What do people use to protect/organize your tow vehicle?

[Dr_Doolittle]

So, we have a new (used) SUV - it’s replacing our faithful old Suburban that finally “bit the dust” last December - to my anguished dismay. (Nothing will really replace it, but life goes on…)

DH is adamant that I not “dirty it up” with all my horse stuff (he doesn’t refer to it as “stuff”, FTR! ), and I’d like some ideas on how to protect the area where the tack and equipment will be stored. It has a third row of seats which we will fold down to create more room in the back, and a big hatch which will enable us to access the “stuff.”

(Trailer has no dressing room so everything needs to go in the truck.)

I don’t want to go full-on protective plastic system that covers everything in the interior (too $$), but not sure that laying down some blankets is going to cut it. Something in between?

Though I did buy some cheapo containers from the dollar store for small things like flyspray, extra gear, brushes, etc. - I would like an “upgrade” to something sturdier but less pricey than for example The Container Store.

Thoughts? Hacks?

TIA for suggestions that have worked for you!

[GraceLikeRain]

Stanley and several other brands make nice units that click and stack together. Depending on the space with your seats down you may be able to stack 2-3 together to neatly contain loose items, liquids, etc.

A travel saddle rack with storage underneath can keep your saddle secure and also prevent rogue ear bonnets or a glove from wandering off.

I keep a “figure it out later” bin where I toss items post use (dirty saddle pads, wrappers, etc) so that after an event I can pull out one bin and then sort through it rather than trying to neatly pack a sweaty item that needs to go in the washer.

Final two recommendations are a fully enclosed bag if you have any chance of needing to transport extra hay and having a tote or space to swap barn shoes for driving shoes.

I share my hauling vehicle with DH and my trailer doesn’t have a tackroom. I’m still figuring out a system but all of this has helped a lot. I can appreciate that it gets old pulling hay off of clean clothing or having a vehicle smell like a forgotten wet set of fleece boots.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

To protect the carpet, I put down entrance mats from Costco. The correct size and while not water proof, they do a pretty good job at keeping the trunk carpet dry and clean(ish).

I do use blankets for getting the Stanley in and out of the SUV, just protects the bumper etc. from scratches while hauling.

[LCDR]

When I had a simple 2 horse trailer (no dressing room) and a Lexus LX SUV to pull it, I removed the SUV third row seats. Then I put in a sliding platform. It was really convenient to load and unload, and to get to all the items that otherwise meant a long reach, unloading, or crawling around from the second row seats. I do not recall the brand that I bought, but it had straps that secured the base to third row seat brackets so no drilling, screwing or bolting was involved. And I never took a picture, so this is just a random picture from the internet to give you an idea.

[trubandloki]

@GraceLikeRain

I keep a “figure it out later” bin where I toss items post use (dirty saddle pads, wrappers, etc) so that after an event I can pull out one bin and then sort through it rather than trying to neatly pack a sweaty item that needs to go in the washer.

This is so brilliant!
Thank you for mentioning it.

To the OP, I think the answer changes depending on how long your stuff is going to be living in the vehicle. Do you need to carry your saddle around frequently or just to shows and such?

You can get rubber backed small rugs relatively inexpensively. If you buy them in sizes you can toss in your washing machine that will help with keeping them clean.

But generally speaking, if you have something like the amazing bin idea for your dirty stuff, I think just a blanket covering the floor should be enough to keep your grunge and mess from getting too far into the car upholstery.

[endlessclimb]

We have hunting dogs. Laugh all you want, but our primary “dog rig” is a minivan.

We got cheap carpet from the local hardware store, the ribbed kind they have on rolls right there on the shelf. We custom cut it to the van floor (we remove all seats except the front two). You can just remove the carpet and throw it in the wash.

For horse stuff in a non-dedicated vehicle though, I’d want to stop it from getting into all the nooks and crannies. Would something like this work? It looks big enough to accommodate the third row being down.

Amazon.com: snugcubby SUV Cargo Liner for Dogs 55"x91" Dog Cargo Liner for SUV...

[luvmyhackney]

Depending on your SUV, we got a Weathertech mat for the back. I travel with my dogs back there and it works great. Then I just lay a blanket over the back bumper to avoid scratching anything.

I store my stuff in containers from Home Depot, and have a muck bucket I put dirty things in. I purchased an elastic cover for the muck bucket on Etsy.

[Dr_Doolittle]

These are all great ideas, thanks, everyone!

[Bebe_Falcon1]

Weathertech mat.

You could also add a locking storage box on to the A-frame of the trailer, personally I keep all safety equipment in it but you could put whatever you like in (short of a saddle).

[LCDR]

While we are on trailer A-frame storage boxes - every bumper pull horse trailer I have owned had its spare tire originally mounted in a place that didn’t really work for me. In my first trailer it was mounted in the front so that there was no way to mount a storage box. I moved it to the driver’s side fender area.

Yes, that puts it on the side of traffic if you have a flat tire to change. The other side (passenger) is safer, but it is where I want to tie my horses side by side when we are at shows.

I mention this because moving the spare tire location is usually pretty easy. The trailer manufacturer puts it where it is easy for them, and it can be moved. I drilled and tapped holes for a “Pit Boss” brand spare tire mount in my current trailer, and the spare is in the front tack room under the saddle racks, out of the way.

[Fence.Hopper]

100% Weathertech style mats. We put those in any vehicle we own simply due to ease of cleaning from dirty or wet shoes (barn shoes or no). We’ve bought a few different brands from Amazon cheaper than Weathertech with good luck. For our SUV, I made sure to get a set with front seat, back seat, cargo, and back of the back seat (the carpet part that sticks up when you fold the seats forward/ down) to maximize the coverage.

We put the Rough Country vehicle specific covers for our truck back seats (for the dog but they are great for other things too). Waterproof and SO easy to clean - I had to put wet bags of shavings (that were leaking sawdust everywhere) in the truck the day after I installed the covers. It made SUCH a mess, I was so mad. Thankfully, it took all of 5 min to get it cleaned back up again.

A trailer tongue box is a good idea for some items (fly spray, grooming brushes, jumping boots, etc) but I probably wouldn’t put leather goods in mine for fear they would get scratched up. There are also over fender tool boxes that could hold the same items.

Another thing to look at could be a roof rack for the SUV. They make ones that you could put rubbermaid tubs on or ones that are like pods (but those looks smaller). Depending on how much you need to move and how often, that may be worthwhile and it keeps everything out of the car.

If you are only taking one horse, you could do a smaller rolling truck and put it in the second stall of the trailer (or if you have two horses, you could put the trunk infant of the chest bar). Not sure how your trailer is set up though.

My last tip has nothing to do with storage, but it is easier to keep it nice if you clean it up/ out more frequently. I try to clean the cars out every couple weeks and vacuum/ clean the rubber mats once a month. I also DIY detail the cars every few months, and the protectant spray really helps keep them nicer.

[mommy_peanut]

I got the Husky HD custom floor mats/liner for my Tahoe.
Love them! Sturdy, durable & decent priced. They didn’t have a fitted cargo piece for it that worked both for the seats up/down.
I got something similar to these.
They’ve been great! Super easy to wipe down, they don’t shift, etc. are waterproof.
https://prairiegrassoutfitters.com/collections/cargo-liners