Removable cargo barrier advice

[OTBC]

Hi there swaggers

My wife and I are off on a road trip to Melbourne in a week, and looking at all the stuff we have to take with us (its a work trip) I know I am going to have to pack the car to the roof. We don't have a cargo barrier and this worries me. Is there an easy fit and removable solution anyone can recommend so I can feel safer? We have a 1999 model Mitsubishi Pajero 3500. Some of what we will be transporting will be big and heavy and I don't want me or my wife decapitated on the way :-)

Thanks!

[D4D]

Try a cargo net

[GU Rich]

Since you can't see out the back anyway is there a way you could just fit up a piece of 16mm MDF or similar then remove it when you return?

Rich

[OTBC]

D4D - can you recommend a brand? Are they good enough to hold back heavy items?

GU Rich - seeing how late I have left this I might not get any other choice - we leave in a week! ARB can't get a part for 4 weeks. Typical me.

[Patr80l]

A proper Milford cargo barrier will be safer than a net, especially if you're stacked higher than the back of the seats.
I had one in my 80 Series and it was fixed with two large wing-nuts to the roof brackets and two bolts to the floor.   It took maybe 20 minutes to remove.   They do require the fitter to drill some holes for the brackets.  
Good luck getting one fitted in a week.

When you think about all the science involved with car safety, and the amount of kinetic energy possessed by a 100km/hr Engel hitting the back of your head, I'd be wary that a large piece of MDF wedged in the back doesn't increase the risk of injury rather than prevent it.   You did say you wanted to feel safer.

E_k= ¹/₂mv²    (mass in kg and velocity in m/s)

What's a fridge weigh?   Say 20kg fridge moving at 100km/hr (ie about 30m/s)  is 0.5 x 20 x 900 = 9kJ
A 5kg suitcase would be a quarter of that.  Still gunna hurt.

[BigJules]

Milford actually make a net for some models, worth a look.

[OTBC]

Thanks guys

[Squalo]

Mate, just pull out all the stops and get a proper barrier into it - any towbar/barrier fitter worth their salt will push another customer back to fit you in once you explain your circumstances.

 My father in law died in a car crash, the crash itself may have been enough to do the job but the canvas bag that hit him in the back of the head didn't do him any favours. When we took possession of the contents of the car, said bag had dried blood all over it at the point of impact. The bag just had clothes and a few magazines in it.

Sorry to get gory but this is serious stuff.

[achjimmy]

Thanks guys

I suggest you look at the barrier as well and make sure anything  you can tie down is tied down. The soft nets Mits offer are the biggest joke and won't even hold themselves up. I made my own brackets up and used the net out of my 2007 Kluger ( I think made by Milford) in our Pajero its great and has the advantage that it is easily rolled up should you need the space and it works really well but I still have a metal barrier I intend to fit for long distance trips.  I don't want to link another forum from here but if you look on the Pajero forum and search for threads started by me you will see some picks.

[Malcur]

I have a metal cargo barrier. Don't know what brand (it was in the car when I bought it). But it is held in place with 2 bolts on each side. I can install it or remove it in about 5 minutes.

Mal

[GU Rich]

A proper Milford cargo barrier will be safer than a net, especially if you're stacked higher than the back of the seats.
I had one in my 80 Series and it was fixed with two large wing-nuts to the roof brackets and two bolts to the floor.   It took maybe 20 minutes to remove.   They do require the fitter to drill some holes for the brackets.  
Good luck getting one fitted in a week.

When you think about all the science involved with car safety, and the amount of kinetic energy possessed by a 100km/hr Engel hitting the back of your head, I'd be wary that a large piece of MDF wedged in the back doesn't increase the risk of injury rather than prevent it.   You did say you wanted to feel safer.

E_k= ¹/₂mv²    (mass in kg and velocity in m/s)

What's a fridge weigh?   Say 20kg fridge moving at 100km/hr (ie about 30m/s)  is 0.5 x 20 x 900 = 9kJ
A 5kg suitcase would be a quarter of that.  Still gunna hurt.

I agree totally, I have a Milford in mine. I often have it loaded up high.

Great bit of food for thought from my original post.

Cheers
Rich