# Can you fit a sheet of plywood in there?



## Fecn (31 Jan 2007)

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.


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## Jake (31 Jan 2007)

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.


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## Fecn (31 Jan 2007)

Jake":1gx5mvln said:


> 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?


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## wizer (31 Jan 2007)

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:


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## Jake (31 Jan 2007)

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.


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## Fecn (31 Jan 2007)

Jake":3pfoqhnp said:


> 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.


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## syntec4 (31 Jan 2007)

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.


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## Lord Nibbo (31 Jan 2007)

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:


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## ByronBlack (31 Jan 2007)

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?


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## judder (31 Jan 2007)

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


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## Scrums (31 Jan 2007)

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.


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## Anonymous (1 Feb 2007)

ByronBlack":psn1n9td said:


> 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


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## ByronBlack (1 Feb 2007)

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.


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## dedee (1 Feb 2007)

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


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## Anonymous (1 Feb 2007)

Lord Nibbo":2kxjv56p said:


> 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:


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## Fecn (1 Feb 2007)

Lord Nibbo":2gtlztha said:


> 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.



Scrums":2gtlztha said:


> 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.



dedee":2gtlztha said:


> 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.


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## mudman (2 Feb 2007)

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.


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## Fecn (5 Feb 2007)

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.


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## jasonB (5 Feb 2007)

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


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## mailee (5 Feb 2007)

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.


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## Guy (6 Feb 2007)

WiZeR":2hkdygdb said:


> 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:



Worked in a place that sold various sized chipboard circles, one after noon 4 indian guys came in and bought 4 1800mm diameter circles (there 18mm thick) they left with them on the roof of there car. 30mins later i was driving home and saw part of a large disc at side of road. bit further see the flashing blue and red light of a police car, he had pulled them up and they had only one disc left.
What happened to the rest i have no idea

I have a 96 frontera and have managed 8 sheets om 18mm mdf and was dung scared coz the noise of the fibre glass roof. Have 3 bars for the roof rack

Just placed an order for a holden rodeo space cab ( Isuzu dmax)that is getting a mobile tool bow fitted to it. The design allows for me to get 10 sheets in the bottom and space for tools and finished work above.


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## SimonA (6 Feb 2007)

ByronBlack:

I have a Volvo V50 2.0Diesel SE and I love it......if you would like more details/info just give me a shout.

But before you ask, no, it won't fit a sheet of 8x4 in the boot. Although I have a had a single bed in there and a chesterfield, on separate occasions obviously  

SimonA


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## WellsWood (6 Feb 2007)

ByronBlack":205142vr said:


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



I'm on my second Volvo estate I love 'em. Got a 940 this time - £480 on fleabay, not the prettiest thing but it's sailed through 2 MOTs since I've had it without any more than the odd bulb. Get's washed once a year whether it needs it or not, strong as an Ox, cost's next to nothing to insure, HUGE flat loadspace. Boards go on the roof bars and unlike a van the roof is low enough to get stuff on and off without help. If I've a need for something I can't carry I just get it delivered.
Don't get me wrong, a van would be nice ( VW transporter would be my choice) but I can't see me running one for anything like the pittance the Volvo costs.

Mark


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## mel (6 Feb 2007)

if you want to get a 8x4 sheet in the back of a nissan primastar . you have to empty everything and load the sheet in diagonally 
which is a shame as thats my company vehicle 
far better equipped than the renaults and vauxhalls thou 
i always end up with shhet materials on the roofrack


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## MooreToolsPlease (6 Feb 2007)

When I was looking at vans, particularly the bigger ones
I seem to recall that the load area is 2400mm long!!

if you want to get a 8 ft board in then you have to buy the long wheel base, or go diagonally.
seems pretty ridiculous to me, that was on the vivaro/trafic etc


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