roof rack box bag or basket for holidays

kazzys51

hi there i need more space for driving holiday and i know nothing of roof boxes, does anyone know are they good for suitcases?

what do i need to get it attached, ive not got any bars on my roof its a vauxhall astra, whats the best thing to keep it dry and safe so its not dumped on the motorway :rotfl:thanks for any advice

Ebe_Scrooge

Depends on what size you get. We got one of the biggest ones, it swallows all our luggage ( family of 5 ) for a fortnight away. I was actually quite surprised at just how much we managed to fit in.

You need to watch the weight though - your car will have a limit on how much can be loaded on the roof. Check the owner's manual.

In terms of fixing it, there will be fitting kits available for pretty much any car, you need to ask at the shop and they'll sort you out.

I wouldn't be without ours - it gives tons of space, and keeps everything dry even when driving through a typical British summer monsoon :-) They're not cheap, though, a decent one will set you back a fair wedge by the time you've added in the fixing kit ( usually sold seperately ). But well worth it if you'll use it a lot.

Oh, one other point - don't leave the box on the car permanently. It's a bit of a fiddle to fit / remove, so you won't be putting it on and off every day. But when you've finished your holiday, take it off. We notice a huge difference in fuel consumption when ours is on. That's the price we pay for the convenience of it :-(

mikey72

I got a zafira with factory rails on it.
Two cheapo ladder bars across, and the roof box of the camper goes on for holidays. We have a smaller car sized roof box, but outgrew it.
It's easy enough to fit, although you do have to be a contortionist to get a few of the hand bolts through.
We manage to fill it up, and we've never lost it yet. If you put suitcases in,there are straps inside to hols them down. If you cram it so full you can't close it without handing onto the sides, nothing moves anyway.

If you haven't got rails, a decent roof rack will be needed, it'll still be secure enough.

Flyboy152

kazzys51 wrote: »

hi there i need more space for driving holiday and i know nothing of roof boxes, does anyone know are they good for suitcases?

what do i need to get it attached, ive not got any bars on my roof its a vauxhall astra, whats the best thing to keep it dry and safe so its not dumped on the motorway :rotfl:thanks for any advice

It is not so much the volume, but the weight. The general maximum weight, for the bigger boxes is fifty kilos, add to that the weight of the box of about fifteen kilos and you are pretty much close the maximum weight capacity of most roof bars, or that recommended by most motor manufacturers. I have a Thule Pacific 700. That will take five hundred litres and fifty kilos.

Flyboy152

Ebe_Scrooge wrote: »

Oh, one other point - don't leave the box on the car permanently. It's a bit of a fiddle to fit / remove, so you won't be putting it on and off every day. But when you've finished your holiday, take it off. We notice a huge difference in fuel consumption when ours is on. That's the price we pay for the convenience of it :-(

And the handling, it makes a heck of difference. The noise can be a bit annoying too.

Also, don't forget it's there. Watch out for multi-storey car parks and height restrictions.

vikingaero

If you don't have a roofrack already you'll need to buy a set of roofbars, a footpack and the roofbox. Don't go to Halfords and pay full price. I use this company: http://www.roofracks.co.uk/ mainly because they are local to me and cheaper than Halfords.

As to noise - not really a problem but then I have aero bars. You may hear a faint whoosh when driving at speed. If anything it's noisier when stationary and the wind is really blustery.

Height shouldn't be an issue for a standard roofbox on an Astra - it's the people with MPVs and 4x4s that have to worry at that.

missile

If it is just for one holiday(?), you may be better hiring a larger car people carrier. Obviously it makes sense if you foresee it will be used many times. Do you have somewhere to store it when not in use?

vikingaero

With regard to weight/payload, we only use the roofbox for bulky low value stuff such as buggies, folding scooters and towels. All heavy stuff should go into the boot of the car.

Most roofboxes are fairly watertight though not guaranteed watertight. I've never had a problem with water entering my Thule. Others have said that in some other makes you get a little bit of water (maybe half a cupful). So if you want things to stay dry then put them in binliners.

Flyboy152

missile wrote: »

If it is just for one holiday(?), you may be better hiring a larger car people carrier. Obviously it makes sense if you foresee it will be used many times. Do you have somewhere to store it when not in use?

Renting a car like a Galaxy (why?), would set you back about six hundred pounds, for two weeks. A box and a set of bars about three or four hundred at the most.

sunshinetours

Go to www.roofbox.co.uk - we bought our bars for wife's old car and a large roof box a few years ago from there. Very helpful and you can put your car details in or call them up. Good prices when we looked around to compare aswell

In fact reminds me I need to sort some bars out for my car

spiro

kazzys51 wrote: »

hi there i need more space for driving holiday and i know nothing of roof boxes, does anyone know are they good for suitcases?

Why would you put a case in a box? Just put the gear straight in the box, it reduces the weight in the box and can be easier than lifting (potentially) heavy cases up into the box.

Another option could be a tow bar and small trailer.