Packing the 5 for a French road trip !

[Merlot man]

Hello all
My wife and I are bringing the mk2 to the alpes for two weeks camping and I'm looking for some ideas on how to pack the car cleverly / get some space saving ideas .
I know the main thing is to only bring what you really need ......but tell that to the wife !
I have a standard boot bag but maybe should have got the bigger one ...anyone looking for a boot bag in perfect condition !!!
I'd bring s small trailer but the car is not approved for one .
Has anyone done or seen anything that is fitted onto the mx to improve luggage space ?
All ideas/ thoughts are welcome
Thanks in advance
Brian

[mrges]

!!!! Hi Brian - I once took a MK1 to the South coast of France for two weeks and the only stipulation was "one bag each" (wash clothes when you are there). Pillows were put behind the seats, and everything else fitted in the boot (bags, 3-man tent, blow up bed, sleeping bags.....AND a bucket, sponge, some car shampoo, and a light car cover!!!!! I washed the car twice on the trip, and when parked up on the campsite threw the cover over it). It all just squeezed in the boot. Before leaving Calais on way back there were 18 bottles of wine purchased and fitted in all round the car - every orifice was used. On the way back through England we stopped off at Ikea and bought a dish rack, chopping board and fruit bowl.... You'll be grand!!!!!


Have fun :- )

[Steve]

You bringing the spare wheel? A compressor + plug set + foam + Roadside assist is smaller
Don't forget all the room on either side of the petrol tank. Great for packing the not-often-used stuff.
If you are looking for lots more room, considered a basket?
http://muckermanracing.com/projects-por ... o-carrier/

Happens to be a hitch for sale on this very forum too

[Merlot man]

Thanks for all the ideas gents
The basket on the tow bar looks great Steve ! I See that Thule do a version of this the 949 , I wonder if anybody on here has one they would like to sell / rent to me ........please !
I've seen them on eBay for €200
Thanks in advance
Brian

[barney]

Hi Brian, did you not get one of the bags that fit on the ledge behind the seats? It's amazing how much they hold.

[Merlot man]

Hi Brian, did you not get one of the bags that fit on the ledge behind the seats? It's amazing how much they hold.

I'm afraid not Brian , i wasn't around for that .I wonder how they work either a roll bar ?
Brian

[barney]

No problem with or without stylebars anyway

[leamyj]

Brian, I know I bought one of them bags for the parcel shelf, was looking for it recently but couldn't find it, it kinda got lost in a house move...will try again during the week to find it!

John

[Merlot man]

Thanks very much for that John I'd really appreciate that if you didn't mind
Cheers
Brian

[notch000]

Hi Brian, id be interested in that boot bag, I'm doing he same trip later in the year in the 10Ae, is your the 50ltrs one ??

We did a test camping trip to donegal a few weeks ago and had the starlet packed to the roof, need to review the packaging for the MX !! i did the same trip a couple yrs ago on a Bike if you looking for any routes or suggestions



as for packing just bring light gear , no need for Jeans or heavy jackets, fancy clothese in European Summer weather. bring a small cloths line and wash your clothes every other day if your camping, you also do not need a laptop or any other lage electrical crap wiht ya, its only a pain in the whole to keep charged and looked after, dont forget sun screen, flip flops etc.
drg bags are geat for reducing down soft luggarge, sleeping bags etc, travel towls are the buisness for neat packing and quick wash dry too
/.;

[Merlot man]

Hello notch
Thanks for the offer of a route ,I'll take you up on that if you don't mind . All your packing ideas are spot on as well , it's really bikers I should be talking to !
I was only half serious about the bag but if your interested please make an offer via PM But if your going at a time other than mine you are more than welcome to borrow the bag , come to think about it so is everyone .
I'll need it for the last week of July and yet he first two of August , other than that it's free . I feel I'd be getting the better deal re route and travel advice etc . I'll send on my phone no In a PM as I'm not that well connected on the Internet for the next couple of days
Brian

[93 Mk1]

Hello notch
Thanks for the offer of a route ,I'll take you up on that if you don't mind . All your packing ideas are spot on as well , it's really bikers I should be talking to !
I was only half serious about the bag but if your interested please make an offer via PM But if your going at a time other than mine you are more than welcome to borrow the bag , come to think about it so is everyone .
I'll need it for the last week of July and yet he first two of August , other than that it's free . I feel I'd be getting the better deal re route and travel advice etc . I'll send on my phone no In a PM as I'm not that well connected on the Internet for the next couple of days
Brian

I'm both a biker and MX5 owner and I've done trips to the Alps many times including last May by bike.
Trust me, you can get away with far less stuff than you would believe:

Spare wheel - get rid of it. As mentioned above, get a small 12v compressor, tubeless repair kit and a can tyre aerosol tyre sealant. Now you have two ways to mend a puncture.
Tent - try trial packing before you go. If it were me I would not pack the tent in its bag but stuff in in loosely to any corner or free space. Do the same with poles etc.
Pillows - domestic pillows will eat space. Use the inflatable camping type. They are not bad at all and you can suppliment them with cloths etc. if you need to raise them. They pack down really small.
Clothing - a post mentioned above to use light clothing: spot on. Denim etc won't pack as good. Travel clothing is light, packs well and dries out way quicker. Learn how to "ranger roll" your clothes and underware. It maximizes on your valuable space. Do a search on YouTube for ranger roll or army roll. Loads of folks take a change of clothes for every single day - this is madness. You can get away with a set of clothes used most days for driving and have a change of clothes for the evenings after a shower. You can a few days out of one lot....unless you're going running, hiking or other sweaty activities !!! Packing clothes for a trip is a fine art and 90% of people still take way too much. Tour on a Motorbike and the MX5 will seem like van in comparison as regards luggage capacity !
Travel towels - these are well worth buying: they dry real fast and they pack up so small.

Utilize the space under your passenger's legs for smaller items (although she will want her handbag there too ! Storing stuff on the parcel shelf is great in theory but I found it a pain in the ass when putting the roof down. Maybe try to confine it to smaller items. I never needed one but you could use an external boot rack so increase your luggage capacity. Again, trial pack before you go to and play around with the possibilities. And ask yourself if you really need certain items.
My other advice to you is:

Avoid autoroutes (motorways) - they are boring and can be really expensive in France. Stick to the Route National (RN road numbers on the map) or better still the smaller roads.
Maps - you might be using a GPS but I would advise getting a Michelin map of France or any other country you are visiting. The detail on these maps are far superior. The scenic routes are highlighted in green which is a Godsend for enthusiastic drivers. I find it's nice to plot a route on the GPS while looking at the map for the overall picture.
You will need a vignette for Switzerland if using the motorways. This will cost you approximately €37. I avoid the motorways there and hence don't pay it.
Fuel - again avoid the motorways. Big supermarkets (LeClerc, Super U, Intermarche) can be much cheaper. Fuel in France is a buit cheaper than here as is Germany/Austria. However, fuel in Italy will be more expensive. You have a choice of 95 or 98 RON: the 95 is cheaper obviously and does fine.
Since you're camping you might be cooking - Lidl and Aldi are even cheaper than they are here I find so you might want to buy any necessities there. The motorhome community swear by these retailers for their food needs ! Lots of the campsites have bar/restaurants too and they are usually priced decently.
The Alpine passes like the Stelvio, Timmeljoch etc etc will be busy at this time of the year. Doing these passes during normal hours will have you seeing lots of coaches, cyclists and motorhomes so you may not be able to do these roads in a spirited fashion !!
For France you will need to carry spare bulbs/warning triangle and hi-viz vest for each people (must be stored in the car, not the boot). I also brought a litre of oil (you may not be near a forecourt if you need it !), a spare spark plug (all four are unlikely to fail !) and jump leads.

Notch is right - ditch the laptop...you're on holiday ! A tablet is better if you have access to one.
That's all I can think of for now.......if you can think of anything else drop me a line.

[Igor]

Hi,
I'm also doing a Euro trip which will take me through France, Switzerland, across the Alps (Stelvio pass) to Italy and Croatia. Back via Germany, Belgium, UK.

I bought a nice solid and sturdy boot rack off eBay (not the aluminium decorative one). That, boot space, under the seats for emergency equipment (first aid, triangles etc and hi vis jackets - they need to be in the cabin) and a custom mx5 bag behind the style bars (a group purchase few years ago here) should do. That should hold the camping gear and other luggage, plus leave some space for the wine.

Btw, I found in Tesco NF breathalysers for 4-5 Euros, Halfords also has them on a discount. From what I heard, the ferry prices are similar to airport prices. Apparently people get mandatory emergency travel kits in Cherburg for a fraction of the cost but didn't manage to confirm that yet.

Would anyone recommend a good breakdown cover/insurance for the EU? AA? Thanks!

[notch000]

Would anyone recommend a good breakdown cover/insurance for the EU? AA? Thanks!

100%
Ring the ADAC (its the german AA) for breakdown cover, think is 59E for the yr for all of europe. You do need to call as they dont take international customer online and most docs are in german, but there english is 100%

[gasha]

I have been with ADAC for two years now but cannot comment on them as I have never had a breakdown. With ADAC you have breakdown cover for any car you are driving.

They with supply you with medical insurance also for a little extra.

I took breakdown cover with them because I read good reviews.

Hope this helps.