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Posted: 9/11/2014 11:57:14 AM EDT
[#1]
How about moving the mailbox? If that is not an option, do what people around here do to protect it from snowplows: Put up thick piece of plywood in front of the oncoming traffic side of the mailbox with your house number on it. Hopefully the plywood would take the abuse and protect your mailbox.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 11:58:42 AM EDT
[#2]
Talk to your postman and see where they want it. you may be able to relocate it so it is not so prone to getting whacked. other than that go with a plastic one that will pop apart vs getting squished like a metal one, or go the cement/brick approach and make it so the person who hits it will not be driving off. (or one of the swinging ones you just reset.)
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:02:19 PM EDT
[#3]
Sounds like it's sticking out in the road or something. I third the option to move the thing.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:02:20 PM EDT
[#4]
In snow country (Maine) they hang their metal mailboxes from upside down L shaped poles with steel chains attached. That way when the plows hit them they swing away.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:03:59 PM EDT
[#5]
I like this one.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:05:13 PM EDT
[#6]
Go to big rig machine shop, get the biggest burnt up crankshaft you can get. Obtain several bags of quickcrete, plant shaft in concrete. Obtain a few cheap ass mailboxes, apply cheap ass mailbox, place others in shed. Paint color of choice.
Railroad rail works also. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=crankshaft+mailboxes&id=4E48448FFAE080531F4CD0A0780D626F2F60607C&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=9B0A3EC0CF8383B83BE043AA506EE899F996249A&selectedIndex=13 |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:05:31 PM EDT
[#7]
If it's sticking out in the road, move it in towards the yard. That, and put a stout mailbox there.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:08:52 PM EDT
[#8]
Pictures not loading
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:14:53 PM EDT
[#9]
I had one made out of 3/8 armor plate when the high schoolers and college kids decided to drive around smashing them with ball bats and golf clubs, it all stopped one night when a young man ended up with part of a golf club shaft stuck in his back at the local hospital
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:16:35 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryTHIS ^^^. And maybe throw a reflector or a strip of reflective tape on the side. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:44:07 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryI've seen these get taken out already... they look like a lot of fun to replace. OP, get a removable mailbox, and take it in the house with you when you get your mail. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:49:18 PM EDT
[#12]
I have a similar problem in that I live on a curve.
What I did was create a mailbox post that would break away upon impact. First I sunk the base into the ground and reinforced (the base hole) with concrete. I cut through the mailbox post about a foot above the ground. I got some cheap pine boards and made "splints" out of them to reconnect the top of the mailbox post to the bottom. These cheap "splints" are fastened with short wood screws (nails may be better for this). For a mailbox I got a cheap (10 buck) plastic mailbox at Lowes. I reinforced the front flap with two wood screws to act as a more robust "hinge". The mailbox has been struck three times so far. The mailbox post shears where I hoped it would. The post has become a bit chewed up from where the screws rip out, so I think using nails instead of screws would have been a better idea. The pine "splints" generally shatter when the mailbox is struck. I did not want to create a road hazard by building a steel or concrete (or stone) monstrosity. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 12:55:55 PM EDT
[#13]
There are a couple of houses in my neighborhood that are prone to it. They built around the mailbox with concrete and brick. The next time a car hit it, the car lost.
Plus, when the negligent driver has to call a tow truck for their car, there's more time to get a police report, which makes it easier to get money from their insurance to repair your property. Another house I know, on a corner, got tired of cars sliding into their yard. They had a landscaping crew put some large boulders on that corner of their lawn. Problem solved. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 1:23:13 PM EDT
[#14]
Concrete.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 1:54:43 PM EDT
[#15]
Take a 8' long 8" diamter Sch40 piece of pipe and sink in the ground 4'. Cut holes in bottom of pipe and stick rebar through before pouring footer so pipe doesnt twist. Now concrete fill entire pipe. Place mailbox on top
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Posted: 9/11/2014 2:01:53 PM EDT
[#16]
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Posted: 9/11/2014 2:06:33 PM EDT
[#17]
building a fortress mail box is fun and all...
