Can you fit a sheet of plywood in there?

[Fecn]

I'm bored with my current vehicles and have decided to get something different.

I'm looking for something that can seat 5, and occasionally fit sheets of plywood in. I'm currently thinking about the Renault-Trafic/Vauxhall-Vivaro/Nissan-Primastar crew-cab variants (which have an extra row of seats in the back)

Are there non-van vehicles in which you can fit a sheet of ply? Some of those MPVs look like they might be big enough.

 

[Jake]

I can carry at least four full sheets of 18mm ply with my old but lovely pug 306gti. And it's nice to drive the rest of the time.

 

[Fecn]

I can carry at least four full sheets of 18mm ply with my old but lovely pug 306gti. And it's nice to drive the rest of the time.

Is that with a roofrack, or have you found some clever way to fit them inside?

 

[wizer]

I saw a guy driving down the road at the weekend with about 6 sheets of ply on his roofrack, one strap and holding on to it out the window :shock: :roll:

 

[Jake]

Thule roof-rack, rated to 130kg, so four sheets of 18mm birch ply is fine weight wise - more of mdf. Three good quality rachet straps, two side to side holding it down, and the third end to end making sure the middle boards can't slip out of the stack in braking/accelerating.

I find it easier to slip the boards onto the rack without damaging them than dragging them into and out of the back of a van (which I've also done on occasion).

And I don't have to drive a slow noisy thing around just to transport some sheet material around once every few weeks. And I don't risk screwing up the interior of an estate or whatever. And I'm not limited (within reason) to a particular length of board. I can, and have, slung 4m timbers up there, with a flag on the back end.

The only downside I can think of is if you are buying thinner stuff, you really need to buy or take with you a thicker sheet as well to go at the bottom of the stack and support anything wobbly like 9mm ply. That's never actually caused me to buy something I didn't need and use though.

 

[Fecn]

And I don't have to drive a slow noisy thing around just to transport some sheet material around once every few weeks.

I have two cars currently... the 'good' car hardly gets used these days since it only has two seats, and you can't fit a child-car-seat in there... Can't take the kid.. can't take the wife... can't take the wife... so we use a different car instead... so it just sits in the garage taking up valuable woodworking space and costing me money to insure/tax/mot.

My alternative 'car' is a humongous chunky 4x4 with less accelleration than a double decker bus. I bought it to use as a van... If I had a roofrack, it would be up to the job... but in it's current form, it's too big and slow to be a car, and not big enough to be a van.

Wife has her own car, and I'm lucky enough to run my business from home, so it's not often I need to drive anywhere... hence my thought of getting some big-awful clunky van/MPV/bus.

 

[syntec4]

Ford Galaxy- You can get full sheets in them if you stand them on edge. You need to remove the back seats though. We have one in the office as a pool car(I've borrowed it a couple of times. It's the Ghia so has a few toys and its not bad to drive. Being the V6 Auto it's a bit thirsty.
It's the old shape one, I believe the newer one is even better. Probably a good idea to get a manual/diesel one


Lee.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

I've got a Mercedes V220 the same as this one

Reason I got it is I can get two Newfies in the back with the rear row of seats folded up but I can still have five people sitting in comfort.

It swollows 4' x 8' sheets of ply on edge down the centre. The most I've had in it wood wise was 10 number of 10' lengths of 2 1/2" x 12" of walnut, I also had 18cwt of Delabole slate in the back :lol:

 

[ByronBlack]

I've got an escort van

Managed to get my workbench in it though which I thought was a minor miracle.

I'm going to be selling my actual car (van is works motor) soon and was thinking of a volvo estate, nice looking cars good to drive and plenty of space, any other voldo drivers out there?

 

[judder]

Seen a guy with a Vauxhall Tigra with a 3m worktop in it, hanging out the tailgate and out through the sunroof, what a sight !.

Stephen

 

[Scrums]

Not exactly a van, well ermmm......actually it is a van, or was at least.

I use a 2.4 diesel lwb VW transporter - now a camper, double backdoor type. I suppose I can and do get quite a lot of 8 x 4 boards in there.

The other day I had 2 x purlins 10 x 5 x 11 ft + the doors closed and still room to make and eat breakfast !

Chris.

 

[Anonymous]

thinking of a volvo estate, nice looking cars good to drive and plenty of space, any other voldo drivers out there?

Are you a middle-aged school teacher? :lol:

Cheers
Brad

 

[ByronBlack]

Hey, nothing wrong with Volvo's!! Fair enough the old motors from the eighties were a bit geography-teacher, but the newer ones are up there with mercs and bmws.

 

[dedee]

Fecn,
living as close as you do to Richard Russell do you really need to transport whole sheets of ply?

Their minimum order charge for delivery is only £50 and COD as well. Their sheet prices (as quoted to me anyway) were no more expensive than Silvermanns or Edens who have £250 and £150 min orders respectively.

Andy

 

[Anonymous]

Reason I got it is I can get two Newfies in the back

Please could members refrain from posting in languages other than English so that the rest of us have some idea what they are talking about :lol: :roll:

 

[Fecn]

I've got a Mercedes V220 the same as this one

That Merc looks quite tempting.. and looks like they have a nice leather interior too - essential for transporting sheet goods... Low secondhand prices make this a contender although I've found quite a few bad reviews on the web.

I use a 2.4 diesel lwb VW transporter - now a camper, double backdoor type.

I've been looking at the VW transporters/shuttles too.... could be a contentder.

living as close as you do to Richard Russell do you really need to transport whole sheets of ply?

Well.. It's not really about need so much as want... It's nice to go out at the weekend and but materials/tools/etc... come home and start playing. When I get a day to play in the workshop (which is tricky at the moment with a 10-month old nipper) it's nice to be able to do it without having to stop and wait for deliveries. Also.. I suspect that some firms may be guilty of shipping the inferior/damaged sheets to those who get deliveries whereas you can pick and choose your own if you've got something to transport them with.

Technically, I don't really 'need' a car at all and could probably get-by with £200/year of Taxis.. but where's the fun in that.

Are Richard Russel open at weekends? This weekend might be the weekend where I get some more white-oak and finish off my bedside tables.

 

[mudman]

Chrysler Grand Voyager.
Lovely car and the rear seats fold into the floor in seconds to create a great huge cavernous space that will take a full sheet.

 

[Fecn]

Well.. I've just come back from the garage having agreed a nice deal where I get a new car, and a cheque to go with it...

My next car is... Toyota Hiace Regius

I can fit many sheets of plywood in there

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions... I did actually look at all of them (except ford) on forecourts before making my decision. If anyone cares, I can take pics when it arrives... but I doubt anyone cares anymore.

 

[jasonB]

Richard Russel are open saturday mornings.

I find they always deliver good boards and usually get to me before 9.00 in the morning as I get 1st or second drop, should be similar for you as you are just round the corner from me but I expect the local school runners will not be happy with a big orange lorry parked outside your workshop with the traffic calming island oposite you :wink:

Jason

 

[mailee]

Yep here I am Byron, another Volvo driver. A big thirsty T5 estate. I am looking to change it in the near future though as I need more room for my timber and tools, besides it is a bit thirsty for trolling back and forth to jobs. It will be sadly missed when it does go though. Oh, and I am not a School teacher just a failed one.