Hi all due to go away with my better half in a few weeks time,but with the amount of gear we are taking(holdall of hair products/equipment for a start :roll: ) we are going to need all the tips you seasoned trippers can offer,were thinking of using passenger footwell,cubby holes behind seats and rolling the knobs back to increase boot height,is that about it?-thanks
how to use every inch of zed space?
- Thread starter andysat
- Start date
Simple truth is be brutal and only take what you really need, does your girlfriend really need to take 10 pairs of shoes, 3 handbags and more products than boots the chemist. As for clothes take the bear minimum and take half a day out somewhere and find a laundrette, admittedly not what you want to do in the middle of a holiday but a damm site easier than trying to cramp 2 weeks of clothes into the car.
I don't know about you but stuff in the passenger footwell would drive me mad even if I was driving, If I can't get it in the boot then doesn't get packed, generally speaking. The good lady wifes handbag being about the only exception to the rule.
As an aside I used to go away camping for a couple of weeks at a time while touring Europe on a Motorbike and managed to carry everything I needed.
Don't forget if you lift up the tray in the boot (roll the knobs back) you won't be able to lower the roof.
I don't know about you but stuff in the passenger footwell would drive me mad even if I was driving, If I can't get it in the boot then doesn't get packed, generally speaking. The good lady wifes handbag being about the only exception to the rule.
As an aside I used to go away camping for a couple of weeks at a time while touring Europe on a Motorbike and managed to carry everything I needed.
Don't forget if you lift up the tray in the boot (roll the knobs back) you won't be able to lower the roof.
Slip a woven nylon strap around the shoulders of the seat, under the clip for the seatbelt (assuming you have tombstone seats). From this you can hang a suit carrier of shirts, trousers, jackets, etc, occupying the dead space between the seat back and the rear bulkhead. The shorter your girlfriend, the further forward you can move her seat, and the more clothes you can hang behind her seat. If you're as tall as me, the space behind the driver's seat will be minimal, but you'd still be surprised how much you can hang there.
That will leave the entire boot for her shoes, toiletries, and hair equipement, and the glove box for all her underwear
That will leave the entire boot for her shoes, toiletries, and hair equipement, and the glove box for all her underwear
We just returned from our get away trip with the Zed. I was surprized how much we could fit in the trunk (boot ?).
We found it was much easier to pack the bulky items in loose rather than in a bag. The space is pretty deep and we
were able to tuck a lot in around our two bags. We kept the shoes loose and fit them in after everything else.
My recommendation is to pack her bag and your bag in the boot. Then stand back and tell her she can only take what
she can fit. I wouldn't take much in the cabin - she'll fill it up with her purse and what ever anyway.
We found it was much easier to pack the bulky items in loose rather than in a bag. The space is pretty deep and we
were able to tuck a lot in around our two bags. We kept the shoes loose and fit them in after everything else.
My recommendation is to pack her bag and your bag in the boot. Then stand back and tell her she can only take what
she can fit. I wouldn't take much in the cabin - she'll fill it up with her purse and what ever anyway.
Proof that you can pack a full size bag of clubs, a medium suitcase, battery jumper/air pump, tools, and a toiletry bag.
I agree with using the back of the seats- check this out- for hanging a suit, etc.: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BU53&mospid=49305&btnr=82_1205&hg=82&fg=26
For hanging lots of stuff from the seat backs, there is also a version with zippered pockets.
I've been debating buying 2 of these:
$25 each at autosportcatalog.com
billygilly
Active member
Psy said:
Can you check out these.. same set same photos I think the cheeky buggers have added £100 I,m sure
http://www.roadsterbag.co.uk/BMW-Roadsterbag-luggage.html
I have the 'roadster bags for the e89 and think they're great, made travelling so much easier than before. I haven't seen the difference between a z3 boot and your z4 boot but the bags are designed to 'fit the space'. In the e89 they don't fit if you have the optional hard plastic boot liner as i do, i just take that out when we are travelling (and as i don't need to transport firewood in the z4 now the chances of dirtying up the boot are greatly reduced 
), do check before buying!
I find the luggage set means you aren't packing to fit the boot rather than packing for practical access and as the bags are designed to allow for roof down driving, if you drive home with the roof up you can store a hell of a lot above the bags, we brought back 6 half cases of wine and spirits and jars of food after a 16 day trip round Italy and France.
), do check before buying!I find the luggage set means you aren't packing to fit the boot rather than packing for practical access and as the bags are designed to allow for roof down driving, if you drive home with the roof up you can store a hell of a lot above the bags, we brought back 6 half cases of wine and spirits and jars of food after a 16 day trip round Italy and France.
