Cargo barriers - a good idea with a fully loaded boot?

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jonathan18

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#300569 19-Sep-2022 11:23

I’m currently debating whether purchasing a cargo barrier for my car is worthwhile.

The situation I’m looking to deal with is when the boot’s fully laden past the top of the rear seats, even up to the roof line. It’s likely to be a more common scenario for us when on holiday as we’ve decided not to use a roof box on this car.

This is the product I’m looking at getting:

https://tessories.nz/product/model-y-cargo-barrier/

Given it only fastens onto the stems of the headrests, is it going to be adequate in an accident in stopping heavy items coming through into the cabin? Or is it feasible/better to simply rely on not having items placed solely above the seat height (eg, having suitcases sitting vertically and partially below the seat height)?

Saying ‘don’t load above the seat height’ isn’t really a workable solution, as occasionally we’ll need to do so; just trying to find the safest way to do this!

Thanks for any feedback.

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#2970048 19-Sep-2022 11:28

If you have ANYTHING above the seat it's a no brainer to get a barrier, whether this one is strong enough I can't say.

I remember seeing a video many years ago showing what happened with something on the rear shelf in an accident. The speed it hit the front windscreen was frightening and you would not want it hitting your head.

BlakJak

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#2970050 19-Sep-2022 11:29

Depends on what you're loading - and how often - as to whether this is actually worthwhile, IMO.

I rolled around in a Toyota Caldina for a long time and never needed anything like this... most of the time the cargo level was below the pull-over curtain and when it wasn't, the things above seat-height were relatively light-weight items most of the time. Road trips, efficient packing was usually cases and heavy items at the bottom and the top would be stacked with things like pillows and blankets, and carry bags with snacks and board games or other sundry bulky/awkward (but light) items.

And never under both routine and emergency braking, really saw anything 'come to visit' beyond the rear headrests.

I'm in a Toyota Gaia now which is a seven-seater style where the rear seats are used - uncommonly but not rarely - and the configuration means no luggage-curtain and that the space doesn't reall lend itself to any sort of barrier like this. But again, don't tend to have an issue under typical loadout and even road trips have not seen me perceive a major safety risk.

And i've had it up to the roofline before - but again mainly it's the soft stuff, without a lot of mass or inertia, occupying the top section.

If you routinely carry heavier items or cargo of some sort then perhaps this is more needed than i've perceived. But i've been driving stationwagons as my familywagon and/or daily driver since the mid 00's and not needed it yet.

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jonathan18

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#2970056 19-Sep-2022 11:44

It isn’t for frequent use (a few times a year), but is likely to be the times where we’re doing decent distances - primarily family holidays, so the rear seats will be occupied by our precious progeny.

I’ve not had this problem previously, as with a roof box there wasn’t the same need to maximise internal storage; that car (a wagon) also had a (mesh) cargo divider that could be put in place.

Totally get the chance of something happening isn’t great; it’s more what the potential impact could be if it does! Sure, packing only light stuff like pillows on the top makes sense, but I’d imagine anything dense and small enough to make its way forward provides some risk…

BlakJak

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#2970062 19-Sep-2022 11:49

I've never had to pack anything dense enough to present projectile risk to my car's occupants, above seat-line. So you can mitigate a lot of the risk in the way that you pack your car.

Enough that the overhead of buying and managing this additional fitout may not be worthwhile.

But it's what you're comfortable with at the end of the day!

One time when we were relocating between cities we had the Caldina literally so full that the last packed item - my toolbox, which had been used to disassemble furnture, etc - wound up sitting in my drivers legwell for the first hour or so of the trip. Yay automatic transmissions and no clutch, I guess? But the car otherwise looked like that TV ad justabout, with two children, their gadgets and road amusements for a 9 hour road trip in the back seat, the boot full to the ceiling and the roof racks also in-use... and two cats in their cages.

At least once the cats were dropped off at the airport I could move the toolbox... :D

We survived the drive between Wellington and Auckland with the car packed to that level, no dramas.

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BlakJak

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#2970065 19-Sep-2022 11:53

This is the ad I mentioned... it was not quite this bad but closing in on it.. lol

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duckDecoy

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#2970067 19-Sep-2022 11:59

Out there suggestion. What about using something like a piece of plywood leaning up against the back of the seats and shaped to fit the spot? It would definitely stop anything flying through in an accident. The drawback is zero visibility, but if you're like our family then holidays usually mean its full to the roof anyway.

Its something we did when we were younger, although we never shaped it so there was a gap at the top, but we didn't put anything that could slip through there.

jonathan18

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#2970078 19-Sep-2022 12:22

BlakJak:
We survived the drive between Wellington and Auckland with the car packed to that level, no dramas.

The issue I have with this situation is it’s a low probability/(potentially) high impact kinda risk - you may get through your life never having worn a seatbelt, but…

(I’m not trying to say the level of risk between these two scenarios is the same, but more just to reinforce the point it is always fine until it’s not!)

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Handsomedan

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#2970079 19-Sep-2022 12:26

We've always used out Boogie Boards/Skim Boards as a means to erect a barrier above the back headrests. Works well and if you have a full cargo bay you're not blocking the view anyway. Put up a cargo net as well to prevent any slippage.

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jonathan18

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#2970080 19-Sep-2022 12:26

duckDecoy:
Out there suggestion. What about using something like a piece of plywood leaning up against the back of the seats and shaped to fit the spot? It would definitely stop anything flying through in an accident. The drawback is zero visibility, but if you're like our family then holidays usually mean its full to the roof anyway.

Its something we did when we were younger, although we never shaped it so there was a gap at the top, but we didn't put anything that could slip through there.

You know, that’s a pretty damn good idea! (As long as the price of ply hasn’t gone the way of gib!) Rear visibility is already crap in my car (see photo below), and as you say items will be blocking the window anyway. Plus I can always display the rear camera on the screen while driving.

