Roof bars and roof box confusion

IamNotAllowedToUseMyName

vikingaero wrote: »

I have a Thule roofbox with U bolts. On one car I have square roof bars. On another car I can still use the U bolts with the aero bars - it depends on the size of the aero bars. I dislike using the T-track because of wind noise. You have to cut the rubber strips to infill and it's a pain when you swap to a bike rack. If you accidentally leave a gap in the rubber strip it still whistles.

As for speeds. Many German motorist travel far in excess of 100mph without problems.

Yes, depends on the U bolts and the bars. I couldn't use the U bolts that came with my Kamei box on either of the Thule aero bars I've had. In the end, I'd want a manufacturer's recommendation on whether it was possible. If the bar has not been designed to accommodate a U bolt, you cannot know whether its structure will properly work with it - you are putting a lot of stress through a limited area - just because you can fit it, doesn't mean it is up to the task. Thule do conversion kits for their bars.

As to speed, lots of people will drive well in excess of the recommended speed and get away with it, it depends what load is there, how well they have fitted the box, quality of the car fixings and so on, but there are people who have lost their roof boxes too, so just because many people get away with it does not mean it is a safe or sensible thing to to.

forgotmyname

Iceweasel wrote: »

I think that not exceeding the max roof load weight (usually 75Kg) is more important than not exceeding any set speed limit.

Being serious also.
One slightly more important thing also, make sure its locked properly, I sold a car to a mate, he was towing his caravan up the M5 in the roadwork section and a car overtook, not a silly speed or anything but his box opened and stuff came flying our. Some of it went through his front grill and rad.

Not wanting to stop in the roadworks he drove on until they ended, he got the car recovered. On closer inspection when he got hom he found various smaller items, but the main culprit for all the damage was a steel toecapped boot. It had gone through the grill and did some serious damage to the rad and aircon pipes etc.

I tend to bag everything that goes into the boot and put the fixing straps through the handles of the bags.

Do all boxes come with internal straps?

Iceweasel

forgotmyname wrote: »

Being serious also.
One slightly more important thing also, make sure its locked properly, I sold a car to a mate, he was towing his caravan up the M5 in the roadwork section and a car overtook, not a silly speed or anything but his box opened and stuff came flying our. Some of it went through his front grill and rad.

Not wanting to stop in the roadworks he drove on until they ended, he got the car recovered. On closer inspection when he got hom he found various smaller items, but the main culprit for all the damage was a steel toecapped boot. It had gone through the grill and did some serious damage to the rad and aircon pipes etc.

I tend to bag everything that goes into the boot and put the fixing straps through the handles of the bags.

Do all boxes come with internal straps?

Sound advice there.

As far as I know from, what I saw when I was shopping around for one a few years ago, all roof-boxes have internal straps.

I also run a ratchet strap around the box as an extra precaution as the lock internals and catches are mostly plastic.

I run it lengthways (front to back) as acrossways leads to vibration of the strap from air passing between the box and the roof of the car.

I've even seen a car pass me on the M25 with the keys hanging in the roof-box lock. Eek!