Having just come back from a three week road trip around Europe, I can't recommend highly enough this:
http://www.boot-bag.com/toppage1.htm
Here's a picture of it in-situ on the Route Napoleon after about 600 miles of the route back:
Adds an extra 50 litres of space, doesn't in any way damage the paint and was stable up to 140mph on the autobahn. As an added bonus it does not impede with the roof opening and closing mechanism on the E85. I got mine two years ago for a trip around the UK and it is still going strong.
http://www.boot-bag.com/toppage1.htm
Here's a picture of it in-situ on the Route Napoleon after about 600 miles of the route back:
Adds an extra 50 litres of space, doesn't in any way damage the paint and was stable up to 140mph on the autobahn. As an added bonus it does not impede with the roof opening and closing mechanism on the E85. I got mine two years ago for a trip around the UK and it is still going strong.
Just a thought, try going naturist, then you'll only need what you are travelling in I've done 2 weeks in the south of france with the missus on a bike and now packing the zed for a holiday usually means we have loads of space as we pack like we did on the bike.Just takes some planning. 
I've done 2 weeks in the south of france with the missus on a bike and now packing the zed for a holiday usually means we have loads of space as we pack like we did on the bike.Just takes some planning. i went camping in france last week, and i was very happy wit how much i actually managed to fit into the car!
i took 2 massive black sportsbags, a tent, 2 sleeping bags, chairs, an air bed, the GFs collection of shoes, a rucksack and then a few extra little things which i stuffed in the side parts of the boot behind and in front of the wheel arches. i managed to keep enough space to have the top down too!
the little storage holes behind the seats are actually useful & i managed to put jackets and big pillows behind the seats too, with no compromise on seating position, in the end there was nothing in the passenger foot-well or on the GFs lap which made the drive comfy for her.
Before
After
Filled it to the brim! wish i had a picture of what i actually took layed out on the floor because i couldnt beleive it fitted and although i did sacrifice taking some things, i actually took more than i needed in the end!
i took 2 massive black sportsbags, a tent, 2 sleeping bags, chairs, an air bed, the GFs collection of shoes, a rucksack and then a few extra little things which i stuffed in the side parts of the boot behind and in front of the wheel arches. i managed to keep enough space to have the top down too!
the little storage holes behind the seats are actually useful & i managed to put jackets and big pillows behind the seats too, with no compromise on seating position, in the end there was nothing in the passenger foot-well or on the GFs lap which made the drive comfy for her.
Before
After
Filled it to the brim! wish i had a picture of what i actually took layed out on the floor because i couldnt beleive it fitted and although i did sacrifice taking some things, i actually took more than i needed in the end!
Take less, i've learnt one thing over the years and thats packing far too many clothes for trips away.
Couple of pairs of shorts, jeans if it gets cold and half a dozen tees/shirts which a jumper/hoody can go over if it gets cold Easily fits in a soft sports bag - hard cases are a no no.
Shoes fit nicely behind the seats as do drinks bottles, if you need to attend a black tie event use a suit bag and hang it on the sneaky coat hooks in the roll bars.
Don't lose the ability to open the roof by collapsing the shelf, it doesnt give much more room and the wind noise cancels out any droning from the passenger seat
Couple of pairs of shorts, jeans if it gets cold and half a dozen tees/shirts which a jumper/hoody can go over if it gets cold
Easily fits in a soft sports bag - hard cases are a no no.Shoes fit nicely behind the seats as do drinks bottles, if you need to attend a black tie event use a suit bag and hang it on the sneaky coat hooks in the roll bars.
Don't lose the ability to open the roof by collapsing the shelf, it doesnt give much more room and the wind noise cancels out any droning from the passenger seat
We use 2 duffle bags. 1/2 mine and 1 1/2 hers. We also separate our toiletries into another bag. We are not neat packers, so we can manage to stuff a whole lot of stuff in the trunk by stuffing around the duffle bags. Use of hard suitcases leaves you no room to squeeze things in such as shoes, sweaters, etc... Of course, we pack for 4 days and stop to use the laundry. If we are just traveling and won't be in the same place for more than a night, we wear clothes for 2 days as well. You can wash out your undies and socks every night so you don't need to unpack. Do you really need to drag everything into the hotel at night? If not, pack so you don't have to. I can't post a pic from work or I would show you our trunk from our first trip a few years ago.
Of course, the first trip, my wife brought down her luggage and I blurted out something like "Its either you or the luggage, I don't have room for both" She learned to pack light.
Of course, the first trip, my wife brought down her luggage and I blurted out something like "Its either you or the luggage, I don't have room for both" She learned to pack light.