What vehicles can carry a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood?

[Packard]

My 2020 Chrysler Pacifica can hold a full sheet of 4' x 8' plywood without removing any seats.  A new 2022 touring L (power side doors and leather seats) costs between $42,000.00 and $44,000.00 according to Kelly Blue Book.  I like the car and it has been reliable. 

What other options are out there that will carry a full sheet of plywood inside (not on the roof rack). 

Or perhaps a light trailer with a regular car.  A 4' x 8' trailer is about $1,200.00.  But it cannot travel on parkways in New York, so travel is limited.

 

[rvieceli]

[member=74278]Packard[/member] bring a tape measure if you decide to go the trailer route. A lot of trailers that say they are 8 feet long won't fit a sheet and let it lay flat on the floor.  [eek]

Ron

 

[Packard]

I see 5' x 12' trailers for not much more money and it seems like a more useful size. 

But a trailer is going to be far less convenient. 

On the other hand, I probably could tow 2 sheets of plywood behind a Toyota Corolla.  So more efficient (but in fair weather only).

 

[Mike Goetzke]

This reminds me of the mistake I made about 4 years ago. My wife was driving a 2005 Suburban and the kids are adults so she wanted something smaller. I took the Suburban but didn't like all the cars cutting me off going to work or the 11MPG. So I started looking for a replacement that could still haul 6-7 people and carry a 4x8 sheet.

I found the Chevy Traverse fit the bill. The 4x8 sticks out by about a foot but I can easily ratchet the hatch down. I purchased a custom fitted tarp a guy was making on another forum and it works out great. I do need to take my ripping device with when I purchase MDF because it's about 49" wide and will not lay flat.

I do love the Traverse but still think it was a mistake to sell the Burban - I miss it often. Believe it or not even though it was a 2005 in 2018 it had just under 50,000 miles!

 

[Peter Kelly]

Other than the Chrysler Caravan or Pacifica, I think only the new cars that fit a 4x8 are the Toyota Sienna and Mercedes Metris.

The more stylish option of course is the 95 Buick Roadmaster station wagon.

[attachimg=1]

 

[erb3742]

I have fit 8 sheets of 3/4 maple ply in my wife's Sienna. It's a bit of a pain since you need to remove the 2nd row seats.  You also need to add blocks or the bottom sheet gets damaged by the seat mounts.  I found out the hard way at $120 a sheet!

I'm in the market for another vehicle and debating full size truck or suv with a trailer. Truck is great for the conveinance but SUV (hybrid) will do 30-35mpg instead of 15-20 mpg...

 

[Packard]

The Chrysler/Dodge minivans will carry the plywood and I get about 22 mpg. The Chrysler's products have the folding "stow and go" rear seats, so no need to remove the seats. 

But that all goes away if you want the hybrid.  In that case the batteries go in the space that the stow and go seats would otherwise occupy.

In New York many roads are "parkways" or "highways" and towed vehicles are not permitted on those roads.  So not so convenient is you want to pick up lumber 60 miles away.

 

[twistsol1]

The Mercedes Sprinter and GMC Savannah vans will easily carry full size sheet goods, but they would only be a work choice and not useful as a daily driver. I looked at both and I just switched from a GMC Sierra truck with a bed cover to a Nissan Frontier and added a 6x12 Dark Horse cargo trailer when I need it. The little truck does 90% of the work I need and the trailer does the rest.

View attachment 1

The biggest problem with a trailer is parking where there is space to open the rear ramp.

 

[Econoline]

We were way better off as a horse culture...

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The Chrysler/Dodge minivans will carry the plywood and I get about 22 mpg. The Chrysler's products have the folding "stow and go" rear seats, so no need to remove the seats. 

But that all goes away if you want the hybrid.  In that case the batteries go in the space that the stow and go seats would otherwise occupy.

In New York many roads are "parkways" or "highways" and towed vehicles are not permitted on those roads.  So not so convenient is you want to pick up lumber 60 miles away.

Seriously? You cannot pull a trailer on the highway? How do semi-trucks get around that?

 

[Holzhacker]

A 1999 Crown Vic wagon will hold 4x8 sheets.  [big grin]
I've been through this and have made some decisions based on the way I see it.
- I don't mind putting a few sheets on the roof rack. I can still do it so its ok. I realize that will change someday.
- I don't mind a bunch of sheets sticking out the back of the Honda Odyssey a bit. I strap everything well and don't worry about anything coming out.
- I'm more concerned about having a vehicle that works for me in general rather than for the specific need of carrying sheets. It took me way to long to move away from having a full size van that handled 4x8 sheets. I don't regret not having a full size van at all. But then again I don't haul sheets every week anymore.
- I do have an open 5 1/2 x 8 aluminum trailer I use for quantity. It works great when there is room. It won't work for urban parking settings. When not in use it sits in the back of the yard not bothering anyone. If you have the room to park a trailer or your job sites allow for trailer space its an option I have come to like. You can pick up a good trailer for not that much.

