# Small Pick-Up Truck...



## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

As an additional thread to my previous question about owning a Harley in the Philippines...(purely for recreational purposes)...

My future wife and I are planning on purchasing some land after our wedding, either with or without an existing home and I am interested in either remodeling or building our retirement home. I love to work with my hands, have tons of practical experience and would like to design and build our retirement home from scratch or remodel an existing home if already located on the property.

My question here is...would it be worthwhile to own a small truck for purchasing and hauling my building products...OR...are the delivery options very reasonable in the Philippines?

I have heard rumors about inferior quality building products, (crumbling concrete blocks, etc.), and thought that examining the products first hand while purchasing them and then hauling them myself might eliminate this issue or at least most of it.

Would it or could it be worth the effort to own a small truck for this purpose?

I am not talking about a large truck that can haul really large heavy loads...just a small truck that can haul smaller loads of building products. Since I would be retired and in no particular hurry, I could haul small loads that would last me a day or two and then go and get more later...this would also eliminate the threat of someone stealing piles of building supplies at a jobsite...which I have heard can be a problem.


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

We've never had problems with having building materials delivered. That's one thing they are good at in the Philippines. On several occasions we've had stuff delivered before we have got back ourselves. Quality of hollow blokes is a problem but remember they are not structural, they are just used as a filler between the post and beam constuction. It's not unusual to have your own blocks made on site then you can control the quality.


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## Cebu Citizen (Dec 13, 2013)

Thanks Gary D...This is encouraging information.

I have had several conversations about construction materials here in this forum and this was the very first I had heard about having concrete blocks made on site...that could be a great advantage to controlling quality.

One additional question for you about your comment that the concrete blocks are not structural and are only being used for filler between post and beam construction...(?)

I have been to the Philippines on more than a dozen trips over the past four or five years...including our humanitarian trip to Tacloban, Leyte after the Super Typhoon Yolanda and it appeared to me that most all of the private homes and other single or double storied buildings were constructed primarily from concrete blocks and that the concrete blocks were being used as a structural element.

Was I incorrect in my assessment?


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

Cebu Citizen said:


> Thanks Gary D...This is encouraging information.
> 
> I have had several conversations about construction materials here in this forum and this was the very first I had heard about having concrete blocks made on site...that could be a great advantage to controlling quality.
> 
> ...


I can only say how it's done in the area of Bataan, ****** Oriental and small part of Leyte that I'm familier with, the mother in law is from Baybay, so others milage my vary. I know with our house which I assume is typical constuction started with a trench foundation of concrete and horizontal rebar. Sections of wall were then erected with gaps where the posts will go. Shuttering is then afixed (nailed) either side of the hole which is then poured with concrete to form the post. Shuttering is then afixed horizontally across the top of the wall and again filled with rebar and concrete. Hense the pillar and beam is formed. You will often see unfinished buildings with the wall gaps awaiting for when the owner can next afford some cement.

And yes it's quite common for hollow blocks the be made on site. I guess it takes a couple of week to get ahead before the build starts. It does assure you get stronger blocks, assuming not too much of the cement grows legs.


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## JimnNila143 (Jul 23, 2013)

*Small Truck*



Cebu Citizen said:


> As an additional thread to my previous question about owning a Harley in the Philippines...(purely for recreational purposes)...
> 
> My future wife and I are planning on purchasing some land after our wedding, either with or without an existing home and I am interested in either remodeling or building our retirement home. I love to work with my hands, have tons of practical experience and would like to design and build our retirement home from scratch or remodel an existing home if already located on the property.
> 
> ...


Sounds to me like a small PU Truck, i.e., A Toyota cab and a half, would work well for you, as long as you have a 8' bed that is large enough to carry 4x8 plywood. If you buy one, make sure the bed is coated for protection. I had one back in the USA and it also had a camper shell that worked very well too.


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## George6020 (Apr 18, 2014)

Yes, a pickup truck is a great idea. I had 1 in Davao, then when I came to Cebu I also bought one. Its much easier to check out different stores, check out quality, prices when you have your own. Also, its much better to pickup smaller items when YOU have the time, instead of waiting for a delivery. After I did preliminary checking around town, I can now have confidence to just text the hardware store and order 500 blocks and 50 sacks of cement, pay the driver, and know they will be delivered in 1-2 days. I built a small bodega to store materials, and relatives nearby keep watch, so nothing disappears. On occasion, I had to quickly get some plywood, cement, steel bar and paint.........so the truck was very handy.
My experience with hollow block is as follows: when in Davao city, I special ordered 3000 6" blocks, requesting extra strong, meaning less blocks made per sack of cement. Well, it started out looking good....bt the last 1000 or so of blocks looked like "their" standard.....just to save money at my expense. 
I agree its better to make your own, and if you have a machine that actually compresses/compacts them, its better than just a vibrating machine. I decided on the 6" blocks just to get more steel and cement inside them.....not for structural strength, but better sound proof and easier to install electric conduit.


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