Variable Boot Floor

[riph72]

Hello,

Can anyone explain how this works/what benefits it gives? I see it's an option on the Estate 4x4 and am wondering if it's worth shelling out for!

Cheers,

R.

[mannyo]

I have it mine, its quiet an ingenious thing.

It allows you configure the loading area in a number of ways.

Have one big area,

Have 2 small areas,

have 2 layers (lower one being quiet low).

I find it quiet usefull.

[riph72]

I have it mine, its quiet an ingenious thing.

It allows you configure the loading area in a number of ways.

Have one big area,

Have 2 small areas,

have 2 layers (lower one being quiet low).

I find it quiet usefull.

Thanks,

I understand that the Estate has a two-tier boot floor in most specs, can the VBF give you a flat boot floor?

I ask because the only reason I can think of for getting this is if I ever need to sleep in the boot! (It's not impossible that I might decide to use the boot as a tin-tent at some point in it's life)

Cheers,

R.

[mannyo]

the VBF makes the floor flat yes, there is no lip inside the car.

[Niall]

My Mk1 Octy was an Elegance so had this as standard. I coudn't be without it so paid to have it fitted as an extra to the Scout!

It's fantastic for hiding all the stuff that you carry that otherwise clutters the boot. Roofbar Straps, seat covers, tools, jump leads, etc are all hidden under the boot floor giving you a clean load area.

Also means that the load area is the same height as the boot lip and the back seats when folded flat. Means that you can slide bulkier stuff in, rather than have to drop it down onto the bottom floor (if you didn't have the variable one fitted) and then try and lift it back up onto the folded down seats.

Here's a piccy from Skoda Accessories

Well worth the £130 IMHO.

Niall

[riph72]

the VBF makes the floor flat yes, there is no lip inside the car.

But there would be a lip without the VBF?

Cheers,

R.

[mannyo]

yes as per the picture above. The original floor is the one the case is on.

[mannyo]

I have just taken a couple pictures.

[LetoThe2nd]

Hi!

Take into account that there are no fitting rubber or plastic tubs for boots with false floor fitted (at least not where I am), so if you want to transport something wet, and wanted to put in a tub in ( something like ?koda Accessories

), you'd have to take the false floor out of the car (and I'm not sure it fits even then ... are there normally metal rings on the floor of the boot?).

Just mentioned this, because it happened to me - I made a makeshift rubber tub/dish myself, but I'm not sure its waterproof

Cheers, Leto

[Organist]

You can also store 46 bottle of vino on the lower level, then replace the two-tier floor, and get another few hundred on top.

Perfect for the Booze Cruise.

I can also slide a full 88 note piano in without any lifting or twisting at all!

[London Les]

I've fallen out with mine and it now lives in the shed.

Most of my big trips are laden with baby stuff, and to begin with the lower section seemed good for high chair legs, pushchair cover, coats, shoes, etc. But the problem is that once the boot is loaded, you have to take out a load of stuff from the top area to get to the bottom bit. So when you suddenly need one of those items in the bottom, its a total PITA.

Also, the false floor (which I think is 25mm particle board) and the sides are quite bulky so they reduce the total volume you can get in the boot. In particular, the clearance from the upper floor to the underside of the tonneau cover is restrictive for stacking cases, travel cots, etc.

I took it out and bought a new rubber/textile boot carpet, and can new use the load securing nets, which were supplied with my Elegance, but can't be used properly with the variable height floor. Another fringe benefit, is that the new carpet doesn't attract and snag wood chips, Xmas tree needles, crumbs and mud the way the fabric floor did.

On the other hand, the VHF looks good, would be good to sleep on, and is good for baby changing. Also on business trips, anything sensitive can go in the lower compartment for a bit of peace of mind. AND the side spaces are very good for wine bottles. But not good enough - people expect a lot from their boots these days!

Les.

[riph72]

Hi!

Take into account that there are no fitting rubber or plastic tubs for boots with false floor fitted (at least not where I am), so if you want to transport something wet, and wanted to put in a tub in ( something like ?koda Accessories

), you'd have to take the false floor out of the car (and I'm not sure it fits even then ... are there normally metal rings on the floor of the boot?).

