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Can You Fit Drywall In A Minivan? (Why Would You?)

Minivans are manufactured mainly for providing plenty of space for people or cargo. This space can be used for a variety of different purposes such as taking cross country trips, taking the family to the park, or even for hauling around lumber or other construction material. 

When people think of vehicles that are used for hauling construction material they often think of a truck, however if you own a minivan and need to pick up some drywall at your local hardware store it’s important to know whether the drywall will fit in your minivan or not. 

Drywall actually can fit inside your minivan as long as you lay the seats into the floor or remove them (depending on the model). You will have to use virtually the entire rear of the minivan behind the driver and passenger seats to fit a 4×8 sheet of drywall but it will fit inside! 

One huge downside of moving drywall with a minivan is that it will often get a mess all over your interior. The drywall sheets will barely fit width wise which in turn means that you will often be scraping up against the rear walls and leaving some white residue. 

Another thing to consider is how much drywall you can put inside your minivan. Each sheet of drywall will typically weigh around 50lbs (depending on how thick it is). Most minivans can typically hold around 1200lbs (including passengers so that means you should be able to put about 20 sheets of ½ inch drywall in your minivan as long as you only have the driver inside. 

If you are using a minivan as a passenger carrying vehicle, then the loading capacity helps you to carry more people than any other automobiles. When it comes to hauling cargo or any construction material, then also it can cater to all of your needs. 

The weight limit of the minivan is something that can be pushed a little bit further as well but by doing so you risk damaging your suspension, transmission, or even engine. 

It is best to just stay below the manufacturers recommended weight limit on cargo and make an extra trip if you need more drywall. 

In the rest of this article I will mention some additional information about putting drywall in your minivan as well as some tips that you should pay attention to when hauling construction material with it. 

Why would you carry drywall in a minivan? 

A lot of people prefer to purchase a minivan because they can be used for so many different purposes. Minivans are quite useful in carrying loads as well as transporting people. 

Often, people will use their minivans for carrying things like drywall, plywood, furniture, etc. because that is the only large vehicle that they own. Since minivans are so versatile they can be the perfect family vehicle during the week and also hold just about anything that you need for a weekend house project. 

It isn’t that a minivan is the best choice for hauling drywall as that would certainly be a pickup truck. However, a minivan can be used for virtually everything that a pickup truck can be (except less towing or payload capacity) and still be used to haul 7-8 people to and from school or sports on a daily basis. 

I currently own two vehicles, a car and a minivan, and virtually anything that I could do with my truck (that I sold four years ago) I can do with my minivan! 

Can you use a minivan as a cargo-carrying vehicle?

Minivans are a multipurpose vehicle that can be used for many different purposes. Anyone who chooses to purchase a minivan often does it because of this multi use ability. 

Since minivans are so versatile they can be used for multiple things in the same day with ease. 

Those who want to use a minivan as a commuting option can easily get great benefits from doing so. You can also easily use it as a cargo-carrying vehicle as it has a massive space option. 

There are a few different models such as the Chrysler Pacifica, which comes with all foldable rear seats that can then allow you to fit a guava tic amount of cargo inside the vehicle. 

How big is the interior of a minivan?

The interior of a minivan is quite spacious. It can easily accommodate 7-8 people or items that are up to 4 feet wide, 8 feet long, and 40 inches tall (through the rear door). The sizes mentioned are assuming that all the seats are folded flat or removed from the minivan. 

Some people use all of this space for commercial purposes for transporting people or for cargo carrying. Those who want to get maximum benefit use it for both purposes. 

The features provided by this segment of vehicle is quite significant for any work. If you are looking for a vehicle that can act as a cargo-carrying as well as passenger-oriented usage, then this is going to be an ideal choice. 

How can you get maximum space in a minivan?

Most of the minivans on the market come with features that can easily be used that will allow you to get the most space possible. Virtually all minivans have third row seats that fold into the floor while Chrysler and Dodge also offer this for their second row seats as well. 

The foldable seating arrangement will substantially increase the space which is going to help for carrying as much cargo as possible. If you want to attain maximum space for carrying different materials, then you should fold the seats if you have these models. 

If you have a model where the third row folds but the second one doesn’t then you will have to manually remove the second row seats to be able to fit as much cargo in the minivan as possible. 

Once you have either folded the seats into the floor or removed them you can now accommodate virtually any material such as drywall, plywood, etc. 

Are there any concerns related to carrying construction material in your minivan?

When it comes to carrying different kinds of construction materials in your minivan, you should make sure to understand all of the possible issues that could arise if you don’t do it properly. These concerns are related to the proper maintenance of the vehicle as well as keeping a check on damage that could occur due to the edges of the construction materials tearing up the floor, walls, or ceiling. 

Apart from this, the construction material is often covered with dust and dirt which can make your whole interior untidy. Keeping, a check on these can keep you away from all these hassles.

What are some crucial tips while carrying construction material in your minivan?

It is crucial to know about all the things while carrying construction-related materials in your minivan. The following are some of the tips that can help you in reducing the stress while carrying these materials in your minivan.

  • Keep a close eye  on the load-carrying capacity of the minivan. Construction materials such as drywall, concrete bags, and plywood are quite heavy. If you are overloading your vehicle, then it may cause problems in the performance as well as wear out some of the specific parts of the minivan prematurely.
  • It is mandatory to keep a check on the distribution of the load-carrying capacity. This helps to make sure you have the appropriate distribution of weight, which helps in getting maximum benefits while carrying the load in your minivan. This doesn’t only help you in maintaining the load but also helps to keep the performance of your vehicle from being affected.
  • It is a good idea to check that the materials you are carrying don’t have sharp edges. Most of the drywall, plyboards, and other items are equipped with sharp edges that can damage the interior of your minivan. Keep a check on these and wrap the edges so that you can help yourself in attaining minimal damages to the interior while using it as a load-carrying vehicle.
  • Dust and dirt is the most prominent concern when you are carrying construction material in your minivan. Concrete bags and other different construction materials will definitely have the most dirt and likelihood of messing up your minivan. If you are carrying that, then it is recommended to wrap them efficiently so that the problem of the untidy interior can be kept at bay or simply cover the floor and materials with tarps. 

Which is the best minivan that can carry the maximum load?

Almost all the minivans come with a specific load-carrying capacity. If you are looking for a minivan that can carry the maximum load, then you should keep a regular check on the specifications. 

The Chrysler Pacifica is the best minivan that can easily carry a maximum load up to 1,200 pounds. For most people and construction materials that will be about it the maximum that you can fit in the minivan based on volume as well.