but, most jurisdictions have strict guidelines mail boxes. If you build a serious tank of a mail box, and someone hits it causing bodily harm, you could be liable. this is coming from a guy that's Grandpa was a welder/machinist and a kid hit is heavily fortified box that last 50 years of abuse (shotguns/baseball bats etc). You aren't even supposed to use concrete when setting the post. I just installed one at my new house. 4x6 post with a $20 metal box. Holding up well enough.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 3:25:22 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
building a fortress mail box is fun and all... but, most jurisdictions have strict guidelines mail boxes. If you build a serious tank of a mail box, and someone hits it causing bodily harm, you could be liable. this is coming from a guy that's Grandpa was a welder/machinist and a kid hit is heavily fortified box that last 50 years of abuse (shotguns/baseball bats etc). You aren't even supposed to use concrete when setting the post. I just installed one at my new house. 4x6 post with a $20 metal box. Holding up well enough. Citations of legal code, court-cases, news articles, and legal precedent are required when making claims such as this... Do people get sued for planting trees along the road when somebody runs into them and gets injured? Do people get sued for having boulders along the road when somebody runs into them and gets injured? These things may happen but they are very, very rare, and I would wager that it would be unsuccessful in most states in the US (the ones that have reasonable, realistic courts). FWIW, OP, I think you should make (or have made) a heavy duty mailbox. As a matter of fact, there used to be a guy on Sigforum (screen-name of ArcWelder or something like that) who had this same problem. He built a mailbox of 1/4" steel and never had another problem. He did such I nice job of it I believe it actually started manufacturing and selling those mailboxes. May want to head over there to see what you can find. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 3:51:32 PM EDT
[#19]
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Posted: 9/11/2014 4:29:55 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryThe Federal Highway Administration recommends… |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 5:26:51 PM EDT
[#21]
USPS site says:
"Bury your post no more than 24” deep, so it can give way in an accident." What about utility poles and such? Those suckers aren't giving way in an accident... It's pretty dumb that I can potentially be held liable for making it extra rigid if someone crashes into it on my property. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 5:55:51 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Sounds like it's sticking out in the road or something. I third the option to move the thing. Having lost several passenger side mirrors over the years, move it  !
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Posted: 9/11/2014 6:00:14 PM EDT
[#23]
I had a friend growing up who had the same issue. His dad got fed up and built a new mailbox out of like inch thick steel. The post it sat on was two standard 'i beams' welded at a right angle and side that the actual box was not on was sunk like 6 feet in the ground. everytime someone hit it after that, he'd just have to go outside and spin the whole thing around so it was accessable from the road.
If i remember correctly, someone tried to sue him for damages, but it never went very far. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 6:03:54 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote Historyvery Likely is built on a Styrofoam core. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 6:08:49 PM EDT
[#25]
Mine is a steel box that has a package drop that locks and is mounted to a 4"x4" steel pole set in concrete. It's the only one on my country road that hasn't been hit with a bat. There is a small corner dent that I can only assume someone hit with their mirror.
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Posted: 9/11/2014 9:18:44 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
If it's sticking out in the road, move it in towards the yard. That, and put a stout mailbox there. I'd go with this. Before going all Mad Max with it, move it back from the road and maybe down aways in a better direction. |
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Posted: 9/11/2014 10:11:26 PM EDT
[#27]
My parents' house is in a rural-ish area, on the main road into the area. Their mailbox is "protected" by trees on either side of it. My dad has a photo album full of photos of people who wrecked into their trees, but only once has their mailbox been hit. So I also suggest moving it, but if you have trees, move it next to those.
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Posted: 9/13/2014 4:18:44 AM EDT
[#28]
Put up 2 more mailboxes next to it - but fill those with concrete.
Nobody would be dumb enough to keep going until they hit all three, would they? |
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Posted: 9/14/2014 9:41:41 PM EDT
[#29]
I'm in the country and just used the cheapest plastic $10 box they had at Lowes plus a 6' 4x4. Threw some screws and gtg. My mailbox is one of 6 at the end of the road. Someone came by and took them all out (kids with bat) all the metal ones got destroyed. Mines still good as new. I think it just flexed, rather than dented.
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Posted: 9/15/2014 12:33:36 AM EDT
[#30]
I think you should seek advice from rogueboss
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Posted: 9/15/2014 12:40:30 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I think you should seek advice from rogueboss I have no idea what this is referencing. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 2:36:13 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Talk to your postman and see where they want it. you may be able to relocate it so it is not so prone to getting whacked. other than that go with a plastic one that will pop apart vs getting squished like a metal one, or go the cement/brick approach and make it so the person who hits it will not be driving off. (or one of the swinging ones you just reset.) The USPS has very specific rules about placement etc so it would be wise to ask them for info. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 5:35:45 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Having lost several passenger side mirrors over the years, move it !Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Sounds like it's sticking out in the road or something. I third the option to move the thing. Having lost several passenger side mirrors over the years, move it !How does this even happen? |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 5:39:59 PM EDT
[#34]
Get a PO box. Mine was taken out three or four times in six months. One less thing to repair and my mail is more secure.
