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Transporting lumber to your shop

4K views 78 replies 54 participants last post by  Maro2Bear 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Serious question. Sorry if I'm in the wrong forum. Wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the lumber forum.

What kind of vehicle works best for you for trips between the lumber yard and your shop? I'm in the Seattle area, so it's rainy about 9 months out of the year. Our 2 decent hardwood shops are downtown, and at one of them parking is almost non-existent. I drive a small hatchback but I can fit a couple 10' boards in diagonally with the seats down. Sheet goods are not an option unless I have them broken down at the yard.

I'm considering switching to something like a Tacoma, but with only a 5 or 6 foot bed as options, a bunch of that 10' lumber would be sticking out the back all the way home.

I know I'm over-thinking it, but I'm just curious what you're all using or what you wish you had?
 
#2 ·
I have a Chevy Silverado 2500 no topper. Here in Michigan I try to make my lumber runs on good days, watching the weather and planning accordingly, even in the winter. On those rare occasions when I get caught in bad weather, rain and such I caver the lumber in plastic as much as I can. I usually let it set in my shop for a week or 2 to acclimatize to the shop before I use it for anything. If it gets wet, I just let it dry longer.

Chris
 
#3 ·
What do I wish i had for transporting lumber and sheet goods? Well if I didn't have to pay for it. Bollinger B2. By their measure, fits "(40) 16ft long 2×4s Fit Through Patented Passthrough or (72) Sheets of 4'x8' 1/2 Plywood fit with Rear Seats Removed"

40 2×4s Fit Through Patented Passthrough
72 Sheets of 4'x8' 1/2 Plywood fit with Rear Seats Removed

https://bollingermotors.com/bollinger-b2/
 
#6 ·
I used a dodge caravan to transport lumber and sheet goods. I called it my panel truck. Sadly my son totaled it the first day he had his license, no injuries except to the van. I use my jeep Cherokee with the seats down and for sheet goods I use my wife's van. I have to clean it when I am done.
 
#7 ·
I drive a Tacoma with the access cab and hauling lumber in the rain is not fun. I have not found a good solution for keeping things dry. Last time I needed a handful of sheets of ply it was of course raining. Like Chris I try to plan around the weather but i live in the midwest so the forecast is as much a guess as it is science. While I was at the yard I picked up the cheapest 1/4" sheet they offered to toss on top. Figured if it didn't get too wet maybe some could be salvaged for shop cabinet drawer bottoms.

If I lived anywhere it rained a lot I would most likely be looking at a van. While I personally think they are butt ugly the Ford Transit vans would make a great lumber hauler. Might not be the coolest thing to drive around daily but they hold a ton of crap in them and have a pretty low load height.
 
#11 ·
Do you lay the sheets flat in the Tacoma with the tailgate down?

- JoeFuture
Ya the tailgate has to be down. I have a couple 2×6 pieces that lay across the molded slots in the bed and toss the plywood across those. Throw on a couple ratchet straps in an X pattern and its nice and secure. Nothing has flown away on me yet and around here 80 mph is the average speed on the highway.
 
#17 ·
Thanks folks. A trailer s probably not going to work behind the Prius. I ll have to resort to something like this for now. - JoeFuture
Not so fast on that Prius trailer!

Toyota included trailer hitch option for the Prius starting 2015. Most hatchback models made since 2004 release can be fitted with a 2000 lb rated hitch, and offer at least 1000lb towing capacity.

Northern Tool
, HF, and others sell a folding 4×8 trailer kit that stores vertically to save space.
Uhaul will rent you a small 5×9 utility trailer for $19 day that will haul 1000lbs if you don't want to buy a trailer.

Cover the load with trap when the weather is nasty.

IME - The challenge with owning trailer is space/cost of storage/upkeep. If you don't use it at least once a month, or don't have room and HOA rules will not let you store it at your home, renting becomes next best option. Adds ~20 min to my travel time to drive over to one of three of the nearest U-Haul stores and pick up the smallest $15 ramp trailer (for motorcycles) when need one to haul a used tool into shop. Almost too easy with online reservation and checkout feature.

Where there is a WILL, there is a way; no matter how silly it might look!

Best Luck.
 
#18 ·
Ah yes, the famous Lowe's picture. The driver was found wondering around the street, three sheets to the wind.

Anyway. I bought one of those fold-up trailers from Horrible Freight. It worked, but I found it very inconvenient and folding it was at the limit of my back. Add the cost of the trailer, hitch, where to keep it and annual license and tax, it was pretty expensive per trip. Do check as most small cars have only about a 500 Lb tow limit. Strain on both transmission and brakes. A trailer hitch on a used car will knock it's trade in by a bunch.

I used a roof rack on my old Saabs for years. Just rented or had delivery if more than a sheet or two. ( Always have an over the front tie down!) Limit was 6 rail road ties in the back of my 900. I used a sling over the side for long boards. I do not know if you can get racks now that are strong enough as we don't have drip rails.

Do some math. Renting a truck every time seems like a lot of money as does delivery service, but figure the cost of a new truck and amortize that per wood delivery. If raining, rent a box truck.

Personally, I hate trucks and the driving position in a Toyota is not comfortable for me, so I swapped an MG GT for an old Sonoma. I use it constantly, but more for house and yard. If just woodworking, I would still rent. In reality, I should sell my GTI and just drive the truck as I am retired and go no where, wife has a nice car and I have my MG and Triumph. But darn is the GTI a really great car. I could weld a rack on top, but not be able to put three yards of mulch in it.

In a perfect world, I could buy a new Volvo 240 Wagon with a roof rack. Alas, I live in Hillsborough, not Perfect.
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)

- JoeFuture

Haven t seen that pic in years. I simply don t have a point of reference to whatever that person was thinking, but just the pic is a complete educational tool on the subject.

Chebby K-1500 8' bed, and if that doesn't work a 14' trailer. I have opted to engage a Farmer friend with a semi, and 44 flatbed trailer a few times though.

In more recent years and for that amount of plywood I have found the friendly folks at Menards and their trick semi's, that turn into forklifts, can put entire lifts of plywood handily just inside my barns overhead door. It costs 59 bux, and is worth every penny. No lift, no carry, and waterproofed hands off. Plus while buying that amount of plywood I have always gotten a better price on the plywood, which in turn could be viewed as hands off delivery, for free, and dinner to boot. You will ALWAYS need more plywood. :)

- therealSteveN
 
#21 ·
I have a 96 Chevy Suburban with no 3rd seat. It's essentially a Chevy pickup with a roof extended over the the bed. 4×8 sheets of plywood fit in between the wheel wells with the back seats down. I'll just keep the wood in the truck and pull it out as needed.

It has a pickup-like tailgate instead of side by side doors with a flip-up window. So if I need to carry anything longer than 8ft, I can either drop the tailgate or open the window.

Unfortunately, due to the lockdown, I haven't driven it at all in 2020 and now I can't get it to start. Gotta wait until spring to work on it.
 
#23 ·
I have a 2002 Honda Odyssey van I bought new that I kept specifically because with the middle row seats removed, I can fit 2 or 3 sheets of 4×8' plywood in the back. I rarely need more than 2 for my hobby projects but 2 trips are generally not a problem. I can also fit several 10' boards up the middle even without the middle row seats removed. Unfortunately, you cannot fit a 5×5' sheet of Baltic Birch in any orientation so I either have to tie it to the roof rack or have them break it down for me.
 
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