No tie down on mine either, but I found that the passenger side front seat will fold all the way forward, giving you a nearly flat surface all the way to the front passenger side of the dash. It's been big enough to fit anything I've needed to carry.

 

I didn't realize the passenger seat folded flat. Thanks.

 

Neither did I, Thanks.

 

I have a blanket that I put over the arm rest and centre console. You can fit 8' lengths of lumber all the way in this way. I then use the tie-downs in the back to keep it stable. I am also only a 3 minute drive home from Home Depot, so that helps.

 

I love the Home Depot! I've spent many quality nights there just wondering the isles. :10:

 

Carrying 2 x 4's on the centr consul can be expensive if you have to make a "panic stop"....I've seen a friends dash take major damage from lumber flying in to it....

 

Gonzo You are wasting you youth, didn't your mother tell you not to hang out in bad places.

 

Just tried passenger seat, did not fold all the way foward. Any special trick?

 

Gripper.... too bad you didn't live up here this time of year... you and I could drive the MO to the local Home Depot and hang out in the season isle... snow thrower season... they sort have a CVT like device for the auger.... maybe????

 

ROTFL :2:

 

tie down solution

There is a small(about 2" by 2") flat plastic panel in the center of the rear hatch, on the inside near the bottom. It provides access to wiring inside the hatch. It can be easily removed with fingernails or use a key to pop it out.
I use a bungy cord with hooks, one end hooked into the hole in the hatch created by removal of this little panel, and the other end hooks onto the trailer hitch. If you don't have a hitch, a slightly longer bungy would reach the lip of the bumper trim or to the tow hook.
The small panel snaps back in easily, I've used this method several times at, you guessed it- Home Depot.

 

Just tried passenger seat, did not fold all the way foward. Any special trick?

Same here...

 

Re: tie down solution

There is a small(about 2" by 2") flat plastic panel in the center of the rear hatch, on the inside near the bottom. It provides access to wiring inside the hatch. It can be easily removed with fingernails or use a key to pop it out.
I use a bungy cord with hooks, one end hooked into the hole in the hatch created by removal of this little panel, and the other end hooks onto the trailer hitch. If you don't have a hitch, a slightly longer bungy would reach the lip of the bumper trim or to the tow hook.
The small panel snaps back in easily, I've used this method several times at, you guessed it- Home Depot.

Rather than risking scratching the interior panel, i use my key or a hook to rotate the lock in the hatch to the closed position - that leaves just enough room to attach a bungy or cord between it and the hatch lock at the bottom.
If you search the web for "trunk extenders" you'll find a variety of devices built for just this purpose. I found one with a built in red blinking light and retractable cord - overkill yes, but a nice little gadget that i gave to my Dad for X-Mas. (http://www.tintastrade.com/details/1907470.html)

 

No tie down on mine either, but I found that the passenger side front seat will fold all the way forward, giving you a nearly flat surface all the way to the front passenger side of the dash. It's been big enough to fit anything I've needed to carry.

Just tried passenger seat, did not fold all the way foward. Any special trick?

dklanecky1, which year/options MO do you have? mine (2004 SL) does not let me fold the front passenger seat forward more than about 1/4 of the way.

 

OOPS, my mistake.

I folded it backwards almost completely flat after moving the seat as far forward as possible. I must have been thinking about another vehicle (I think it's the new Titan that folds forward for a flat surface).

Regardless, it still gives me the room to put almost anything inside.

Sorry guys!:3:

 

OOPS, my mistake.

I folded it backwards almost completely flat after moving the seat as far forward as possible. I must have been thinking about another vehicle (I think it's the new Titan that folds forward for a flat surface).

Regardless, it still gives me the room to put almost anything inside.

Sorry guys!:3:

Too bad. That was one feature that I really liked about the Saturn VUE (just about the only thing I liked about it, really). Not only did the seat fold flat, but the back of the seat (top portion when folded flat) was a hard plastic and included indentations to put stuff on. So it protected the back of the seat when putting lumber or whatnot on top of it, or you could put your laptop there, or a travel mug that didn't fit in the cup holders, or whatever. Very nice. Saturn has a lot of little things like that in their vehicles. Some really good ideas. Now if their overall quality was just a little bit better they could really be a contender in the automotive market...

 

Yeah but IMO it's so ugly inside, utilitiarian is the best I can say.

 

itza ute, ours is a luxury "cruck", I liked that too.

 

Tried the ring in the hatch latch. Works great. Idea from thread
" rear hatch tiedown" not "tie down".

 

this is what i need (ford freestyle - the car sucks but i like the seats -- can't believe i almost got it instead of the MO... )

 

Whoa! That's nice.
PROVIDING the passenger seat is still comfortable.

Homer

 

It's a shame it has a puny engine and an ugly outside.

 

Tried the ring in the hatch latch. Works great. Idea from thread
" rear hatch tiedown" not "tie down".

It's "It works great" not "Works great"

 

That was Jersey speak. I was just pointing to which thread to go to,not a grammatical correction.

 

Is it true that "Ford Freestar is to Volvo (insert model here)" as "Mercury Villager is to Nissan Quest" ??