Tree-mendous tips from Haynes

How to transport a Christmas tree safely

There's nothing weedy about this Christmas tree; eight foot tall and half as wide. It'll impress the neighbours for certain. And it's a bargain. There's only one problem - how to get it home.

Christmas is the time of year for long or bulky loads. It's not just Santa's sleigh that gets loaded up. The first thing to do is think ahead. If you expect to purchase something too large to go completely inside your vehicle, think about what you'll need.

A roof rack? A large plastic sheet or a tarpaulin? Some tie-downs, elastic cords or lengths of rope? A red flag, even.

These are some of the suggestions in Your Car , a glovebox guide published by Haynes. Probably the most useful present you'll ever give or receive, it includes chapters on what to do in an emergency, simple DIY checks, buying and selling a car and preparing for an MOT test.

Haynes is the world's leading publisher of automotive repair manuals and renowned for teaching millions of car owners how to carry out routine maintenance and repairs. Haynes publishes manuals for cars, vans and motorcycles as well as family manuals, books on car DIY and tuning, home DIY manuals (dishwashers, lawnmowers and so on) and learning to drive books.

Notes to Editors:

The information above is supplied courtesy of Haynes Publishing, please credit accordingly if you intend to use it. For further information, please contact Rebecca Nicholls on Tel: 01452 260063 or email: pr@haynes.co.uk

Haynes Manuals retail at £17.99 (hardback) and are available from all good car accessory retailers and bookshops including: Halfords, Motor World and WH Smith. A comprehensive stockist locator can be found at www.haynes.co.uk.

Here are some tips for carrying large loads

1. Consider having the item delivered instead, or think about hiring a van or pick-up.
2. If you use a roof rack, make sure it is fitted securely. Check your vehicle's handbook or your Haynes manual for the maximum roof rack load. Some vehicles have roof rails to which a rack can be fitted.
3. Lay plastic or a tarpaulin across the roof rack before you load it, then wrap this around the item(s) and secure it with tie-downs, rope or elastic cords.
4. Load the roof rack with the largest items at the rear.
5. Top boxes (they come in various sizes and are usually lockable) can be fitted to a roof rack or rails and are good for transporting many small items. Some of these boxes are shaped to carry skis or other sports equipment.
6. With special fittings, cycles can be carried on roof racks too.
7. . If you don't have a roof rack, a long item may go in through the tailgate or boot. If you can, fold down the rear seats and recline the front passenger seat. Make sure the load cannot interfere with the driving controls.
8. If you cannot shut the boot-lid or tailgate, secure it with rope or a tie-down - use bits of rag to prevent these scratching the paintwork. Anything extending more than 0.3 metres (about one foot) beyond the rear bumper should have a prominent red flag attached to it.
9. Make sure the number plate and rear lights are still visible if you have the boot-lid or tailgate partially open. Be aware that exhaust fumes may be sucked into the car as you drive.
10.  That Christmas tree may go inside your car with the top poking out through the open sunroof. Or it may go in through a rear side window and rest on the seat. Don't let it poke out of the side windows to any extent - this could be dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists. Also, make sure it is prevented from landing on your lap when you drive around corners! You can probably secure it with a seat belt.