Carrying things in VE/VF ute

[bretto86]

Hi guys,

New to the forum & new to Commodores.
Looking at buying a VF ute & just have some questions for anyone who uses their ute (VE, etc) to actually carry things.

I currently have a TF Rodeo but have a bad back injury & the Rodeo is just too rough a ride.
Not a tradie but use ute for picking up materials for renovation, etc & also do some rubbish removal/furniture moving/general courier work on the side for my mums business.
Nothing too heavy-duty but more than average use I suppose...

Anyway looking at the VF as it's one of the few utes with a comfortable ride & I like the styling, performance, etc.
Problem is I'm starting to get worried about how I'll actually use it for "working" purposes. Most of them around here are purely sports cars, which is fine, but this needs to be a multi-purpose sports car...

Main concerns are:

Carrying long lengths (2.4m min.) of timber, etc. Anyone do this? I'm assuming I may have to get a sports bar & lean things on that...

Carrying tall items (filing cabinets, etc) At the moment I can push these up against the back window & lash them forward & down. Obviously with the VF the "sailplanes" (right term?) will get damaged if I attempt this.

Anyone using tie-down rails? i.e, Cargo Restraint Rails - AutoStuff.com.au (first results that popped up)
Noticed that under the tub-liner is hollow in some areas so not sure if strong enough for heavy tying-down?

Also it seems carrying capacity is around 600kg. Anyone know how much the rear will drop with this much weight? I would like to lower it for appearance, but if the arse will drop a lot with weight I may not be able to?

Any help would be great guys!

Brett

 

[bretto86]

So noone actually puts things in their utes? I could really do with the comfortable suspension & other benefits, just worry about practicality...

 

[ari666]

might get a better response in the VE or VF section. VE has a lot of hits/users.

edit* here: https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/forums/ve-holden-commodore-2006-2013.75/

 

[Sandman]

The VE has fairly good cargo holds in comparison with previous models, the ones in the VZ like mine are tiny and flimsy as. Have a google and you'll see exactly what they look like in the VE/VF. Tall items as you have said will be the biggest obstacle you will face, I generally tie things in the back corners though I don't cart much that is tall. The tie downs you've linked or similar might be a decent investment for your use, but I can't comment on quality. I've carried 3.6m pieces in mine but it was only a few for a short trip, but I had them hanging out over the back. Depending on how often you use them you could look into the stainless steel sports bars/plumbers racks. Might help you with tying up your tall items too. As long as you load your trailer correctly and use 'ute' lowered springs that are meant for carrying weight you should have no problem towing and dropping it a bit.

 

[bretto86]

Thanks for the tip. Just posted over there...

Sandman, thanks for the reply.
Long timbers, etc won't be frequently carried but would like to be able to when needed. Any idea how long the tray is on the diagonal? 3.6m is decent!
Don't really like the look of sports bars on Holden utes (a lot sleeker without them) but it has to be practical so may be necessary.
Suppose I can remove rear ladder bar when not being used but sports bar may be a bit trickier...

OK cool, I assume these would be a heavier-duty spring? Does that mean the ride will be much harsher?
Do you have these fitted to yours or are you running at standard height?

Thanks again guys...

 

[Sandman]

Can't tell you the exactl size mate, I know the VE tray is slightly smaller than the VZ. 3.6 was obviously hanging over the tailgate and wasn't ideal but for a 10 minute trip it worked. The tray on the VZ is 1.8 roughly so with decent strapping 2.4 wouldn't be too much of a hassle.
Spring wise the the heavy duty makes little difference, you will loose a little ride comfort with lowering but this isn't much (imo) and the way it rides when done properly is more than worth it. I've had a few springs in my ute at the moment I'm running sedan ultra lows, which aren't the HD ones but for me I mainly carry big items that aren't overly heavy, though I haven't carried anything big since having these latest ones in. Running the ute weighted springs is the best of both worlds really, you get the height you want and can still cart your gear around, you just have to do your research as the ute springs do sit higher than the comparable sedan springs, hence why I've gone through so many.

 

[Drawnnite]

i know you said you don't want them but, look at getting some sports bars with the rear ladder rack.
neighbour has them but I am pretty sure he has it so they can be removed. or atleast the rear one anyway.
if it helps it wasn't a holden specific one, think it was more of a custom made one, so doesn't stand out too much.

one other issue he found was that with the newer style of soft tonneau he couldn't leave 1 corner open as he used to with older utes he had.
just something else to consider.

 

[rx2_freak]

Utes arent made to have **** put in the back. If you wanna tow **** get a trailer or a van.

 

[bretto86]

Van isn't suitable for what I need & I want to avoid a trailer as much as possible. If I do end up with a trailer it will only be for the (hopefully) occasional; times that the ute can't carry what I need moved...

 

[lmoengnr]

I had 'Cargo tie down rails' fitted as an option when I bought my Redline ute.

VF's are basically the same tray, check out the Holden website, they may still be available.