Thread: Transporting panel products home

It docent help you, but I drive a Renault traffic van
I installed a false floor.

I can carry 1200/2400 under the floor or on the roof racks.

I quite often get dagger eyes at me from saloon car owners [emoji849][emoji849]

Cheers Matt,

I do the Bunnings free trailer thing, but I’ve learned to turn up first thing in the morning - before the Great Unwashed descend to mill around aimlessly, herding their hordes of screaming children...

If you’re in early and know what you want, you can be done with the trailer returned in an hour or two.

Alternative would be late in the evening - I’ve been in at 7 or later and it’s been pretty dead, so I expect it’d be quick and easy again.

I’ve had an issue once where there was no-one available that could drive the forlklift to get some plywood down from the higher racks, but eventually someone turned up.

One of my brothers has this kind of set-up in his 2012 D-Max tub ute. Sort of works, but let me tell you, for single sheets, in fact, many sheets of thin material, you'll need something in the middle.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ladd...FLOoLiIYVFaKM:

I myself have an extended cab chassis 2008/9 D-Max ute with a tray back; best thing ever. The tray is 1.8m wide by 2.25m long. By removing the tail gate I can hang stuff out the end a smidge. My preference is to remove all of the drop sides and just strap stuff to the tray, with my mat underneath.

By the way, you'll need at least 1230mm wide between the arches; material here certainly has a plus minus factor.

I would need more than the ability to carry sheet material to justify getting a 4WD ute from my other half.....

Mick.

see post #7

I have ladder racks on my BF falcon styleside ute. They suck donkey dongs! I don't trust them one bit! They are so very weakly connected to the ute tub. Two bolts "threaded" into the sheet steel car body which is only 1.6-2.0mm? thick. It's bloody pathetic. But the ladder racks carry "ladders" very very well. It struggles carrying 20+ sticks of 3000x150x38 Blackwood. When carrying timber and I get the ute up to 110km/h, you can feel the auto tranny with cruise control constantly adjusting because the load up top is constantly being shunted backwards by the wind forces. The ladder racks are also only rated to about 150kgs....

When carrying sheets of MDF, I just slip em in the back and let the extra ~500mm hang out over the tailgate. I throw a single strap over the top so the cops might let the illegal load go because it kinda looks that it is maybe possibly restrained (it's not).

Originally Posted by DaveVman

The only ute (with tub) that I can find that has more than 1200mm between wheel arches is the VW Amarok. Otherwise it's a full sized US pickup truck. (Which would be awesome but might first require winning lotto).

Not sure about Brisbane, but in Melbourne, I believe that a full sized US pickup truck counts as a commercial vehicle and attracts a much higher motorway toll than a standard car, or car plus trailer.



When buying sheet material, I typically prepare a partial cutting list and go to a supplier who will cut a sheet down to a size which will fit inside the car with the seats down.

I have a trailer. 2.5 wide, 6m long,-.
4.5m X 2m bed With a 1.5 ton hoist

If its only a couple of sheets you can easily transport them with standard roof racks, as a sheet would weigh approx 30kg, you should just be under the 70kg weight limit most roof racks are rated to carry. What i do is bring along a few lengths of timber the span of the sheets to support the load length ways and using ratchet straps, strap it to the roof both ways and take it easy on the way home. I do have the added advantage of being only 10mins from the nearest bunnings so doing 60km/h all the way home isn't a big deal.

Also as recommended above get them to cut it down for you.

The biggest issue i find with ladder racks is the span is typically not sufficiently short enough to cover the 2.4m span plywood sheets come in.

For larger projects, i've just hired a ute from Bunnings. This was to transport 18 sheets of plywood home, definitely wasn't going to try loading that onto a roof of anything.

My hilux ute works for me. It’s got an ARB canopy with internal steel supports frame for connecting roof racks, which are Rhino trade racks (basically unistrut). To this I’ve purchased and fitted a Rola pioneer flat roof rack which bolts to the Rhino bars.
This roof rack is 1800x1500 and takes full plywood sheets and MDF. I’ve carried 4x12mm ply home the short 10min distance thru suburban streets not motorway.
Roof rack is removable if required.

Alternatively you can throw the sheets into the open tub (not flat tray) and they’ll sit above the internal wheel arches and hang out the back of the tub about 900mm, tie it all down with decently rated straps and stick a Bunnings orange flag for legality


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I have an Outback - which is too narrow to carry full sheets in the back - and use ProRack roof bars that are shaped like airfoils. It's a bit dodgy, though, and those flat attachable cargo panels for roof bars which I'd like to use to carry sheets are bloody expensive ($900-ish) so I just carry the sheets bare. Carrying one sheet is a bit fraught because I worry about bending under wind loads but 2-3 are OK if a bit questionable from a weight point of view since they support each other. One day I carried 5 sheets which went okay but I admit I was a bit worried about the load (as was the Bunnings guy, though all he did was raise his eyebrows at me). The biggest problem I have is managing the straps and getting a tight pull-down both fore-aft and across... and getting heavy sheets down from the roof without scratching the paint.

I've brought yellow-tongue home from Bunnings in (well, mostly in) a Hyundai Excel, and 3mm ply will bend enough to fit in a Yaris.
None of which helps the OP.

MDF.jpg



There's also a 4 rail HD roof rack.

Cordless track saw ! Great excuse

I used to drive a 70's CF Bedford flat tray . Transport Bliss for timber in and rubbish out + local furniture delivery's. Holden 202 on Gas. Then I had to take it off the road to give it its third de rust and paint job and it didn't make it back from that. Still have it though.

Had a $500 Mitsubishi Colt for a while towing a 6x4 . Wrote that off with the trailer attached full of sawdust in bags.

I got a Toyota 75 series "Troopy" after that and had large tradesman racks installed . Timber and rubbish nightmare . To high, hard to get the stuff up there, hard to tie down, hard to get off . It worked though . As long as it wasn't raining. The racks started a vibration at 80 kph which is there all the time on a freeway . Great going away camping vehicle . The back was like a bedroom anywhere , very comfy. Tended to gather crap in there though when not being used, and not great for furniture delivery's.
Troopy died after a big non stop pick up and drive back, Melbourne to Sydney and back non stop with a tandem full of Wadkin machinery. Developed head problems . Only showed up climbing long hills , it would blow the radiator, got it patched and I traded it in to a dealer and kept my mouth shut.

So I went back to a flat tray with drop sides Isuzu D max . Tray is 2.5 . Its good . Has the forward and rear ladder bars as well . Good for long stiff stuff. Couldn't imagine flexing sheet material up there. Just wish I had got the 4WD. 3 months after buying it we sold up in the city and moved to the country . Didn't know that was coming .

I hope I never have to go back to roof racks . My other options now are a converted Horse float .Or a large tandem trailer. Car carrying size tandem with electric brakes. I shifted 40 ton of timber and machines with that over a number of months in the move. Wondered if it was going to fkn kill me! Wife got a close to new horse float in the move . I kept the old one and welded in furniture tie bars and internal over head bars within . Almost holds 2.9 metre table tops above and a lot more under. Takes all finished stuff on the 2.5 hour road trips to and from the city wrapped and under cover , rain hail or shine . Brings sheet material back . Its great. Bunnings should have them on offer as well maybe . You cant go far with stuff wrapped in tarps flapping about on open trailers.

Rob