[kittigadu]

This is a simple DIY to solve a major problem with most cars of today. Well... at least the high end ones. Which is lack of space to put your stuff. Stuff like snacks, phones, water bottles etc etc... And if you have children who occupy the rear, it gets even more difficult to manage the stuff which is generally thrown around the floor. Water leaks, mobiles get lost under the seats and snacks and biscuits are powdered under your feet.

With a long trip on the cards, I need to solve this problem immediately and i have no where else to go but to Decathlon, the mega sports store in Bangalore. This saved my day when i had a similar problem in my jeep. We have absolutely no space to keep the nitty-gritties of a simple city trip either. That is when i got to see a bicycle handlebar bag. It stuck me like a bolt. If i can put this on to the grab handle of my jeep, then it would solve all my worldly problems and the same evening i got the bag, fixed and lived happy ever after. This is how it looks on a jeep. The installation is extremely simple as it comes with Velcro straps in the back that can be locked around the bar. Simple.


Anyways, coming back to the problem at hand, i was planning a long trip to Pondicherry from Bangalore with 4 people on board and space for water bottles and little eats for my kid needs immediate attention. I went back to Decathlon searching for a possible solution and after mindlessly looking at every corner of the store, this thing caught my eye. Though it is a bit expensive, it had all the qualities to solve my problem. I made the purchase, went home and started working on it with just a screwdriver and some kitchen stuff.

Introducing the traveler bag.



This is how it looks when fully loaded. This little thing has a good appetite to gobble up quiet a few bottles and stuff.



The rear. Break the plastic clips at the rear as shown. Keep the side ones intact.


It also has a small zipper to secretly store some money just in case.


Make holes with a screwdriver and slowly make them bigger so that the head rest rods can go through.


Once the holes are done, its time to fix it to the front seat.


Please note that it was my preference to make holes to the nylon strip. For a better snug fit, one can make holes at the point where my thumb rests.


Attachment 1299431




Why passenger seat ? Because it is easier to reach and pick a bottle when you are driving alone.




Total cost : Rs: 1500.

Note, once my friends and colleagues saw this in my car, every one wanted this. Since then, i have made 5 of these to be installed. Mostly on BMW and Toyota Fortuners.

Hope this helps someone solve the space issue in their car. I know, i can be a potential risk in case of an accident provided that the bag is fully loaded, but in my car every one is belted up including the passengers at the rear.

Regards,
Krishna.

[aah78]

very innovative!

How about adding some reinforcements around the holes you made with the screw driver?

Else, the nylon is bound to tear with regular use or with a sudden unintended pull on the bag.

[shifu]

Nice idea. Looks neat!

My car is not high end by any standards . Its a humble Nano CX, and doesn't have glove boxes. I came across a bag (similar to the one in the link below) in a store in Tokyo and bought it. It costed probably about Rs 500, and serves the purpose.

Amazon - car organizer

[condor]

@Kittigadu, nice, simple idea.
REgarding the placement of holes, I think the position you have used would be better. Making the holes where you mentioned (near your thumbs in the pic) may make it very tight.

[GTO]

Thread moved to the Mods & Accessories Section. Thanks for sharing!

[amitk26]

Good DIY , However there are car back seat organizer available dirt cheap in local malls. I bought a pair similar to one in the link below from Spar hypermarket for each seat , Serves well during long trips.

http://www.ebay.in/itm/Car-Seat-Orga...item27ec1326b9

[john doe]

The big negative of this idea is that you are giving the impression that there is an expensive camera or something similar to every passing "smash & grab" criminal that our nation is full of!

While the thief will not find anything expensive perhaps, you will have lost some money fixing the broken window!

Or else, keep removing the bag when not in use.

[batterylow]

A set of washers if added, would help in preventing the holes from expanding under load.

[phamilyman]

Curious - why not an underseat box (like the Vista?). That would be out of the way and keep the knick knacks.

Given our cramped hatchbacks (mine's the swift) - I thought such organizers intrude heavily into the space for the rear passenger. no?

[TheLizardKing]

Nice idea, but I am not sure if the person sitting behind the front passenger seat is going to be very happy about having a bag full of bottles and snacks so close to his/her face, especially on long journeys.

On a lighter note, it is especially dangerous for people on a diet. It would require a lot of self-control to keep away.

[Car-go-man]

Nice and easy DIY

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Curious - why not an underseat box (like the Vista?). That would be out of the way and keep the knick knacks.

Given our cramped hatchbacks (mine's the swift) - I thought such organizers intrude heavily into the space for the rear passenger. no?

I have not seen the positioning of the Vista's under-seat storage, but the one that the WagonR has is not easily accessible when the car is in motion and the seat is occupied. These bags come in handy for long drives to store snacks, water, cell-phone etc. which you need to access every now and then

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Curious - why not an underseat box (like the Vista?). That would be out of the way and keep the knick knacks.

Given our cramped hatchbacks (mine's the swift) - I thought such organizers intrude heavily into the space for the rear passenger. no?

Well yes you are right , I am using these in Safari where there is no space crunch, However for Amaze got a a fabric softbox , it fully collapses when empty and there are partitions to make it rigid , wellcroe strips at the bottom prevents from slipping. Bought one from Home-centre ( Lifestyle) you may check it there.

[Turbo_Torq]

Originally Posted by aah78

How about adding some reinforcements around the holes you made with the screw driver?

Else, the nylon is bound to tear with regular use or with a sudden unintended pull on the bag.

Exactly what I was thinking. Reinforcing these holes with rivets oughta keep them from tearing up.

[deetjohn]

Nice DIY. Reminds me of the Munchkin backseat organizer that we have on our Swift. Its great to store stuff for kiddos.

[kittigadu]

Well,
As i see, the problem with the backseat organizer is that the knee space is eaten by the bottle holders and it would be too cramped to move your legs around on a long journey if you have someone in the back. The seat organizer is cheaper though.

If you look at the last image of mine, the knee space is clear as the bag sits high above (I am 6.1 in height). Also, there is enough distance between the passengers face and the bag. It doesn't give you the feeling of intrusion. Not in my case at least.

Also, the bag is extremely helpful if you carry a DSLR and occasionally stop at every corner to click photos. Its easy to throw in and take out.

Regards,
Krishna.