Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
mailbox? I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
to the road. I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
once a car has hit it. In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.

I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
here 8 years ago.

I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. This way I can put the
post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
overhang the road. This seems like a more sensible method and it's
unlikely the plow will hit it. The only problem is that after I
installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. It
looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.

Is there some measurement that the post office requires?

If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. I plan to put concrete
around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
not going to do that. Right now I just packed some rocks around the
post in the hole, so I can get my mail. (Its too cold to make
concrete anyhow). And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
mailbox will rotate when it gets windy.

Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
with, and then I could raise the post in the ground.

It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. On the other side of the road
it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
wont deliver on that side.

Anyone have ideas?

thanks

On Apr 13, 12:47=A0am, letter...@invalid.com wrote:
> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
> mailbox? =A0I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
> to the road. =A0I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
> the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
> really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
> Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
> once a car has hit it. =A0In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
> the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
> I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
> rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>
> I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
> year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
> here 8 years ago.
>
> I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
> top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. =A0This way I can put the
> post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
> overhang the road. =A0This seems like a more sensible method and it's
> unlikely the plow will hit it. =A0The only problem is that after I
> installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. =A0It
> looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
> I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.
>
> Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>
> If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
> or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. =A0I plan to put concrete
> around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
> not going to do that. =A0Right now I just packed some rocks around the
> post in the hole, so I can get my mail. =A0(Its too cold to make
> concrete anyhow). =A0And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
> mailbox will rotate when it gets windy. =A0
>
> Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
> with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
> with, and then I could raise the post in the ground. =A0
>
> It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. =A0On the other side of the road
> it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
> wont deliver on that side.
>
> Anyone have ideas?
>
> thanks

checkout

http://www.rcocweb.org/about/answer.asp?FAQID=3D23

Your mailbox is a little low, ask the letter carrier what he/she wold
prefer 42 to 48 seems about right.

2" is a bit large & might create "fixed object" hazard. The pole
should break away if hit. Consider putting a 2" pipe into the ground
(really deep) & then reducing to 1.5" via a bell reducer or bushing &
coupling. That way, if hit, the piece the ground will survive & the
above ground pipe can be replaced easily.

Your mailbox cannot overhang the road, it must be back away from the
pavement edge so it will not be hit. But within reach for the letter
carrier.


cheers
Bob

In article <r0d304tb3f4kcvqvas9f52jkcbetav8o00@4ax.com>,
letterman@invalid.com wrote:

> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
> mailbox? I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
> to the road. I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
> the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
> really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
> Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
> once a car has hit it. In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
> the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
> I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
> rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>
> I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
> year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
> here 8 years ago.
>
> I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
> top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. This way I can put the
> post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
> overhang the road. This seems like a more sensible method and it's
> unlikely the plow will hit it. The only problem is that after I
> installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. It
> looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
> I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.
>
> Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>
> If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
> or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. I plan to put concrete
> around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
> not going to do that. Right now I just packed some rocks around the
> post in the hole, so I can get my mail. (Its too cold to make
> concrete anyhow). And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
> mailbox will rotate when it gets windy.
>
> Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
> with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
> with, and then I could raise the post in the ground.
>
> It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. On the other side of the road
> it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
> wont deliver on that side.
>
> Anyone have ideas?
>
> thanks

I had an idea. I searched the web and found this in about ten seconds:


"The distance from the bottom lip of the mailbox to the curb, or street
is a minimum of 42 inches and a maximum of 48 inches. The front of the
box should be 6 - 9 inches from the curb."

I'd treat your post hole like a well. One deep one is better than forty
shallow ones. Dig the damn six foot deep hole, and put in a four inch
diameter pipe set in a couple of bags of concrete. Put a large orange
flag on it that sticks up about three feet above your highest expected
snow drift.

