Carry plywood?

[James Morse]

A friend asked can I get a 4x8 sheet for him. It won't fit between the wheel wells (B3000, since XLT has tool box in it, same size anyway). Other people must have done this... what's the best way, let it set up on the wheel wells (has bedliner), then, don't know if it can slant towards the front and set up on the (closed) tailgate, or am I going to have to open the tailgate, let it stick out, and tie it in. Doesn't look so easy to tie it in since tie downs are in kind of the same plane as the sheet, but must be a way to do it.... kind of dumb question but I just don't want to get up there and not know what I'm doing. Thanks.

 

[don4331]

Get an F-150 long bed

Seriously, I leave tailgate up and slide sheets in - gives me a whopping big spoiler....

Leaving tailgate down means sheet would be sitting on wheel wells and back of tailgate, begging to fall out when you accelerate away from 1st set of lights.

 

[pjtoledo]

hang out back with tailgate up.
run tie straps from trailer hitch up to bed side tie points.

edited for spelling

 

[superj]

since mine is a stepside, i put the drywall or plywood on the top of the rails and tie it down.

oddly, my last two midsized trucks were both stepsides, single cabs, and sticks, though one a ranger and one a sonoma

 

[James Morse]

Thanks everyone, sounds like leave gate up, slide it in, tie via hitch and bed tie downs.
F150 is nice, but this is something I basically never do. F series -way- heavier than Ranger, I don't think that help for off road and I think smaller truck is more maneuverable for off road. Though there may be some advantages to F series I'm missing.
There was this guy where I grew up he went and worked in Alaska a while on oil rigs came back to town, he had a blue F series pretty sure it was a Ford it sat high and looked like a beast. One of those, I wouldn't mind. This is circa like, um, I'm going to say '71 or maybe a bit later. Seems like a long time ago but of course at the time it looked new. Thread wander.

 

[Ranger850]

I vote for the "spoiler" approach

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I vote for the "spoiler" approach

Thats how ive always done it

 

[Curious Hound]

Just cut the plywood into smaller pieces that fit.

Do I have to teach you guys EVERYTHING?

 

[James Morse]

Yeah but that only works if you don't need an intact sheet.
About that F-series it must have been a "highboy".
He also had a white GTO "The Judge".

 

[racsan]

Trailer. And a 14 ft one can let you easily bring home 16ft lumber.

 

[4x4junkie]

Ford put these notches in the bed sides just for this purpose...
You lay a 2x4 (cut to the proper length) in these notches (one in front of the wheelwells, the other behind), then place your 4x8' sheets of building material on top of the 2x4s.
Run a couple straps over the back in a "X" configuration so they can't slide out, done.

Or if you have the right brand of bedliner (in this case, Pendaliner):

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Or....

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I always slid it over the closed tailgate and down into the bed. Put at least one strap from a bed tie down over the end of the ply sticking out and down to bumper/hitch somewhere from middle to opposite side. Don’t trust it to stay put by weight or whatever, I lost 4x8 sheets out of the bed before. If I have my aluminum cap on my Ranger it has ladder racks and 4x8 sheets fit on that nicely (I’ve even climbed up there and cut sheets on top). Granted, my F-150 and dump make for better haulers of that stuff, but that doesn’t keep me from still using the Ranger.

Those notches for 2x4s to raise a flat level above the wheel wells are nice, but not particularly practical for me. Usually there’s stuff in the bed that requires the tailgate to be up. Plus it doesn’t really help if you have a cross box at the front of the bed

 

[James Morse]

No problem at all. Tie downs in bed are at the right height you really only need them, but tying to hitch just makes it easier to keep it tight when tying off.
He gave me m-wave 1000W, Hamilton Beach exact same as what I got not too long ago, so, spare, or for shop. Also Ultrean AF12 air fryer 1700W. He redid his kitchen and has built in m-wave and new stove that has oven that is also an air fryer. They look clean.
Truck isn't the bright red color looks off in the pic it's the darker metallic red not the bright red like the XLT.
Glad I didn't sell the Mazda it's nice to have the 2 of them.
I see what you're saying the Mazda bed has those recesses in the side to put 2x6 across level to the fender wells. I always wondered what those were for.
XLT has tool box, you can't do this with it.
Thanks for the help.