How to Pack and Organise Your 4WD

Loading all the essentials in your 4wd is really like playing a game of tetris, it requires a little strategy and patience to ensure you don’t only get it done in an efficient time but that all occupants will be safe when travelling inside the vehicle.

If you go in with a plan of where everything goes then you will not only save yourself time but you will save yourself a headache when it comes to packing everything up when you’re at camp.

Here are some of our top tips for organising and packing your 4WD …

Distribute the weight – We know how tempting it can be to just chuck everything in and hit the road but this could lead to a very dangerous situation especially if you’re going to be tackling some uneven tracks. By distributing the weight of what you’re packing evenly, you are going to make for a safer trip with less chance of damaging you cars chassis and diff as well as putting less stress on your cars brakes.

Install racks – By installing roof racks you are instantly doubling the space that you have available to carry bulky cargo such as swags, eskys and camp chairs.

Install a canopy - By installing a canopy on your utes tray you are maximizing all of your utes storage capacity. A canopy will ensure that all your camping gear will stay protected from the elements and organized while allowing for extra room for the occupants inside the vehicle.

Don’t overload your vehicle – Your vehicles Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is the maximum weight that your car can carry including its own weight. If you overload your vehicle to the point, it exceeds its GVM it will not only damage your car by potentially bending the chassis but it’s also illegal. A trip to your local weigh bridge when you’re fully loaded will mean that you know you’re going to be safe.

Share the gear – Do you really need five recovery kits and five camp ovens if you’re travelling in a convoy? No, I didn’t think so. Plan ahead if you’re heading away in a group and get everybody to bring something different, this means you will free up interior space, reduce the stress on your vehicle and still have everything you need when you get to camp. 

Above all else when it comes to packing your 4wd, practice really does make perfect. The more times you pack your vehicle the easier and more time efficient it will become.