How do you get your lumber home?

[Brian Penning]

Set a new record this morning filling up my Venture -$83!!(Cdn) Makes one think.
I'm wondering if I'd be better off with a smaller car and one of those trailers you see for about 1K at Home Depot. I have the room to store a trailer so no problem there.
Thinking of something along the lines of a Matrix or Mazda 3 hatchback.
The minivan is so handy though. Can carry 10' long boards with the rear door closed.
I'd hate to get a small car and regret it later on.
How do you folks carry your lumber home? Any thoughts?

[Wilbur Pan]

I don't have much choice, but I've learned how to fit 8 foot boards into a Toyota Camry.

[Mike Cutler]

Toyota Tacoma is my lumber hauler.
I have to pick up a 16'x3'x2" thick board tommorrow, so I'll probably use the horse trailer to haul that. Should be an interesting trip.
The $$$$ of fuel is going to effect everything. My truck only gets~20mpg, but it's paid for, so I guess I just have to deal with it.

[Rob Russell]

I use this.




It's important to note that I bought the truck for hauling stuff. For example, I picked up 500' of black birch from a sawyer about a month ago. The truck is 3 1/2 years old and I just rolled over 10,000 miles on it. Obviously, it doesn't get used for much - other than hauling stuff or driving it once every other week just to use it.

[Ron Hedrick]

2001 Hyundai Santa Fe, drop down the back seats and it holds quite a lot. If you have something really long open the tailgate window and let it hang out. If it's something really, really big, full 4x8 sheets, etc., call the son-in-law, he has a Ford F250.

[Tom Jones III]

If you are thinking of selling a car and buying a new one, then buying a $1000 trailer, don't forget $100 for the hitch, lights, etc, how much are you going to be out of pocket? It could be a lot if you are selling a used car to buy a new car. If you are going to save $10-$20 even $40 a week how long will it be until you've paid off what you spent?

[Andrew Williams]

Not to mention the cost of rebuilding your transmission a few times unless you buy a truck that can handle a trailer. At least get a tranny cooler.


2002 GMC Envoy, 12 foot enclosed Car-Mate box trailer. Combination MPG = 15-17


but for most purposes, fortunately I have a honda two-seater

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Brian, we just went through the same exercise this spring, do we buy another mini van or a small car and use a trailer?

The mini van holds lumber, and motorcycles, so does a small car and trailer.

Our children are in the post secondary phase of their education, so we rarely travel as a family, and the mini van looked less and less attractive.

We wound up buying another mini van, however it only gets used to commute to work for about 5 months of the year. The remaining 7 months I ride my R90/6 BMW, which gets about 50 MPG. Fuel consumption averages out nicely through the year.

Next time, it will definitely be a car and trailer..........Rod.

P.S. I don't mind high fuel prices, it seems to be the only thing that makes North Americans conserve it.

[glenn bradley]

Honda Civic with the seats folded down; 8 - 10' boards, no problem. Sheet goods fit in the LOML's Tacoma but just barely (short bed). The initial outlay for a change of vehicle and a trailer setup will buy a lot of gas. Take the emotion out of it and do the math so you are looking at it clearly. I share your frustration at the pump$.

[Charles Wilson]

The lumber yard that I go to gives free delivery in my area.

If I need to, I can use my VW wagon (The yard will dimension plywood.) or my FIL has a 2500 Silverado (and I pay him for the diesel he uses).

Chuck

[David Weaver]

Honda accord here - only disappointment with it is that it's the 2-door model and there is support for the seats on the outside, so the opening from the trunk to the front of the car is really only about 2 feet wide, rather than 4.

If the wood is too big for that, then I just rent a van. It's a lot cheaper to rent something like that once or twice a year than it is to buy it, pay higher insurance, and pay for the difference in gas. Enterprise is at the bottom of the hill on one side, and uhaul is next to it, so it's easy to pick if you want to pay $19 a day plus miles charge, or $100 for the weekend with no miles charge. Last trip was from Pittsburgh to Olean NY, so it was pretty easy to decide to rent from enterprise.

[Steven Herbin]

Lumber yard delivers for $10 extra (w/ minimum order).

[Greg Cole]

Toyota Tacoma here. Shoulda taken a pic of it last weekend with 16' PT 2 X 10's and some shorter 2X & 4X PT lumber too.
It's paid for, don't care what the gas mileage is to be honest, I drive about 5 miles one way to work & back and don't run around in my spare time.

Greg

[Jim Becker]

When I divested myself of my beloved Tundra pickup after adopting our girls, I went with a trailer that could be towed behind my Highlander Hybrid. (my "family" car", as it were) That said, Tom's comments do apply...and his $100 number is very low relative to the cost of equipping a vehicle for towing. But having a small utility trailer is really nice. It adds a lot of flexibility and a means of keeping your passenger vehicle cleaner and in good repair. IMHO, it's a good solution to help cut your normal driving costs while retaining the ability to pick up bulk items.

On caveat: be sure you understand what the towing limitations would be for any vehicle you are considering. This is very important for both safety and to insure you don't damage a very expensive investment. (And for a small utility trailer, there is no need for any kind of "tranny cooler" setup. That's important for serious towing, but not for incidental local use)

Oh, the option of picking up a "beater" pickup truck should still be on the table if you can register and insure it for minimal cost...you may be able to find something serviceable for the cost of a decent trailer. I seriously considered that but felt the trailer better fit my needs as mine can also handle my tractor (sans BH and FEL) if I need to get it somewhere for service.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Bought a used F-350 4WD 460.....4:10 rearend....5 speed man. I have only put about 11,000 miles on it in 10 years....