Moving full ply/mdf sheets in a pickup?

[ChadTower]

I have a rental pickup for a few days while my wife's car is in the shop.  I'd like to run to Lowe's and buy some MDF for future use while I have the truck.  How do people usually secure the full sheets in the bed?  It's an F150, the bed (between wells) is 4' x 6'.  I could cut the sheets, sure, but I figure people have to be bringing home full sheets somehow.

[Chris G]

I'm picturing 4x8 sheets laying flat in the bed with the tailgate down...

Can you elaborate on your concern?

[ChadTower]

That would work but I assume you have to secure them somehow to prevent them from sliding right out of the bed.

[crashwg]

Just don't accelerate fast.

If you're really concerned about it though, I'd suggest a couple of THESE types of things to go between the sheets.

[ChadTower]

Ooh, I have some of those lying around, too.

I can probably do something with some ties, too, but just wanted to see what others are already doing.  Thanks!

[shardian]

I have hauled plywood and mdf in a Ford Ranger and here is what I do:

Slide sheets in with tailgate up - sheets will be propped up on tailgate.
Criss cross a tie down across the center of the plywood and latch to hooks on each side. Repeat with another tie down from the other side.

Do this and the plywood isn't going anywhere.

[AtomSmasher]

Hmm, I didn't realize they shrunk the size of the bed in the standard truck.  My 1974 F-100 has a bed size of 4' (between the wheel wells) by 8' with the tailgate up, so its never been an issue for me.

[crashwg]

Keep in mind that a sheet of MDF is in fact 4' 1" so if the distance between the wheel wells is in fact 4' it won't fit.

[ChadTower]

Hmm, I didn't realize they shrunk the size of the bed in the standard truck.  My 1974 F-100 has a bed size of 4' (between the wheel wells) by 8' with the tailgate up, so its never been an issue for me.

This one has a back seat.

[shardian]

Keep in mind that a sheet of MDF is in fact 4' 1" so if the distance between the wheel wells is in fact 4' it won't fit.

It fits.  There's a reason beds are the dimensions that they are.  I have hauled 4x8 sheets of MDF in the back of a truck with the exact same bed, and I've got a plastic bed liner.



You know, honestly, this is the most pathetic thread I've ever read.

If you can't figure out how to lay down a piece of wood in the back of a truck... man... I dunno.

Opinions may be like buttholes, but some opinions are much bigger than others - if you get my drift.

[ChadTower]

Seriously.  I have to do it with the tailgate down and don't want them flying off on the road.

[mrhowell]

Jesus Christ, buy some ---smurfing--- rope.

[ChadTower]

Tie a rope around the wood lengthwise, run a length from the rope to one of the tie downs that's behind the cab in the bottom corner of the bed.

Yep, good solution, and I'll do that or what sharidan suggested.

Now to go about starting lots more threads about this.  Thanks for the idea.

[shardian]

Well you could always let your wife check out, and then one of the workers will load it and tie it down for you. Problem solved.

[ChadTower]

Heh.  She'd come away with $150 worth of soon to be dead flowers in the back of the truck too.  We actually went yesterday to get the sheets and ended up wandering around the garden section for a while.  Talk about your crappy, unhealthy, half eaten by bugs plant selection.  Terrible.

Then the emergency alarm went off, they evacuated the store, and we ran out of time before we had to get home to meet the kids at the bus stop.   

[Chris G]

How about tossin' the kids on top of it to hold it down?  I used to love sitting in the back of our El Camino when I was a kid.  Course that was back in the 80's when life was fun... probably not legal anymore. 

[leapinlew]

Since your asking about moving full sheets of plywood, you might find it interesting that full sheets of MDF are very heavy.   

[ChadTower]

Since your asking about moving full sheets of plywood, you might find it interesting that full sheets of MDF are very heavy.   

Yep.  That's why we use it, yes?   

pinballjim appears to be in a foul mood.  Someone give him a sugar cookie.

[Chris G]

Chad, you're taking way longer than I expected to come up with more threads about things you should have figured out in 5 minutes of "actual reality".

[ChadTower]

I'm still researching this "actual reality" concept.  Is it 3d or 2d?

[horseboy]

Your next thread should be "How can I become the biggest --cream-filled twinkie-- troll on teh innernets?"

Come to think of it, you would probably get your answer a little faster with a PM to pinballjim.

[missioncontrol]

Is this thread serious?

My old 82 Ford used to have plenty of room for plywood to lay flat down....

