Back Seats Down, Unsecured Load.....A Worry?
Discussion
I've owned my Mini Cooper SD for about 2 1/2 years now, and was thinking about a change.
I love them, and am tempted by an F56.
However, given the boot space, or lack thereof, anything bigger than a carrier bag, and the seats get put down to compensate.
Problem is, my hobby is a a musician, primarily a bassist. I've had some time out, mainly during Mini ownership, but I'm now getting back in.
Here's my issue.....it means transporting a 16g cab with the seats down. Did it before, didn't really give it much thought.
However, I'm now a bit more concerned, especially after a small prang at a junction where the car behind decided to use the Mini as their stopping method!
Am I being over paranoid about this? An old muso pal used to carry his entire drum kit in his Cooper D! I guess any gear I carry is packed in, but ultimately, not bolted down. Worth considering something else?
I love them, and am tempted by an F56.
However, given the boot space, or lack thereof, anything bigger than a carrier bag, and the seats get put down to compensate.
Problem is, my hobby is a a musician, primarily a bassist. I've had some time out, mainly during Mini ownership, but I'm now getting back in.
Here's my issue.....it means transporting a 16g cab with the seats down. Did it before, didn't really give it much thought.
However, I'm now a bit more concerned, especially after a small prang at a junction where the car behind decided to use the Mini as their stopping method!
Am I being over paranoid about this? An old muso pal used to carry his entire drum kit in his Cooper D! I guess any gear I carry is packed in, but ultimately, not bolted down. Worth considering something else?
I had a serious back injury from a tool box left on my rear seats as a youth. Truck pulled out in front of me and then stood on the brakes when he realised his mistake, problem was he stopped diagonally across the road leaving me no where to go apart from under the rear corner until I hit the rear tyres.
Took box become a wrecking ball and hit my seats back rest causing me around 20 years of back pain.
I cannot stress enough how much momentum the smallest thing can gain with speed involved !
Took box become a wrecking ball and hit my seats back rest causing me around 20 years of back pain.
I cannot stress enough how much momentum the smallest thing can gain with speed involved !
I always pack very conciously if the seats are down:- Was helping someone move house and was rather unamused when they left a carrier bag full of knives and cutlery just behind my head... 
I keep a few cargo nets, straps and microfibre towels in the car - Keeps the load secured down, and with the towels you can wedge it against the interior / seats without any marks or scratching.
I keep a few cargo nets, straps and microfibre towels in the car - Keeps the load secured down, and with the towels you can wedge it against the interior / seats without any marks or scratching.
Neck wedged through front seats with body of bass pushing against seat backs? I use my F56 to carry my mountain bike, one wheel off lying flat or both wheels off sitting upside down with handlebars in the boot cavity and rear of frame between seats. Scariest load is 66kg bull mastiff. That worries me but is a rare occasion. Only takes once though I guess.
I can offer words of advice about this!
In the 70s, I was driving home in my Minivan with the frozen Xmas turkey just inside the back doors. On the local dually, a car ahead braked hard for a dog which had run into the road. I too had to brake hard and stop, but the turkey continued at about 40mph from the back of the van into my ribs and left kidney. I cannot describe the pain which a frozen 18lb turkey causes for two weeks through Xmas.
More recently, I attended an RTC where an estate car had rolled up the embankment after quite innocently getting involved in someone else's mishap. It had rolled perhaps 4 or 5 times, but, talking to the driver afterwards, his biggest fear was the unsecured fridge in the back which he was taking to his daughter's university digs. It had destroyed much of the interior and glass as it thrashed around but miraculously missed his head in passing.
In the 70s, I was driving home in my Minivan with the frozen Xmas turkey just inside the back doors. On the local dually, a car ahead braked hard for a dog which had run into the road. I too had to brake hard and stop, but the turkey continued at about 40mph from the back of the van into my ribs and left kidney. I cannot describe the pain which a frozen 18lb turkey causes for two weeks through Xmas.
More recently, I attended an RTC where an estate car had rolled up the embankment after quite innocently getting involved in someone else's mishap. It had rolled perhaps 4 or 5 times, but, talking to the driver afterwards, his biggest fear was the unsecured fridge in the back which he was taking to his daughter's university digs. It had destroyed much of the interior and glass as it thrashed around but miraculously missed his head in passing.
Ratchet strap / cargo net
I collected a steam cleaner from a mate,a mile from my house in my van, it had a brake, it was only a mile and a 30mph limit
Idiot pulls out in front of me, I braked as gently as I could, steam cleaner comes down the van, bends my seat and crushes me against the steering wheel
Luckily no lasting damage (except to the seat) lesson learnt !
I collected a steam cleaner from a mate,a mile from my house in my van, it had a brake, it was only a mile and a 30mph limit
Idiot pulls out in front of me, I braked as gently as I could, steam cleaner comes down the van, bends my seat and crushes me against the steering wheel
Luckily no lasting damage (except to the seat) lesson learnt !
