Another Test Passed

While I'm sure it will take a while for our new Pilot to fully feel like a member of the family, it sure earned itself a lot of points this past week. After waiting weeks, Menards finally had 1/2 baltic birch plywood in stock for a couple of days (literally) when I could actually pick it up.

Hauling 4x8 sheets of plywood was always a bit dicey with the Jeep. It involved the plywood lying at an angle, lots of tie downs, and the back door being mostly open, which made for a fun drive on the interstate.

When we were shopping for the new car, I took a trusty tape measure to measure critical dimensions, such as garage door clearance, snowy driveway clearance, and plywood loading clearance. The Jeep Commander cargo area was so small, that I wasn't convinced that I'd be able to even get plywood through the rear opening. However, my measurements indicated the likelihood of 4x8 plywood actually lying flat between the wheel wells of the Pilot.

I wouldn't believe it until the Menards guy helped me slide it in there. Simply Amazing!

Of course, when the plywood lies flat the back door closes nearly all the way. I had the most pleasant drive home that I've ever had with wood sticking out the back of the car. It was so exciting that I took a picture before unloading this ridiculously expensive plywood: