Message Forums

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

---

Stuff everything  in corners

Lose the boxes  suff bags go in odd corners

flat-pack as much as possible

leave as much as you can at home

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.

Safety first luxuries second

Derek,

Just noticed where you are going at Easter, maybe see you there?

Jubilee TBA-
July - Blue Dolphin

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.

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

---

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!

Have a look at this thread..........amazing what you can get in when needs must

(yes yes Valbarley, copyright, pics, blah blah, am singing your praises so no moaning)

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=3&TopicID=164156&SearchPagePosition=1&search=valbarley&searchMode=allwords&searchIn=Author&forum=3&searchSort=dateDESC&ReturnPage=Search

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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

---

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?