Will my camping gear fit in my car?
Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier Rack Basket 60"*20"*6"+Waterproof Bag 16
$199.99When the load will not fit, a rooftop cargo box adds 14 to 18 cu ft on crossbars for bedding and duffels.
Check price on Amazon- Gear volume: 32.2 cu ft packed
- Usable cargo: about 26 cu ft of the 35 rated (real loads use about 75 percent)
- A 14 to 18 cu ft rooftop cargo box would take the overflow (put sleeping bags, pads and duffels up top, not coolers)
- Folding the rear seats changes everything: most SUVs roughly double their cargo figure with row two down, if you have no rear passengers
Extra cargo space: roof boxes, bags and hitch carriers
Every price below is the live Amazon listing price when this page was built; prices change often.
Car Rooftop Cargo Carrier Bag$59.99Check priceSpec sheet
Asinking Car Rooftop Cargo Carrier Bag 21 Cubic feet Waterproof Car$72.99Check price
Asinking Car Rooftop Cargo Carrier Bag$95.99Check priceSpec sheet
RoofPax 23 cft. Extra Waterproof Rooftop Cargo Carrier Bag$152.80Check priceSpec sheet
OKLEAD 500 Lbs Heavy Duty Hitch Mount Cargo Carrier 60" x 24" x$220.99Check price
SportRack Vista XL Rear Opening Cargo Box,Black$399.99Check priceSpec sheet
Thule Force 3 XL US$929.95Check price
Thule Motion 3 XXL$1,249.95Check price
How does this calculator work?
Each item has a typical packed volume in cubic feet, estimated from common listed packed dimensions: a 6-person dome tent bag is about 1.4 cu ft, a 52 quart hard cooler about 3.5 cu ft on the outside, a 65 quart rotomolded cooler about 5, a bagged quad chair about 1.2 and a 27 gallon bin about 3.6.
Rated cargo volume is measured with blocks in an empty, regular space. Real camping loads are irregular, so the calculator assumes you can use about 75 percent of it.
Vehicle figures are typical ranges for each class. For your own car, use the cargo figure in the owner manual behind the row you will leave up.
More calculators
- Tent size calculatorTent size by people, kids, dogs and bedding
- Cooler size calculatorQuarts by people, days and drinks
- How much ice do I need? Ice and ice-life calculatorPounds of ice and realistic ice life
- Sleeping pad R-value calculatorR-value for your overnight low
- Camp stove propane calculatorCylinders and pounds of propane for the trip
- 12V fridge and electric cooler battery calculatorHow long a portable power station runs a 12V fridge
- Car camping checklist generatorA packing list that builds itself
Keep planning
Frequently asked questions
How do I fit all my camping gear in a small car?
Start with the bulkiest items: chairs, a second cooler and a large tent are usually the first things that do not fit. Swap to a compact tent, one well-packed cooler, stackable bins instead of loose bags, and compressible sleeping bags. If it still does not fit, a rooftop cargo bag is the cheapest extra space, and it only needs roof rails or crossbars.
What should go in a rooftop cargo box when camping?
Light, bulky, soft items: sleeping bags, pads, pillows, duffels of clothes and the tent body. Keep heavy items like coolers, water and the stove inside the car, low and forward. Every vehicle and crossbar set has a dynamic roof load limit, often 100 to 165 lb including the box, so check yours before loading.
How much cargo space do I need for family camping?
A family of four with a 6-person tent, two coolers, four chairs and sleeping gear typically needs 40 to 45 cu ft of rated space once packing efficiency is allowed for. That is roughly a midsize or three-row SUV behind the second row, or a compact SUV with a roof box.
Get the car camping checklist
One printable page: the full packing checklist plus our three complete setups with current prices. No sales sequence.
Used only to send the list. You can also read every setup free on this site.Researched guidance, not professional advice. Figures are published specifications or clearly labelled conventions; check your own gear's manual and your campground's rules.