The jam-packed trunk you see above belongs to a good friend of mine. She travels a lot for work and lugs around product samples. Her trunk (and sometimes the rest of the car) is always filled to the brim. She came to our auto repair shop last week because her car needed to have suspension and engine work done. In order for us to replace her rear shocks, we have to access them through the trunk. Before we did any engine work, we had to disconnect her battery . . . also located in the trunk. I love my friend, but when I opened the trunk, you can only imagine the colourful words that came out of my mouth! We moved her trunk contents to the back seat (thankfully, that was empty) and faithfully moved every single item back after we finished repairing her car.
That got me thinking—what if she had to boost her battery? Can you imagine unloading all that to access it? Or what if you have a spare tire in the trunk? You'd be stranded on the side of the road, unloading the trunk contents to access the spare so you could change a flat tire.
Now, I'm not saying your trunk should be empty, but I'm suggesting that you take some time to regularly sort out your car so it doesn't get out of hand. Your car isn't meant to be a permanent mobile storage bin! If you have to carry a lot of stuff, try to keep it as organized as possible. That way, if you have to unload for whatever reason, it'll be more efficient. What physical health experts recommend also applies to your car—if you have any excess baggage, get rid of it!
I personally don't like moving clients' personal items, but if I have to access a part, then so be it. Oh, the things we have found in people's cars—that's another blog post on its own! If at all possible, please keep your car relatively clean, especially if you're bringing it in for major auto service. Keep in mind that if a significant amount of time is required to "prep" your car before work can be done, you may be paying for that added time.
Another thing to consider is whether or not your car is designed to carry that amount of load all the time. Added weight to your car puts strain on suspension components, which may lead to premature tire wear. Your car won't be as fuel efficient and your brakes go through more effort to stop a car that's heavier than its original design.
The next time you pop open the trunk ask yourself, “Is there anything in here that I don't need?”
One thing you should have in your trunk: an “Emergency Kit For Your Car”. Find out how you fare against other Canadians—“Do You Know How To Change Your Spare Tire?”
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