creative solution for SUV cargo liner? - protect interior, minimize friction

[Josh Bass]

I can't even imagine what available category this goes isn, so this seems as good as any.

I am a recent SUV purchaser, and I want to protect my RAV4's cargo area (it's a carpeted surface, not hard like some interiors). As you know, in our industry we often carry around heavy things like cases, carts, bodies of unruly clients.

I want something to cover the cargo area PLUS the extra area created when the back seats are folded down (I don't really ever plan on having them NOT folded down), and was looking for something to reduce friction when inserting or removing cases etc. from the vehicle. So soft rubber, carpet, etc. not idea surfaces as things tend to dig into those surfaces when you push/pull/drag them. I was looking for something close to those plastic office chair mats (maybe some of you have even used these for this purpose? Do they work?), something with little to no friction. Yes I realize I'm inviting sliding around issues but maybe there's a happy medium.

Ideas? Thanks.

[Bill Ward]

For my Ford Expedition, I went to an office big box store and got one of the office desk floor mats--made of stiff but somewhat flexible plastic, slick on top, but with the little teeth on the bottom to hold to carpet. They're intended to put on the floor and roll an office chair back and forth.

Works like a charm in the back of the SUV...stays put and lets you slide gear in and out with very little friction.

[Josh Bass]

Thanks. As I said, that was one of the things I was looking into.

Do you remember what brand/type it was?

There are several different thicknesses of material for those mats, and some have that "cracked" texture to them vs the ones that are totally smooth. Do you remember how thick it is and if it's got that "cracked" texture or not?

You haven't had any issues with the plastic cracking under weight? It's not TOO frictionless? No issues with the Arri case sliding into the dog/drinkin' buddy when you make a sharp turn?

[Bill Ward]

Josh:

I got it at Office Max, IIRC.. It's a fairly smooth top and a prickly underside. Doesn't really appear to be any markings on it. I found it rolled up in a bin in the office/desk furniture area.

Things slide in and out pretty easily, but the mat is certainly not frictionless. I really don't think things would careen around that much, but most of my cases are sizable Pelicans with 45-70 pounds of gear in them. Packing the truck is often like a game of Tetris, anyway, so there's not that much extra room for things to be power-sliding around turns!

[Josh Bass]

Ok, thanks.

Sounds like if you found it "rolled up" it's gotta be one of the thinner ones (i.e. 1/8th inch) cause I don' think you could roll one of the quarter inch thick ones unless you were on steroids.