Building a loading system for his Cruiser 60 made packing in and out less of a drag, says Danie Pienaar of the Strand.

Pitching camp or taking it down can become quite chaotic, especially if the weather doesn’t play along. It is then when packing in becomes chucking in, your matrimonial vows wobble and the children’s view of life become bleak.

In the past some ten years, my fellow-travellers and I have mastered the principle of “first out, last in” – the ground sheets are usually taken out of the vehicle first and go back in last.

Our campsite is never littered with camping gear – each item has its place, and when we pack up, everything goes into its dedicated spot. The purpose of this packing rack is therefore rather to exercise volume control.

This, my third DIY packing rack, was built to keep track of our changing needs.
My requirements are simple: the packing rack has to be light enough so I can handle it on my own, and I don’t want to spend a fortune on it, because if I want to ditch it, I don’t want to feel compelled to deliver a eulogy.

How did you decide on this design?
I’ve been in the bundu numerous time with guys who had commercial loading systems installed and saw them treading a footpath between the tent and their vehicle, while all my boxes were already near or in my tent.

A friend, who had recently bought a Cruiser with a commercial loading system, agrees with me that it is too heavy and wastes too much space – a commercial loading system fits between the wheel arches, while my packing rack fits over it.

But I don’t drive a Cruiser 60!
You can adapt this design for almost any vehicle. First measure your packing surface. I allow for about 7 cm between the rack and the side windows.

The door opening usually determines the size or width of the packing rack. My rack is wider than the door opening, therefore I push it in sideways and then turn it 90 degrees.
     
How is the packing rack mounted?
The rack is usually secured by packing items on it, but I have considered attaching it to the floor in the same way one would secure a fridge slide.

However, the ideal is that I can remove the whole caboodle within seconds; I dislike a loading system that has been bolted on, because it restricts the use of your vehicle (I can remove my rack in the veld to quickly collect a load of braai wood). The rack has also served as a table in the bundu, and as a packing place in the tent.

Granted, the rack does shake around, but only on grade-5 trails.

How do you prevent the load from shifting?
I have used ratchet straps that fit underneath the rack. I’ve considered attaching the straps to the rack, but it’s been unnecessary, even though we have been on all conceivable types of terrain.