[ElCameron]

Since this forum seems to be full of chickens and excuse makers about how "hauling 4x8 plywood is a silly question." I thought I would go ahead and prod the fire a bit, because this is actually a feature that is critically important to me, and I suspect others. And before you all spam me, I am an Architect/Developer/Builder who's job and life touches alot of "REAL MAN WORK WITH TOOLS HAMMERS, LOOK AT ME ARRGG" and alot of real time sensitive emergencies fixing and opening properties. But I also live in a townhouse, like a good drive, and often have to almost be as impressive as a realtor.

Below are the 2 images I've been able to find detailing how hauling a 4x8 sheet is done. One details the molded cut outs, and the other is rendering. Still haven't found a reviewer or owner brave enough to try it and show the world though. Looks pretty good though, I'd guess 30" of overhang past the tailgate? Not sure I would strap it that way. But works. I'd guess you could maybe get 10 sheets of 3/4"? Maybe similar of drwall. But I'd use a 3/4" or 1/2" plywood deck to support the drywall so it doesn't break on that gate edge. Hauling drywall is a PIA. I'd also probably consider tying down to a roof rack for studs longer than 8'. Similar to Kayak hauling. But studs are easier as you can place the vertically and they will not deflect as much.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

I'm sure someone will test it eventually, but suspect most of us here RARELY haul 4x8 foot sheets of anything. I can think of once in the last 10 years that I hauled a sheet of plywood in my truck, about 4 years ago. Before that, it was around 2010 when I was doing a little home renovation with OSB and drywall. Might take a while to get a real review on that. The tailgate is rated for 500lbs of support ... how many sheets of 3/4" ply is that?

 

[ElCameron]

I

I'm sure someone will test it eventually, but suspect most of us here RARELY haul 4x8 foot sheets of anything. I can think of once in the last 10 years that I hauled a sheet of plywood in my truck, about 4 years ago. Before that, it was around 2010 when I was doing a little home renovation with OSB and drywall. Might take a while to get a real review on that. The tailgate is rated for 500lbs of support ... how many sheets of 3/4" ply is that?

3/4" is ~60 lbs. So considering that the gate won't hold all the weight, 10 sheets is about right. I think the space between the wheel wells and the cover holder will be the real limiting factor.

I guess i laugh because you all make it a point to argue DOWN the capabilities of the truck. Y'all should be thrilled it has such built in capabilities. It's BETTER than an old baja or mazda truck. But You guys are almost afraid to admit that. Pride yourselves on NOT doing any real hauling. What does it matter. You can haul a bunch of stuff INCLUDING plywood.

Right now I google "Hyundai Santa Cruz Plywood" and look what we get... (If I was Hyundai marketing or an exec, I'd be pissed... And no, the images above I posted don't show up at all. I get 4 pictures of the Ford Maverick doing it easy, and a bunch of pictures of stuff that would easily fit in an SUV trunk with a weatherproof liner.) Are you all REALLY that afraid of work? Hyundai built a BETTER "truck" (more payload, more towing) than the Maverick, but won't admit it.

 

[ToadVine]

...The tailgate is rated for 500lbs of support ... how many sheets of 3/4" ply is that?

Where did that 500 lbs come from? Somewhere, a month or two ago, I was really surprised and disappointed when I read it was 200 lbs for the tailgate.

A sheet of 3/4" ply is about 60 lbs.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

I think the difference is Hyundai isn't trying to sell it as a truck. Ford is. Hyundai is selling it as a CUV with extra abilities. Ford is pitching the Maverick as a smaller "built Ford tough" truck - and one of their key markets for the XL will be commercial use where the plywood metric is much more important.

I don't see anyone here downplaying its capabilities as much as not caring that much about it because it's not our priority/focus. We're aware that it can do truck stuff, and it has plenty of payload/towing/capability ... but most of us are looking at the ride as being more important than what it does to be a truck.

If your main need is a work truck to do serious truck things, hauling/towing/rock crawling/whatever, this probably isn't your best option. But if the truck stuff is secondary to having a great driving vehicle with a lot of features and a decidedly non-truck interior ... it's tough to beat.

