Truck Accessories Tool Box

The cargo area of your SUV can get pretty messy. Anything that you don’t want dirtying up your seats usually gets tossed back into the cargo area, but what if you want that area to stay organized and clean too? Nifty has designed the perfect system to achieve that very goal. It’s called Cargo-Logic, and it features liners, loks, and totes to protect your cargo area from dirt, spills, and general disorder.

Cargo-Logic Cargo Liners are durable, stain-proof mats that are designed to fit your specific SUVs cargo area. They look and feel like carpet, but are extra durable and feature a heavy-duty thermoplastic liner to protect from dirt, snow, water, and other liquids. The liners are very easy to clean: just hose off and let dry. They are scuff and scratch resistant, pet-friendly, and have a limited lifetime warranty against cracking and splitting. A raised outer lip contains spills, and if you want to reduce the likelihood of spills altogether, use Nifty Cargo-Logic Cargo Loks! Cargo Loks can be used to stabilized just about anything you have in your cargo area. Their bottoms have Velcro hooks, which will attach anywhere on the cargo liner and hold securely. This keeps cargo from colliding, sliding, and tipping over.  Two loks come with each cargo liner, and additional loks can be purchased separately.

You can keep everything orderly and upright with Cargo-Logic Totes. Made of water-resistant black material, these totes can keep groceries or other supplies organized and easily transportable. The totes have rigid plastic inner panels to maintain a rectangular shape and removable dividers to easily compartmentalize. Four bags of groceries fit perfectly, and using the two carrying handles, you can move all of your groceries from your SUV to your counter in one trip! Cargo-Logic totes fold up flat, so they won’t take up space when not in use, but they easily pop out when needed. So lay down your Cargo-Logic liner, fill your Cargo-Logic tote, and put a Lok at each corner (or push against the back seat and you’ll only need two loks) and see how orderly and tidy your cargo area can be.

Nifty Cargo-Logic Tote

Before you hit the road this Holiday season, it’s wise to make a checklist of things you will need in an emergency. The winter season often brings unpredictable weather, and you never know when a blizzard, hail storm, or just bad luck may leave your vehicle out of commission. Standard supplies include warm blankets, jumper cables, flashlights, a first aid kit, bottled water, and pre-packaged food.
It’s also a good idea to make your vehicle visible to passing motorists, both for their safety, and in case you need to flag down some help. One way to draw attention is by using a Safety Flare Kit. Phoenix makes a versatile kit, which includes four orange batons, four bases, and a carrying bag. Each baton contains long-lasting LED bulbs, so you will not need to worry about burned-out bulbs. The batons have three settings: constant on, flashing, and flashlight. The batons can also be placed in their bases and used as highly-visible cones to set around your vehicle. Each baton uses 2 “D” batteries, another item you should add to your emergency kit.
Another good Warning Light is Wolo’s next generation Hawkeye Light. These lights also use LED technology and come in four colors: amber, blue, red, and clear. Each light comes with a 10 foot wire that plugs into a DC Jack (cigarette lighter), and due to their LED technology they produce more light with less power consumption. They have a protective, magnetic base, which will not scratch your auto’s paint. The red, blue, and amber lights each have 10 different warning light patterns that can be changed at the touch of a button. The clear model come with blue and red LEDs and has 22 different light patterns.
Once you’ve acquired everything on your list, you need a way to organize and store it all. When an emergency occurs, you’d waste precious time digging through your glove compartment, or reaching under your seat for that flashlight that’s always rolling around. I would suggest investing in a Car Trunk Organizer. One option manufactured by Go Rhino can be used in sedans, trucks, and SUVs. It has a rubberized bottom to prevent sliding, and heavy-duty, rigid panels. It comes with a set of movable dividers so you can customize your container with the proper amount of space for each emergency item. The heavy-duty lid is strong enough to store items on top of, but can also be removed, if you would prefer that configuration. What I find helpful is to put a map on the underside of the lid, detailing where each object is located. This is also a great way to run though your checklist before big trips, since you already have a list of what is supposed to be included, it’s not hard to double check everything and easily determine what is missing. Hopefully, you will never need to break into your emergency kit during any of your travels, but if you do, you will be glad you prepared ahead of time. Have a happy and safe holiday!

Go Rhino Trunk Organizer

My last blog was truck-heavy so now I’m going to focus on non-truck related ways to haul Christmas cargo. When you’re driving a car, you definitely have less room for storage, so it’s even more important to stay organized to maximize your space. Highland has designed a great Cargo Organizer. It’s the perfect thing to put in your trunk or hatchback to keep everything organized. It’s made of hard, rigid plastic, and comes with removable dividers that can be easily slid in and out of varying slots. The dividers can really come in handy by containing small breakable items, like Christmas ornaments, in a smaller space, which allows less room to shift around and break. They can also be used to divide heavier items from more delicate items: separate a pile of books from a fragile figurine, so that the former won’t topple onto the later. Obviously this cargo organizer has non-Christmas related uses too. It is useful when bringing home groceries, or simply organizing on-the-road essentials like first-aid kits, flashlights, and jumper cables. Other features include a non-leak bottom, to protect your trunk’s carpet from any leaky items, and bottom gripper pads to prevent the organizer from sliding around. It is also completely collapsible and can be compactly folded when not in use.

A Cargo Roof Bag is another alternative for staying organized. December is not the time to carry items in the open air, so it is a good idea to invest in a storage unit that will protect cargo in colder months. Rola manufactures an expandable cargo bag that can be carried on a roof, inside the auto, or on a hitch-mount cargo carrier. This bag is made of rainproof material and features sonically sealed construction. It holds 9.5 cubic feet of cargo, and has an expandable section that can be expanded for 2 more cubic feet of room. It has a secure zip closure and two interior pockets. The cargo bag has 6 adjustable straps included, so it’s easily securable to roofs and carriers. It also folds up compactly and thus will not take up too much space when not in use.

Another way to organize and save space is by investing in a Roof Rack. Roof racks add extra storage to the top of your vehicle leaving seat and trunk space free. Valley manufactures the Activa Roof Rack which fits most late-model minivans, SUVs, station wagons, and trucks. Its crossbars adjust to accommodate a variety of cargo accessories and sizes, and can carry loads up to 165 lbs. This roof rack is easy to install, with some drilling required. You may also think about purchasing a roof box to go along with your roof rack. Roof boxes will keep your cargo out of inclement weather and are often lockable, which is essential if you are leaving cargo outdoors overnight. Hopefully these suggestions will help you maximize space and minimize hassle during the upcoming weeks!

Highland Space Master Cargo Organizer