Mike, I'm not sure I can handle seeing a minivan parked in my driveway!! LOL!!
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Mike, I'm not sure I can handle seeing a minivan parked in my driveway!! LOL!!
2 years ago I posted I'd be buying a new car in a couple years and I don't plan on a new car anytime soon.
Here's my line of thinking (though this is still a great and informative thread): limiting your buying choices to only those that can fit sheet goods doesn't seem practical when most hobbiest use that feature what, 1% or less of the time? Think about what the car will be used for most of the time or even some of the time and go for that type of vehicle.
For those very rare times you need sheet goods, go the delivery route or, as i did, go the trailer route. I bought a foldable 4x8 HF trailer that i store behind my house and probably have $500 into it after licensing and a plywood deck and rails. I've used it numerous times in the few months I've had it. Mulch, plywood, 8' tables, a 12" jointer, and I've delivered a few things we've sold (kid toy house, a closet organizer cabinet).
I strapped things to the roof for a while and wasn't happy with it; a bit sketchy.
Reviews & specs suggested to me most mini-vans have been "prettied-up" and newer models don't carry sheet goods well anymore. Sounds like, (your comment & one other review,) Chrysler might be an exception. Unfortunately we had bad luck* with a Chrysler mini-van and swore "never again."
* 3 transmissions in the 7 year / 70K miles warranty period. (Plus, I swear, it had a pregnancy sensor and broke down more often when my wife was visibly pregnant.)
Second vehicle. For us that means when the first vehicle isn't available or to do the stuff the sedan can't. Except for hauling, I'd probably be looking for a nice used Yaris (we know a guy that's been good to us at the local Toyota dealer.)
I can see delivery, rental, or trailer being ideal in a lot of situations for a lot of people. However, my wife & I dislike those options for the way we'd use the vehicle. I want to be able to (safely) grab that extra sheet of plywood when I need it and to stop at Home Depot to cherry-pick their racks on the way to the market. Hence economical and easy to drive. (My wife is more interested in picking up a pallet of mulch / tan bark once instead of a couple bags everyday for a week, but she's on board too.)
We may not find anything that suits since we clearly aren't one of the common usage models, but I'm still hoping.
Suck it up and get a mini-van.
Here is a shot of me on a Plywood run, and look... I stopped and garbage picked an air cleaner on the way home because I could... Since it's enclosed I don't have to wait for a nice day to get the ply either since it's not open to the rain and snow.
Attachment 342565
I recently bought a new P/U and considered every option. Every nicely configured P/U required a crew cab package. A P/U with a crew cab and an 8' bed is huge. I needed to pull though parking spaces with my old F150 with a 6 1/2' bed and crew cab. Additionally, I wouldn't be able to garage a P/U with crew cab and 8' bed. Alternatively, I could either get a no frills standard cab and 8' bed or a fully equipped cab with a 6 1/2' bed. Thus, the trade off is being inconvenienced every time you are in the cab or having to leave the gate open and tying down sheet goods. I opted for the fully equipped cab.
I guess my 2500 series diesel P/U isn't a real truck. Darn.
Bet that's fun with a good crosswind!
But which mini-van? Reviews suggest both newer Odyssey and Siena have choke points of 47" or less. Certainly they have pretty interiors that take care to not mar. Plus, it's been reported, that none take the oversize 4x8' sheets at 49" or 50" wide. (Chrysler may be on the list, but as I said above really really bad experiences.) Plus that says nothing of the 5x5' sheets baltic birch plywood comes in.
I'm *NOT* that dedicated to economy! :-)
:), they are a tad expensive at the higher trim levels. For an extra $1K you can get a hard cover to circumvent the weather, plus the rear seats fold up and there is actually a fairly large secure trunk. The first ones hit showrooms in June. I read somewhere that Honda is apparently only building 45K units the first year, my dealer was slated for 7 and they are selling before they arrive and I wanted specific features, so the wait.
The new Ridgeline was designed for the person who wants a semi-luxury car-like ride and occasionally wants to haul some crap, which describes me. Plus, it is the only pickup truck that will let me lay down a 4*8 sheet and will (barely) fit in my garage. Some of the new home builders should be shot for building tiny garages.
My '16 Odyssey will fit 4x8 sheets. Its tight, but they go in, and the hatch closes all the way.