Just mentioned this, because it happened to me - I made a makeshift rubber tub/dish myself, but I'm not sure its waterproof

Cheers, Leto

This is a good point... whilst I like the idea of being able to sleep in there with the VBF, I will quite possibly need to transfer something wet, probably hiking gear and clothes etc.

Thanks for the hint!

R.

[psycho6149]

I have an elegance with this fitted as standard - also have the plastic boot dish which i just throw over the top - it is waterproof and doesnt move around

[Tom_vRS]

I have a vRS hatch and am thinking about one of these, but at £202 + fitting (could be DIY fittable though) its not exactly cheap!

The biggest appeal for me is the ability to separate the boot in half with the floot upright

[bertJ]

If my L&K didn't have a false floor as standard I wouldn't have bought one as it's of little benefit to me as I don't intend to sleep in the car! It does limit the height of luggage if you want to use the cover blind. Because of this height restriction I took the false floor out on a recent trip, and almost did my back in because of it's weight. It also restricts access to the securing eyes at the side of the boot. I got round this by screwing some cup hooks into the vertical sides of the false floor.

A downside of removing it is finding somewhere to keep it!

[ishj]

I find the VBF usefully as i keep spare PPE kit in the lower section and its out of the way not in boxes ect. By the way does anyone know how easy it would and if it would be possible to take a VBF from an estate and put it in a hatch?

John

[Toneboy]

I find it useful to keep those collapsible shopping crates, emergency triangle, map book, spare pair of trainers, umbrella, spare pack of underpants (don't ask). Also useful if you want something buried out of sight of prying eyes.

[VRS195]

Umbrella goes here on estate: (storage box with magnetic lid behind headrests)

As mentioned in another post, the VBF allows sleeping diagonally if you are less than 2m tall.

The lipless design is also very usefull if you want to slide any boxes or furniture in and out (VBF means no transition over back seats when down either for 1.7+ metres of unhindered payload length).

[Dor]

Though this was quite cheap until i saw you had to buy the sides as well for another 80 quid :eek:

Chris

[knealeedis]

Is this Variable Boot floor something which needs to be ordered when buying the car, or is it an accessory which can be bought after from the dealers, and retrofitted to the car.

I am very interested in getting the VBF as it gives a nice flat load area.

Aslo if you do have it fitted, can you remove it if you need one large boot space?

[Niall]

With some Estates it's standard, with others it's not. Check the spec.

I paid £130 to have one supplied and fitted by the dealer when I bought my ex-demo Scout earlier this year. Can easily be retrofitted.

Dead easy to remove yourself if for the odd trip you needed the full depth of the boot.

TBH though I think I only took it out once in my Mk1, and that was for a thorough hoover of the boot before trade-in!!

Niall

(45 mins and Christmas Hols officially start!!)

[blackspaven]

I've never used mine so I don't know how handy it is, but in terms of storage all I do is store the sides and put the top bit back in the boot. It lays almost flat anyway, just kicking up towards the front of the boot space. I would guess it also adds sound deadening as well doing this as you get a fair bit of noise through the wheel well. I can see its uses but I use my boot for carrying the dog a lot and I didn't want his feet slipping down the gaps at the sides, that's all, otherwise i'd keep it in. (I'm not sure if it'd fit with my waterproof boot liner anyway)

[TDiman]

I have a VBF on my Octy 2 estate and I find it very useful. For work, I often have to transport stuff which is loaded onto a 'demotruck' trolley, which is basically a table-height, flat platform with castors on the bottom, mounted onto a wheeled, demountable stand. It's very easy to wheel the truck up to the car, unlatch the top and wheel it into the boot and then stow the folded trolley wheels alongside. The flat floor makes this very easy. Without the VBF, there would be a 3-or-4 inch drop from the boot lip into the car. Also, I often use the 'hidden' space between the VBF and the real floor to store small stuff, like files and laptop, etc. Out of sight. A very useful feature, IMHO.

[sebulbus]

This is very useful indeed. A place to store a laptop out of sight should be factory fit on every car, like cupholders.

[vRSy]

is this an option on hatches then is it, that looks like a really useful option