How to keep stuff from sliding around in my car trunk

January 9, 2025 11:21 AM

I keep some crates and a few other things in the trunk of my 2022 Avalon sedan permanently. Of course they always slide around when I accelerate and especially make turns. Is there some kind of a special mat or other device you put in the trunk of your car to prevent this from happening? I’d sure like to know what it is. Thank you!
posted by Rad_Boy to Shopping (14 answers total)

Some cars have anchor points for small cargo nets to be arranged in various ways for precisely this reason, maybe check yours?
posted by aramaic at 11:32 AM on January 9 [4 favorites]

Is the inside of your trunk made of that very slightly fuzzy fabric car trunk insides tend to be made of? If so, gluing some strips of the hook side of velcro on the underside of your crates could work, provided you glue them where the crates actually touch the trunk. I have some trunk organisers in my car and they have velcro on the underside, and they stay put even with heavy grocery bags inside.
posted by sailoreagle at 11:32 AM on January 9 [3 favorites]

Shelf liner (the nubbly kind) works for this.
posted by janell at 11:40 AM on January 9 [2 favorites]

You can get velcro anchors and/or mesh pockets that will stick to the lined sides of your trunk. I have a few in my car for the bottle of suncreen I leave in the trunk, and other small things.
posted by Dashy at 12:04 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]

I really like WeatherTech trunk liners
posted by advicepig at 12:13 PM on January 9 [2 favorites]

I have this setup that my car came with when I got it that sounds like exactly what you're looking for. The mat is slightly fuzzy and the standalone blocks are a 4"-ish tall right angle with a velcro base. You can load things into the car then pop the block right next to it and it holds everything in place.

I thought it was silly when we got it but came to really appreciate it over just a few uses.
posted by BevosAngryGhost at 12:18 PM on January 9 [2 favorites]

I just get another box or crate to fill up across so the whole row is wedged in and doesn't move. You can also buy trunk organizers that are one big thing with compartments that won't slide. Some are also collapsible for when it's mostly empty and you want the full space.
posted by SaltySalticid at 12:46 PM on January 9

I take bungee cords and link items together so they are collectively heavier and unlikely to shift. For grocery bags, as an example, I run the bungee cords through the top of the bag handles and link them to each other so all of my food stays put and doesn't shift and get out of the bag or crush other items. if your crates have handles or open web structure you could use this method. The nice thing is that it's really versatile, and you can also use the bungees to fix the crate or bag to a dolly for transport when unloading.
posted by effluvia at 12:46 PM on January 9

Seconding advicepig about the WeatherTech stuff. It's on the costly side but seems pretty premium to me. Along with the trunk liner, we've found their CargoTech corner thingies to be perfect for keeping things in place. They have a bottom to them you can set your stuff on to weigh them down, and the underside is grippy. They'd probably work fine without the liner, but we like both.
posted by eafarris at 12:53 PM on January 9 [2 favorites]

I wrap anything I want to keep from moving with the sleeping bag. What? Doesn't everyone keep a Korean era down mummy bag in their car in case they have to spend the night in a ditch in January in the middle of a Wisconsin snowstorm?
posted by RedEmma at 1:49 PM on January 9 [6 favorites]

I have sworn by the CargoTech corner things (mentioned two comments up) for years, especially after I started driving electric cars and was able to accelerate WAY faster.

Well, they're not the actual WeatherTech product, rather some knockoff, but they work great. Mine don't even have the flat surface that would be under the box, rather are just ell-shaped pieces of plastic with velcro on one side.

I have them set to push the boxes against the seatbacks, which are leaning back slightly, and the corners are positioned juuuust loose enough that I can extract the box without pulling up the corner.
posted by intermod at 6:26 PM on January 9

I have a plastic milk crate that I keep tools, bottled water, a jug of wiper fluid, and my reusable grocery bags in the back of my Honda CRV. The crate used to slide - until I put a Rug Gripper Pad under it. No more movement!
posted by Ardea alba at 8:58 PM on January 9 [1 favorite]

These act like "bookstands" for your trunk. The bottom hook-n-loop to the trunk carpet, so they won't go anywhere.

https://www.amazon.com/Armor-All-Dividers-Organizer-Containment/dp/B0DHYKQW1V/
posted by kschang at 8:00 AM on January 10 [1 favorite]

I use these cargo blocks in my trunk.

They’re velcro on the underside, so the stick to the wooly trunk bottom, and you can move them and reconfigure as you like.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 12:26 PM on January 11