Jalopnik: Cargo

Truck Bed Cargo Net Secures Your Junk, Sans Bungee Mess

Travis Hudson — Wed, 21 May 2008 15:00:00 EDT

Every truck owner has been there: you have an unnecessary amount of ~~Earl Warren memorabilia~~ random junk in the bed that all needs to be secured down in some way or another. The obvious answer is to bust out that mess of bungee cords and get to work strapping everything down with knots and configurations that would make a boy scout blush. A better solution to that problem is to just net everything down with this heavy duty cargo net. The net measures 55 inches by 74.5 inches and can withstand extreme weather conditions as well. The six attachable anchor points make it seemingly easy to install. The net is available for $22. [etrailer via Toolmonger]

Rucksack Is A Sack, To Give Your Hatch's Booty Some More Back

Travis Hudson — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:30:00 EDT

Yes, when you bought that hatchback you thought you would have more than enough room to grow, but one marriage and 2.5 kids later the hatch's back no longer has the cushion for all the crap you're pushing in. Don't splurge on the minivan, yet, just invest in a super trendy and cool Rucksack! Think of the Rucksack as a backpack for your hatchback. It straps on the hatch door and provides more than four cubic feet of extra space for all of those things that randomly accumulate in any family-mobile. You know, like soccer balls, Dora the Explorer videos, and empty orange bottles of "Mother's little helper."

The Rucksack includes wheels so it can detach and be rolled with ease. In fact, the only downside of this $425 accessory is that it blocks the entire back windshield. But that's why we all learned how to reverse with our side-view mirrors in driver's training now, isn't it? [Auto Rucksack via boj]

A Happy Ending for Smart

Mike Spinelli — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 13:01:41 EDT

Get your mind out of the gutter, you massage-parlor denizens, we're talking about cargo space. Actually, it's the Clever End, and it's the equivalent of roof-mounted storage for the diminutive Smart Fortwo. The Clever End is mounted in place of the Fortwo's rear window, and acts as an aftermarket trunk (sorry, boot).

The Clever End [via Autoblog.it]

Those Dudes in Wolfsburg Can Party

Mike Spinelli — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 13:58:22 EDT

These are official drawings of the cargo possibilities of VW s new Passat Wagon. In the first, VW shows us the wagon s ability to haul a few tables, two kegs and two large canisters that would be useful in transporting pressurized gas of perhaps an intoxicating nature.

In the second, we think the folks at VW are simply bragging about their green thumbs by showing us this rather large, leafy plant resting comfortably in the back of the all-new wagon. We at Jalopnik do not condone such cargo and are sure that the new Passat would be equally at home hauling mountain bikes, antiques found at a flea market or other such trappings of suburban life. We hear there's even a Prozac dispenser next to the cup holders.

Related:
Volkswagen Reveals New Passat Wagon [internal]