Past mistake = How Not to Load Timber In Your Car!!!

[Orcamesh]

OK, I know, I know, I should have done this, I should have done that, but I thought I would generously share my own personal misfortune (=own stupid fault) with you all, I am sure I am not the first or last to have done this, but anyway, here we go...

I went to visit Surrey Timbers on Saturday and I was so excited (like a kid in a sweetshop) that I had found such a great timber yard which is not too far from where I live, that I think I left my "common sense" at home that day.

I bought a few planks of Ash and a piece of walnut which I needed to finish off a job. The Ash were 3m long and it was only when I walked them across to the car (a Touran) that it dawned on me that I had not prepared well for this trip to the yard! I did not have my roof bars on and so thought that i could just slide the planks in to the car and rest them on the dashboard. I had done this before and thought nothing of it. UNTIL I looked round after putting the first board in, and I was about to load the second board, when I realised that I had pushed it against the windscreen a bit too hard!

Alas, I now had a first starfish sized crack in the centre of the windscreen (see photos below). I was not a happy chappy anymore and Kevin at Surrey Timbers could not believe his eyes. We chopped one of the boards to fit it in, but then I had a thought to now load the Ash boards in diagonally to get the length in. Not good. As I loaded the 3rd 3m long board in diagonally, I checked the ends sticking out at the back of the car and thought that the hatch door would close. Ney, for some stupid reason I went ahead and shut the door with a tad too much force!

Alas, I now had a second starfish sized crack near the tax disc!!!

At this point I then needed further help from Kevin who kindly cut a further 6 inches off the 3x3m boards. I then messed about with the seats and put them into the floor well in the passenger seat side. This seemed to work and didnt involve any glass.

Needless to say, I cried heavily all the way home and now I need one of those wet and dry vacuums to mop up the carpets in the car! :roll:

I can only say that it was just one of those days when I should not have ventured out, stayed indoors with my hands prevented from doing anything hazardous. Sometimes I never cease to amaze myself. My only defence (& this is feeble I know) is that I dont often pickup the timber personally because I usually buy large amounts and have to get it delivered. So this was an unusual event. However, common sense tells you that a roof rack and strap clamps would have been more appropriate. I think that next time I will always remember this day and will be well prepared!

I hope that this helps someone like me out there who may think it is ok to load boards right onto your dashboard, end to end. SIMPLE ANSWER = DON'T DO IT!!!

If you havent already started laughing so much that your ribs are cracked then now is the time to start rolling around on the floor...!!! :lol: :lol:

On a more positive note, I have to say that Kevin at Surrey Timbers is a very helpful guy and he wants to serve the hobbyist market as well as the professionals. He is able to source most timbers in advance if you call him. His stock seemed very good too and the Ash read at about 8-9% MC which I think is very good.

cheers
HM

 

[wizer]

I am sure I am not the first or last to have done this

Correct! I've done this before #-o Almost exactly as you describe. :roll:

 

[Alf]

Cripes, HM, definitely a day to stay in bed; although for a minute I thought it was going to be even worse, and as you closed the boot you clobbered the rear window as well, so, y'know, looking on the bright side... :wink:

 

[wobblycogs]

You have my sympathies, I've very nearly done the same. When you described slamming the boot I was also expecting the back window to get broken, glad it didn't though.

 

[Dibs-h]

I am sure I am not the first or last to have done this

Correct! I've done this before #-o Almost exactly as you describe. :roll:

Me too!

Only upside or not as much a downside was RAC replaced the windscreen and I only had to pay the £50 excess. The windscreen chap didn't ask how it happened and I didn't say anything other than "cracked windscreen - need it replacing".

Rather not have spent the £50 - but better than shelling out for all of it.

HIH

Dibs

 

[gwaithcoed]

Just got back from my daughters in Cannock ,Staffordshire with 12 8ft 6x1 and 6 6ft 6x1 red sawn in my mondeo. My wife sat in the back
Your tale of woe reminds me of an incident years ago as I was entering a DIY shed. It appears the driver of the car had purchased several sheets of white melanie conti board. This he had placed on the dash board and then resting on the back of the rear seat. All was well until he exited down the slope out of the store and had to brake sharply at the bottom only to find that the shorter of the boards which were towards the rear of the car shot forward and pushed out the windscreen.
The amazing thing was that the screen was not broken. We helped pick up the conti board while he removed the screen and rubber seal and put in in the car.
He didn't seem fazed by it, he said he'd just have to "shove it back in" when he got home

Alan.