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:13:28 -0700 (PDT), BobK207 <rkazanjy@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Apr 13, 12:47?am, letter...@invalid.com wrote:
>> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
>> mailbox? ?I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
>> to the road. ?I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
>> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
>> the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
>> really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
>> Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
>> once a car has hit it. ?In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
>> the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
>> I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
>> rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>>
>> I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
>> year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
>> here 8 years ago.
>>
>> I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
>> top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. ?This way I can put the
>> post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
>> overhang the road. ?This seems like a more sensible method and it's
>> unlikely the plow will hit it. ?The only problem is that after I
>> installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. ?It
>> looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
>> I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.
>>
>> Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>>
>> If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
>> or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. ?I plan to put concrete
>> around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
>> not going to do that. ?Right now I just packed some rocks around the
>> post in the hole, so I can get my mail. ?(Its too cold to make
>> concrete anyhow). ?And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
>> mailbox will rotate when it gets windy. ?
>>
>> Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
>> with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
>> with, and then I could raise the post in the ground. ?
>>
>> It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. ?On the other side of the road
>> it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
>> wont deliver on that side.
>>
>> Anyone have ideas?
>>
>> thanks
>
>checkout
>
>http://www.rcocweb.org/about/answer.asp?FAQID=23
>
>Your mailbox is a little low, ask the letter carrier what he/she wold
>prefer 42 to 48 seems about right.
>
That seems about right. I think my old one was about 48", but thats
just a guess.

>2" is a bit large & might create "fixed object" hazard. The pole
>should break away if hit. Consider putting a 2" pipe into the ground
>(really deep) & then reducing to 1.5" via a bell reducer or bushing &
>coupling. That way, if hit, the piece the ground will survive & the
>above ground pipe can be replaced easily.
>
I know the post should break if hit, but if they hit it now, they went
in the ditch. The pipe is 3 feet back from the road, in the ditch,
then I have a 3ft. bar welded on coming forward. Maybe I would be
best using tires and concrete for the base. There will only be about
8" of pipe in the ground but the weight of the concrete and tires will
keep it in place. That way if it gets hit, it just falls over....
?????

Our county snow plow guys are very careless. From what I saw, the
broke 8 out of 10 mailboxes this past winter on my road. Of course I
will admit we had a very hard winter with extreme (record) amounts of
snow. The snow piles along the road were as high as 12 feet in
places. Other people who dont have the ditch like I do, could not
even find their mailboxes. One neighbor put a 10 or 12 foot
fiberglass pole on his post with an orange flag on top. The plows
still broke it off.

>Your mailbox cannot overhang the road, it must be back away from the
>pavement edge so it will not be hit. But within reach for the letter
>carrier.

I'm surprised I never got a complaint about it hanging in the road.
The post was on the very edge of the road, and the entire box was over
the road. I guess they figured there is no other place to put it,
which is nearly true in my case. Thats why I came up with welding up
this thing. I looks something like this drawing. The #### is the
box.

_______####
| /
|/ road
|
|
ditch

Thanks
>
>cheers
>Bob

letterman@invalid.com wrote:
> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
> mailbox? I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
> to the road. I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
> the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
> really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
> Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
> once a car has hit it. In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
> the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
> I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
> rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>
> I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
> year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
> here 8 years ago.
>
> I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
> top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. This way I can put the
> post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
> overhang the road. This seems like a more sensible method and it's
> unlikely the plow will hit it. The only problem is that after I
> installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. It
> looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
> I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.
>
> Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>
> If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
> or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. I plan to put concrete
> around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
> not going to do that. Right now I just packed some rocks around the
> post in the hole, so I can get my mail. (Its too cold to make
> concrete anyhow). And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
> mailbox will rotate when it gets windy.
>
> Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
> with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
> with, and then I could raise the post in the ground.
>
> It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. On the other side of the road
> it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
> wont deliver on that side.
>
> Anyone have ideas?
>
> thanks
The USPS Domestic Mail Manual is silent about any specific height,
Rather, it states:

3.2.6 Location

Subject to state laws and regulations, a curbside mailbox must be placed
to allow safe and convenient delivery by carriers without leaving their
vehicles. The box must be on the right-hand side of the road in the
direction of travel of the carriers on any new rural route or highway
contract route, in all cases where traffic conditions are dangerous for
the carriers to drive to the left to reach the box, or where their doing
so would violate traffic laws and regulations.

http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/508.htm#wp1091446

Boden

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:56:21 -0400, Boden wrote:

> letterman@invalid.com wrote:
>> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural mailbox?
>> I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next to the
>> road. I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the road, but
>> in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because the edge of
>> the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to really dig in to,
>> unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep. Besides that, the box is
>> actually hanging over the road, and more than once a car has hit it. In
>> the winter, the snow plows have broken off the post several times, and
>> that just happened this past winter again. I drove a steel t-post next
>> to the wooden post and wired it on, but it rained hard the other day and
>> I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>>
>> I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a year,
>> which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved here 8
>> years ago.
>>
>> I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on top,
>> that sticks out 3 feet past the post. This way I can put the post down
>> at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not overhang the road.
>> This seems like a more sensible method and it's unlikely the plow will
>> hit it. The only problem is that after I installed it, the mailbox is
>> only about 40" above the road level. It looks low compared to neighbors
>> boxes or what my old wooden post was. I'm only in the ground about 16"
>> so I cant raise it any more.
>>
>> Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>>
>> If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom, or
>> maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. I plan to put concrete
>> around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am not
>> going to do that. Right now I just packed some rocks around the post in
>> the hole, so I can get my mail. (Its too cold to make concrete anyhow).
>> And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and mailbox will rotate when
>> it gets windy.
>>
>> Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
>> with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
>> with, and then I could raise the post in the ground.
>>
>> It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. On the other side of the road
>> it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
>> wont deliver on that side.
>>
>> Anyone have ideas?
>>
>> thanks
> The USPS Domestic Mail Manual is silent about any specific height, Rather,
> it states:
>
> 3.2.6 Location
>
> Subject to state laws and regulations, a curbside mailbox must be placed
> to allow safe and convenient delivery by carriers without leaving their
> vehicles. The box must be on the right-hand side of the road in the
> direction of travel of the carriers on any new rural route or highway
> contract route, in all cases where traffic conditions are dangerous for
> the carriers to drive to the left to reach the box, or where their doing
> so would violate traffic laws and regulations.
>
> http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/508.htm#wp1091446
>
> Boden

http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2007/html/pb22206/mailboxkit.4.4.html

"Ann" <nntpmail@epix.net> wrote in message
news:pan.2008.04.13.13.16.16.834288@epix.net...
> On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:56:21 -0400, Boden wrote:
>


>
> http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/2007/html/pb22206/mailboxkit.4.4.html
>
>

That is THE answer.

BTW I suggest a break-a-way support. The design I like is a 4x4 post
cut at a 45? angle about a foot above ground, and drilled dead center with a
wood dowel. If hit it normally will just spin and return, if hit hard the
dowel breaks and you replace it for few cents.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia 's Muire duit

when we lived in a rural area, we had our mailbox ANCHORED into the group
with CEMENT, but it was on a hinged cable, and if it was hit,(damn those
snowplows!) it would swing away!
worked like a charm!



--

"A roadside bomb killed an American soldier in Baghdad on Saturday,
increasing the total of US soldiers killed in this the bloodiest week for
US troops in Iraq this year"
...............................................AP.

On Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:13:28 -0700 (PDT), BobK207 <rkazanjy@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Your mailbox is a little low, ask the letter carrier what he/she wold
>prefer


That is the best answer. Rural carriers usually drive their own
vehicles so that might vary. You might as well take care of the person
who is taking care of you.

readandpostrosie wrote:

> when we lived in a rural area, we had our mailbox ANCHORED into the group
> with CEMENT, but it was on a hinged cable, and if it was hit,(damn those
> snowplows!) it would swing away!
> worked like a charm!
>

op might consider making the T part "swingable". Maybe
connected with a sleeve on/over the pipe. A pin on the back
of the sleeve and a pin on the front of the pipe. A set of
springs between the two pins to "hold/return" it to center.

we also had the ever washing ditch problem, put an 8 foot
piece of corrugated steel drain pipe in the ditch in front
of the box. i think the county crew gave us a used section
they removed when installing a larger diameter down the
road. they don't like wiping out mailboxes, plows and axles
either.

