EuroTrash

No it's not a riddle

My wood supplier has no more wood, need some, can't find anyone who will deliver but plenty if I can go and pick it up. I have a Berlingo Multispace Desire (1.6 petrol if that makes any difference) with back seats that fold up. Some people are telling me I can carry a stère of wood in it no problem, some people are saying No no it would be far too heavy, you mustn't try to put anywhere near that weight in it. Someone on here must know which is true

dmu

Hi, as mentioned in the link below, it depends on the wood.
https://fr.answers.yahoo.com/questio...20de%20bois%3F

This link is old, but the weight of wood can't have changed much over the years...
If you look for the maximum weight admissible in your Berlingo, you can calculate how much wood it can carry, counting your own weight. OH tells me our Express has a total "charge utile" of 600 kg which means that even Twiggy probably couldn't transport a stère of wood in it. But a Berlingo looks more robust and you might manage...

bobbi2

Best thing we have bought since moving to France was a remorque. It has paid for itself time and time again especially lugging home furniture etc as well as wood. The prices they charge for delivery in France is ridiculous and the time spent trying to hire vans from e brico etc adds so much time and money onto a journey.

Tweedpipe

Also handy for taking the m.i.l. out for a spin.

bobbi2

grannybunz

Not really relevant for this year but may I give a piece of advice for next?

I am assuming that, like us you have limited storage for wood? i also assume that you know how much wood you normally use in an average year.

Place your order for that full amount in the late summer/autumn with your usual, preferably local, wood supplier, pay for it or at least a fairly large percentage. Ask him to deliver it in manageable sized loads throughout the winter.

Our lovely Jean-Baptiste delivered our last load for the winter last week and even threw in a little extra fruit wood he had "found".

I have to add that we have had our wood from the same family, now on to Grandson for over 20 years!

bobbi2

We ordered 6 stères in Sept and most places soon sold out by end of Oct. Our usual supplier didn't have any last year and have just managed to get some last week. We thought 6 steres would of done for the Winter, be it milder too. This year we will be a little more cautious and order more. We also found that one or two locally weren't prepared to sell us any (knowing jolly well they bl@ody well had heaps). Anyway we will use those that have been most helpful and the rest will not be on our xmas card list this year!

EuroTrash

Ta for all the thoughts.
Been getting my wood from the same chap ever since I came here, around 10 years now (mine's a Jean-Jacques not a Jean-Baptiste !) and I suppose I thought he had unlimited wood and I would be able to keep ringing up for wood for ever, whenever, a stère at a time, and he would come chug-chug-chugging along with it on his tractor the next day. I never had to think about it but I'm just realising how spoilt I've been up to now. Was gobsmacked when I rang up this weekend and Mrs JJ said Sorry, no more wood

bobbi2

I am glad it isn't just us. There has been serious amount of wood cutting going on locally over the past 2 weeks. I don't think we could rely on someone to deliver a stère at a time, especially knowing how low supplies seem to be this year. We just getting a load delivered and break our backs stacking it all. Knowing how low supplies were last year I will be more careful this year. We did find some really good bois de chauffage enterprises locally on le bon coin. They provided us with really dry wood and was better than our usual supplier. Anyone found some suppliers not wanting to deliver when you know they have good supplies? Unless they are keeping it for their regular customers?

jsbach

I've no idea whether this will be helpful, but...

The house I used to own in the Pyrenées was in a forested area where each house-holder had rights to fell their own timber for their own fires for free. I vaguely remember hearing this was fairly usual practice in forested areas.

It wasn't just any old tree but certain designated trees in certain designated areas. We used to co-operate with neighbours in terms of supplying the man-power and chainsaws - but, of course, the wood took a long time to weather.

I'd lived in the area for 4 years before I found this out....

Chatter Static

Our local super U sells wood on a pallet and has luton with tailgate and if you ask nicely a pallet truck can be borrowed with the two the local Ma Masion has it on a pallet as well. If you put half a pallet of wood in the Berlingo it would be overloaded.


Yes if she cut it down now it wouldnt be ready to burn for some time, burning freshly cut wood is a waste of time and energy and soots up the chimney quicker.

grannybunz

I can't imagine any supplier who would be willing to deliver a single stère of wood. We have room for 3 stère at a time and that is what we have delivered. I think suppliers are very loyal to their regulars and do hold it back for them which is why it is best to pay them at the time of oredering and to order early.

We have electric storage radiators but hardly ever need to use them preferring to rely on our insert which ducts heat to the two floors above. This winter that has been more than adequate because we have very good insulation and very thick stone walls. Also we are very much in the middle of a very old hameau so are additionally insulated byt our three naighbouring houses - don't ask, the floor plan is very complicated!!