 

[Orcamesh]

I feel better now I know I am not the only one, thanks guys!!!

Good to see that we are keeping the glass trade afloat!

Still the positive is that I won't be doing that again, ever, honest!

and I have found a great supplier of lovely wood. 8)

cheers
HM

 

[TheTiddles]

I have almost done similar with the side windows.

One thing though, I would never, ever, place the items on the dashboard as there's nothing to retain the material. If a pedestrian walked out in front of your car, even going at 30, you would probably stop but the planks could easily keep going and kill the person you stopped for. Similarly, if you have poorly retained materials in the back of the car with the seats folded down and you have an accident you can get cut in half by your cargo, negating the airbags, seatbelts, crumple zones etc.. in the car. Not something you think about necessarily till you know someone it's happened to. Just a thought

Aidan

 

[studders]

I just might know someone who slammed a Tailgate shut onto a load that was a "wee tad" too long.

Seem to recall the replacement was rather expensive too.

 

[woodbloke]

you have an accident you can get cut in half by your cargo, negating the airbags, seatbelts, crumple zones etc.. in the car.

Aidan

One of the things that got drilled into us on the Landrover driving course...always pass the rear seat belts through the loops of your Tesco's shopping bags :wink:...it's the tin of baked beans flying forwards that'll do for you - Rob

 

[Ironballs]

Made me chuckle anyway HM, is it okay to call you a knob end?

 

[oddsocks]

I just might know someone who slammed a Tailgate shut onto a load that was a "wee tad" too long.

Seem to recall the replacement was rather expensive too.

So you've met my wife then!....the item wasn't too long, just too tall

 

[studders]

So you've met my wife then!....the item wasn't too long, just too tall

Not unless your Wife is also my Brother. :shock:



:lol:

 

[Karl]

I've done it twice in the last few years.

First time was picking up a piece of worktop for a customer, the second when I realised that i'd over ordered on some 4x4 posts on a decking job. "Hhhmmm, there's an extra £60 profit" thinks I, "i'll just pop them back to the timber yard". Sliding them in the car the first one slid in and cracked the corner of the windscreen. £75 excess. D'oh.

I really must take Doc's advice and get myself a van........

Cheers

Karl

 

[Steve Maskery]

Back in the 80's I worked for a computer company. One of the engineers was driving with a rather large monitor on the back seat behind him. He had to brake sharply and the monitor just kept going. It was enough to put him in a wheelchair for a while.

S

 

[OPJ]

Another less in what not to do to your car...

This was last Summer when I built myself a new workbench. I still don't know how the car made it back in one piece and it stopped complaining as soon as I took all the wood out!

:wink:

 

[BelgianPhil]

Another less in what not to do to your car...

Ouch! That rope did a nasty thing to your numberplate.

I did a similar thing to my car by loading the boot with 300 cans of beer.

 

[9fingers]

I'd better 'fess up to doing this as well.

Back in the 80's when I was building our kitchen, I borrowed a nearly new Ford Granada estate from work (with permission thankfully) in order to collet 3m long worktops.

The first one went in easily- I even checked the tailgate closed OK. What I did not take into account was the opposing angles of the front and rear screens. With another two worktops loaded in, shutting the tailgate popped the front screen.

Fortunately it was fixed under the insurance and in those days there was no excess to pay either!

I still check very carefully now with that experience burnt into memory!

Bob

 

[big soft moose]

I was reminded of this thread the otherday while miles and i were looking at some timber and trying to work out if we could put a 6'6" board into my van which has a loadspace of 5' 6" - we talked about sticking it between the seats but in the end common sense prevailed and we didnt buy.

that said my van does have a nice feature in which the front passenger seat folds flat in order to accomodate long boards at a below dash board height - however we couldnt make use of that feature without miles having to ride in the back with the dog (and the variety of hardware we'd already stuck in there)

 

[studders]

we couldnt make use of that feature without miles having to ride in the back with the dog

Is the Dog that fussy then?


:lol: