Leave room to open and load your SUV at camp
Short answer: a plan that shows where the car is parked doesn’t show the space you need to open the hatch and load it. Add that space to the plan as a solid “keep free” zone, and the planner will warn you when a table or chair lands in it.
Why parked footprints aren’t enough
A parked car is a fixed rectangle, but using it needs more room: the hatch or tailgate swings out, and you need somewhere to stand while loading. If the camp kitchen goes right behind the car, the table can end up exactly where you’ll want to stand. Nothing on a parked-only plan shows that.
Example A: everything fits when parked
A 16 × 30 ft site with an SUV at the top, a 10 × 10 canopy behind it, and a folding table under the canopy. No overlaps: the plan looks ready.
Example B: reserve the space behind the hatch
Now add a custom rectangle behind the SUV for the rear access you need. In this example it’s 3 ft deep, the full width of the car; measure your own. Name it something like “Keep free: cargo access” and leave it as a solid item. The planner immediately flags the table, which sits 2 ft into that zone.
Solid matters here. If you draw the zone as overhead cover, the planner treats it like a canopy roof: tables and chairs can sit under it without any warning, which is exactly the problem you’re trying to catch. A reserved zone also counts as used space in the area summary, even though it’s really space to keep clear.
Example C: move the table
Slide the same table 2.5 ft farther from the car. The conflict goes away, and the access zone stays clear. In this example that leaves 0.5 ft between the zone and the table: no overlap, but not room to walk through, so pick your own spacing.
How to measure the access you need
- Park on level ground and open the hatch or tailgate fully, the way you’ll use it at camp.
- Measure from the rear bumper to the farthest point of the open hatch, then add room to stand and lift.
- Measure the width you need too. It’s usually at least the width of the car.
- Draw that as a solid custom rectangle against the rear bumper, and do the same for doors you need to open.
These numbers are an example, not a standard. A flat rectangle doesn’t model hatch height, canopy legs, sloped ground or anything attached to the car, and a clear plan doesn’t guarantee a real fit. Check the site and your event’s current rules on arrival.
Try it with your car
Open example B, select the SUV, and type in your own vehicle size. Resize the “Keep free” zone to what you measured, then move the table and chairs until the layout check is clear. There’s no account, and your plan stays on your device unless you share the link.