Testing out the limits of the Yuba's cargo capacity

"Grr! Og strong!" Unloading after paver run #3.

A few days ago, Oliver was perusing the local community email list and found that someone was getting rid of about a hundred concrete pavers. We've been planning to extend the walkway around the back of our house into a patio for the ground level suite--these would be perfect for the job!

So we strapped a couple of carboard boxes onto the Yuba sideloaders--I considered using the GoGetter bags, but didn't want to risk tearing them or getting them filthy from used paving stones. The address was only about three blocks away and Oliver quickly came back with the first load of 38 pavers, plus almost-four-year-old who'd gone along for the ride. I weighed one of the paving stones to estimate how much the load was: including the kid, around 345 pounds. Probably 350 if you take into account the boxes, straps and two child seats as well.

The maximum cargo capacity of the Yuba is 440 pounds; the load of pavers was well under that limit. Oliver described the first load as quite wobbly, probably because the boxes were shifting. The bike was a little more top-heavy because of Linnaeus in his seat and the Bread Basket on the front having about 48 pounds of pavers. When he went back for a second load, he didn't take the kid & only brought back 34 pavers, about 270 pounds. That run was much smoother, not wobbly.

After four runs, he'd collected all 100 of the pavers. I'm pretty sure we've got enough to finish off our little patio, except for the sand, of course. This short run was probably doable on foot with a wagon, though I wouldn't trust our plastic one to hold 350 pounds, so it likely would have taken several more trips and at least twice as much time. Our other alternative would have been to book a Modo truck for an hour--then we could have done it all in one run, but it would have cost about $7 or so. Free, plus a little exercise to boot, is always a good thing, no?

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