Transporting slalom boats - Inside an estate ?

mwilk · Post by **mwilk** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 2:31 pm

I know that this is not a rant or rave, but seems to fit best here.
I want to replace my car with an estate into which I could get a 3.5-3.6m slalom boat [with all the seats, including the passenger seat, folded down, etc.].
It's not just out of laziness [i.e. all that tying onto the roof] but it would mean that I could leave the boat inside the car whilst in work and go straight to training. At the moment I would have to leave it on the roof [in the middle of Liverpool ! *].
Has anyone found that they can manage this with a particular model ? I don't really want to have to get a monster estate car, e.g. Volvo.

[* no jokes or criticisms about stereotyping please][/color]

Carlr · Post by **Carlr** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:11 pm

I doubt whether you will fit a short boat into an estate car, I have a mondeo and an audi estate and can just fit 3 metre lengths of trunking inside using the passenger footwell.

PaulBolton · Post by **PaulBolton** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:13 pm

My mate has a VW transporter and can just get a 3.5M slalom boat into that, but it has to have one end on top of the dash right up against the window. There's about 1cm of flex. Given that an estate car stops at the window I think you'll struggle to find one that will swallow a boat. Good luck hunting though, but your better option is probably a van.

Cheers

PB

Dave Royle · Post by **Dave Royle** » Thu Apr 10, 2008 9:51 pm

You won't get one in a Galaxy either

Geebs · Post by **Geebs** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 2:15 pm

Long w/b VW transporter, fit's in nicely and plenty of room to get changed in and stay out of the nasty English weather!

Mr Fifty · Post by **Mr Fifty** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:12 pm

I used to go to slaloms back in the early 90s with the old style Toyota Hiace LWB van my 4 meter boat fitted in a treat you just had to fold down the middle seat and it would tuck up under the dash a treat so it wouldnt go through the windscreen if you braked hard. Mind you getting 1st gear was a bit tricky.
You dont seem many of the old type Hiace or Nissan Urvan these days most have rusted to death or engine failiure has done for them.

Martyn Setchell · Post by **Martyn Setchell** » Fri May 02, 2008 1:50 pm

VW Transporter short wheel base with 2 seats in front. A 3.5m boat fits on edge backwards, between the front front seats into the foot well. A 3.65 force also fits. A 4m boat is only just to long.
Martyn

mwilk · Post by **mwilk** » Fri May 02, 2008 5:36 pm

Thanks everyone. Sounds like there is pretty much only one option.
I think I was being a little optimistic as I can easily get a 9 ft surfboard into my Vaux Vectra hatchback [seats down, etc] and I managed to get my Tuscan [3.6m] in [doing the dashboard thing] with just 0.2m or so sticking out. So I'd hoped that a 3.5m boat might just get into a longer estate.