A conversation about cargo hauling options...

[Millie20]

Hi all,

Starting to plan some summer escapes, and need to think about loading cargo. Camping equipment, pushchairs, bikes, bags etc..

I have an 06 d5 v70 with the third row seats. I also have 4 kids (10, 8, 6, 1) and all the sh*t that comes with them. With the exception of pillows and small bags, there isn't much room for anything else when we're all in the car.

I've been looking at roof baskets, roof boxes, small trailers, but wondered if anyone here has any recommendations from experience. Or has something to get rid of.

I appreciate most people wouldn't be foolish enough to have 4 kids, but we are where we are. ;-)

Can we have a chat about hauling cargo with the v70? What is your experience?

[stuart bowes]

have only 2 myself but watching with interest in case the missus starts getting broody again

do you have a tow-ball?

[Millie20]

When the (second) wife told me she was pregnant, I immediately pulled out my phone and asked her how to spell vasectomy. 《- Explains why I'm on my second wife.

I don't have a towbar yet, but I'm looking.

[fleming164]

Roof boxes can be surprisingly practical. We only have a small one (Ranger 280) but it makes quite the difference when you can stuff bulky pillows, bedding etc away from the passengers!

What was a surprise to me was the negligible impact on fuel economy. Obviously it must make a difference, but it was well within the margin of error, maybe 1-2mpg.

Trailers are very useful if you have lots of heavy items to take away with you. When I was a kid, 5 of us used to go away in a Fiesta with a trailer and we never had issues fitting everything in. I think that trailer was 8x5, so a little larger than your general camping trailer.

[stuart bowes]

how serious are you about camping for the future? only reason I ask, if you start thinking about trailers, you need somewhere to put said trailer

and if you're going down that route, and you're thinking about buying a big tent (with 4 kids that's some tent as well..) have you considered the trailer tent option. there will be plenty of storage space in the trailer as an added bonus. there might be some decent 2nd hand options? ours was in really good nick when we sold it despite years of (caring) ownership

we had one for years when I was growing up before we got a caravan. one thing I do know is camping all our family hols were on campsites all around the country. 2 teacher parents = good 6 week holidays. I even remember the car, we had a red MK 4 ford cortina, that would be worth a few quid now! at the time my dad was like meh, high mileage, junk it

I'm actually looking at big tents but dont have space for trailer storage as yet, which is a pain, so i'm looking at roof boxes

[stuart bowes]

for example

this

or this.. ours was a Raclett IIRC

or others..

[John97Tdi]

Kudos for camping with a V70 with a tribe of that size - my wife and I were looking at roof boxes because for a 2 week break our XC was full to overflowing. Vacuum bags are great for any textiles that are compressible but with so many bodies in the car I'd think you'd be looking at a roof box at the very least.

Best of luck - hopefully later this year it may actually be possible to go camping but when we've looked at sites so far they seem to be only open for camper vans/tents with their own toilet/washing facilities.

[BlueRubber]

This won't solve all your problems but it's handy:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Durable-C....c101198.m1985

[old onions]

I have a 350 litre roof box , which will take 2 large suitcases , 2 small ones and several smaller items packed alongside. Again no dramatic effect on fuel consumption , my only real concern is the recommended weight limit on the roof.

This has served me well for many family holidays , admittedly in gîtes rather than camping, but the capacity is more than enough for a family of 5.

Thule are probably the best known of the suppliers, but their products are (of course) the most expensive. I have used a Packline box, which is made of GRP (so slightly scratchy on the inside) compared to the smoother ABS construction of the Thule products. I am sure that Halfords (and probably others too) do similar.

I would invest in good roof bars and "feet" as these are critical to keeping the load on the roof , but I don't think the quality of the box is as important.

[Millie20]

Thanks for the responses.

Stuart - I'm a pretty serious camper. Stereotypical Canadian expat here. I'm the guy that friends invite camping, not because they like me, but because I have all of the kit. Our three room tent packs down into a bag the size of a large suitcase, I also have a full kitchen setup, which is one of the big reasons for looking at hauling options.

Bluerubber - That ceiling storage is amazing. Will order.

Yesterday, I had all four kids in the car. I had to strap the little one's pushchair to the roof bars, because there was no room in the car. Note, I could squeeze three across the middle row, but it's very tight with car seats and boosters (ie.. the kids moan), so it's easier to just throw one or two in the boot.

For the ease of just loading things on the roof, I like the idea of a roof basket like this one

It's massive, and likely overkill, but the utility would be amazing. Weight capacity does come in to play here though.

Roof box is another option. I've been keeping an eye on ebay. Problem being there wouldn't be much room after the pushchair goes in.

I think a hybrid solution might be in order depending on the journey.

I'm not entirely thrilled with the idea of towing with the v70, but a trailer would be handy for a few trips a year. We're fortunate to have a massive drive, so storing it wouldn't be a problem when not in use. If we did get a trailer, I'd want to install an aux transmission fluid cooler (look for people breaking auto c70s and xc90s if interested). I'm also currently refurbing some xc90 big brakes to throw on.

Appreciate the input here.

When looking at towbars, is there anything to keep in mind, or are they all one and the same? I've come across something about a 7 pin or 11 pin connector. Assume all the wires are in the boot somewhere to connect a harness, but haven't looked into it much.