Hey All,

I'm looking to take a roadtrip with a couple friends during midterm break in about a month. It'll be me and two passengers, the other two aren't particularly tall so they should be able to sit comfortably behind each other.

Our luggage will fit if we flip down one seat. Is there something like an extended tonneau cover for one of the rear seats? Or would it be okay to leave our duffel bags in sight for 6-8 hours in the parking lot of a tourist destination? I want something more than just throwing a blanket over the stuff.

EDIT: Or we have a '98 Civic coupe we could take, with a boot to boot (ha, ha...), but we figured the Mini has Roadside Assistance... and a better stereo, and a sunroof, and is generally more conducive to fun.

 

Every car I've had, I buy a couple yards (maybe 6' x 6') of dark colored fabric that matches the interior, and use that as a "line-of-sight deterrent". One thing I've done in the past when really loading up is to use one of those cargo nets like you'd use in the back of a pickup. Using some old toe-clip straps (or zipties) you can get a little artistic with the trunk tiedowns as well as the front brackets for the lower seatcushion in the back, and make sure nothing goes flying.

Have a great and safe trip - and be sure to stop to sightsee so the backseat passenger can stretch their legs!

Edit: The other thing you can do is simply pack your "luggage" in old-looking moving boxes, and don't leave iPods or phones out. An additional advantage is that "squares" pack easily!

 

Get the car tinted before the trip. It helps hide the stuff inside and makes things more comfortable for your passengers.

 

Take less stuff.

 

Pack lightly. Hope you or your friends aren't pack rats...

 

As both cars are available do a test fit in both with gear and people. See which is more comfortable on a short jaunt around the bock or so.

 

^ We did that... both are comfortable. Pro with the MINI is the Roadside Assistance and... it's a more fun car to take. Pro with the Honda is all our kit fits in the trunk, whereas the MINI will require one seat flipped down. I'm just wondering if leaving our kit in view is a stupid move. Would tinting the rear windows, then perhaps throwing a black cloth/tarp over our gear be enough?

 

Roadside assistance is a definite plus. But if one of you has AAA, or better AAA+, then that would cover the Honda.

It is never a good idea to leave the car with things people can see. It just tempts the thief. Dark tinting will help and a cover that would look factory. Just tossing a black blanket over would not do much as it just looks like you are trying to cover something. But parking in a well lit, well traveled spot will help.

 

Hmm I saw one of the people who did a rear seat delete use some sort of fabric/board that's similar to the carpeting in the MINI to cover the holes. Maybe that could work.

Yeah, BCAA/AAA/+ is an option. I believe it's only 72$ or so anyways. But the Honda does have near 160,000 kms on it.

Tough call. But despite logic, I think we're leaning toward taking the MINI. :D How could we not? I'll just tell them to pack less...

 

A thought: Use cheapie 1/2" PVC pipe and elbows to create a framework (remember Tinkertoys?), and put the black cloth OVER it. That would make a square-looking interior cover that would be less atractive to thieves.

Another consideration: Honda Civics are always on the top-10 most stolen list... and they're so common that finding parts/service wouldn't be a hassle. Of course they're not Minis...

 

Also check the laws on tinting windows. I know in California you are not allowed to tint the front driver and passenger windows any darker than factory tint.

 

No it'd just be the rears. Which is why I was wondering if tinting would help that much at all, but I figure it'll weed out the not-so-observant thief. I'd probably go with a temporary tint as well because I'm not a huge fan of tints to begin with.

The PVC pipe frame sounds like a decent solution combined with the tinted windows I think that should be a decent deterrent.

Maybe I should've went for the Vibe instead. Wait. What am I saying? NO. No. No. Must punish myself later.

 

As long as you don't have California plates, you can drive with a tint. We do it all the time in our BMW Z4. We don't have a front license plate either. All he'll have to worry about is his home state.

Jerry

 

C'mon you guys - time for the ritual flogging!
("Thank you sir, I'd like another. Thank you sir I'd like another...")

That PVC idea was a spur of the moment thing, but the more I thin about it the more I like it. It's cheap, light, easy to break down, and shouldn't be a problem in an accident, if properly engineered... I'm thinking a rectangle behind the Driver, extending to the back of the car, with no pipe being "pointed at" any passenger. You can even get fancy and "sleeve" the ends of the fabric to make it REALLY custom... how good a tailor/seamstress are you?

 

If you can still find a set, the Samsonite luggage set holds a lot and fits entirely behind the seats.

I agree, you need something to keep it from looking like your car is "full of stuff" when traveling. Last time I had to move a car load of stuff, I used a quilt to cover up everything. I had both seats folded down. Even a blanket would be better than nothing.

 

Most tourist destinations have surveillance cameras in the parking lots. But always good idea to keep valuables out of sight.

Ever given any thought to adding a removable roof rack and then a locking luggage roof top storage shell ?

 

Oh, that actually hadn't occurred to me! I was considering a Thule rack anyways because I need it for my snowboarding gear in the winter. Hmm...

Anyways, I'm thinking, if I don't want to shell out ~$600 on a rack set up quite yet, I was thinking of rigging that set up like this:



With, of course, something down the center. And perhaps use something like foamcore or corrugated cardboard under the cloth at the top and the exposed side to make it look rigid and somewhat stock.

I think it should fit a couple bags well behind the driver's seat, as well as a flat-ish piece over the folded seat back. Plus the luggage in the normal "boot", of course. (Or... can one seat back be removed..?)

Haha, maybe someone will mistake it for a "battery pack"!

I guess I could even make it roof-height, but it's nice to keep the line of sight and make it more pleasant for the rear-seat passenger (actually, with this "table" beside them, I imagine this could be pretty comfy!).

EDIT: Hey! I'm in second gear now!

 

I took another approach. I put this in my window - haven't had a problem.

 

Effective I'm sure, but I'm Canadian... I can't be seen with that decal!

 

Heck, I like the "battery" approach. Instead of "stealth", make the covering out of brilliant yellow with black stripes and stencil "biohazard" on it! No, wait, that'd attract terrorists. Maybe stencil "High Voltage"? And if you're REALLY creative, you can sew in a "map pocket" on the passenger side!

Your sketch is exactly what I was thinking, but with the PVC you can get "elbows" and not need the corner bracing.

 

Yes, you can easily remove just one of the seats.

Fold one down and you'll see a double metal tab between the two seats at the hinge. You have to force one tab over so the locking mechanism disengages. It's a little tricky and you have to have the seat in just the right position to slide it out but it will come out. One has to be done before the other though, can't remember which, but you'll see once you start trying.

Also, be sure to keep track of the little plastic bushing on the outside seat pivots. Loose em and you're seats will rattle when you put them back in.

Come to think of it, I think this is in the owner's manual.