Games & Activities Archives - Page 2 of 2

Trampolines are a great addition to any backyard. They're fun, safe, and fantastic at burning off your kids' seemingly endless energy. Recreational trampolines come in many different shapes and sizes, but they usually take up a good amount of space. If you're looking for a trampoline to purchase, this might lead you to the question of whether or not it will fit in the trunk of your car or, if you have an SUV, if you need to lower the third and/or second rows. Let's explore the types of trampolines and how they are packaged. I'll also quickly explain those pesky cubic feet that your car manufacturer uses for cargo space and how we can get some more usable numbers. Most trampolines come in packages of 2 or more. Small trampolines that are 8ft or 10ft generally come in 2 boxes, about 4-6ft in length. Small trampolines can usually fit in a car with the rear seats folded down. Bigger trampolines that are 12ft and longer can come in 3-4 boxes and be up to 8ft long. An SUV, minivan, or bigger may be needed to get these trampolines home. How Trampolines Are Packaged I have seen trampolines packaged into one box when I was a kid. This was a 12ft trampoline and this thing was a beast. My dad says it was easily over 100 pounds and was NOT fun to transport. Luckily, trampoline manufacturers usually separate the trampoline into much more manageable packages. 3 boxes seem to be the industry standard, although anywhere from 2 to 4 is common from what I have gathered in my research. To understand how trampolines are packaged we need to know what a typical trampoline consists of. Source: Live Auction World Let's go over the main parts of the trampoline. The polypropylene or nylon jumping matThe steel frame consisting of poles and springs that your jumping mat is attached toThe safety items, like the frame pad, the net, net posts, and foam covers Trampoline parts are usually packaged separately with the steel frame in one or two boxes and the tubes may or may not be individually wrapped in bubble wrap. Packaged along with the jumping mat or the safety equipment, is the assembly instructions and assembly fittings like nuts, bolts, and sometimes, a small wrench. A Breakdown Of Trampoline Box Sizes & Weights Since the number of boxes and the weight of those can differ depending on the manufacturer I decided to do some digging. I went on Amazon, found 20 of the most popular trampolines, and messaged quite a few trampoline sellers. I directly asked them about their models. How many boxes does it come with, what do those boxes weigh, and what are their dimensions. I received 16 responses. While there were a few outliers, for the most part, the numbers I was able to gather were smaller than I expected. This is good news for your trunk! Please note, If the sellers didn't respond I asked for input from the customers so some of the information that was gathered came from purchasers of these trampolines. Thus some of the dimensions and weights were best guesses. I do not see a problem including this information as we are still getting good information about the box sizes. We're not rocket scientists here! Trampoline SizeWeight (lbs)Length (in)Width (in)Height (in)Number Of Boxes7ft6845.521.510.2518ft73.546.2219.9210ft120.657.325.310.82.312ft11450.319.915.6315ft116.648.117.6610.23.2Trampoline Specs Per Box You may have noticed that the length and weight of the 10ft boxes are larger than that of the 12ft and 15ft. The measurements here are based on the average length of all boxes in the package, since the bigger trampoline on average used more boxes, each package does not have to be as long, or as heavy as the tightly packed 10ft trampoline. Cargo Specs Explained Knowing the dimensions of your trampoline boxes is only part of the equation, now we've got to fit it in your trunk. You may have looked at your vehicles manual, or done a quick google search for your trunk space and come across the measurement in cubic feet, often displayed as "ft³". It;s not quite as simple as length x width x height. What's crazy is that cargo areas are measured differently depending on the type of vehicle you have. Industry standards for measuring cargo volume are set by SAE International’s J1100 Motor Vehicle Dimensions This standard recommends that automakers measure cargo volume for sedans or coupes with blocks that simulate luggage. SUVs, minivans, and hatchbacks have open cargo areas, and cargo volume for the vehicles measure length, width, and height. Even with this standard, car manufacturers are not all consistent, and not all of them follow these standards. Common variables I've seen are front row seating positions and the inclusion of the areas for your spare tire or fix-a flat kit. (Source: cars.com) With this is mind, I do not believe that the cargo measurements given to us by car manufacturers hold any real value when determining the requirements needed in order to properly fit a trampoline inside on. So lets do some of our own measurements to see what we're working with! Measuring Your Vehicle's Cargo Area I say cargo area here, as were are most likely going to need those rear