Cars for woodworkers

[Packard]

I could not figure out where to place this thread.  Is a car an "other tool"?  Maybe.

What cars have you had that were good/bad for woodworkers?  My guess is that this is going to revolve around cargo space.

I had a 2018 Honda CRV.  Useless for carrying lumber with less than 60" in cargo space with the seat folded down. And Less than 48" in width.  I kept the car for about 4 months (about 8,000 miles) and traded it in. 

I currently have a Chrysler Pacifica (2019, 89,000 miles).  It is advertized to carry a 4' x 8' sheet with the stow and go seats folded down.  In reality it can accommodate a full sheet of MDF (47" x 97") but it is a tight squeeze. 

Good ride, comfortable seats.  Too expensive.  Some electronic glitches (more nuisance than problem).  I will probably buy it again.

Any good rides out there?  Let us know.

 

[ChuckM]

Before I sold my Honda Pilot a few months before the pandemic started, it had served me well for hauling rough lumber (8 - 9 feet long) and sheet goods. But I never tried any 4x8 sheet, which I always get it broken down smaller (4x4 or 3x8, etc.) at the lumber yard first. These days, most stores do the cuts for free.

Now, I still have another full-size SUV, just a little smaller than the Pilot. It works well for my lumber needs, as I use ply or MDF mostly for jigs or shop builds, which don't require anything close to even half a sheet size.

For 1/8" ply, it's thin and flexible so my SUV can take the whole sheet.

 

[AlexThePalex]

When I was 3 months in Germany for a job I had an Audi A3 sportback and it was great for moving any kind of materials. I could move standard size lumber of 2,70 meter (9 feet).

Now I have an Audi Q3 SUV at my disposale for work, and while the car itself is quite a bit bigger it can not transport as much because the seats don't fold very well.

But if you need to move sheet material you'll need a van ofcourse.

 

[squall_line]

I'm pleasantly surprised that my 2006 Nissan Maxima can haul 10' long 2x4s between the front seats with the trunk closed, just not very many of them.

I drove a Transit Connect as an occasional shop truck at my old job and I think the front passenger seat folded down, which made hauling longer, wider items a lot easier.  No way it would have gotten sheet goods in it very easily.

I miss my parents' old Ford Aerostar Extended.  The seats weighed a ton and were cumbersome to take out, but it held 4x8 sheets between the wheels without any problems.

 

[Packard]

A note about the Chrysler Pacifica. The “stow & go” seats are not available with the hybrid or the 7 seat version, only on the 8 seat version. So, no seats to remove to transport sheet goods.

With a roller stand behind the car and the sawhorses set up, I can transfer the sheet goods by myself.

 

[Peter Kelly]

Easily accommodates several 4x8 sheets with the tailgate up.

 

[ChuckM]

Snip.  with the tailgate up.

That's cheating. [tongue]

 

[live4ever]

I use a '14 Honda Pilot - the older generation "box" style rather than the newer curvy one.  It has >48" between the wheel wells.  Unfortunately, it's not possible to do more than about 76-80" in length of a 48" wide sheet without figuring out a way to tie the tailgate open (which I haven't done).  Still, it's been awesome for plywood (usually have the store cross-cut into rough dimension), foam insulation, drywall (small amounts - obviously full sheets would just have delivered).

I'm also able to fit 10' lumber and pipe with the tailgate closed.

Another nice feature is the window hatch in the tailgate - great for grabbing tools without opening the entire liftgate.

 

[tjbnwi]

2000 Excursion 7.3 PSD w/400K on it.

Pretty much handles whatever I need.

Tom

Edited to correct image orientation

 

[Bob D.]

Ah, the station wagon. An El Camino with a built in bed cap and four doors.

Done in by the SUV. Chrysler tried to bring the wagon back with the Dodge Magnum,
didn't really catch on though which I thought was unfortunate.

 

[Bob D.]

2000 Excursion 7.3 PSD w/400K on it.

Pretty much handles whatever I need.

Tom

Seems it's designed for the Southern Hemisphere.  [smile]

 

[tjbnwi]

2000 Excursion 7.3 PSD w/400K on it.

Pretty much handles whatever I need.