Hell I've managed to fit several sheets in my Bronco with the back Window down and the excess plywood sticking out the back... Used the same technique when the wife had the Taurus wagon and also with her Buick Roadmaster wagon she owns now....

If your worried about it sliding off buy some rope as mentioned before....

[Donkey_Kong]

I got 6 sheets in my F150

[missioncontrol]

I got 6 sheets in my F150

amature

[ChadTower]

Is this thread serious?

It was until it got all douchey.  People here can bicker about anything.

[leapinlew]

Chad -

Before you build your arcade and play all those big scary complicated games, you may want to practice with this first:
http://digilander.libero.it/important/pacman/eng/index.html

Your Friend,
Lewis

[crashwg]

Well you could always let your wife check out, and then one of the workers will load it and tie it down for you. Problem solved.

Not sure about Lowes, but Home Depot's policy on this is that the customer must secure their own merchandise.  The employees may assist in holding ropes and such but they consider it a liability to "design the tie down plan" or participate in tying knots.

[ChadTower]

<yoink> runs special software to filter undesired and/or inappropriate content from our internal networks. This software relies on a vendor-supplied database of URLs categorized by criteria developed by this vendor. At times the criteria used does not correctly reflect the content returned by a URL.

Lew is mean.

[NinjaEpisode]

Seriously, leave the damn gate closed, slide the stuff in over the back gate and drive home.  It's in there for what 20-30 minutes max?  Unless it's raining like a mofo that's not nearly enough time for warping.

[Donkey_Kong]

I got 6 sheets in my F150

amature

I just realized I was driving over the blue carpet during this picture...   

[Chris G]

That's a tiny cab you're making DK.

[ChadTower]

Out of graham crackers, maybe?

[horseboy]

I got 6 sheets in my F150

amature

I just realized I was driving over the blue carpet during this picture...   

It was you all along.

[CheffoJeffo]

I got 6 sheets in my F150

amature

I just realized I was driving over the blue carpet during this picture...   

It was you all along.

Not altogether surprising ...

 

[DrewKaree]

I got 6 sheets in my F150

amature

I just realized I was driving over the blue carpet during this picture...   

It was you all along.

Not altogether surprising ...

 

He is a masterbator of self-promotion, no? <-- threw that in for a grimace


Chad, Kinky Dong's pic shows the way you should do it.  Simply opening up the tailgate and laying 'em down won't do it, they have to be tied down or together, which is a waste of rope, since they can go on an angle into the truck bed.

I've been behind two separate idiots in my life who thought they could drive home more than one sheet of material without securing it if they only went slow enough  

I helped the first guy, since he dumped 10+ sheets and blocked traffic in two directions.  The second guy...well, I learned my lesson from helping the first guy

[pointdablame]

woah.... a reply by donkey_kong was the most helpful?  and it was a post where he was trying to be sarcastic...

what the hell is going on here?     

[ChadTower]

I've been behind two separate idiots in my life who thought they could drive home more than one sheet of material without securing it if they only went slow enough  

I helped the first guy, since he dumped 10+ sheets and blocked traffic in two directions.  The second guy...well, I learned my lesson from helping the first guy

Yep, that was my primary concern.  I saw a guy lose some ply sheets on an interstate a couple years ago... caused a really bad accident for a minivan full of kids behind him.  Guy didn't even stop.  I couldn't because it was roughly behind me once we saw what really happened, I tried to follow to get his plate but couldn't manage to get it.  Said in the paper the next day that two of the kids were severely injured.  Bad stuff.  They never found the guy.

[Zakk]

I've been behind two separate idiots in my life who thought they could drive home more than one sheet of material without securing it if they only went slow enough  

I helped the first guy, since he dumped 10+ sheets and blocked traffic in two directions.  The second guy...well, I learned my lesson from helping the first guy

Yep, that was my primary concern.  I saw a guy lose some ply sheets on an interstate a couple years ago... caused a really bad accident for a minivan full of kids behind him.  Guy didn't even stop.  I couldn't because it was roughly behind me once we saw what really happened, I tried to follow to get his plate but couldn't manage to get it.  Said in the paper the next day that two of the kids were severely injured.  Bad stuff.  They never found the guy.

Then don't do it that way.

[ChadTower]

Exactly, and checking for better methods is what I did.  Even if it meant asking a simple question and getting tooled on for it. 

[mccoy178]

Chad, all joking aside, this is in the realm of where to put the "o" and "k" buttons.  Very scary stuff.