It ain't heavy, it's... no, it's heavy.

June 5, 2014 6:19 AM

I need to fit an 8' long x 2' wide x 1' tall box into a 2012 Ford Fusion's trunk. Possible?

It's a large box made out of PVC. It may be very slightly flexible, but let's assume it's rigid enough so it won't be bending much. I would prefer it to arrive undamaged (the box is the important part, not what's inside). I already know that a 4' long box of its type can fit completely in the Fusion's trunk with the lid closed and the back seats down - barely - but I don't know how to transport oversized cargo in a sedan. How do I tie/strap this down to keep it from moving? Do we need to flag the end? Or is this a really, really bad idea, and I should just suck it up and rent a truck?

posted by Nyx to Grab Bag (10 answers total)

I don't think we have enough information to answer this. How much does the box weigh? You can certainly stick the first 4' in the truck, you could certainly secure it with straps so it doesn't fall out. You could certainly put an 8' piece of wood under the box to prevent flexing. And, in my state, anything that protrudes out 4' from the rear of a vehicle would require a red flag at the end.
posted by HuronBob at 6:25 AM on June 5, 2014

Do you have tiedowns in the trunk? If you can use two ratchet straps with some space between them, I would say that you are good, as long as you don't a) exceed the load limit of the car, b) don't exceed the load limit on the rear axle, c) use sufficiently rated straps and d) don't exceed the amount a load can stick out the rear of the vehicle in your jurisdiction.

To prevent your box from shifting sideways, I'd make the straps go over, around under the bottom of the cargo and then over again. Don't overlay the strap on itself. When you tighten it, it will keep the load from sliding sideways. I don't know if that explanation was clear or needs a drawing...

Actually, while I'm typing all this I'm thinking maybe you'll be better off renting a truck... Especially b) above would be easy to exceed if your box is really heavy.
posted by Harald74 at 6:43 AM on June 5, 2014

Best answer: Prob better renting a truck.

1. By your measurments the load will be at least 3 foot out the back of the car.
2. The bottom edge of the Fusion trunk will cause the load to angle upwards
3. This angle will mean that the trunk lid will also be higher, obscuring your view behind
and
4. You have to then secure the trunk lid and the load.
posted by MarvinJ at 7:06 AM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: It's a hollow PVC box with a plexiglass front, nothing inside. I would estimate the weight at about 30-40 lbs.
posted by Nyx at 7:06 AM on June 5, 2014

Roof rack?
posted by ecorrocio at 7:16 AM on June 5, 2014

rent a truck, if the trunk lid bumps up and smashes down, it'll smash the plexiglass box.

Alternatively you could try tying it to the roof very securely, if you aren't traveling far.
posted by TheAdamist at 7:18 AM on June 5, 2014

How far are you going? If this is like a 20 minute drive and you won't be going more than say 50kph and you can stop to readjust the load that's one thing, but if you're spending an hour on the highway I wouldn't do it.
posted by mskyle at 7:28 AM on June 5, 2014

Can you put the front passenger seat all the way down and wiggle it up into that space? (I moved all my possessions using a Buick Regal some years ago. Bed and furniture included.)
posted by LaBellaStella at 9:44 AM on June 5, 2014

You'll enjoy doing this with a truck much more than doing it with your car.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 10:54 AM on June 5, 2014

Roof rack is the answer. If you don't want to buy one (it will be handy for lots of long things), then you can rig something up with some straps and cardboard or foam (a la Ikea) - though that depends on the speed you will be travelling.
posted by ssg at 1:07 PM on June 5, 2014