Help with luggage capaciy

[Smargiassi]

Hi, I need some help from Ford Expedition owners.
I'going to rent one for a trip in California, but I live in Italy where this model is not sold, and i cannot see by myself how much is the room for luggage once all row of seats are on (we're 8 people).
Could we fill it with two large trolleys and 4 medium trolleys?
Please note it is NOT an EL EXplorer.

Is piling luggage up to cover the rear window admitted in the Usa?

Many thanks to anyone could help me...
Michele

 

[Smargiassi]

Hi, I need some help from Ford Expedition owners.
I'going to rent one for a trip in California, but I live in Italy where this model is not sold, and i cannot see by myself how much is the room for luggage once all row of seats are on (we're 8 people).
Could we fill it with two large trolleys and 4 medium trolleys?
Please note it is NOT an EL Expedition.

Is piling luggage up to cover the rear window admitted in the Usa?

Many thanks to anyone could help me...
Michele

 

[tallsville]

as far as i know you can cover up the glass in CA. are the 8 people all adults or are there children? but you should be able to fit them behind the third row if you stack them. you can also put small bags on the plastic by the rear quarter panel glass. i own a 2nd gen expy and have packed alot in it. im sure others will be along to tell you more. hope you have fun on your vacation in CA.

 

[Thermo]

Smargiassi, here in the USA, as long as you have 2 rearward facing mirrors, you are good. With this being said, the truck should come equipped with 2 exterior mirrors and a center one inside the passenger area. With that being said, load up the back as much as you want. Getting that amount of luggage back there may or may not be an issue. Depends on how big the trolleys are. Keep in mind that you may be able to fit 1 or 2 of the small trolleys under the middle row seat with it sticking part way into the foot area of the middle row people.

Do not forget that you can also put some of the luggage on the roof. Just make sure to strap it down so it doesn't fall off the truck. You can put up to 100KG up there. So, that will make it so you will definitely have the room that you need.

If you need any more assistance, let us know.

 

[JUST4FUN]

email the rental co and see if they can get a roof container to put your trollies in

 

[WECole]

I just did a long distance trip with 6 people (4 adults, 2 kids) so I can tell you with absolute certainty - NO, you will not be able to get 8 people plus that amount of luggage in the truck. You will (depending on their size and construction) be able to get 2-4 pieces of that luggage behind the 3rd row seat (and that would be really cramming it in).

You can either see if the car rental company can add a car top carrier (also called a luggage rack carrier) or if they can not, you can go purchase one from a local store like Wal-mart, Sears, Target, and other stores that sell general merchandise. I use one like (but not exactly the same) as this:

http://www.sears.com/reese-10-cu-ft-carrier/p-02872023000P?prdNo=8&blockNo=8&blockType=G8

Hard shell carriers can be very expensive, but some good quality canvas-type can be bought for $50-$150 (I paid $49 for mine and have used it for 6 years now).

The carrier in the above link is roughly the same size as mine and I can fit 3-4 pieces of luggage in it, plus some loose blankets, coats, etc. You may need a slightly larger one since you have more luggage than I normally bring, so you may need to pay more than I did for mine.

One word of caution - these types of carriers are not secure from theft, so you will need to unpack it and take your things into your rooms each night (which you'll probably want to do anyway).

 

[DCM1519]

There are carriers that mount in the trailer hitch too. They do not appear to be secure from thefts but some cable and locks might fix that.