Tom

Seems it's designed for the Southern Hemisphere.  [smile]

Very sticky tires. [big grin]

(Happens when I post from the iPad. I’ll fix it when I get to a computer.)

Tom

 

[Packard]

Snip.  with the tailgate up.

That's cheating. [tongue]

I have a more modern car and the electronics will not allow me to open the tailgate unless in park and will not allow me to engage the transmission unless the tailgate is closed. So this car will carry longer pieces than my newer one.  (There is a place for cheating.)

 

[cpw]

I had a 2011 Pilot.  Sheet goods would go on the roof rack, and 2-3 sheets is just around the 200 lb limit.  Lumber stuff would go through the tailgate glass and rest on the seats.  I now have a 2021 pilot and the glass does not open anymore, which makes it strictly worse for utility than the boxier version.

I have an extended cab F-150 with a 6.5' bed.  Very easy to get ~15 sheets of plywood or drywall in it - as a DIYer I haven't needed more.  With the gate down, you have a full 8' supported.  For longer trim and lumber, I have a backrack cab guard and a goal post tailgate extender that will let me get 16'+ easily extended over the cab, bed and a foot out.  The same extender can be put horizontally for longer than 8' sheets of drywall.

The extended cab isn't super comfortable in the back for 2 teenagers and a 100lb dog, but it works in a pinch and I use the medium bed for stuff more than the backseat of cab for people.

 

[mrFinpgh]

I have an '03 Toyota Highlander.  Useful for moving lumber up to about 9' long if you fold down the passenger seat. Cannot fit a full sheet though.

At this point, my approach is to use it for trips to the lumberyard and if I go to the home center I can get sheet materials roughly cut (if I'm buying from the home center, it tends to be one sheet and usually it's an ad-hoc project).

For larger hauls (200bf of lumber, 15-20 sheets of particleboard) I just rent a van for a few hours. For the relatively low frequency of times that I need it, it's much more economical than owning a large vehicle.

 

[MikeGE]

I bought my 2018 (2019 model year) Ford Ranger Wildtrak super cab shown in my avatar specifically for hauling lumber, sheet goods, and anything else I don't want in the seat next to or behind me.  It is my daily driver and is as comfortable at Autobahn speeds as any car I've owned.  The new ranger replaced a 2003 Ford Ranger Edge that had a stiff suspension and was brutal to drive.  Although the Wildtrak is larger in every dimension than the Edge, it just fits in my garage after I got rid of my workbenches and storage shelves.  The Edge fit with the workbenches and shelves.

With the rack I built for the bed, I can easily carry 15 full sheets of 18 or 19mm plywood in the Wildtrak with the tailgate down.

 

[Sparktrician]

2015 Expedition EL - can haul 15-16 sheets of 48" x 96" x 3/4" plywood with ease, plus a bunch of Systainers and other tools, with 2nd and 3rd row seats folded down.  [smile]

 

[Stan Tillinghast]

I have been trying to find out if one can carry 4x8 sheet goods in a Kia Telluride. Haven't gone to a dealer yet.
We currently have a Honda Odyssey (2006); you have to take the very heavy middle seats out to carry sheet goods, and I've decided our next large vehicle will NOT be one where the seats need to be removed for that purpose.

 

[fignewton]

Chevy Avalanche!!  I bought one new in 2002, and traded it for this one in 2005.  I don't think I'll ever get rid of it, as no other trucks have the functionality.  5' of bed with tailgate up, covered or not, and 8' with the seats and midgate (and rear window if you want) down.  I've had 12' stock under cover passing through the front seats and resting on a towel on the dash.  Plus it rides and drives great, even with the Z71 offroad package, has 4wd, Bose, heated leather, DVD in rear, etc etc.  Newer ones have center display.  I love it and they are becoming more valuable as people rediscover what they can do.
[attachimg=1]

 

[Steve1]

Clearly a minivan/SUV or pickup works best for hauling.

But if you are looking for a sedan, make sure the rear seats fold down.  That helps a great deal. 
I can put 10 foot dimensional lumber into my Q50 and close the trunk.
I am limited to 32" boards for width, but in the 5 years I have had this car, that has been enough.

A few times during the pandemic lockdowns, you had to do curb-side pickup and their panel saw was not available.    So brought by circular saw, etc to the store and ripped down 4x8 sheets in the parking lot.