What thickness of ply do you reckon I’d need? Edit: spoken to a colleague (ex builder) - he reckons 9mm should be fine.

Scott3

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#2970101 19-Sep-2022 13:37

Unless you have a pet specific need, My take is that a cargo barrier sole purpose is to stop items in the boot from doing damage to the vehicle's occupants in a serious frontal crash (or rollover).

I don't think the barrier pictured by OP would be strong enough in a serious frontal (but probiably could keep the stuff from the boot from ending up in the passenger compartment in a roll over). It's primary connection is to the head rests, which are not intended to be used in this way.

Ultimately it comes down to how seriously you want to take this high consequence, but low exposure safety risk. Risk requires both a serious crash and a loaded boot. And how much you are willing to spend and trade off your car's flexibility for this.

Should note that the ability for the rear seats themselves to restrain heavy stuff in the boot in the event of a serious frontal crash is questionable. I don't think the USA requires any cargo in the boot for a crash test, and I think europe only requires 2x 20kg suitcases which are flat on the floor. Suspect this is why full height mesh barriers are a thing, to protect both the seatbacks and the gap above.

Europe & Aussie take this issue a lot more seriously than NZ.

One of our company pool cars (many years ago) was a Toyota Avensis Touting (I think they are built in the UK, and are largely targeted at the wagon loving euro market). The cargo blind setup also included a cargo barrier, which could be connected into sturdy brackets integrated into the roof of the car.

Image 1 - GENUINE TOYOTA COROLLA TOURING SPORT 2019-2022 DOG GUARD LUGGAGE SEPARATION NET

In the UK a cargo bulkhead is required to get some kind of tax break on commercial vehicle's, which means that the cargo barriers are pretty much standard on single row cargo van's. Really sucks here that it is common to have a cira 1000kg paylaod van, with nothing between the drivers seatback and the cargo.

Steel mesh barriers are relatively common in Aussie, particually in the heavy 4x4 scene (Where SUV's often have drawers installed in the boot floor, with other gear piled on top, and a combination of suspension lift and terrain increasing roll over risk).

They are generally full height.

Some companies have requirements for cargo barriers in vehicles (especially if the H+S department is based largely in Aussie), so you do see quite a few cars fitted with them on the used market.

In NZ it is (was?) a requirement to have a cargo barrier in taxi / ride-hail vehicles that don't already have a separate boot.

Thanks to this, we do have a industry who builds and installs barriers in NZ. Generally these go above the seat back's only.

Metal:

From this company: https://tteauto.nz/

Or more commonly a perspex:

From this company: https://vijaystaximeters.co.nz/?page_id=660

There even seem to be products that have thumbscrews so you can remove the barrier if you want to transport something bulky. This one is on trade-me for a previous generation rav4.

So yeah, depends how serious you want to take the risk.

For me, the second row of seats in my RX400h SUV slide back and forwards (and with a small child I do slide them forward to get more boot space when we take trips away, but need to slide them rearwards if I wasn't to fit adults comfortably in the back. And I often fold down the seats to fit bulky stuff in (for short trips generally). As such a fixed barrier would be a pain, so I just make to with the factory configuration.

Rear window is sloped in my car, so the voume of stuff that can be packed above the seatback's is fairly low. Suitcases fit (just) vertically in, so I often to that, so there is nothing loose above the seatback's, and of course try and keep heavier stuff low down.

frankv

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#2970117 19-Sep-2022 14:08

Maybe I'm too old school, having grown up driving around without seatbelts and the like. Like someone said, low-probability but high risk. But I'd accept the risk and wouldn't bother with the bars thing. YMMV, so some hopefully helpful thoughts...

Instead of ply, you could use perspex... dunno how much more expensive it would be.

When I've packed a SW to the roof, I've always ensured that the top-front items are soft, like sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets. Big heavy stuff goes on the bottom against the seatbacks.

Even if the stuff in the boot is below the level of the seatbacks, there's a chance that in a crash or sudden stop the front end of an object could catch and the object catapult over the rear seats. This happened to my sister who had a lump of wood (bringing it home for Dad for wood turning) scone her in the back of the head when she ran into an unlit tractor. There's also a possibility of a roll-over crash, where the car is rotating in unpredictable ways.

Are those bars mounted solidly enough to stop whatever the heaviest thing is that you might carry?

jonathan18

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#2970290 19-Sep-2022 19:47

Well, the plan is proceed with making a barrier out of 9mm ply, though my wife’s not keen on the raw wood look! While the obvious option is to paint it, it would look better (and probably have better acoustic properties) if I could find some suitable fabric to cover it.

Whereabouts could I source such fabric? Ideally the felt-like vehicle fabric (what’s the proper name for this?), but happy to consider anything suitable. Thanks.

Edit: looks like what I’m after is boot liner fabric - something like this, just need to find it in a smaller amount than 50m! May see what a car upholstery place charges for it.

https://www.retwine.co.nz/product/612/boston-boot-liner-200cm-charcoal/

Ge0rge

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#2970291 19-Sep-2022 19:52

So you have a local Spotlight? They sell all things fabric.

jonathan18

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#2970299 19-Sep-2022 20:28

Ge0rge: So you have a local Spotlight? They sell all things fabric.

Sure thing we have a Spotlight; I’d assumed, possibly erroneously, that they’d not have had automotive felt, boot liner material, whatever it’s called, but certainly worth checking them out…

Journeyman

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#2970302 19-Sep-2022 20:35

Even if you don't stack things above the height of the headrests, there's always a chance something could fling over the top if you're in an accident. You should definitely get some kind of barrier. Anything is better than nothing. You never know when a truck is going to drive into your car (guess how I know).

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