do 10 footers with tailgate up and 12 footers with tailgate down. Get all 30. You will be fine. pop a red flag on the end. Just stack them in 3 rows of 10. Then take 1 off the top of the outside stacks and overlap them on the top middle one on each side. So when you strap them down front and back..it puts pressure on all 3 rows.

if you stack them equally and strap them down. The center stack does not have as much pressure so it could slide out on hard acceleration if needed.

Tailgate load capacity matters none unless you hit a really hard dip in the road, which would flex the wood at that spot adding pressure on the gate. Most of the weight will be on the bed floor especially when strapped down.

 

I toted 15 pieces of the same lumber by pushing them through the rear window and used a thick piece of cardboard to rest them on the headliner. Rested the other ends in the bed w/ the tailgate up. Drove 45 miles with no mishaps or damage. This was an emergency situation when my buddy's full size truck went kaput at Lowe's. My '10 RTL to the rescue.

 

That is surely one way to haul lumber, however, not the safe way. One emergency stop while at 60mph, would make one reassess the hauling method.
Oh yeah, Headliners are not cheap either

 

I've hauled a dozen KDAT 2x4x12s, a dozen KSAD 1x4x12s along with six treated 4x4x12s. Tailgate down, strap them down in the front and in the rear, staple a red rag(s) or red marking tape streamers to the ends and take your time.

PS - Don't forget to tug on the straps when everything is secured and proclaim "That ain't goin nowhere!"

 

@eurban , You are person of trade and knows how to strap things down properly. If you visit the Ridgeline facebook page (not sure if you have), I am sure you will start to have uncomfortable bowel movements like myself. And your remark about being smart, careful and using common sense is lacking in a vast majority of folks who use the pickup truck without much thought.

 

Easy way is to spend $60 and buy a bed extender - I use mine all the time for carrying lumber. Have tailgate down and strap lumber to front and rear bed tie-down points and to bed extender. Put the standard red flag on the end and you're good to go. Have carried 16 foot lengths this way without issue.

My Bed Extender

My Safety Flag

 

This is what I do to with my first gen and former S-10.
I use the extender in the upright position to haul long and light loads bridging to the roof-rack. PVC pipe, copper pipes, small 2X4 and 4X4 post loads, etc. have all done well like this.
I use it in the down position (bed extender) to load sheet goods that are 10-12 feet, such as drywall.
I simply put a plastic flag (from the vendor load station) on a pin of the extender or on the strap/cord around the back of the load.

Having a canoe and an insatiable habit for home improvements and projects, the extender has been well worth the investment.

 

Just going to leave this here. Isn't homedepot delivery flat rate? Or most lumber yards around me are flat rate or free.

 

If only the OP had a truck he could use. Like a real truck right? No way he could use his "truck" to haul some lumber.

/s

 

I’m thinking tailgate down, 15 boards together on their edge, ratchet strap looped 360 degrees around and hooked in the rear lower bed hooks. The other 15 on their edge and on top of the 1st 15. Loop a second strap around the boards and also hooked to the rear lower bed hooks. One, or two, straps looped around the 30 at the front of the bed and hooked in the front lower bed hooks. Don’t forget the flag.

 

I recently hauled 5 sticks of 2x6x12' with tailgate up and straps to hold the front of them down. 30 pieces is a lot more though.
I'd get it delivered, but if I had a bed extender in the garage I'd probably use it, just because I hate to see all my cool toys going unused. Even with a bed extender, maybe consider 2 trips?

 

Thats some long wood. [emoji1]

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Yeah must be some 16 footers

 

One more thing.....
I had an extender that looked like the one in the link, but it was from Horror Freight. It did okay for a few years and then the tube that inserts to the hitch split at the seam while hauling some pro-grade outdoor volleyball poles home. I upgraded to the "Haul Master" as also linked at Amazon (there's a few like it branded differently) and it's far superior construction IMHO and should be the last one I purchase in my lifetime. It also has adjustable uprights on the end of the load support T, so you can narrow it down (canoe and lumber loads) or widen or turn the ears 90 or 180 degrees for wide loads (sheet goods).
The one linked has D loops welded to the T bar ends and they get in the way of resting wide and flat things. That's how my HF one was.

 

I had an extender that looked like the one in the link, but it was from Horror Freight. It did okay for a few years and then the tube that inserts to the hitch split at the seam while hauling some pro-grade outdoor volleyball poles home. I upgraded to the "Haul Master" as also linked at Amazon (there's a few like it branded differently) and it's far superior construction IMHO and should be the last one I purchase in my lifetime.

FYI, Haul Master is a "Horror Freight" brand too. HAUL-MASTER Trademark of HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS USA, INC. - Registration Number 3982428 - Serial Number 78468153 :: Justia Trademarks

 

For the sake of pictures, just some gems off the Facebook Ridgeline group.

 

This one is not mine and not safely loaded IMHO but still impressive on some level . . .