Push-Shove But Get This Crap Into The Car
Written: Jun 13 '02 (Updated Jun 13 '02)
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Pros: Extra Cargo Space for Moving Jams
Cons: Arnold Swarzenagger was not there to help us move all this stuff
The Bottom Line: If you need a cheap alternative to owning a monster SUV- this comes in handy.
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| bwyckoff1's Full Review: Samsonite Roof Cargo Carrier 07195/07196/07197 |
There are certain defining moments in a person’s life. The birth of a baby. Impending marriage. My defining week has had me reeling. Two children graduating within the month and one moving her entire lifes positions back into my home for a short duration was this week’s fine and exciting moment. Mission Impossible? Getting entire girls possessions into a Camry? Ha! Watch this you fool.
Dartmouth Graduation was ended-diplomas given out and there I was with a quandary. Oh I could rent a mini van for the week. No problem. Unless I had 300 dollars to waste on one weekend. Not this penny pincher. We were going to shove all her crap into my car no matter what it took. We forewarned her. Throw out all your stinky shoes and ripped disgusting paraphernalia before we arrive. We needed a Cargo rack on top. Surprise-they don’t make one that can fit the Camry. We looked high and low and found this neat bag through the Samsonite Company.
Samsonite is the luggage I have relied on all these years so I knew this would work out. I needed to have an air of positive thinking.
There on the sidewalk were bags upon bags of clothing, television, bedding and all the tochkes the world could possess. One snotty and disparaging parent passed us on the sidewalk and said in disbelief” you really think you are going to get all that in the car?” I looked away and used that as positive motivation to push and shove all this stuff in no matter what I had to do.
The pros are the bag is very sturdy and lightweight. It is bound with canvas strapping that easily opens to a full 13 cubic feet or so. Enough to shove in four underbed plastic bags loaded with clothing. It can hold up to 4 small suitcases. There is a fleece bottom to protect the car finish. The bag is made of a heavy-duty polyester type fabric and treated with a PVC Coating. So far-so good. I liked the fact that you could store it easily in a very small box when not in use. It only takes up one cubic ft.
The down side is the bag has to hook under the rubber gaskets of the car windows and once you close the door, the hooks are fashioned so that when you close the door, the action seals the clips to the door.. Depending on the car, the clips will either fit
tight or be loose. This made us all very nervous in the past. We actually sealed the clips with an extra swath of duct tape. Every time you leave the car, you really need to make sure the clips are secure and in place. The other big faux pas with this thing is it is not waterproof. You need to wrap all contents in a heavy plastic bag if there are rain clouds in the forecast and pray a lot. On my Toyota Echo during a previous journey, using the bag in the rain let rain into the car. Not good.
Thank God the graduation was a sunny day.
I found this bag at my Toyota Dealership, but also at a Samsonite Outlet Shop in Tanger Outlets in Riverhead, NY. The price was a reasonable fifty dollars.
If you can find an alternative to this bag, such as a sturdy hard shell cargo bag I think you may want to go that route. If your car can only accommodate this soft bag, I will say it holds a nice amount of extraneous stuff that can free up your trunk space. The clips are a pain, but to speak in the bags favor, we have not lost it on the high-speed freeway after using it about four trips now. It is not perfect.
To the doubting Thomas on the sidewalk who confronted us-we got it all in the car!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 60
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bwyckoff1
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Member: Barb wyckoff
Location: New York
Reviews written: 337
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Film Critic-Painter-Writer- Professional Artist
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