best way to haul 4x8 sheets of wood

[MONMIX]

As soon as saw the title of that thread I thought of that photo.

 

[jasonb]

its actually really easy. you CAN haul full sheets IN your explorer. i do it all the time with my 2 dr. you'll have extra room to make it easier.

basically, you let the seats down (duh), then put something in the back that will keep the wood up an angle so it won't slide out the back. you could use a number of things for this. i personally made something specific to this use. its a 2x4 triangle kind of frame that is about 36" wide. its roughly 12" tall which gives the wood plenty of slant so it won't slide back. make sure whatever it is you use won't tip or slide. then just get some rope or ratchet straps and tie one off for just in case. take it easy on the drive home and you won't have any problems. i've loaded as many as 10 3/4" sheets of ply in mine without a problem. you'll get funny looks when they help you load it, but so what. they all know me at the depot around here now though. unloading this is not easy without a helper though.
not as easy as a pickup truck or a trailer, but its MUCH cheaper.

 

[GaSouthern1]

I would say get some tow straps and just drag it back home. On the highway it may flop around a bit but that is nothing that I would worry about.

 

[dinas5pt0]

Piece of Cake:

Fold them rear seats flat. Get a block(s) of wood the height of the wheel-well. Place the block(s) right down the center so the ply/rock won't buckle. Tie the rear hatch handle to your bumper hitch area and get home ASAP ...avoiding the police as your hatch is open.


Disclaimer: The fumes you breathe may kill you.

 

[Pheonixx77]

well lowes rents trucks? and everybody has a buddy with a fullsize pckup right? lol

 

[X~FACTOR]

1. Best way to go: have a friend with a pick up truck go with you and buy him lunch for his trouble.
2. Most convenient way: get them delivered.
3. Go with jasonb's suggestion.

I would go #3.

 

[01EB5.0]

4X8 sheets of wood will slide right in the back of the explorer. just fold down the seats. It will hang about 2 foot out the back, but just tie down the hatch and tie she sheets in and you'll be set. i have done it several times in both my 95 and 2001 4 door. it will have to sit on top of the wheel wells in the rear, but the area above the wheel wells is exactly 4 feet wide and the "bed" of your truck is 6 feet, so the wood will hang out a little

 

[Pokface]

Got alot of options to choose from thanks for the ideas

the breakdown

In the back hanging out ..... 5votes
friend with truck ................. 5
have it delivered ................ 3
roof rack ........................... 2
rent truck/trailer ................. 2
drag it .............................. 1
buy new truck .................... 1

I'm going with the popular vote. I really dont have a friend with a truck so its going in the back. I really like the idea of the back and since many say it works well thats what I needed to hear. I dont like the fact that it could scar up the plastic or tear any leather tho.

 

[M.Scott]

Just some other info. If you have a trailer hitch I've seen a bar that fits in that extends 2 feet from the back then comes up a foot and expands to a "T". This will support a long load. Also I have put 4 sheets of wood on the roof rack (not particle board - it was two heavy) and if you can make holes in the wood bring a cordless screwdriver and screw all sheets together, one screw in center front and one in center rear. At the center front screw tie a rope that goes under your front bumber. This keeps the wood from catching air and ripping off the rack. I went 40-50mph this way.

 

['96explorereddiebauer]

Why can only pick up trucks can carry 4x8 sheets of plywood??? Our ex-'94 Town & Country could do that too. So expand the horizon, look for a minivan. You can hold a lot more plywood anyway. In our van, my dad once loaded 15 sheets of plywood, plus 3 5-gallon drums of spackles.

But anyways...I'm 99% sure you can carry a 4x8 piece of plywood in your Explorer. Just fold down your seats and cover up the trims so the wood won't scrape them.