Ways to remind oneself about the load on the roof…

[nuyorican]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 24 November 2024 at 16:21

[MustangGT]

You could buy a carrier for the rear of the car instead?

[normalbloke]

[Triumph Man]

Put a sticker on the steering wheel...

[ferret50]

I have spent part of the summer creating a camper out of a van....I measured it's overall hieght and made myself a small reminder sticker placed in the top r/h corner of the windscreen!

[Short Grain]

You'll only forget once! Can't you take the wheels off and stick it in the boot? At least you can stop for a coffee / slash without worrying some little promising footballer nicking it!

[and31]

Just stick a post it note on the dash.

[vikingaero]

If your car has a sunroof then leave the sliding cover open so you can see the load. Also the tiny amount of extra noise might make you more aware. Otherwise the easiest and cheapest is a post-it with an arrow or height details on it.

The key is not to rush or panic. My friends GF needed to use the loo urgently and in his haste to get to one, he forgot about the car park height barrier. Cue, one written off bike, one damaged bike, 2 of my bike racks written off, 2 huge gouges in the roof of his Audi, deformed hatch as the bike racks were pushed back and down, and one broken window.

We thought the car was a write off, but they put on a new roof skin, and did ask him if they could use a second hand hatch (still 2 years newer than his car) due to supply issues (mid-Covid).

[Triumph Man]

nuyorican said:

Triumph Man said:

Put a sticker on the steering wheel...

The simplest ideas are the best. Bit of white electrical tape. Cheers.

We did this for years on family holidays after Dad forgot once... similar to the tale above, the car got a new roof skin and came back. Amusingly it went badged as a Rover 400 but returned badged as a Rover 416i. Must have needed a new tailgate as well!

[BoRED S2upid]

Short Grain said:

You'll only forget once! Can't you take the wheels off and stick it in the boot? At least you can stop for a coffee / slash without worrying some little promising footballer nicking it!

This. Just fold the seats down and stick them in the back.

[Benmac]

Never done it myself but I race bikes so often around others with bikes on the roof. Once I was packing up my stuff after a race where the village hall car park we had used had a height restriction bar at the entrance. There was one other chap left and as he was driving out I noticed the impending disaster. Managed to get his attention in time. Phew. He then proceeded to unload the bike, prop it up against the fence I thought with the idea of driving under, then putting it back on. Nope, he got back in his car, fiddled about for about 30s with something then drove off leaving the bike behind.

Didn't have a clue who he was so hung around for a while in case he noticed. No joy so popped it in my car and took it home, called the organiser to let him know I had it and the very grateful owner came to collect a few days later.

[Pigfish]

I did this some years ago when helping my brother move home. Hired a Luton van, loaded up with all his worldly possessions and ready for a 3 hour drive (Oxford to York). A McDonald’s breakfast beckoned before hitting the road, so pulled into the local drive-thru, completely forgetting I am in a high-top van.

I managed to get the van perfectly stuck under the drive-thru canopy and could not go forward or backwards without causing further damage. After about 20 minutes of wandering how this was going to play out, my brother lost patience, jumped into the driver’s seat, stuck the van into 1st gear, drove forward and promptly peeled the roof from the top of the van.

I didn’t even get my breakfast….

[Teddy Lop]

Pigfish said:

I did this some years ago when helping my brother move home. Hired a Luton van, loaded up with all his worldly possessions and ready for a 3 hour drive (Oxford to York). A McDonald’s breakfast beckoned before hitting the road, so pulled into the local drive-thru, completely forgetting I am in a high-top van.

I managed to get the van perfectly stuck under the drive-thru canopy and could not go forward or backwards without causing further damage. After about 20 minutes of wandering how this was going to play out, my brother lost patience, jumped into the driver’s seat, stuck the van into 1st gear, drove forward and promptly peeled the roof from the top of the van.

I didn’t even get my breakfast….

Let the air out the tyres?

Mate works in van rental, they actually binned off lutons due to the amount being damaged. They could only make it viable if the hiree agreed to a huge damage excess.

Surprised there isn't something like a laser-alert you can fit; seen them on lorries.

[AlexGSi2000]

Best way I have found was to pop a kayak on the roof, not strap it down well enough and then brake sharply onto a roundabout.
The kayak that slid forward, bouncing off the bonnet and onto the roundabout was the best way of reminding me that I did previously have a kayak on the roof of the car.