Travelling with passengers and loading living area

H

Hellyphant

New Member
Hi all,

We're new to a campervan and have just purchased a converted T6.

We have 2 small children who will be in the rear seats and I'm wondering if it's safe to load anything, like the awning, in the living area when travelling? The awning is too big to fit under the seats and I don't think there will be room to wedge it between the seat and tailgate either.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated
 
Personally, I don't think it is a good idea. I try not to put anything at all in the living area even though it is just the 2 of us. If I do have to, it would be soft stuff if at all possible. I appreciate though that there isn't often enough space elsewhere in the van.
 
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Personally no, unless its secured down so it cant be moved in the event of sharp breaking or in the unfortunate event of a crash. Think of any item travelling at 70mph, it doesn't have to have much mass to require a large force to decelerate it to a stop down in a few seconds.

Any items would need to be secured down well to stop them becoming projectiles. Might be worth using a cargo net or similar in the living area over the items which could work?
 
We always travel with the awning in the living area up against the front seats. And usually by the time we have finished packing loads of other stuff in there too (shoes bag, extra fridge between front seats, step, tool bag behind drivers seat etc).

Apart from anything else I think it’s good to try and move some of the weight forward as otherwise it’s virtually all over the rear axel (or way behind if we have 4 bikes on). I think the vango awning is 35kg and bulky so it’s a good choice for this.

Having said this I don’t drive at 70 when fully loaded, it’s not a car and so shouldn’t be driven like one, it’s a home with wheels
 
The first fatal accident I went to, admittedly many moons ago, was a van driver who braked heavily for a swan on the motorway. His load in the back came forwards and crushed him. That was just piles of tied paper.
 
If you have rails or lashing points on the floor, then you can strap items down then they should be safe, otherwise no.

I know personally of 2 incidents where people have died from being struck by the contents they were carrying.
 
I travel with my wife and daughter and frequently travel with things - shopping bags filled with stuff - on the floor in the living space. No problem at all - I pack sensibly - and if I brake sharply then it just moves on the floor a bit. If worried get an anti slip mat or tie it down - although I have never had a need to. Just be sensible - don’t leave a hammer on the worktop. Etc.

All in my opinion only.
 
Hellyphant said:
Hi all,

We're new to a campervan and have just purchased a converted T6.

We have 2 small children who will be in the rear seats and I'm wondering if it's safe to load anything, like the awning, in the living area when travelling? The awning is too big to fit under the seats and I don't think there will be room to wedge it between the seat and tailgate either.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
We had the same issue. We fitted a rear rock and roll bed on rails to give us that flexibility to bring the seat forward for passengers whilst driving which kept the boot free for the awning etc.

Have you still got the roof rails for a roof box maybe?
 
Bow said:
We had the same issue. We fitted a rear rock and roll bed on rails to give us that flexibility to bring the seat forward for passengers whilst driving which kept the boot free for the awning etc.

Have you still got the roof rails for a roof box maybe?
Click to expand...
As it’s a pop top I don’t believe we can have a roof box, can we?

Our bed is unfortunately not on rails, which sounds like a fantastic solution!
 
Hellyphant said:
As it’s a pop top I don’t believe we can have a roof box, can we?

Our bed is unfortunately not on rails, which sounds like a fantastic solution!
Click to expand...
It depends on the roof specification, a Reimo is rated for 40Kg.
Just be aware that includes the weight of the rails, box and fittings.
It will also wrecks the fuel economy, given that a T6 is not great to start with….
 
Just limit the amount of stuff you have in the living area and keep it low and well forward.

I drive with a full van and and maxed out bike rack and I’m sure having more weight forward is better than loading up the bike rack.

Don’t be silly, keep everything contained and keep it low.

If you are concerned about this I guess you have considered the cupboards etc you have and the testing they have endured?
 
Two of us travel for up to 8 weeks at a time, I’ve never needed to have stuff loose in the back.
The secret is too limit the stuff, just because you have it doesn’t mean you need it.
 
DXX said:
Two of us travel for up to 8 weeks at a time, I’ve never needed to have stuff loose in the back.
The secret is too limit the stuff, just because you have it doesn’t mean you need it.
Click to expand...
2, a dream! I have 3 passengers who don’t seem to understand that they have a case and everything needs to fit in that (my stuff is obviously well stowed and essential). But still I try to keep their tat at the back and the awning out front (still take the kids cycle helmets everywhere though they won’t wear them anymore!)
 
We never have anybody sitting in the back when travelling but the rear floor in our camper is completely covered in heavy stuff when we go off on a long trip. I appreciate the risk involved although I also have a rule that nothing heavy is ever put above floor level. Ours is what I would call a bog standard side kitchen layout meaning very limited storage space so we have the awning, a box of kitchen supplies, a box of kitchen kit, Thetford toilet, Cadac BBQ and all the other miscellaneous bits and pieces spread out across the back. Our bed/rear seats isn't on rails so the space available behind it is very limited and usually taken up with a bag of cycling kit and awning carpet (floor below the seat) and two chairs and a Duvalay mattress bungeed to the back seat. There's loads other smaller stuff in back but I can't remember it all at the moment. Whenever I've seen the inside of another VW camper when on the road, they've been the same. I guess my only consolation is that everything behind us is at floor level directly behind the seats (that green Vango bag only contains a tarp used as a footprint for the awning and it's behind the back seat when we travel and there is no room for anything to slide about! TBH, I've no idea what the NCAP rating of a T6 might be but I've always thought that a head on at 70 - 80MPH was never going to end well anyway. I'm also taking it on faith that all the furniture, fridge etc. leisure electrics etc. were properly bolted down by the converter but that something I don't want to think too deeply about.
Packing copy.jpg

cgtmiles said:
The amount of paperwork needed to go to France this year could have caused a serious injury!
Click to expand...
You must have visited a different France to us.
 
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