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Posted: 9/15/2014 6:18:32 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Get a PO box. Mine was taken out three or four times in six months. One less thing to repair and my mail is more secure. That's easy for somebody that lives in-town, or very close to town, or works in-town. The fact is, many people live a great distance away from the nearest town with PO Boxes so this suggestion isn't really practical. If I had a PO box I would burn an extra gallon of gas and 50 minutes of my time EVERY TIME I went to get my mail. That is highly impractical. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 6:28:52 PM EDT
[#36]
I knew a dentist who built a very serious concrete-and-rebar mailbox... Then built a pretty, filigreed pink wooden shell over it, with birds and whatnot painted on it.
It almost MADE you want to swing at it, just to watch it shatter. Talk about hunting over bait... Anyway... A high school kid did swing at it, and it was the bat that shattered, and he also broke his arm in the process. |
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Posted: 9/15/2014 7:52:39 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How does this even happen? Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Sounds like it's sticking out in the road or something. I third the option to move the thing. Having lost several passenger side mirrors over the years, move it !How does this even happen? Cursed at birth I reckon but for the most part, bad luck. Apparently some folks in rural areas like to place their box so the front of it is in line with the edge of the asphalt or too near to it. When you have towing mirrors or get crowded by opposing traffic what can you do? Heck, one box I hit twice because it was on a blind curve and the box was literally above the paved road! Ours and the neighbor's mail box have only been taken out once and that was by a snow plow when the state cleaned the shoulder after a heavy snow. That's over a twenty four year period... Our boxes are about three feet from the asphalt and we provided a gravel shoulder for the mail carrier to get partially off the road. Drunk kids with ball bats is another issue. |
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Posted: 9/17/2014 2:54:01 PM EDT
[#38]
Get a standard box and enclose it in red brick and mortar
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Posted: 9/18/2014 2:03:10 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I had one made out of 3/8 armor plate when the high schoolers and college kids decided to drive around smashing them with ball bats and golf clubs, it all stopped one night when a young man ended up with part of a golf club shaft stuck in his back at the local hospital This Made mine of brick. It may LOOK hollow, but it's NOT, lol |
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Posted: 9/27/2014 9:18:10 PM EDT
[#40]
1/4" steel welded box setting on top of a large spring of some sort
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Posted: 9/30/2014 12:49:02 PM EDT
[#41]
My neighbor had this problem before he retired from the state police - figured it was a former arrestee.
He had someone bring in a Cut to 8ft Telephone Pole Section and bury it in concrete as his box post. He had a guy who made custom smoker (like a big grill you tow) out of this really thick steel and mounted it on the pole. It got dented but it never collapsed - the dude with the bat who swung at it probably had a big surprise when he swung at that hunk of mailbox! eventually the town came in and asked him to remove it as it was potentially a crash hazard. He did and no trouble at all ever since. |
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Posted: 9/30/2014 12:51:42 PM EDT
[#42]
Concrete filled well casing buried 5 feet set in concrete for the base pole.
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Posted: 9/30/2014 1:01:29 PM EDT
[#43]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've seen these get taken out already... they look like a lot of fun to replace. OP, get a removable mailbox, and take it in the house with you when you get your mail. Quote HistoryQuoted:
I've seen these get taken out already... they look like a lot of fun to replace. OP, get a removable mailbox, and take it in the house with you when you get your mail. Kind of defeats the purpose of having a mailbox, doesn't it? Where would the mail go? 
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Posted: 10/7/2014 11:08:54 AM EDT
[#44]
Near to where I live there is a scrap metal yard, now the closest way to it is through a residential area. The people who live on the right side of the road in this area have lost at least 1 mailbox to overloaded junk trucks. People are erecting steel poles ahead of their mailboxes to protect them. If it were me would get some steel and weld up a box to mount my mailbox in and weld it on steel girder set about 5 feet deep anchored with concrete.
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Posted: 10/8/2014 10:24:57 AM EDT
[#45]
GITTUR DUN
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Posted: 10/8/2014 10:43:37 AM EDT
[#46]
I've got one of these. This style can get hit and you just replace the post most of the time.
Meets all Postal codes. Amazon Step 2 mailbox 
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Posted: 10/8/2014 11:32:21 AM EDT
[#47]
My mailbox was hit last year and the car took out the post as well. I'm sure it did a significant amount of damage to the car as I found fender & headlight parts stretched down the down as I picked up the exploded pieces of my post.
As a replacement, I grabbed an extra 6" pipe bollard from work and buried that in the ground for my post. 7' of post, 3' above ground... The mailbox might get damaged again but the post isn't leaving where I placed it! I don't mind so much getting a new mailbox every few years, they do wear out after all. |
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