Also, I think if you look at the age thread, the majority of us here aren't in our 20s. We've done hard work. We've had big trucks (or still have them). And we're well aware that we don't really NEED a big truck in our lives. The things I needed a truck to do pretty much peaked with an 83 S-10 V6 I had back in the 90s. I'm pretty sure the SC has more payload and capability (certainly more power) than it ever did. But I also want a comfortable commuter vehicle all week for work, and occasionally need to do light 'truck stuff' on the weekend or in the evening. Hauling a lawnmower or kayak is probably my heaviest use of my current full size truck. The Cruz will do that just fine, with better mileage and WAY better road manners.

I don't think we need to brag up "pushed to the limits" truck capabilities on the Cruz. We're more likely to chirp about 0-60 times and how it handles a twisty mountain road.

 

[Walking Black Bear]

Where did that 500 lbs come from?

I'm pretty sure it was in the owners manual, but I'm not at the computer I have that saved on to check. It was also in a few videos. There have been more than a few issues with the numbers around this release though. IE: 660lbs in the bed.

 

[SC-421]

I guess i laugh because you all make it a point to argue DOWN the capabilities of the truck. Y'all should be thrilled it has such built in capabilities. It's BETTER than an old baja or mazda truck. But You guys are almost afraid to admit that. Pride yourselves on NOT doing any real hauling. What does it matter. You can haul a bunch of stuff INCLUDING plywood.

I don't think many are downing the capabilities of the SC. Quite the opposite, I think it's the truck-like capabilities of the SC that make people excited for it. However, it is a different demographic from those looking at a mid-sized or full-sized pickup. It's just that the 4x8 plywood example is at the end of the cargo spectrum for most SC buyers whereas it's just another type of cargo for a F-150. The pictures that came up on your google search is exactly what Hyundai envision people hauling around in the SC. If all that came up was sheets of plywood in the back... that's when Hyundai failed. The fact that the search showed a Maverick pictured is just another example that, while similar in some aspects, these are two different vehicles marketed to different people.

 

[ToadVine]

To your point, @ElCameron,

We don't care to discuss the SC's truckish qualities because as soon as we do, out come the logging roaders. Then, the Gold Mine Hill gang. Then, the weekend Moab rock-crawlers. Then, we hear it from all the Bro-dozers. Pretty soon GraveDigger, El Diablo, and Backwards Bob will make an appearance. And, so, in the end, it's a loud of p*ssing and moaning about why can't our nice silk purse become a nasty old sow's ear?

But, all that aside, welcome aboard and what color Santa Cruz is your favorite?

 

[SC-421]

Also, I think if you look at the age thread, the majority of us here aren't in our 20s. We've done hard work. We've had big trucks (or still have them). And we're well aware that we don't really NEED a big truck in our lives.

100% me!

 

[Old Dan]

I think the difference is Hyundai isn't trying to sell it as a truck. Ford is. Hyundai is selling it as a CUV with extra abilities. Ford is pitching the Maverick as a smaller "built Ford tough" truck - and one of their key markets for the XL will be commercial use where the plywood metric is much more important.

I don't see anyone here downplaying its capabilities as much as not caring that much about it because it's not our priority/focus. We're aware that it can do truck stuff, and it has plenty of payload/towing/capability ... but most of us are looking at the ride as being more important than what it does to be a truck.

If your main need is a work truck to do serious truck things, hauling/towing/rock crawling/whatever, this probably isn't your best option. But if the truck stuff is secondary to having a great driving vehicle with a lot of features and a decidedly non-truck interior ... it's tough to beat.

Also, I think if you look at the age thread, the majority of us here aren't in our 20s. We've done hard work. We've had big trucks (or still have them). And we're well aware that we don't really NEED a big truck in our lives. The things I needed a truck to do pretty much peaked with an 83 S-10 V6 I had back in the 90s. I'm pretty sure the SC has more payload and capability (certainly more power) than it ever did. But I also want a comfortable commuter vehicle all week for work, and occasionally need to do light 'truck stuff' on the weekend or in the evening. Hauling a lawnmower or kayak is probably my heaviest use of my current full size truck. The Cruz will do that just fine, with better mileage and WAY better road manners.

I don't think we need to brag up "pushed to the limits" truck capabilities on the Cruz. We're more likely to chirp about 0-60 times and how it handles a twisty mountain road.

