GTA6 Vice City Weapon Logistics: Mastering Trunk-Based Loadouts & the Duffle‑Bag Meta

Why this matters now (context & verification)

What the community & reporting are saying (short summary)

• Multiple community threads report a carry limit: players will be able to have only a small number of weapons on their person (e.g., 1 handgun + 1 long gun, or a similar small set). Extra/large weapons are stored in vehicle trunks or duffel bags. ^[2]
• Independent writeups and leak summaries describe a “dual‑inventory” / trunk storage system and a new inventory UI with a duffel bag slot. This is widely discussed as a core design change versus GTA V’s unlimited‑arsenal model. ^[3]
• Practical precedent: GTA modders have implemented trunk storage systems (animations + time cost), which gives us a good proxy for how trunk‑access interruptions might affect mission timing. ^[4]

Strategic payoff — How mastering trunk logistics wins missions

• Pre‑staged mobile armories: Park a mission vehicle with a trunk loadout within 20–40 meters of primary objective to guarantee heavy firepower on demand.
• Role specialisation: Assign one protagonist (e.g., Lucia or Jason) to carry stealth/utility gear while the other carries long‑range suppression — swap via trunk when objectives shift.
• Escape control: Vehicles carrying extra weapons double as escape tools and resupply points; controlling vehicle placement becomes as important as controlling choke points. ^[5]

Builds & loadouts — Recommendations (for day‑one training)

Loadout archetypes (what you should practice now)

• Quick‑In/Quick‑Out (Stealth + Pistol) — On person: suppressed 9mm pistol + compact melee (silenced approach). Trunk: suppressed carbine + throwable (smoke/EMP). Best for stealth infiltration and short exfil. Practice: 30–60s silent entry drills and pistol‑to‑carbine transitions at 10–20m. ^[7]
• Heavy Support (Vehicle‑Anchored) — On person: mid‑range carbine + pistol. Trunk: LMG/shotgun/RPG. Use when you control a vehicle staging point; master trunk swap and cover timing. Practice: drive‑park‑cover drills and trunk retrieval under fire. ^[8]
• Split Team (Duo Synergy) — One character carries short‑range high DPS (shotgun), other carries long‑range marksman (carbine/sniper). Trunk contains explosives & medkits shared between them via duffel bag transfer. Practice: coordinated suppression + flank drills with staged resupply. ^[9]

Character progression priorities

• Inventory/Handling perks: Prioritize upgrades that reduce trunk‑access time or let you carry one extra on‑person weapon.
• Vehicle handling & trunk upgrades: Invest in faster trunk‑access animations (if an upgrade tree allows) and vehicles with larger trunk “slots”.
• Stealth & social engineering: If NPCs react to visible weapons, invest early in concealment perks (duffel bag concealment, clothing that hides straps). ^[10]

Practical mission walkthrough — Bank Van Heist (example)

Weapon stats (practical archetype table — use for training & loadout decisions)

Note: Official GTA6 weapon numbers aren’t published. Below are archetypal examples to train against (based on GTA5/RDR2 roles and community leaks). Treat these as practice targets, not final values.

Estimated archetypes based on community discussion and historical GTA weapon roles. Use these to decide which classes to keep on‑person vs trunk—then practice those transitions. ^[15]

Vehicle selection & garage builds

• Choose mission vehicles with easy trunk access (larger trunk hitbox, two‑door access or rear hatch). Park orientation matters — rear facing the objective reduces travel distance to get weapons. Practice: parking angle drills for <30m trunk runs.
• Keep a 'duffel‑car' and an 'escape‑car' in your garage — duffel‑car contains the duffel bag / trunk stash, escape‑car is fast and manoeuvrable. Swap duffel bag between vehicles before mission start for flexibility. ^[16]
• Train bike strategies: if trunks are unavailable for bikes, carry a small on‑person load (suppressed pistol + compact long gun) or use a duffel on the back (slower movement tradeoff). Practice mounting/dismounting with duffel in under 2–3s (training target).

Training drills you can do today

1. Trunk sprint & swap: Park, sprint to trunk, perform weapon swap, return to cover. Repeat until you average under 4s for the full cycle (animation included). Use modded trunk systems in GTA V to practice timing. ^[18]
2. Duo resupply timing: With a partner, practice signalling, trunk access, and duffel transfer. Aim for sub‑3s handoff time for smooth escalation.
3. Car abandonment drill: Start with full trunk and on‑person load; in a 90s window be forced to abandon car and switch to a second vehicle that lacks the trunk stash — practice fallback engagement with limited weapons. This trains resource prioritization and economy of fire.

Economy & itemization (what to buy / when)

• Early game: Buy a cheap, reliable vehicle with the largest trunk and keep a basic trunk stash (carbine + medkit + sticky grenade).
• Mid game: Purchase duffel bag upgrades (if present) and a second vehicle for duffel transfers. Prioritize items that reduce swap time or raise on‑person carry by +1 slot.
• Late game: Maintain a garage with 2–3 staged armory vehicles positioned for your most common mission routes. Consider spending on trunk‑access QoL upgrades before high‑damage weapon purchases. (Community reports indicate trunk/duffel slot mechanics are a focus of the inventory meta — invest accordingly). ^[19]

Common mistakes to avoid

• Relying on trunk access as an instant resupply — trunk animations and vehicle placement cost time and expose you to fire. Train the swap to make it reliably fast. ^[20]
• Using bikes for heavy‑weapon missions without preplanning — bikes lack trunks and make heavy gear inaccessible.
• Failing to coordinate duffel transfers in duo missions — mis‑timed handoffs create gaps in fire coverage and will cost lives/time.

Strategy spotlight — The 'Phantom Van' tactic

Why it works: NPCs react to visible weapons and can escalate heat; keeping heavy weapons in a hidden van reduces visible threat footprint and keeps early phases low heat. ^[21]

Community discovery & verification notes

“Treat trunk inventory as mission design space: it’s not a restriction — it’s a resource to be planned, positioned, and protected.” — All About GTA6 analysis (Jan 10, 2026)

Verdict & next steps

Final notes & sources

This article synthesizes community research, recent leak summaries, and mod precedent as of January 10, 2026 to present a practical, trainable playbook for GTA6’s anticipated trunk/duffel inventory meta. Rockstar’s final systems may differ — when official mechanics and numbers are released, update your builds accordingly. For now, treat these techniques as high‑value training drills that transfer to the finalized game.