Vehicles That Fit A Sheet Of Plywood???

[Derek Arita]

I'm looking at various SUVs and wondering which ones will allow me to slide a sheet of plywood in the back? It doesn't have to slide all the way, as I can always tie down the hatch. I currently have a Nissan Xterra and can slide a sheet in, if the rear seats are down and the sheet is raised up about a foot off the rear deck. It has to be raised up to clear wheel wells. I've been looking at a Honda Pilot, 4Runner and another Xterra.
I know I can rent a truck/need, get a trailer or borrow a truck, but in lieu of that, who has experience with sheet goods in the rear of their SUV?

[HANK METZ]

I have a Hyundai Elantra hatchback and the way I deal with sheet goods is to have the store do precuts for me and make my precision parts from the smaller, easier to handle pieces. Haven't had to worry about truckin' that stuff home for years now.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

I have a Ford Edge and a 2010 Escape can fit a sheet in to either diagonally.

Cliff

[Derek Arita]

Thanks Cliff. I'm thinking I'd much rather slide it in flat so that it doesn't have to rest on the opening edges.

[Jim Barstow]

An escape will hold a 4x8 sheet? Are you sure? I have a 2005 escape hybrid and there is no way a 4x8 sheet would fit, diagonally
or not. It barely fits 8' lumber since it extends from the back door all the way up to the dashboard.

There have been design changes between 2005 and 2010 but the vehicle hasn't gotten THAT much bigger.

[Rick Moyer]

I'm betting you'll have to go big. The Chevy/GMC Suburban/Yukon will do it easily, as I would assume the Ford Excursion would also. I have loaded a lot of big stuff easily into the back of my Yukon XL, four feet between the sides and eight feet to the back of the front seats with the 2nd row folded and the rear seat out. A previously owned Suburban I had, I hauled 96 16' 5/4 cedar deck boards (It had a tailgate) in one load.

[Kelly Colin Mark]

I have an 09 Acura MDX (in its year, similar to a Honda Pilot) and I'm quite certain a sheet of ply is not getting in that car unless the driver is short enough that the sheet can go over his or her head. Roof rack is the only way.

It's not even wide enough to put a shorter, 4' wide sheet in flat on the ground.

[Derek Arita]

Again, let me stress that I don't need to able to close the hatch...just slide the sheets in flat and tie down the hatch. I Han Expedition that I could close the hatch with, but I don't want to go that large again for a few reasons.

[John TenEyck]

Might I mention an alternative - a roof rack. I've carried plywood, lumber, drywall, all manner of things on the roof of my various cars over the years. I once had over 40 - 2x4's on top of my VW Scirocco. Six sheets of drywall on another car's roof rack, over 100 BF of lumber on another. The folks at HD or my local lumber yard help me load the stuff onto my car, and away I go, slowly of course, but I drive what I want and am not limited only to ones that can sort of carry a sheet of plywood. My current Subaru Outback is just about ideal for carrying sheets on the roof. Putting stuff inside a vehicle not really designed for it almost always results in scrapes or worse.

John

[Kevin Groenke]

You might hold out for the upcoming Ford Transit Connect, of course the Mopar stow & go vans hold a full sheet - that's about it beside mini & full size vans and trucks.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

An escape will hold a 4x8 sheet? Are you sure?

Cross my heart and hope to spit. The 2003 I had and the 2010 we have will both take it diagonally. It sticks out the back and you can't close the hatch, but it will fit in enough to get it home.

Cliff

[Mike Nguyen]

Toyota Sequoia, Land Cruiser, and Ford Expedition will fit a whole sheet with few inches sticking out in the back in my personal experience.
Mike

[Andrew Kertesz]

I bought an older truck just for the purpose of hauling... well pretty much anything. I got a deal on a '97 F150 w/8' bed and cap. Hauling is the only reason I bought it, I get a discounted rate on my insurance because it is considered a part time driver/recreational and I don't need full coverage because I paid cash.

[Joe Scharle]

I have a Dodge Caravan that will hold 3 sheets of 3/4" plywood flat, with the hatch closed, after I fold the back seats into the floor. And that's quick & easy.
Two years ago we had a big snow and it was the only vehicle that could get up the hill.
Going past the sideways Pilot was fun.

[Chris Friesen]

There are a number of vans that can take sheet goods flat on the floor. If it needs to be raised up it would be easy enough to make some spacers...or if this is a work vehicle then build a raised platform and put storage under it.

Personally I have a Toyota Matrix. With the back seats folded down it can handle quite a bit of cargo. It can take 9' lumber with the hatch closed. For sheet goods I generally precut it at the store and hang it out the open hatch window. If I really need a full sheet I use a flatbed utility trailer.