Projectiles in minivan. Groceries!

[Soar]

I tried to respond to a thread from searching the forums about projectiles, but because it was over 600 days old it wouldn't let me. Here's my question.

disclaimer: I'm over protective, over paranoid about car safety...but so are you :p and this is coming from a reformed safety offender. I never wore my seat belt until DD2 was born. :whistle:

I've got a 98 Sienna and need advice on this one. I can get a cargo net for around $30 but is that really going to hold groceries down in a crash? Ditto on the "it seems flimsy". :confused:

What about purses? The kids SIGG cups? Back packs? Holy crap this is a downward spiral.

One family' at my DD1's school drop off keeps their kid's backpacks in trunk of their Camry, so during the "revolving door style" drop off the kids have to open the trunk and retrieve their backpacks causing about a 15 second delay in the drop off. Needless to say the Camry gets scowled at by parents who are now 15 seconds behind. I think I need to give the Camry family a high five!

I don't think I could put DD1's back pack in the trunk of the van because the cars pull up so close to one another (I never do, you never know if their a standard ready to roll) that she would be unable to open the hatch anyway KWIM?

TIA!

[karlatta]

I try to be as cautious about projectiles as I can, but it seems impossible to completely eliminate them, especially in a vehicle like a van. I usually put my groceries under the kind of triangle formed by my stroller in the cargo area. No way is my stroller going to projectile into the passenger compartment. It just wouldn't fit.

Would it be possible to put your DD's backpack under a seat?

[Shanora]

lol, you want to talk about groceries being projectiles.....I have 3 kids in my van, 2 on the back bench, and one on the captain chair. I removed the one captain chair behind the driver, and the space there....well thats where EVERYTHING goes....UNSECURED :eek:
Only cause I have no idea how to secure everything there........*sigh*. freaks me out....but the groceries will not fit in the back of my van....heaven help me if we have another child :confused:

[Soar]

My Groceries usually end up mixed in with the two captains chairs as well, I cant fit a darn thing in back. That's a goods idea about the backpack under her seat. It could still come loose, but what else can you do?:rolleyes:
We're all trying are best with what we have to work with.

Anyone have any thoughts on the cargo net for the hatch area before I order one?

[Soar]

You know what would be great is a horizontal cargo net that is attached near the top of the back bench and some how attached to the back hatch door!

Don't know how you possibly attach it to the door though...just a thought.

[zeo2ski]

I got a big rubbermaid tote which I put groceries/extra fluids for the car/whatever in and it (and the stroller, diaper bags, kiddo's bike, everything) gets strapped down with tie downs. But mine is a suburban so you might not have enough room in the back of a van, IDK. What might work for you though, is the thing I want--a flexible cargo bag which you can strap down but it doesn't take up much room when empty and can fit in whatever amount of space you do have.

For the backpack, is there anyone in your front passenger seat? You can buckle it in there using the seat belt. I never thought of that til my DH one day put a couple gallons of milk buckled in!

Since my children are RFing I feel like stuff in the cargo area that's not tied down will fly right into their faces, so when I don't have enough room in the tote for everything, the extra goes on the floor in front of the front passenger seat. I do also put some things (jackets, shoes, Moby, etc) wedged under the middle row seat. The shoes actually go under the flipped down seat so they can't go anywhere.

[Soar]

Where can you find the flexible cargo bags? I've Googled and cant find them, only nylon totes you place down, nothing secured down.

This close to ordering the cargo net, unless someone comes up with a horror story with one. :)

Thanks for all your help!

[zeo2ski]

I found them accidentally looking for something else--I had googled hitch rack cargo carriers and the first page that came up also happened to have the bags.

I don't think there's anything wrong with a net as long as the webbing holes are small enough for groceries to fit through and make sure it's not stretchy, and rated to a good # of lbs.

[southpawboston]

all of these solutions operate under the assumption that cargo hooks can actually hold the net secure in a crash. many cars have hooks made of plastic and will break under the smallest stress, and the ones made of metal may or may not hold to the same force as a top tether would.

[zeo2ski]

all of these solutions operate under the assumption that cargo hooks can actually hold the net secure in a crash. many cars have hooks made of plastic and will break under the smallest stress, and the ones made of metal may or may not hold to the same force as a top tether would.

This is a very good point. I was worried about that in my vehicle too but DH checked and the cargo hooks were bolted through the frame (and later found out they are our approved tether anchors). Can you or someone else get under there and scope it out? In the event of a crash, having things you *think* are secured go flying from the result of an anchor breaking or ripping out, you may have been better off not relying on the net and stowing things elsewhere.

[southpawboston]

This is a very good point. I was worried about that in my vehicle too but DH checked and the cargo hooks were bolted through the frame (and later found out they are our approved tether anchors). Can you or someone else get under there and scope it out? In the event of a crash, having things you *think* are secured go flying from the result of an anchor breaking or ripping out, you may have been better off not relying on the net and stowing things elsewhere.

some, but few, vehicles designate the tether anchor as a tie down. and if it is being used as a TA, i imagine that would preclude you from using it simultaneously for securing cargo, but i may be wrong on that. most vehicles have separate cargo anchors, and they are usually flimsy compared with a TA.