This is often overlooked, unsecured load is fine until you have to emergency brake or crash, as others have experienced.
Try to find some solid mounting points, in the floor / side, maybe put a bracket under the rear seat belt mounts ( with longer bolts ) ,
to mount some anchor points for ratchet strap attachment, or check is there are factory threads for anchor points.
Other points can be created by looking at the passenger grab handles in the inner roofline,
underneath the handles there are some solid thread inserts.
With 2 lower points and 2 upper points, you could attach a cargo net barrier behind the front seats, made of 20mm nylon straps .
Try to find some solid mounting points, in the floor / side, maybe put a bracket under the rear seat belt mounts ( with longer bolts ) ,
to mount some anchor points for ratchet strap attachment, or check is there are factory threads for anchor points.
Other points can be created by looking at the passenger grab handles in the inner roofline,
underneath the handles there are some solid thread inserts.
With 2 lower points and 2 upper points, you could attach a cargo net barrier behind the front seats, made of 20mm nylon straps .
KTMsm said:
Ratchet strap / cargo net
I use a cargo net to stop stuff sliding about in the boot, but I'm not convinced it's strong enough to make that much difference to anything heavy in a crash.If I have my seats folded down, I usually put the parcel shelf behind the front seats. It protects the seats from anything rubbing against them, and I guess in a crash would at least help spread the load.
A friend of a (now) ex-girlfriend was transporting one of those 'burco' water heaters on the back seat when they were involved in an accident. She ended up in hospital burns unit due to the boiling water being despotised on her.
Given these things take forever to reach the desired temperature from cold they had presumably decided to save some time and heat the water up at home...
Given these things take forever to reach the desired temperature from cold they had presumably decided to save some time and heat the water up at home...
Cargo net I mean is quite solid stuff, some are certified for commercial loads :
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393226645832?hash=item5...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/393226645832?hash=item5...
If there are no anchor points, there are other things you can do to mitigate any potential danger.
If you are carrying around a heavy amp, make sure that when you load it, it is loaded hard up against the seats. This will, in the event of an accident, prevent it building up any speed before hitting the seat. It is the speed that does the damage. It's like trying to punch someone from an inch away (I know Bruce Lee could!) you won't cause much damage compared to a full round house swing.
The better something is wedged in, and can't move, the safer it will be.
Anchor points and straps are best though and a quick Google suggests that there should be anchor points in the boot? But happy to be corrected as I don't own one and have never been in one.
If you are carrying around a heavy amp, make sure that when you load it, it is loaded hard up against the seats. This will, in the event of an accident, prevent it building up any speed before hitting the seat. It is the speed that does the damage. It's like trying to punch someone from an inch away (I know Bruce Lee could!) you won't cause much damage compared to a full round house swing.
The better something is wedged in, and can't move, the safer it will be.
Anchor points and straps are best though and a quick Google suggests that there should be anchor points in the boot? But happy to be corrected as I don't own one and have never been in one.
It's a very real threat.
A few years ago I had several lengths of 2x2 wood from the boot, resting on the centre armrest between the front seats. One reasonably harsh brake saw them slide forward at pace and straight through the centre console. What was worse us that I tried to grab them mid braking which was stupid and distracting.
Granted I've driven since with all manner of stuff in the back of estate cars and most of the time you just hope it'll be ok but I guess you could say that of not wearing a seatbelt too. Only takes one incident for it all the end badly. I'm a bit more aware now and the current car has the integrated dog guard down all the time in a vain attempt that it'd stop anything flying forwards into the kids heads in the event of a sudden stop.
A few years ago I had several lengths of 2x2 wood from the boot, resting on the centre armrest between the front seats. One reasonably harsh brake saw them slide forward at pace and straight through the centre console. What was worse us that I tried to grab them mid braking which was stupid and distracting.
Granted I've driven since with all manner of stuff in the back of estate cars and most of the time you just hope it'll be ok but I guess you could say that of not wearing a seatbelt too. Only takes one incident for it all the end badly. I'm a bit more aware now and the current car has the integrated dog guard down all the time in a vain attempt that it'd stop anything flying forwards into the kids heads in the event of a sudden stop.
I've often used seat belts to restrain heavy items. Crossed over right to left in front of the item if it's big enough. If something is only just too big for the boot unclick the top of the seats and cross the belts over in front of the seats tilted forward. Should be enough to hold something as long as it weighs less than two large adults.
donteatpeople said:
I've often used seat belts to restrain heavy items. Crossed over right to left in front of the item if it's big enough. If something is only just too big for the boot unclick the top of the seats and cross the belts over in front of the seats tilted forward. Should be enough to hold something as long as it weighs less than two large adults.
This is what I do too - preferably passing through the item if it has a loop.If it was a guitar amp I'd be thinking about it sitting on a seat and passing at least one of the 5-points round it, preferably adding some loops to pass the belt through (e.g. steel handles with proper fixings)
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