Do you struggle to fit everything in your car for any family trips? I find this even more of a problem when going to Center Parcs. I don't know if its the thought of not having easy access to the outside world but we cram our car full. In the last 12 months or so I've found a game-changing solution that made our Center Parcs holiday so much easier!
The Packing Nightmare
Let's be honest - packing for a family holiday is tough. For our trip to Center Parcs, we needed to bring:
- Suitcases full of clothes
- Scooters and helmets for the kids
- Loads of food and drinks for the lodge
- Several cases of beer (priorities, right?)
- All the random stuff you think "we might need this"
By the time I finished loading the boot of our car (a 2020 Tesla Model 3 Long Range), it was packed to the roof. One wrong move and everything would come tumbling out!
What's a Frunk?
If you're new to Electric Vehicles cars, you might not know about the "frunk." This is the front trunk (really here in the UK we should say "Froot" ie Front Boot) where a normal car's engine would be. Since my Tesla doesn't have big engines, we get this extra storage space at the front of the car.
Many EV owners forget about the frunk or just use it for charging cables. But I discovered it's the perfect spot for something else - a compact pram/stroller!
I bought a Silvercross Jet pram that folds up really small. And I mean really small. When folded, it fits perfectly in the overhead storage area in a plane which just so happens in my Tesla to be the same size as the frunk (with a bit of room to spare for those cables). This frunk stroller is:
- Super lightweight and ultra compact
- Easy to fold with one hand
- Strong enough for the rougher paths and grass around the Center Parcs village
- Comfortable for my little one (used with kids from 6 months to 3 years)
- Comes with a rain cover
Our Center Parcs Experience
When we arrived at Center Parcs, I was so glad I had put the pram in the frunk. Here's why:
- We arrived early before our lodge wasn't ready even with early Arrival Added to our booking. We needed to walk around the park for a few hours to kill time.
- I simply opened the frunk, took out the pram and set it up in seconds. No need to unpack the carefully stacked boot!
- While other families were struggling to get their prams from under piles of luggage, we were already strolling around the park.
- When it started to rain (because it's the UK!), we had easy access to our rain cover without digging through the boot.
Why This Works So Well
The frunk pram/frunk stroller hack is brilliant because:
- You can get to your pram without unpacking everything else
- The pram stays clean and dry in its own space. You're not putting muddy wheels in next to your suitcase.
- You can fit more in your main boot
- It's easy to access even in tight parking spaces
Tips for using the Frunk for a Pram/Stroller
If you want to try this yourself, here's what I learned:
- Measure your frunk before buying a pram. Not all prams will fit. A note the Tesla Model 3 from 2021 on has a slightly smaller frunk thanks to the heat pump between the front wheels.
- Practice folding and unfolding your pram so you can do it quickly. It is a little bit clunky to unfold but you do get used to it
- Keep a small bag with pram and baby essentials (rain cover, blanket, some nappies if not trained or a travel potty if they are) in the frunk too.
- Remember that the frunk on some Tesla models is bigger than others (The Tesla Model 3 with the model year 2021 onwards has a smaller frunk/froot because of the heat pump between the wheels - what you lose on frunk storage you gain in extra range).
Not just for Center Parcs
This hack also works great for:
- Forgetful moments. More than once I've went to the shops or park and realised we had left the 'big' pram (we also have a Nuna Triv which we bought as part of a travel system when the eldest was born) at the house but been saved by the Frunk Pram in the Tesla.
- Filling the boot at the shops: ever go to Ikea or B&Q then struggle to fit your shopping in along with the pram? Much easier when the pram can go in the frunk.
- Any holiday or road trip where you're packing the car full - not just CP.
- Dead easy to take two prams. We got out SilverCross Jet when our second child was born and that meant we had two prams. With two kids 2 and under it was a god send on multiple occasions to have two prams packed away in the car.
Get yourself a frunk pram
If you own a Tesla or an EV with a decent sized frunk/froot and have young children, try using your frunk for a compact pram. It's such a simple idea, but it made our Center Parcs holiday so much easier.
No more choosing between beer and baby gear - now you can bring both!
Want to read some more? We've been sharing tips for tackling Center Parcs with a dog and how to approach a holiday with a newly potty trained toddler.
