[hankim]

The Ridgeline doing what it was designed to do: haul crap.

Went to the dump to pick up mulch at $20 per load. Giant front loader pretty much covered the entire rear end of the car under a giant load of mulch, dumping it from about 10 feet above the bed. The RL handled it like....well, like a truck.

Oh, the ability to open the tailgate to the side makes it MUCH easier to unload the truck.

I then picked up pea gravel, right at about 1100 lbs. Again, no problems.

I'm heading down to Moab, and we'll see how it does offroad on red rock.

 

[zero]

Nice report. Definitely take a lot of pics when you go to Moab.

 

[jch]

Great shot hankim. You can see by how high the wheel well is above the wheel that the weight of both you and mulch isn't really flexing the ridge suspension. Amazing! Did you dump the mulch right on the bed, or did you place a tarp or plywood down first??

 

[shortspark]

Absolutely amazing! Not so much that the Ridgeline can handle these chores but that someone would actually do it!! I won't haul a stick off in my Ridgeline without an elaborate old blanket and comforter scheme covering every inch of the bed and sides. I know, I know it is a truck but I'm not going to use it as such and risk messing it all up. In fact, if I have anything at all to payload I'll find every way possible to get out of it. If I have to get stuff like that mulch and gravel I'll just tell them to deliver it. Also, I never, ever want to put my finger on the OD button, or the VSA and VTM buttons and my Ridge will never even come close to seeing a hitch installed for fear I might have to hook something up to it someday.

And off-road did you say? I guarantee you my Ridgeline will never touch Mother Earth or anything other than concrete or pavement. This is just me as I have always had trucks but never needed them - I just think trucks are neat. When I bought the thing I knew I would be using maybe 50% of this truck's capability but relishing and basking in the glory of its other 50% more than makes up for it.

 

[hankim]

Great shot hankim. You can see by how high the wheel well is above the wheel that the weight of both you and mulch isn't really flexing the ridge suspension. Amazing! Did you dump the mulch right on the bed, or did you place a tarp or plywood down first??

Even when the front loader (a full sized one) dumped the mulch from more than 10' off he bed, the suspension flexed very little. And the ride, aside from the engine straining a little more going up hill, was virtually unchanged. That is an accomplishment, to have a truck handle and behave almost exactly the same whether the bed is empty or it has half a ton in it.

I dumped the mulch right on the bed. The tarp I used to cover the load. Otherwise, I plan on hauling stuff with this truck, so some scuffs on the bed liner don't bother me at all. This is the reason I bought the truck; to haul topsoil, gravel and compost, carry drywall and lumber, and take our family to remote campsites down in southern Utah. And that's the most extraordinary aspect of this vehicle. Not only can it haul like a work truck, but it can protect my family better than just about any other vehicle out there, do it with as much or more comfort and convenience as a luxury car, and still ride and handle like a sports sedan.

The only minor issue is little bits of gravel sneaking into the gap between the trunk lid and the rest of the bed. Annoying when you open the trunk, but not too much of an issue. Make sure gravel doesn't embed itself between the trunk moulding and the trunk.

 

[Skywalker]

Hankim,

Great photo! Thanks for taking the time to post it.

 

[captmiddy]

Nice photo, now if only I would remember to take pictures when I do stuff with my truck. But to me it would sort of be like taking a picture of my router or table saw, while interesting, it is still just a tool. But I take pictures of birds and they are just loud and messy so maybe I should take pictures of cool things like my tools and my truck...hey I might even get lucky and catch them together sometime .

By the way I really like your signature. Kids always have an interesting perspective on things.

 

[ridgekat]

Hankim,
Courageous !

I've got 12 CY of mulch sitting on my driveway waiting to be spread and wondered if I shouldn't load it in the RL to distribute around the yard. Could have saved time and money but do not have the courage to do what you did ... maybe next spring, but more likely will get a trailer for the messy materials. BTW, 12 CY looks to be about four loads of the RL. Numbers indicate more like 8 loads (RL bed is about 4x5x2=40 CF~40/27 CY ~ 1.5 CY) .

Great paragraph about the safety and utility !

 

[BillB]

I haul yards of landscaping goods all the time in the RL and only the lightest stuff like dry fluffy mulch would you ever want to put in much more than a fair yard delivered by the supply store's front loader. A yard of sand comes in at about a ton, when it is dry, so be careful what you ask for and haul if it has been raining. Even though the RL is listed as a half-ton, it can effectively haul about 1500 pounds, or 3/4 yard of sand. Much more and you will bottom out when you go over a bump. I hate that sound. In my prior truck an 1998 F150 4x4 6.5 foot bed, I asked for a yard of small pebbles and the yard guy must of thought I had a deuce and a half and did me a favor by giving me a generous load. When I hit the scales going out, the load came in at 3250 pounds. I went real slow on the way home and unloaded immediately and that was definitely the max that truck could carry - the front tires were barely touching the road and steering was scary.

 

[NHRidgeline]

Absolutely amazing! Not so much that the Ridgeline can handle these chores but that someone would actually do it!! I won't haul a stick off in my Ridgeline without an elaborate old blanket and comforter scheme covering every inch of the bed and sides.

Ohhh come on now! My "bed" is all scratched up already-I have used it TONS, and I to think, I am a GIRL! LOL I have hauled stuff I didn't think I could(figured i would need hubbys 2500 dodge ram), but nope......the RL worked just fine, and I like the bed messed up a bit, makes it look USED! I don't have the patience to cover up the bed with anything.....of couse, i don't want the PAINT scratched up at all...that would be a different story!

Love my RL!

 

[Truckin']

Great photo and story. Have you gone to Moab yet? I can't wait to hear about your adventures and how the Ridge does in the red rock wonderland.