Is there a car that can haul sheet goods?

[scorrpio]

My Pilot roof rack can easily carry 2-3 sheets. For bigger loads I usually rent a truck. I try to plan ahead so when I do get a truck, I buy a LOT of stuff.

I considered a trailer, but: when I add up what the hitch will codst plus the trailer plus documentation, plus need to find storage space for it etc etc, and the fact that in the past 2 years I needed to rend an HD truck only 3 times, and the rest were small loads that I carried on the roof, I realized that a trailer is not financially viable.

[Russianwolf]

2 - rent a small delivery truck for $20 per hour from Lowes or HD.

Or better yet, go to Enterprise and rent a full sized truck for the day for about $40. I did this when I needed to get rid of some tile. I spent more at the landfill than I did on the F-250 rental for the day and took care of it in one load.

[Rand]

I bought a old beater Ford Pickup a few years ago when I was working on a house flip. It was handy to have but after I finished the house project I seldom used the thing. Insurance and registration were costing me almost $500/year for a vehicle I drove once every 6 weeks. I sold it before it needed new tags last July.

Before you buy a truck, divide the cost of ownership by how many times you will use it in a year and see if renting makes sense or not.

[oakchas]

For a "Family Vehicle" that will haul:
1.sheet goods & other lumber
2.loads of rock or mulch
3.stuff to the dump
4.a trailer behind it (Will trailer ~ 7,000# or more.)
5.6 people
6. 2-3 people and two 75# dogs
7. gets ~22 MPG highway (my actual results)

And, costs less to license and insure than a car in many states. (And usually MUCH LESS than an SUV)

Can be had in 2 or 4 wheel drive.

GM crew cab. Silverado or Sierra.

The bed is a bit shorter than a full size p/u, but hauls 8' sheets no problem.

The ride is comfortable and quiet, loaded or not.

I chose Ford or GM over Dodge for one reason: Gas mileage
I chose GM over Ford for one reason: Rear seat folds to a flat floor. The Ford did not. Works great for the dogs.

The GM Avalanche rides better... but had too much exterior plastic in the 2005 model year... When I bought my Sierra new... hopefully the last new vehicle I buy.