 

[Old Dan]

I’ve said this elsewhere, I’ve been driving full sized pickups for more than 40 years. At 71 the Santa Cruz is a great alternative. This thing can certainly handle anything that I need to haul. I can’t think of anything that I’ve used my truck for in the last 10 years that the SC can’t handle.
As was mentioned in earlier posts, the SC is enough truck for most folks.

 

[Jim 99]

I'm with you ElCameron, one of the biggest drawbacks to the 2006 Baja I currently own is the tail gate fit area, Subaru narrowed the box a couple of inches on each side for a tailgate opening of 45" The box is about 51" wide. No way to get a 4' sheet into the box, always have to hook up a small trailer for one stinking sheet of 1/2" sheetrock. Looking forward to being able to haul a 4' x 8' sheet of whatever.

 

[CaseyH]

IF you watch some of the early first impression reviews when they unveiled the SC they say it can hold 4x8 sheets on top of the wheel wells and the tailgate adjusted to what the manual calls the "plywood position" which is 20 degrees up from full the full open position. It makes the tailgate level with the top of the wheel wells. Can't find it in the manual but online reviews indicate the full open tailgate load limit is 500lbs when in the "plywood position".

 

[Sparkland]

I'm sure someone will test it eventually, but suspect most of us here RARELY haul 4x8 foot sheets of anything. I can think of once in the last 10 years that I hauled a sheet of plywood in my truck, about 4 years ago. Before that, it was around 2010 when I was doing a little home renovation with OSB and drywall. Might take a while to get a real review on that. The tailgate is rated for 500lbs of support ... how many sheets of 3/4" ply is that?

Let's put it this way, the SC will hold more sheets of plywood than we can afford. The bed depth will be the determining factor on hauling plywood, as not that many sheets will fit under the tonneau cover container and on top of the wheel wells.

The Ridgeline bed depth is around 16", so that would be around 20 pieces of 3/4" plywood at 60 lbs each, which would a bit under the cargo weight capacity of 1,583 lbs including one driver.

 

[dribblybob]

To your point, @ElCameron,
Backwards Bob will make an appearance.

Quite easily my favorite reference I've seen on these forums, or any forum actually, in a long time. That truck hurt my head to watch lol but I loved it soo much.

 

[ElCameron]

Hyundai is selling it as a CUV with extra abilities.

LOL it has "extra abilities" but we won't spend 10 minutes during a photo shoot to show you so that you can confirm they exist.

 

[ElCameron]

To your point, @ElCameron,

We don't care to discuss the SC's truckish qualities because as soon as we do, out come the logging roaders. Then, the Gold Mine Hill gang. Then, the weekend Moab rock-crawlers. Then, we hear it from all the Bro-dozers. Pretty soon GraveDigger, El Diablo, and Backwards Bob will make an appearance. And, so, in the end, it's a loud of p*ssing and moaning about why can't our nice silk purse become a nasty old sow's ear?

But, all that aside, welcome aboard and what color Santa Cruz is your favorite?

Boom, at least you are honest about it

I'm personally not sold on the santa cruz yet. I've got a 0% APR loan on my existing 2019 GMC Canyon, and it checks alot of the boxes right now. But we are moving in a few months into a townhouse with a garage and no exterior driveway, so I might need to downgrade size to keep the garage comfortable. Santa Cruz might be the best bet.

 

[Bigness]

From what i see on the road, the vast majority of people who drive a "real" truck don't haul anything except for themselves most of the time any way. I can't justify a 15 mpg $70k daily driver! If i haul wood, it's firewood - and I'd much rather put that in the bed than the back of my SUV.

 

[JASmith]

From what i see on the road, the vast majority of people who drive a "real" truck don't haul anything except for themselves most of the time any way. I can't justify a 15 mpg $70k daily driver! If i haul wood, it's firewood - and I'd much rather put that in the bed than the back of my SUV.

Well, we didn't pay $70K, but we are definitely getting 15mpg just commuting most of the time.

We did tow a small motorcycle trailer this week, but combined weight is probably 1K lbs.

 

[CaseyH]

Surprised at how well a 4x8 sheet of drywall fits. Overhang isn't that much and didn't feel like it was at-risk of breaking even without any extra support.