Given that it's likely Ford won't be making a new Ranger and I'm getting nervous waiting, I'm wondering if anyone has a Transit Connect and uses it in that type of capacity.

I'm thinking along the lines of mounting side rails and hauling lumber/plywood/long skinny stuff that way. That's typically how I'll use the Ranger, and anything huge can sit in the back of the Transit like any van would haul it.

Does that type of arrangement work? I'm shying away from top rack simply because my back no longer allows too much overhead type work.