Carrying Cargo 'n Things with Our i3's...

BMW i3 Forum

Help Support BMW i3 Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Depending on your intent, you may want to experiment with removing the rear seat bench. It pops out easily and may allow the seat backs to fold flat.

Good idea, you can do that with the CX5 without removing the bench, not entirely flat though.

1715117272376.png
 
Can a giant Connect 4 game fit in an i3? Well of course you already know it can because it can be broken down into its constituent parts, and easily carried along with a Corn Hole set, a crate of giant Jenga blocks, and a tub full of rental silverware stashed somewhere in the rear passenger footwell.

PXL_20240519_170242890.MP~2.jpg

PXL_20240519_170604484.MP.jpg
 
A couple of months ago I posted pics of my backyard grill that got clobbered by a fallen tree, the flattened remains of which fit just in the cargo area after I took the angle grinder to it.

I picked up its replacement, but first I checked out the packaging sizes before heading out. 44.5" x 26.5" x 21" and 200 lbs! Ought to >>just<< fit with the seats folded down... or will it?

It took two guys to load it and once I got it home, I sliced open the box while it was still in the car and removed the individual unassembled components piece by piece. Reverse Tetris!PXL_20240601_180954404.MP.jpgPXL_20240601_181017977.MP.jpgPXL_20240601_181214107.MP.jpgPXL_20240602_003440227.jpg.
 
Yep yep! The Curt lift hitch levels it out nicely too.

I just try to stick to the GVWR for the car, which is almost 4000 lbs. Subtracting myself and the weight of the trailer leaves almost 500 lbs available to haul stuff.
Is your hitch this one? Anyone know of an Amazon option? I'm weary of thinking through roof-rack-hacks, moving on to a hitch-receiver-mount 'luggage-carrier' possibility.
 
With the Monkey Bars I suppose the length of the load is irrelevant, only the weight. But, for what it's worth, this was on the way back from an unsuccessful drone recovery mission off of the school's roof. We figure some other kids know the (faster) ladderless way up.

PXL_20240527_164743768.MP.jpg
 
Here's some mystery cargo.

mystery-cargo.jpg
This would be a great Youtube video if you could show the install and details. Thanks.
 
Tree stakes!

8 feet of anything is about the max inside of the i3 and a couple of 8' x 2" tree stakes fit comfortably. These are pressure treated so be sure to drop a towel across the arm rest.

10 foot variety, on the other hand, goes on the roof rack. I don't want a dagger hanging out of my passenger-side window to spear a cyclist.

PXL_20240516_230927243.MP.jpg
PXL_20240516_223730475.MP.jpgPXL_20240520_181918767.jpg
 
Tree stakes!

8 feet of anything is about the max inside of the i3 and a couple of 8' x 2" tree stakes fit comfortably. These are pressure treated to be sure to drop a towel across the arm rest.
I found that 10 feet of flimsy stuff is ok. I needed 1"x1/4" lattice strips, and while they aren't intended to really bend per se, they do droop over the armrest and into the passenger footwell with the hatch closed. I'm sure that wouldn't work for anything too much more rigid.
 
So here's the thing...

Yeah the i3 can carry one "bale" of R21 wool insulation and leave room to drop off both kids at school. But it was 6 o'clock in the morning and they were still tucked cozy in bed, I was the one to get an early jump on my day to pick up my insulation, a spicy mocha and pecan bun before my 7:30 Zoom call.

But traditionally being a buyer of R13 rolls that are about 30-something feet in length, and needing about 45 feet for this particular wall I'm closing up, my blurry eyes and sleepy brain (this was before the coffee) misread 47' (feet) when in reality the bales are 47" (inches) x 6 pieces which is almost precisely HALF of what I needed.

So I lost a nice photo op with TWO bales neatly tucked into my i3 and I also lost about 40 minutes of my morning having to drive back to the store to pick up a second bale to finish my morning's work.PXL_20240829_133509557.MP.jpg
 
Another ladder! This time a 32' extension ladder picked up at Grainger strapped to the Monkey Bars. (Also two refilled tanks of propane strapped down the trunk.)

Ladder weight is supposedly 62 pounds, retracted length is around 16 feet, and a you can see the overhang isn't too obscene.

PXL_20241030_213820843.MP~3.jpg

1000011048.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top