Hi,
Does anyone here go camping in your ‘5’?
I’ve got a boot rack fitted to mine, and rather like the idea of some camping trips this year.
But I don’t know how practical it is to try and fit a decent tent, all the camping equipment (stove etc), clothes and two people in a ‘5’.
The sort of tent I’m after would be 2 sleeping ares and a living space.
So if anyone has had experience of going camping with their ‘5’, I’d love to hear of your experiences,
Cheers
Marc
Hi Marc - it’s certainly possible - we used to Caravan and from time time we used to see people camping with their fives (we took note at the time because jan had just got her first).
Boot rack is going to be pretty essential.
I also know some people max the space available by ditching the spare and buying a tyre weld solution (though note this is frowned upon in some quarters).
Use soft bags which make the most of every nook and cranny. Also make the most of the space behind the seats - its surprising how much can be tucked down their as we used to find on our French trips.
Me and my boyfriend went camping last year in his mx5, don’t have a book rack. Just pack the bare essentials and it can be done.
If you’re /really/ desperate, there’s also quite a lot of space in the parcel shelf, especially with the roof up. That does mean you have to keep the roof up for the journey out there though…
Evening Marc,
Camping in an MX5 is easy enough, just pack carefully and buy your food when you arrive rather than taking it with you. Having a boot rack should make it even easier for you. Putting things behind/under the seats frees up a surprisingly lot of space in the boot too.
We take the Mazda when we go away, we’ve got a fairly big tent too. I love watching other campers faces when you turn up in a little two seater sports car.
The only thing I need to buy is a bike rack, as they REALLY won’t fit into the boot, however hard I try!
Thanks guys.
I think the first thing I need to do is work out the maximum size and weight for any tent, fold up chairs etc I can attach to the boot rack.
I’m just left then with fitting in the gas stove, saucepans and clothes into the boot.
I’d rather not do away with the spare wheel - just in case. And I’d like to leave the space behind the seats free, as I couldn’t be driving around in the sunshine with the roof up! lol
HK Phooey - that looks a little like the size tent I’m after. You don’t have a boot rack do you? I’f you’re managing to pack the tent, equipment and clothes in your boot, I guess I shouldn’t have any problems!
Hello Marc,
No, I don’t have a boot rack, so everything has to go in the boot. We have a gas stove that is very flat and that slides behind the passenger seat nicely. I find shoes fit under the seats well too. It all adds up and frees up space in the boot.
Marc, the space behind the seats people are referring to is literally that - down the back in the gap left behind the seat when it’s rolled forwards a bit. Using the “parcel shelf” for storage would make having the roof down difficult, but the gaps behind the seats are fine.
I’ve stuck a Wii Fit balance board in there a few times when visiting my parents, and also a laptop bag full of tools when doing stuff for work. It’s perfect for wide, flat things.
I’ve also managed to go on (slightly less luxurious!) camping trips with just what I could fit in a 65 litre rucksack and carry on my back, so I think it should be relatively easy with a '5!
We normally go camping at the nationals and take a large tent, double bed, chairs and cooking equipment - without a boot rack [;)]
Just be prepared for arguments when packing [au]