How to Place Luggage in The Car When You Have a Family Road Trip

Every year, when the holidays arrive, many families prefer the car as transportation, both for the savings that they suppose if they travel with children and for the ease of mobility that they have in the place of destination. Therefore, it is the most popular means of transport when it comes to short trips. It has happened to you once that the day you are leaving, you do not know how to place your luggage in the car. And it is that in addition to the own bags of each member of the family, which is usually directly proportional to the days of the stay, many times we want to take with us also other things that are not precisely light or small such as canoes, bicycles, equipment of ski, etc., which can be very stressful. By the way, it is also a good idea to put a personal GPS tracker on your child to reduce your stress.

However, there is no reason to panic. Starting the holidays with this stress is not the best and you should know that placing luggage in the car is easier than it may seem at first. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that both what you put in the car and what you put in the roof rack is subject to laws and regulations. Therefore, to make it easier for you and start your vacation, today we give you some tips to fit everything in the car and also avoid risks in case you find any police control during the journey.

1. How many kilos can be carried in the car?

The maximum weight of luggage that we can carry in the car depends a lot on the load admitted by the vehicle itself. This information can be found in the technical data sheet of the car, but remember that the weight of the load must add the kilos of the empty vehicle. In normal circumstances, it is strange that you overcome it, so in principle, you have nothing to worry about. However, if you are going to transport very heavy things if it is convenient that you consider it. If you carry too much load in your vehicle, you are exposed to a fine of between 301 and 4,600 euros, in addition to the immobilization of the car.

2. How much weight and volume can the roof of the vehicle support?

It is very difficult to give a concrete answer to this question since in many technical sheets it is not contemplated. Although normal is usually between 50 and 100 kg. Of course, use common sense to prevent the dynamic behavior of the car from getting worse considerably, especially if you have many kilometers ahead. In any case, you should keep in mind that the load must never protrude from the sides and that only 15% of the vehicle’s length can do so from behind.

3. How does the load influence the operation of the vehicle?

Very tall objects such as bicycles, canoes or surfboards, change the point of gravity and aerodynamics of the car, making it more resistant to wind and that consumption increases significantly. Therefore, it is advisable to install a car GPS tracker to ensure safe driving and always leave the lowest possible load in the car and as close to the sidewalk as possible to keep the point of gravity low and that the car responds better when we have to make a curve or brake. Also, the more load you carry, the lower the speed at which you drive.

5. Length, width and height allowed

In vehicles that are not intended for the transport of goods, it is prohibited that any load protrudes from the front, and 10% in length if the load is divisible and 15% if it is indivisible. Thus, for example, a car that is 4 meters long can stand 40 cm if it is divisible and 58 cm if it is indivisible.