Roof Boxes.....what to look for?
Discussion
Hey guys,
We went camping to Jersey last month with our 18 month old daughter who loved it! We are looking to do more and make it as comfortable as possible (my days of roughing it are long gone).
Due to a relatively small boot, and the 17 tons of equipment that small people seem to need I have been looking at roof boxes.
Issue is I have no idea what I am looking for. I am assuming ones that open length ways are much better than those that open at the end? Also what sort of length is acceptable? We have an MG ZS so not the biggest roof in the world (Mk1 Focus size) so would a longer box be ok with even with some over hang? Or is there a limit?
Sorry for all the questions.
We went camping to Jersey last month with our 18 month old daughter who loved it! We are looking to do more and make it as comfortable as possible (my days of roughing it are long gone).
Due to a relatively small boot, and the 17 tons of equipment that small people seem to need I have been looking at roof boxes.
Issue is I have no idea what I am looking for. I am assuming ones that open length ways are much better than those that open at the end? Also what sort of length is acceptable? We have an MG ZS so not the biggest roof in the world (Mk1 Focus size) so would a longer box be ok with even with some over hang? Or is there a limit?
Sorry for all the questions.
I've had a Thule roof box for 11 years and it hinges and locks on either side which is a useful option. It's a bit battered after kicking around in the garage but has turned out to be well worth what I paid for it.
I've had no problems with hinges or locks and it has a very quick and easy method of fixing to the car's roof bars. The length shouldn't be a problem as the roof bar clamps on the Thule slide so you can position further over the bonnet and minimise rear over hang which can foul the rear hatch opening.
As said above, there are plenty on ebay so it may be worth seeing what's available.
I've had no problems with hinges or locks and it has a very quick and easy method of fixing to the car's roof bars. The length shouldn't be a problem as the roof bar clamps on the Thule slide so you can position further over the bonnet and minimise rear over hang which can foul the rear hatch opening.
As said above, there are plenty on ebay so it may be worth seeing what's available.
Edited by PH5121 on Monday 23 July 16:34
This time of the year they go for a fair price, best getting one in winter out of season you pay a lot less I found. I bought in winter and keeping a eye on prices in the summer sell for £50-£100 more!
Side opening is best imo also the newer quick release method for attaching to the bars seems to work great.
Side opening is best imo also the newer quick release method for attaching to the bars seems to work great.
We've got a Thule Ranger 90 that's a folding one - a fairly rigid tray and a zipped opening on top. Works well for us and folded up in a bag takes up very little space in the shed - also means if we're away it's easy to remove so you're not worrying about someone trying to break into it.
Before that for snowboarding I hired them - plenty of people offering it these days and if you'll only need it once or twice a year it can work out better.
Long thin ones are useful if you plan to carry bikes or kayaks on the roof as well. Shorter and wider is easier to pack, but still best to go for the smaller bags and squashier stuff up there. Long and wide can be tempting but very easy to exceed the weight limit of the box, bars or car.
Before that for snowboarding I hired them - plenty of people offering it these days and if you'll only need it once or twice a year it can work out better.
Long thin ones are useful if you plan to carry bikes or kayaks on the roof as well. Shorter and wider is easier to pack, but still best to go for the smaller bags and squashier stuff up there. Long and wide can be tempting but very easy to exceed the weight limit of the box, bars or car.
I picked up a Thule box off eBay last summer for a bargain price, it just needed a little TLC.
The Thule boxes seem to come in similar sizes across the different ranges, search eBay for Thule 200 for example and it'll give you different models, e.g Atlantis or Touring, and they'll all be a similar size. Given the car you'll be using it on, it'd be a good size to go for.
The Thule boxes seem to come in similar sizes across the different ranges, search eBay for Thule 200 for example and it'll give you different models, e.g Atlantis or Touring, and they'll all be a similar size. Given the car you'll be using it on, it'd be a good size to go for.
We use this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Valley-Sherpack-158...
Excellent build quality, and has never leaked. You can just roll it up and put it in its bag and put it in the boot when you get there too (fits across Auris and Golf boots anyway, but no idea of the width of the MG's).
Love it.
Excellent build quality, and has never leaked. You can just roll it up and put it in its bag and put it in the boot when you get there too (fits across Auris and Golf boots anyway, but no idea of the width of the MG's).
Love it.
I was about to post my own thread but it seems silly not to keep it in one thread.
The main difference between me and the OP is a) I've been camping for years, but family changes mean less room in the car than before, and b) I don't need to be sold on Thule - it's more a 'what Thule,' for me
Are the Wingbar's worth it over the Squarebar - about £50 extra in my case? I do go camping on the continent, so if I can do (sensible) autobahn speeds without too much impact I'd be willing to pay the extra.
