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12/22/2014 12:18:05 PM

A Little More Car Storage Space

DIY   ideas  


"Tired" of emergency supplies taking up space and rolling around in the trunk of your car?  This fix can fit a surprising amount of those little things in a space that is never used.  

Things you may need occasionally that I usually put in the glove box...

Headache, Stomach, and general pain medications
First aid bandages and sanitizer
Cough drops
Carmex lip balm
Sanitary napkins
Hot-hands and matches
Fold-able sun hat and sun-screen
Gum/Candy/Granola
Chip clips or bag ties
Napkins

Things you might need very seldom but are good to have in the car...

Pair of work gloves
Tow strap
Cargo straps
Rain poncho
Foil emergency blanket
Flashlight
Jumper cables
Gauze or larger bandages
Chemical ice-pack
Zip ties
Duct tape
Multi-screwdriver
Adjustable wrench
Jack, lug wrench, and tire pressure gauge
Plastic/vinyl drop cloth
Bottles of fluids your car might need, like oil, brake fluid, coolant, etc.

Of course, with a list like that (and possibly more things like reflective triangles and such), a small trunk could fill up fast.  So I was looking for a little more out-of-the-way storage for some of the less used items and noticed that there is a pretty decent amount of room under the spare tire in my trunk.  Of course, just trying to stick some stuff under there would not work since it would shift around and keep the tire from going in easily, so some kind of holder would be needed.
 

So I turned the tire up-side-down and used some newspaper pressed inside the wheel to mark the circumference and center spike, then measured the depth.  (I marked the outer edge of the wheel, the deepest part of the wheel, and between the two.  Then I used the between mark so that the tire will very easily be put into place around the storage.)

 
 

The area under the tire is curved, so I decided a flexible base with firm sides for my storage "coral" would be best.  I have a large roll of vinyl that I decided to use, but any thick plastic or vinyl would do well.  Plain cardboard sides cut an inch shorter than the wheel measured makes sure the tire sits where it should.

 

I stapled the cardboard and also used some duct tape for extra strength on the sides.
 

Then I cut out several several inches larger on the plastic than my base and pressed it into the center of the cardboard.  Several staples to the sides and a small hole cut in the center, and it is ready to go.
 

While large items won't fit, there are plenty of smaller items that can go in this space.
 

And of course, some items can fit around the tire as well.
 

For larger or leaky items, a bungee cord can help keep them out of the way and upright.  Or a small trashcan can hold small leaky bottles like brake fluid, and attach it to the bungee cord as well.

While I still have some more things to pack into the storage space, it definitely helps to free up trunk space for more fun things... Like shopping, grocery bags, and presents.


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COMMENTS

12/22/2014 1:30:11 PM Punkin
What great ideas. You two are traveling around so much and will probably need stuff.  For a while I had a travel bag filled with most or some of the things mentioned on your list and would just grab the bag when off on a trip. Then I had a bag for things we would need when spending time at the VA. Thus a second bag. Your idea is much better as you always have it with you. Love it!!

12/22/2014 8:17:52 PM TinkerT
My mom used to get on a wild-hare sometimes and would decide to go to an all night diner at 2am.... or a thousand miles across the country to visit relatives.  My sister and I would wake in the middle of the night to hear "Five minutes!  Be in the car if you want to go!"

Never knowing which way we were headed, we learned to pack for anything in that five minutes.  Of course... it meant we took a weeks worth of clothing to get biscuits and gravy sometimes, but we were ready.  So when I got my first car, I had a lot of tendency to pack around a lot of "what if" stuff.  (come to think of it, my purse is filled to the bursting point with "what if" stuff and that is why I have to have a VERY small purse or it weighs too much)

Now I don't pack anywhere near as much as I used to in my cars, but I still like to have everything I can tucked away.

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