 

[Peter Kelly]

The Chrysler/Dodge minivans will carry the plywood and I get about 22 mpg. The Chrysler's products have the folding "stow and go" rear seats, so no need to remove the seats. 

But that all goes away if you want the hybrid.  In that case the batteries go in the space that the stow and go seats would otherwise occupy.

In New York many roads are "parkways" or "highways" and towed vehicles are not permitted on those roads.  So not so convenient is you want to pick up lumber 60 miles away.

Seriously? You cannot pull a trailer on the highway? How do semi-trucks get around that?

It's actually just the old Parkways system roads like the Taconic, Cross Island, Saw Mill, FDR, etc. that have low clearance bridges and often times no shoulder. Commercial vehicles are all permitted on the NYS Thruway, Northway and most side roads.

Pretty sure I wouldn't want to be pulling a trailer the way some people drive on the Taconic down in West Chester...

 

[DynaGlide]

Just a note on the Sienna. All new models have non removable 2nd row seating. We have a '17 Pacifica and wanted to go to a Sienna but now we're not so sure.

 

[Rick Herrick]

Thanks to [member=7493]Sparktrician[/member] , I picked up a 2017 Ford Expedition XL Limited about 6 months ago.  I was tired of having lumber/plywood delivered and it being junk and tired of what big box stores had so I went looking for a car to give me what I needed.  The XL (now called Max in newer models), holds 4x8 sheets easily.  On my last trip I got 5 sheets of 4x8, 5 sheets of 5x5 BB (did have to rip a foot off the edge as I have only 52" of flat space side ways.  I also got about 50bf of various species.  All fit fine in the Expy and the tailgate was closed, so no worries with weather causing problems.  It had 110K miles on it but so far it seems like a good bet.

 

[semenza]

Packard,

  I take it that you don't want a pickup truck?

Seth

 

[rubber_ducky]

I have a Honda Ridgeline (unibody pickup) that is both smaller and more fuel efficient than a full-sized pickup. And unlike a full sized pickup, 4x8 sheet goods fit between the wheel wells and lay flat on the bed floor. That said, the bed isn’t 8’ long so part of the sheet will be exposed, even with a tonneau cover.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bob D.]

What about the Dodge Magnum wagon, can it carry a full sheet?
=10

 

[Packard]

What about the Dodge Magnum wagon, can it carry a full sheet?
=10

I could not find official numbers but at a thread I did find that at its widest (window level) it is 48" wide.  Between wheel wells, 42½".

Another post claims it is smaller:

Brought a treadmill home last night in Maggie. The box was 36" W x 63" L x 23" H. Had to put the seats almost all the way up to fit, had about an extra 3/4" on each side and maybe 1/4" on top. Talk about a good fit.

 

[jeffinsgf]

My 2016 Dodge Caravan has over 150,000 miles on it and I'm starting to look at replacement options. I love Stow-and-Go and would hate to be without it, but the Caravan is discontinued and the Pacifica isn't available without a full-blown luxury package, which I don't need or want. I'm intrigued by the new Ford Maverick. A co-worker just got one. It takes some ingenuity to haul sheets, and they're exposed, even with a tonneau cover. Have to love 40mpg, though. I kind of like the look of the Mercedes Metris, but it's either cargo or passenger, with no easily convertible options. The SWB Metris easily swallows up sheet goods, but can't haul a third person.

 

[DynaGlide]

I also thought the Maverick was pretty slick in the MPG vs utility category:

"The Maverick's bed may only be 4.5 feet long, but that doesn't mean it can't haul larger items like full-size sheets of plywood. Dropping the tailgate down extends the bed floor to a more standard six feet, but that's to be expected from any pickup.

By adjusting support cables on the sides of the tailgate, owners can also set the tailgate to a halfway-open position. That acts as sort of a built-in bed extender and allows owners to haul varying sizes and shapes of cargo more easily. For example, owners can load in up to 18 4x8 sheets of three-quarter-inch plywood by laying them across the half-open tailgate and the rear wheel wells. "

https://www.businessinsider.com/2022-ford-maverick-pickup-customizable-bed-flexbed-features-2021-6

It all depends on how often you're hauling that sort of thing. If you are taking in plywood every week probably not ideal but for once in a while, not a big deal to plan around the weather. I like the idea of a big giant truck but I think the reality of parking one in a city would be a real turn off. I'm in the DC suburbs and the parking spots here are not truck friendly. Every time I see a full size pickup at the store it's at the edge of the lot. That would get old fast.

Matt

Edit to add: strongly consider making an account with a wholesale distributor. I get pretty much any plywood I could want and S4S materials delivered in most instances next day to my garage for a reasonable fee, usually around $20, with no minimums.