Filling the boot

[icarusi@hotmail]

I got the Octy partly cos my previous car, an older Meganne had a large (wide) boot, due to it's torsion bar suspension, which none of the equivalent cars had, so I (reluctantly) went a size up with the Octy. The Octy boot is larger, if not wider than the Meganne but I'm still half-filling it with residual stuff like I used to do with the Meganne. There seems to be something about 'half-full', there's still room for 'enough' new stuff to go in, but not full enough that I need to empty some of it.

How full do you keep your boot?

[K1W1]

How full do you keep your boot?

Apart from a fluro vest and hard hat (needed for work from time to time) and a first aid kit my boot is empty unless I need to carry something then that item is only in there for the time it needs to be.

Weight in boot contributes to increased fuel consumption so unless you like paying for additional fuel or you have to have things in the boot that you constantly use I suggest that you put it on a diet.

[Billaboard]

I come from an Omega estate, which had an almost full boot. I now need to get all the stuff from the garage and fill the new to me Octavia boot. The Octavia estate has a rather narrow boot and boot entrance compared with what I'm used to, and I can see this being a problem, but I did make the change to a smaller car for economy reasons, so I can't complain. Why does the roof have to slope so much at the back?

Stuff in there will include:

A bunch of A to Z's of town centres, and national road atlases.

Roof bars (still have to check that the Vaux ones will fit the Skoda's roof rails).

Chamois leather, paper towels etc. for cleaning myself up after unexpected work.

Overalls.

Socket set, plus some other tools, eg pliers, meters and things that might be useful, including a general purpose saw, hammers etc.

Self-inflating mat to lie on for working on things, not necessarily cars. Various cans of things like WD40, sprayable grease etc. etc.

Small folding spade, some blocks of wood and regularly a folding ladder.

All the CD's the children have left in the car. Not sure what to do with the 5 bags of cassettes from the previous car.

Most of this is duplicated and enhanced in the boot of the Discovery, which I use for any serious work where I may well have to go off roads. That has trolley jacks, tow rope and all sorts of other useful things, drills, spanners, bigger hammers and so on.

I'm now retired. In the old days of work, I also had a load of computer and electronic test gear, reels of cable and spares.

I don't know how most people can cope with empty boots. Are they all just talkers, form fillers and parasites? Do none of them have practical jobs and need to be ready to cope with the unexpected?

I chose the Octy because it came with a proper spare wheel. For that I am grateful.

[mannyo]

My boots always empty, the only time its used is for holiday luggage and shopping. in the sides I keep oil, spare bulbs and fuses and thats about it day to day.

[TsvRS]

Shovel

Fluorescent jacket

Bag of sand

Screenwash made up

Oil

First aid

Triangle

Walking boots and socks

Wellys

Wooly hat

Warm gloves, glove liners and work gloves

Waterproof trousers and top

Work trousers

Baby wipes

Door mat

A-Z and Road Atlas for when GPS has a hissyfit

Small toolkit

Shopping bags

Cat litter (oil can leaked!)

No wonder it looks a mess

[Phil_P]

Having all this does have it's advantages -- there's no room for SWMBO's shopping. hence the "SWMBO proofed" in the signature!

I think you're onto something there

[icarusi@hotmail]

Weight in boot contributes to increased fuel consumption so unless you like paying for additional fuel or you have to have things in the boot that you constantly use I suggest that you put it on a diet.

Some stuff like jump leads, tow rope and inflator, I used to keep round the spare tyre on my previous car but it had a mechanical boot lock so I could get them out even with a flat battery. With electric locks and a flat battery you can only get into the boot via the back seat squab so I put those things in a folding crate together with some spares and tools which I always kept in the boot.

[sh4rpsh00ter]

I carry alot of that stuff in my '83 golf gti, but not in the fabia vrs and certainly not when the new octy arrives. Spare bulbs a torch and thats about it!!

I thought new skodas came with 3 yrs AA cover.

Damn must carry a mobile with me!!

[GroundHog]

Ever since an old car of mine was nicked with a boot full of stuff my boot is now completely empty, except for spare bulbs and first aid kit.

[Browny_37]

The fullest i've ever had my boot was, with a subwoofer in there 4 door cards, a vrs rear bench seat and uprights and the front seats were fastened down on the rear seats.

Thats the fullest i've ever had it anyway, was still comfortablish on 30mm eibachs with worn shocks.

[Captain Scarlet]

Had mine very full on our holiday to Europe last July. Had 2 suitcases, the boy's pram/puschair, enough food for him in jar form, his feeding chair, a play mat, a tool kit, and a few other smallish items.

At the moment it has a

Box of things I might need at work such as spare coat, jumper..etc

A motorbike helmet,

A tool kit

Spare bulbs,

Some oil,

Maglite torch,

Light weight pushchair for our son.

[Golf-Fiend]

Camping - not even enough room left for a pack of Rizlas

Normally - foot pump. Hi viz vest, 1ltr oil, some CD's, brolly, raincoat, map

Nice

[mr_awol]

Mine has the hi viz/bulbs, an empty oil top up container (so i know which one to buy lol) and similar stuff that live there permanently. All that fits in the little basketty area on the right hand side. I also keep a pool cue or two in there, strapped into that funny rubby strappy think right by the lock and an umbrella that just gets slung towards the back somewhere.

Normally also has some kind of sporting accessories in there - currently has my white total 90s and a ball bag with two fully inflated and one brand new deflated ball, pump, etc and a running/training jacket.

Then there's random stuff like the hangar from my dinner jacket thats been in there since i last wore the dinner suit in October, and some stuff i bought for doing up one of the spare rooms for the baby

[dstev2000]

Always full of tools and equipment, I can usually just about pull the load cover over the crap I have to lug around all the time.

Car related stuff is:

Orange beacon

'Highway maintenance' mag signs

'Pressurised gas' and 'Flammable gas' mag stickers

Jump leads

Booster pack

G12 coolant 1ltr

507.00 oil 1 tlr

VAG Washer fluid 1ltr

De icer

Warning triangle

Electric air compressor

Roof bars

Fire extinguisher

First Aid kit

Eye wash kit

Tow rope

Kitchen sink

[sorin83]

About this full :

[topcat2006]

Always full of tools, test equipment and spares. You should have seen what I took out of my kit to go from a Mercedes Vito to a Octavia!!

However every few months my kit goes on a diet - anything I havent used in that few months gets taken out. Still reckon I've enough tools to strip the car though.

Even with all the crap I carry I am still averaging 50mpg so it does not make too much difference - I have found using the cruise control looses me the most mpg with roofbars a close second.

TC

[dstev2000]

Always full of tools, test equipment and spares. You should have seen what I took out of my kit to go from a Mercedes Vito to a Octavia!!

However every few months my kit goes on a diet - anything I havent used in that few months gets taken out. Still reckon I've enough tools to strip the car though.

Even with all the crap I carry I am still averaging 50mpg so it does not make too much difference - I have found using the cruise control looses me the most mpg with roofbars a close second.

TC

My roofbars live in the boot as much as possible, they are noisy at speed and cane the MPG CC is a no no as well, playing fuel light bingo this evening earnt me 61.8mpg over a 71 mile drive and a range of 700 miles

I avoid chucking stuff away as much as is humanly possible, chances are i'll need said part the next day

[ccs-digital]

Although the variable boot floor in my estate does reduce the available height a little, it's great for storing all the usual motoring related bits and pieces. That plus the two side compartments means that the actual boot is empty to the casual observer, unless carrying work or leisure related items.

The number and variety of storage spaces in the Octavia is amazing - even I can't fill them all!