seats folded down, so we aren't talking specifically about the trunk. Still, some of you with those Crown Victoria's or Grand Marquis' may find that with some of the smaller trampolines can fit inside your trunk just fine. Grab a pen and paper, or the notes app on your smartphone. How To Measure Your Vehicle's Cargo Area It's as simple as measuring the length, width, and height right? Yes, and no. I do want to point out that if you have protrusions from your wheel wells that come into the trunk, they will alter your measurements. Also to note, if your seatbacks do not fold completely flat, the angle that the boxes will sit in your trunk may limit the box size you can fit because the box will be lifted off the floor of the trunk towards the top edge of your vehicle. For width, measure in-between the wheel well protrusions if you have them., and up to the trunk lid for height. Take a second measurement for height from the wheel well protrusions to the top, just in case there is enough room to fit a thinner box if the trampoline you choose comes with one, such as an assembly items box-like nuts, bolts, etc. Length can be measured from the trunk opening to the rear seatbacks. This measurement is handy if you would like to see if the boxes will possibly fit "hamburger-style" in the trunk without putting the seatbacks down. Most of you will want to measure from the trunk opening, through the rear seats, and up to the front seat. Note: I would not recommend moving your driver's seat in order to fit a bigger box inside the car. Altering your driving position and driving too close to your dash can be dangerous. Alternatively, angling and boxes towards the center of the vehicle can provide the extra room you may be looking for, without compromising your driving position. Fitting A Trampoline In Your Car Now that you are armed with the measurements, refer back to the table above. Compare the dimension you measured to the dimensions of the table. This should give you a very good idea about what size trampoline you can comfortably and safely fit in your vehicle. Take this information with you to the store and browse what trampolines they offer and make your pick. An employee will be able to tell you exactly how many boxes your trampoline comes with and what dimensions the boxes are. Then you can take another look at your measurements and see if it's doable. Delivery Options For Your Trampoline If you are really set on a bigger trampoline and want to get one that doesn't quite fit into your vehicle there are other options available to get your trampoline home where your vehicle is out of the equation. Borrow A Bigger Vehicle This is the most practical option. Simply ask a friend to borrow their vehicle. You probably know someone who has the minivan or large SUV that you may require. If you don't, there are a few places I would recommend that you can ask to borrow one. Creating a post on Facebook is a great way to reach out to people, there may be friends willing to help that you didn't even know have a larger vehicle. Nextdoor is an app to bring neighbors together to communicate and could be helpful in finding a willing participant in your trampoline delivery efforts. If someone does offer you their car, measure their vehicle like I've outlined above and compare that to the trampoline you've chosen. Be sure to pitch in for some gas or food to your friend for letting you use their vehicle! Source: The Wall Street Journal Rent A Truck Renting a transport truck like one from U-Haul is a great option if you don't have access to a vehicle big enough to fit your trampoline into. Best of all, U-Haul has trucks up to 26 feet. No matter how big of a trampoline you buy it WILL fit inside of these! Most vehicles that U-Haul offers for rent are box trucks and have generous dimensions all around. U-Haul also offers pickup truck and cargo van rentals that may work as well. See below for the dimensions of their most common vehicles. VehicleDimensions (Ft'In'')Pickup Truck7'10" x 5'2" x 1'9" (LxWxH)Cargo Van9'6" x 5'7" x 4'8" (LxWxH)10ft Box Truck9'11" x 6'4" x 6'2" (LxWxH)15ft Box Truck15' x 7'8" x 7'2" (LxWxH)Source: U-Haul Buy The Trampoline Online Counter-intuitive to the rest of my article I know, but buying your trampoline online can take the hassle out of transporting it yourself. I am not saying do not go to the store to check out the trampolines. Sams Club in my area puts out trampolines seasonally and I would recommend checking your local stores to see if they do too. That way you can physically see the craftsmanship of the trampoline and decide on your preferred size and model. You can then find the trampoline online to make your purchase. Some online sellers may even offer free shipping. Most delivery companies are obligated to bring it to your doorstep, but you can always ask your delivery team to carry it around back, just be sure to tip them if they do! Note: Check out whether the trampoline you choose to buy online comes with free shipping. If it does not take note of the shipping charges because the size and weight of the boxes may balloon the total price you'll pay to get the trampoline home.