Keep the kids safe, nothing under their bums or car seats anything you like in the foot-wells. If packing over the height of the seats then a cargo net or bars.
Thanks everyone for the great advice, i think i'll split everything down into small bags as much as possible so it can be squeezed in wherever, with any luck I'll get the vermont xl / suitcase in the roofbox which will mean we can get the kampa kazee along too in the boot.
I'm a project manager dealing with multi million pound construction projects - but this one has me worried the most!!
Having made a prevous post about fitting everything in like a jigsaw, I've now got worried myself as I've recently changed my car from a Subaru Estate to an Astra Twintop. I'm currently looking at what I've got and loking at space saving alternatives. The big fridge will be the first thing to stay at home and I'll use a cool bag, I've replaced the water container has been replaced with something that packs into a very small bag.
Sadly I can't use a roof box, but think a Towbar and trailer are a serious consideration.
------------- Hazi ate twenty??????
The plate to be, the plate to see!
get some compression sacks for the sleeping bags you should be able to shrink them by half that way
, lose all the boxes fit as much stuff inside other empty stuff as you can , use the spaces under the seats too and be prepared to fill the back to the top ,
take note of what you actually use when there , bet some of the stuff is not used at all. I tend to take too much just in case spare stuff and never use it.
As others have said, lose the Boxes. If you can get a couple of BIG holdalls you could put all your kitchen stuff in one along with lights, torches etc. The other could keep clothes and towels. Put bulky things like Sleeping bags, airbeds etc in the roofbox. When you start to pack the car, you will work it out.
Pack and it will fit
Pack and it will fit
Pack and it will fit
Repeat after me....
------------- Always forgive,Never forget;Learn from mistakes,But Never regret;People change,Things go wrong;Just remember life goes on
Cool campers use Delta Pegs.
The happiest people aren't the ones who have everything they are the ones who make the most of everything they have
Does anyone have any suggestions for how best to pack water containers? We have a 25l non-collapsible one which will probably be invaluable once there, but would be heavy to transport full and using space empty; could we pack socks in via the spout?
Be careful about how much weight you put in the roofbox - check your car's hand book for the maximum allowable as you really don't want to damage the car before you've even left home!!
When my outlaws were moving from Luton, we were asked to travel from our then home in Loch Lomond to Luton to collect them and "a few things". The contents of their house were going into storage for a while so it was just their clothes and a few prized possessions. It was very windy so we decided not to take the roofbox.
Only when we got their did they find out that the movers wouldn't take any opened foodstuffs - e.g. tins of gravy powder, etc. Nor would they take any dried foods.
Oh boy did our 1.4 litre Astra hatchback work hard on that journey - 4 adults, the world's most obnoxious terrier and stuff everywhere!! It was on the floor, between the rear seat passengers, the boot was full to overflowing, we had stuff in our laps, the parcel shelf would have sagged if it wasn't for all the stuff in the boot pushing it up!!
Just as well we had an uneventful journey - dread to think what would have happened in an emergency stop! We had made sure all the heavy items were low down and secured but even something relatively lightweight can become quite a projectile at high speed.
As Oldham said - "safety first".
Our dogs have the boot of my Discovery when we go and almost everything is carefully packed on or under the back seat. The dogs know they're going on holiday because they can't jump into the boot - their beds are there but are always that little bit higher. The camp table goes in flat under their bed, there's a spare bed for in the caravan, the porch awning sometimes goes in there - it's amazing what their beds can hide!! The Jack Russell appreciates the height boost as it means he can see out more easily but the lab/collie cross doesn't appreciate speed bumps because he usually sits up to see why we've slowed then bumps his head on the ceiling!
OH wants to camp this year as well as caravan so I can foresee lots more "car Tetris" as we like to call it!!
Good luck, but I'm sure you'll be fine!
------------- Best Wishes and Happy Travels,
Feecamp
Quote: Originally posted by scrimboy2 on 24/3/2009
Quote: Originally posted by theclarkes on 22/3/2009
Quote: Originally posted by Finnboy on 21/3/2009
We'll be going away this year with a hatchback V reg Astra, a roofbox and 2 adults, 4 kids.
How do you manage to get 6 people into a V reg Astra, as each person by law requires a seat belt, and I dont know of any 6 seater Astras
perhaps she is 9 months pegnant !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe, although the poster just replied "TYPO" not sure what that means, does it mean a typing error, and that they have 3 kids not 4 (although it looks like 4 kids in the gallery pics) or was the typo error that they dont have an astra
Roofbox
packing list from bottom to top
Kitchen stand, shelves, 2 tables
large eating table necessary?
2 adult camp chairs, 2 girls chairs
Vermont XL poles in box
Footprint groundsheet
Carpet roof box
Pegs and mallets
Side canopy + poles in bag only if necessary – strap onto roof bars?
EHU
Airbeds – 1 double + 3 singles +pump
Heater
UFO lights, lanterns
Kettle, toaster
Picnic rugs and foil blankets vacuum bag
Sleeping bags vacuum bag
fleece sleeping bag liners vacuum bag
Pillows – LD, 3 air pillows for the rest vacuum bag
2 fleece blankets for girls, 2 doubles for us vacuum bag
Headtorches, girls torches.
Spare batteries and bulbs
2 inflatable sofas necessary?
Boot
packing list back of boot to front gas bottle on its side behind seats
Our suitcase in front of bottle, stove to side, my rucksack behind stove# OR USE ROOF BOX?
Vermont XL in trolley bag – on its side OR USE ROOF BOX?
Fridge and converter in beside XL?
Toilet, zoflora, cat litter pellets Try to get tent or suitcase in roofrack
Girls stuff in holdalls – squeeze in where possible
kitchen stuff – split into small bags / boxes -squeeze in where possible
Cant help thiking the rofbox will be too heavy and I'll need to ditch some stuff, nut we'll see!
PS star 1234 - c u there - heres hoping the weather is good!
Quote: Originally posted by mickeyboyc on 24/3/2009
Does anyone have any suggestions for how best to pack water containers? We have a 25l non-collapsible one which will probably be invaluable once there, but would be heavy to transport full and using space empty; could we pack socks in via the spout?
You could....but youd spend all your holiday trying to get them back out!
And, would YOU want to drink water from a combined water/sock container?
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Too Much Stuff Too Little Car!