-- larry/dallas

letterman@invalid.com wrote in
news:r0d304tb3f4kcvqvas9f52jkcbetav8o00@4ax.com:

> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
> mailbox? I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
> to the road. I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
> the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
> really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
> Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
> once a car has hit it. In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
> the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
> I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
> rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>
> I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
> year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
> here 8 years ago.
>
> I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
> top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. This way I can put the
> post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
> overhang the road. This seems like a more sensible method and it's
> unlikely the plow will hit it. The only problem is that after I
> installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. It
> looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
> I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.
>
> Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>
> If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
> or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. I plan to put concrete
> around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
> not going to do that. Right now I just packed some rocks around the
> post in the hole, so I can get my mail. (Its too cold to make
> concrete anyhow). And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
> mailbox will rotate when it gets windy.
>
> Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
> with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
> with, and then I could raise the post in the ground.
>
> It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. On the other side of the road
> it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
> wont deliver on that side.
>
> Anyone have ideas?
>
> thanks
>

Another long story.

On Apr 13, 2:47=A0am, letter...@invalid.com wrote:
>
>snip<.

>Anyone have ideas?

Consider some local politicking: Ask your Postmaster if he could
intervene with your road commissioner to have a pull-off area
constructed for your mailbox. Mention the safety aspects for the
delivery carrier, damage to snow plows, etc., etc. That has worked out
well in our township for many years. Snotty township road officials
found out long that messing with the mail carrier guys caused all
kinds of problems, like delayed deliveries, letters misdelivered,
etc., all honest mistakes (!). As the complaints multiplied, the pull-
off areas were added where there was obvious need. So it really is a
win-win situation when everyone cooperates and quits acting like
idiots in Congress. HTH

Joe

<letterman@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:r0d304tb3f4kcvqvas9f52jkcbetav8o00@4ax.com...
> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
> mailbox? I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
> to the road. I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
> the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
> really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
> Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
> once a car has hit it. In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
> the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
> I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
> rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>
> I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
> year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
> here 8 years ago.
>
> I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
> top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. This way I can put the
> post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
> overhang the road. This seems like a more sensible method and it's
> unlikely the plow will hit it. The only problem is that after I
> installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. It
> looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
> I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.
>
> Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>
> If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
> or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. I plan to put concrete
> around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
> not going to do that. Right now I just packed some rocks around the
> post in the hole, so I can get my mail. (Its too cold to make
> concrete anyhow). And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
> mailbox will rotate when it gets windy.
>
> Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
> with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
> with, and then I could raise the post in the ground.
>
> It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. On the other side of the road
> it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
> wont deliver on that side.
>
> Anyone have ideas?
>
> thanks

I have one in my neighborhood that is the old style, has the red flag
raised, has red letters on the side saying "AIR MAIL" and is atop a 30'
pole.

Check with the PO, and they will give you all that. After deciding where it
goes, I suggest a strong one for errant drivers or country boys who like to
take baseball bats to it. I lined my old aluminum one with plate steel and
put it on a 4" pipe with one bys to disguise the pipe. Every year or two
there'd be some new damage, and another graduating class learned the hazards
of mailbox baseball.

Steve

Still depends on the area. My carrier said between 38 and 42 inches. No
taller. (depends on what the carrier at the time is driving in rural
areas.) Sooooooo, the best bet is to ask the guy actually bringing the
mail.

s


"Smitty Two" <prestwhich@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:prestwhich-E087B7.01563813042008@news.phx.highwinds-media.com...
>
> "The distance from the bottom lip of the mailbox to the curb, or street
> is a minimum of 42 inches and a maximum of 48 inches. The front of the
> box should be 6 - 9 inches from the curb."
>

why would you hit it at all??

s


"Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:480219ec$0$25910$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>> BTW I suggest a break-a-way support. The design I like is a 4x4 post
> cut at a 45? angle about a foot above ground, and drilled dead center with
> a wood dowel. If hit it normally will just spin and return, if hit hard
> the dowel breaks and you replace it for few cents.
>
>
> --
> Joseph Meehan
>
> Dia 's Muire duit
>
>
>

am, letter...@invalid.com wrote:
> Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
> mailbox? =EF=BF=BDI live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch =
next
> to the road. =EF=BF=BDI originally put a wooden post right on the edge of =
the
> road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains
>
> Anyone have ideas?

Your local postmaster will be happy to direct you as to how to locate
your rural mail box. If there's a culvert ditch in that spot you may
consider installing a wooden plank over it anchored at both ends by
driving in rebar. Then mount your mail box post on the plank with
whatever fasteners you choose... screw a piece of board to the bottom
of the post and then screw that to the plank... whatever.

