Keeping my car nice! "Soggy" inflatables.

[FairweatherDave]

One day I will replace my trusty rusty servant with something that I really should look after. Rolled up freshly used inflatables are not too bad (compared to my windsurfing equipment) but all the same I'd like to protect the future insides from wetstuff. Anyone recommend any robust plastic sheeting/rubber mats/ big leak proof tender bags.......

 

[Hermit]

Had a few of these for different cars - they are superb.

Boot Covers | Car Boot Protectors & Mats For Dogs | Hatchbag

 

[penfold]

You can get moulded polyprop boot liners; with a frequently muddy labrador it's important for keeping the 'essence of dog' down to a dull roar.

 

[NormanS]

My Toyota has an (optional extra) flexible plastic boot liner.

 

[underdog]

This works for me
Car Boot Liners, Load Liners & Dog Guards - Boot Buddy (boot-buddy.com)

 

[Concerto]

In my estate car I have a fitted liner and moulded rubber tray as I used to have a labrador. Certainly has kept to boot a lot cleaner and should work well with an inflatable dinghy. Both were bought from eBay and are specific to a model of a car so fit well.

 

[FairweatherDave]

Thanks for the replies folks. As a non dog owning non estate car driver its been educational. Sometimes my Galaxy people carrier resembles an estate, sometimes I lay different seats down to accomodate longer items such as oars. So my original large robust pvc rubber blanket is still an idea. But next car is likely to be a trad family estate in which case these ideas are very interesting. Next season we plan to only be using an inflatable to get to our swinger so the moisture content of the Galaxy is likely to rise.

 

[northwind]

put it on a bike rack on the back.. I use one of these:
Thule EasyBase 949 Tow Bar Ball Mounted Cargo Rack | BackUp Box EasyBag | eBay

 

[Sandy]

A roof rack and top box.

 

[FairweatherDave]

I've done the bike rack approach before with an inflatable, when my people carrier was overloaded. Good solution if you have a bike carrier.
Already got a big roof box so that would work. Really looking forward to having a low car roof for loading stuff on roofracks, or into a roofbox - instead of climbing on seats or the doors to reach high stuff on the people carrier. But not a fan of a permanently mounted roofbox. I like my mpg as high as I can squeeze it.

 

[BobnLesley]

A work colleague once borrowed my (thankfully company-owned) Ford Escort estate for a week while he sorted out a few maintenance jobs on a building contract; as requested he protected/kept it clean by lining out the back with polythene sheet/6mm plywood and a second layer of polythene. It worked a treat for keeping it clean, but they didn't offer much protection when he got half a cubic meter of wet concrete pumped into it; some where over a tonne proved just a tad too much for the rear suspension and mountings.

 

[dunedin]

I've done the bike rack approach before with an inflatable, when my people carrier was overloaded. Good solution if you have a bike carrier.
Already got a big roof box so that would work. Really looking forward to having a low car roof for loading stuff on roofracks, or into a roofbox - instead of climbing on seats or the doors to reach high stuff on the people carrier. But not a fan of a permanently mounted roofbox. I like my mpg as high as I can squeeze it.

Why not just leave inflated and pop on standard roof rack bars. Then whip the bars off after use.

We did a lot of miles with much bigger boats on the roof, of Galaxy and bars only took 5 mins to remove.

 

[penfold]

A work colleague once borrowed my (thankfully company-owned) Ford Escort estate for a week while he sorted out a few maintenance jobs on a building contract; as requested he protected/kept it clean by lining out the back with polythene sheet/6mm plywood and a second layer of polythene. It worked a treat for keeping it clean, but they didn't offer much protection when he got half a cubic meter of wet concrete pumped into it; some where over a tonne proved just a tad too much for the rear suspension and mountings.

Who would have thought that overloading a car by ~400% might wreck it? What did the transport manager say when a banana-shaped Escort was returned to them?

 

[PhillM]

A trailer

 

[CM74]

put it on a bike rack on the back.. I use one of these:
Thule EasyBase 949 Tow Bar Ball Mounted Cargo Rack | BackUp Box EasyBag | eBay

That is an extremely useful looking bit of kit - I had no idea such a thing existed despite seeing towball mounted bike racks everywhere!
My car has a big boot but with a small opening and low height that makes it a real pain for carrying an inflatable... I had considered a trailer but it would be no good for most of my usual parking spots, while a bit more length isn't a real problem

 

[northwind]

That is an extremely useful looking bit of kit - I had no idea such a thing existed despite seeing towball mounted bike racks everywhere!
My car has a big boot but with a small opening and low height that makes it a real pain for carrying an inflatable... I had considered a trailer but it would be no good for most of my usual parking spots, while a bit more length isn't a real problem

And you are not constrained to towing speeds on the road. I remove the upright and just use the base so it's nice and low profile, have to admit I have thought of attaching an outboard to the upright as I thought it would look quite funny. You need to consider nose weight on the hitch, but I have not a problem with it.

 

[northwind]

A roof rack and top box.

OK so long as you don't forget it is there and go in a car park with a barrier..

 

[doug748]

Thanks for the replies folks. As a non dog owning non estate car driver its been educational. Sometimes my Galaxy people carrier resembles an estate, sometimes I lay different seats down to accomodate longer items such as oars. So my original large robust pvc rubber blanket is still an idea. But next car is likely to be a trad family estate in which case these ideas are very interesting. Next season we plan to only be using an inflatable to get to our swinger so the moisture content of the Galaxy is likely to rise.

Yes, estate with a tow bar, roof rails and moulded boot liner with raised sides, is the future. Sound plan. In the meantime you can get waterproof bags, of the sort that divers use for all their tackle, which might take a smaller dinghy. This one is 100 Litre but they can be got up to 200 L :

Blaze Expedition Holdall - Orange 100L

.