How full compost bags can my car carry?

I only have a little car (Renault Clio) and I want to buy some bags of compost from a well known DIY place.

But, Mr Mum was moaning saying that I need to be careful or I'll snap the suspension! (He is not into cars at all; neither am I).

So, I thought: I know where I can get a sensible, non-confrontational, answer - GC!!

So, how many bags of compost do you think I could fit in my car before I compromised the "suspension/axle/thingymejigs".

 

You must not over load are car has it will have a GROSS weight limit, not sure what gross weight limit is for car, i think it could be 1 or 1 and a half tons gross

Under the bonnet they should be a silver plate with the gross train weight, gross vehicle weight,gross first axle and gross second axle in kg

 

How many bags of compost do you want ?
A 70 litre bag weighs around 20kg , 5 bags would be safe , do you need much more ?

 

Somewhere in the car's handbook it will tell you the official max load. However that's usually too much messing on to find, so as a general rule of thumb, expect that the car is designed to accommodate 2 average build adults in the back (max) or two kids plus about 5 stone in weight in the luggage area.

So, as a guide, with just the front seats occupied, in your Clio, I'd say maybe 8 times 60 litre sacks of compost if you put the back seats down so you can distribute the weight, or maybe 4 sacks if you can't put the seats down, so all the weight will be right at the back.

In any case, watch the back wheels as you load up. If the wheel arches come down over the wheels too far, you'll have bother.

Take it easy when driving if you accidentally overload it.

Given the size of a Clio and the weight of compost (fairly light), I think you'll have to really load it up before you get anywhere near suspension busting weight. I'd be more concerned with compromised handling. Just take it easy and you'll be fine.

 

Like you I have a Clio - so if you realise that it is designed to carry 5 people incl. the driver at say 10 Stone (65kg) each you could reasonably carry 260kg of compost providing that you spread the load around the car. (not loose, of course!) - the golden rule is: keep all the weight between the wheelbase

a-a

 

Just load it up and if you see sparks coming from the rear of the car as your driving then you have too much load!

On a serious note, like what has been said before, you can carry quite a lot if you evenly distribute the weight so it's even.

 

It is not the bill for the car, but the bill from the cop's if stopped overloaded :-)
The post by Alex Adam was correct, the car is designed to carry five adults, so driver partner and 30 stones which is errr kg's

Jack McH

 

I have a Clio too and carry a 125 litre bag when needed. As Armandii says I don't think two that size will be a problem but wouldn't push my luck beyond that.

 

Thanks you, one and all

Very helpful and informative.

It would just be me in the car; so, I would distribute the weight between the rear seat and front passenger seat (and not put 44kg Ozzy in the boot on that trip )

HarryS: yes, I do need quite a bit of compost, (and bark chippings) so it will have to be broken down across a number of journeys. Also, to minimise expense, I wanted to take advantage of the "buy 3 for ££" offers - so, in my head, I'm calculating it at: how many offers could I fit in the car in one journey

So: 3x60 litres compost + 1x100 litre bark chips per trip was what I was aiming for.

JackH: 30 stone = approx 190kg (I googled it)

 

Nobody has taken into account that when you buy compost after a period of rain it is heavier, ergo after dry spell it is lighter. I know the bags are sealed, but somehow they always feel heavier after a wet spell, depends if stored under cover I suppose, but most places just stack it outdoors.

 

If you put a large bag on each passenger seat and fastened the seat belt around them, especially the front passenger seat one, I can't see how you'd go far wrong and I don't see how the law could stop you. A smallish person weighs about 60kg, I don't suppose even a large, wet bag would be that much. Best not make it a long journey, though.

On second thoughts, drop the bag down into the footwell where possible.

If it's any help, I've carried 150kgs in bags of clay in the Fiesta, and the Peugeot 306 carried a sofa all the way home from IKEA.

 

Mum if you need to make more than one trip, would it not be easier to have it delivered in one go?