Has anyone carried a board that is 12 feet x 1 foot x 2 inches in a Prius? If so, how did you fit it in? Thanks!
Do you think it would work with part out the window? I won't know until I try it but hate to think of buying the lumber and then not able to transport it.
Have the lumber put in the car through the front passenger side window, angled to the driver side back corner, then pay if it fits. Recline all the seats but the drivers. or Two computer guys and a treehouse - Scott Forsyth's Blog
If you do haul that 2x12 in your Prius, I would suggest you put some HEAVY towels under every place where the 2x12 touches the car. Otherwise, there will be a lot of marks to the area where the 2x12 is resting. Whatever you do, be careful. If the edge of that board got caught on something with you going down the road, there will be considerable damage to the Prius. Not to mention that it might end up being a catastrophic event. I don't want to sound like a killjoy or something like that, you just never know what might happen out there on the road.
Great advice. Just sold my pickup truck today. Don't plan to used my three month old Prius as I did the truck. Both Lowes & Home Depot rent trucks for transporting large items. Had the pickup for sixteen years and I'm sure I'll miss it. With too many vehicles, it was the most expendable and I'll learn to live without it.
I've used my 2009 Prius for hauling bags of mulch and rocks and sand, hundreds of plants, hay, 8 ft Christmas trees, dogs of course, and many other things including a rabbit hutch. It will hold 20 large bags of mulch without crowding the sides and without touching the roof or blocking the rear window (well, it blocks it a little but not much). I use plastic and cloth tarps and am careful. The car still looks great.
bring a red flag with you and tie it to the end sticking out. i open the rear passenger window and lide the board in to the passenger footwell. run a tape measure along the path to see how far it will stick out.
I've been looking at getting a trailer hitch and a cheap harbor freight/craigslist trailer for my gen II. I know towing is not recommended but I figure a few hundred pounds for <10 miles shouldn't do too much harm.
It's not going to fit. The length limit for inside the car is about nine feet. The width of your board would probably make nine feet a stretch. A plank that size is also too big to go out the passenger side window. If it's just a mile or so you could leave the tailgate up, but you'll need to figure out how to secure the board. It would be best to borrow a truck. A twelve foot board will be a challenge even for a pickup unless it has a ladder rack.
Out a window? You guys are seriously talking about car jousting? Darwin applauds your efforts! The safest way, IMO, is to lay the board down along the center of the car, with the rear seats folded down. Use the tie-downs to hold the lumber in the car. Then tie the lumber to the hatch, to hold the hatch closed against the lumber. Put a red flag at the end of the lumber. Done. Geez, you guys really scare me sometimes.
maestro8 is right. That board is too heavy to stick out the window. It just gets a little breezy inside.
The angle is really not steep. It's not as steep as it looks like in that first photo. Plus the board was quite heavy. The hatchback was held down with a bungee cord. There was never any question of the board slipping. Judy
When I haul dimensional lumber I take the head rests off, slide the front seat forward, and reclined all the way. Now you can put 10 ft dimensional lumber from the foot well area all the way back and still get the lid closed. 10 is the max, but here's what 16 footers look like. By the way the CRV in the background is useless for hauling anything.
Instead of a pick up I got a Curt Hitch from E-trailer on eBay (they advertise here) and the external power supply for the lights too which was plug & play. I was going to buy a trailer but that's just another thing I have to store & maintain so instead I rent there smallest I think 5x10 U-Haul trailer for $25 for the day anytime I need it. Car pulls that heavy trailer around town real good.