I had a similar problem, lots of folks here do with snow plows wiping
out mail boxes. Have you considered a PO Box, that's what I did...
and
ever since my rural mail box hasn't been hit even once. I really only
keep the rural mail box as a place to have my name and house number as
a way for delivery people to find where I live... I now much prefer
the PO Box.

TD wrote:

> letterman@invalid.com wrote in
> news:r0d304tb3f4kcvqvas9f52jkcbetav8o00@4ax.com:
>
>
>>Does anyone know what the height is supposed to be for a rural
>>mailbox? I live on a rural gravel road and there is a deep ditch next
>>to the road. I originally put a wooden post right on the edge of the
>>road, but in summer the box just falls over after heavy rains because
>>the edge of the road to ditch is so steep that there is nothing to
>>really dig in to, unless I put the post hole about 6 feet deep.
>>Besides that, the box is actually hanging over the road, and more than
>>once a car has hit it. In the winter, the snow plows have broken off
>>the post several times, and that just happened this past winter again.
>>I drove a steel t-post next to the wooden post and wired it on, but it
>>rained hard the other day and I found the mailbox in the ditch again.
>>
>>I'm completely fed up with fixing that damn thing about 5 times a
>>year, which means I have now fixed it around 40 times since I moved
>>here 8 years ago.
>>
>>I just took an 8 foot piece of 2" steel pipe and welded a shelf on
>>top, that sticks out 3 feet past the post. This way I can put the
>>post down at the bottom of the ditch, and the mailbox will not
>>overhang the road. This seems like a more sensible method and it's
>>unlikely the plow will hit it. The only problem is that after I
>>installed it, the mailbox is only about 40" above the road level. It
>>looks low compared to neighbors boxes or what my old wooden post was.
>>I'm only in the ground about 16" so I cant raise it any more.
>>
>>Is there some measurement that the post office requires?
>>
>>If it's too low, I'll have to either weld on more pipe at the bottom,
>>or maybe get a larger pipe and make a sleeve. I plan to put concrete
>>around the post, but until I know the acceptable height limits I am
>>not going to do that. Right now I just packed some rocks around the
>>post in the hole, so I can get my mail. (Its too cold to make
>>concrete anyhow). And I suppose if I make a sleeve, the post and
>>mailbox will rotate when it gets windy.
>>
>>Another thought is to put some old tires around the post and fill them
>>with concrete, which so far seems to be the best idea I can come up
>>with, and then I could raise the post in the ground.
>>
>>It's just a bad place to put a mailbox. On the other side of the road
>>it would be easy since there is no deep ditch, but the P.O. said they
>>wont deliver on that side.
>>
>>Anyone have ideas?
>>
>>thanks
>>
>
>
> Another long story.

a lot better than the two liners that don't give enough
detail to thoughtfully answer the question.

but you can always look at the line count, if it's over 4
lines skip over it

i thought that would have been obvious.

You've never lived in the country, have you? HE may not, but someone
might think it's cute.

nate

S. Barker wrote:
> why would you hit it at all??
>
> s
>
>
> "Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:480219ec$0$25910$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
>>> BTW I suggest a break-a-way support. The design I like is a 4x4 post
>>
>>cut at a 45? angle about a foot above ground, and drilled dead center with
>>a wood dowel. If hit it normally will just spin and return, if hit hard
>>the dowel breaks and you replace it for few cents.
>>
>>
>>--
>>Joseph Meehan
>>
>>Dia 's Muire duit
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>


--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

S. Barker wrote:

> why would you hit it at all??
>
> s

depends if your area has snow and icy roads half the year.
all kinds of roadside stuff can jump out in front of your
vehicle. here in texas, bars can cause the same problems ;-)

-- larry/dallas



>
>
> "Joseph Meehan" <sligoNoSPAMjoe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:480219ec$0$25910$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>
>>> BTW I suggest a break-a-way support. The design I like is a 4x4 post
>

I've never lived anywhere BUT the country. And never will. We use 6"
casing pipe for the post AND the box. Never had a problem with hitting.

s


"Nate Nagel" <njnagel@roosters.net> wrote in message
news:fttk4301sis@news2.newsguy.com...
> You've never lived in the country, have you? HE may not, but someone
> might think it's cute.
>
> nate
>
>