Need Some Car Packing Advice....

[outriding01]

I'm heading up to Alabama to do some hunting with some friends at the end of the week. Usually I go with my dad but one of our mechanics quit so he can't get away from the store. So now I'm driving but all I have is my Jetta (my truck won't be ready to go until the end of the month :(). It'll be me, two friends and my dog, so that will take up the inside of the car and our bags will take up the trunk. Then I have my two bows, both in plastic bow cases. I want to put them on the roof but really don't have an idea of how to go about doing that.... I don't want to spend money on some sort of expensive roof rack that I have to figure out how to install. Just give me some good old-fashioned duct tape-and-dirt solutions, lol.

[WashingtonBay]

Heh.... I don't see it working real well without a rack. I wouldn't put anything up there you wouldn't mind flying off at speed.

Check out craigslist for used, temporary racks. We had some ski racks that were temporary for our Honda, and with one notable exception, it stayed on pretty well, if it was put on right.

[starr]

well i really don't know myself maybe have one your friends sit on top and hold the stuff lol
sorry i'm no help

[42many]

I'm not allowed to put stuff on the roof, even when I want to, so I can't help you :(

My husband does dent repair on cars (hail damage, door dings, etc) and he says that he gets SO many cars with banged up roofs due to people putting stuff up there that he just won't let me do it!! :) I tell him... at least I know someone who can fix it... ;)

[outriding01]

Haha 42many, that is true!

I'll have to go check out craigslist, that's a good idea. I'll have to figure something out!

[alittleoffkey]

If I lived closer I'd come help - I'm the packing master. "That won't fit in... oh... well... nevermind." :D

Can you put two bags in the backseat at your friends' feet? Maybe even one in the front passenger-side floorboard (if there's a divider between there and the driver side of some sort)? That would free up a ton of trunk space... plenty enough for the bows. Put them in first and wedge the soft stuff around them. Just make sure anything breakable is on top, the first thing you take out of the trunk (unless you're squishing the trunk closed, then you just have to put them in the car and make sure nobody steps on that bag). :)

[outriding01]

Well we had the boys come down from upstairs and they figured it out for us, lol. To get them up here I had one bow (my smaller Browning) in the trunk and my bigger PSE in the backseat. It was too long to get in the trunk, even if it was empty. They figured out how to turn it sideways and wedge it behind the passenger seat and my dog is just gonna have to sit under it, lol. Good thing she's small. Bags will have to be smooshed into the trunk and other places but I think we can make it work!

[alittleoffkey]

I'm glad you got everything sorted - have fun and be careful! :)