And capacity - will I regret going too big or too small? Currently I can just about fit everything but the inflatable sofa in - but it'd be nice to get a few clothes bags (maybe 100L worth) too.
I'm thinking that 400L is the top end of what's needed, and would probably even be overkill?
And any recommendations on the particular box would be welcome - as I say, autobahn speeds in mind. Right now I've got my eye on the Thule Touring M Aeroskin (400L.)
The main difference between me and the OP is a) I've been camping for years, but family changes mean less room in the car than before, and b) I don't need to be sold on Thule - it's more a 'what Thule,' for me
Are the Wingbar's worth it over the Squarebar - about £50 extra in my case? I do go camping on the continent, so if I can do (sensible) autobahn speeds without too much impact I'd be willing to pay the extra.
And capacity - will I regret going too big or too small? Currently I can just about fit everything but the inflatable sofa in - but it'd be nice to get a few clothes bags (maybe 100L worth) too.
I'm thinking that 400L is the top end of what's needed, and would probably even be overkill?
And any recommendations on the particular box would be welcome - as I say, autobahn speeds in mind. Right now I've got my eye on the Thule Touring M Aeroskin (400L.)
chasingracecars said:
If you don’t have bars yet check out Whispbar they are as they say very silent and reduce drag over traditional bars. Have fitted all my cars with different foot packs about £20 each.
They're more expensive than the Thule Wingbars and Thule gear has the advantage of being very commonly available second hand.tenohfive said:
Are the Wingbar's worth it over the Squarebar - about £50 extra in my case? I do go camping on the continent, so if I can do (sensible) autobahn speeds without too much impact I'd be willing to pay the extra.
Be aware, a lot of roof bars and boxes I’ve seen have a recommended max speed of 130kph. phil y said:
Be aware, a lot of roof bars and boxes I’ve seen have a recommended max speed of 130kph.
That seems to be standard for Thule at least.I've ordered a Hapro Traxer box with Thule Wingbars to accompany it. T-track adapters - are they likely to make any difference to either available loading space or aerodynamics/wind noise? If they are I'm tempted to order a set, much as the Hapro fitting system looks like an absolute doddle.
toastyhamster said:
Anybody tried the roof bags? I've been looking at boxes, even on ebay as mentioned they are quite pricey, I could get a new bag for the cost of a secondhand box and I really only need it for the kids beach stuff, the rest we can cram in the boot.
Yes, I bought a massive one last year for all the soft stuff that takes up so much room but is quite light. (This one IIRC: https://www.amazon.co.uk/G4Free-Waterproof-Carrier...Works very well, but some tips if you go down this route. Buy the mesh matting to protect the car's roof. Fit roof bars to front and rear of the bag so it doesn't creep backwards (ask me how I know
). If it looks like rain, I would make sure that things were in bin bags or similar (I used cheap eBay Dry Bags) as I wouldn't trust the waterproofing - we had no rain, but I took the precaution anyway.Lots of space for cheap, and with the bonus that it folds down into something like a fat handbag for storage, rather than the pain that is storing a top box.
Here's a really good site I buy from with lots of helpful advice:
https://www.roofbox.co.uk/roof-boxes/
The Best Buy roofboxes are often not the most commonly available such as Thule.
https://www.roofbox.co.uk/roof-boxes/
The Best Buy roofboxes are often not the most commonly available such as Thule.
I purchased a Kamei Husky 3/4 width box so I can also fit my bike carrier, in a year its covered over 6k without a leak. It has 2 fixing pins and 2 locks so a very secure lid. I have t-track adaptors but choose to use the u brackets on thule wingbars.
Just make sure you have somewhere to store it as they are bigger than they appear on a roof , roofbox sell some straps to hang it from garage joists.
Have a look in halfords for idea of sizes , we use holdalls and free up the boot space.
As other say, gumtree and ebay. Mine was half price , used once.
Just make sure you have somewhere to store it as they are bigger than they appear on a roof , roofbox sell some straps to hang it from garage joists.
Have a look in halfords for idea of sizes , we use holdalls and free up the boot space.
As other say, gumtree and ebay. Mine was half price , used once.
Steve Kimberley said:
We use this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Valley-Sherpack-158...
Excellent build quality, and has never leaked. You can just roll it up and put it in its bag and put it in the boot when you get there too (fits across Auris and Golf boots anyway, but no idea of the width of the MG's).
Love it.
That looks really good, plus would be handy as we don't have much room in garage or house. How do you think it would hold up to having a tent or push chair in it? Also do these run a risk of masking the car roof?Excellent build quality, and has never leaked. You can just roll it up and put it in its bag and put it in the boot when you get there too (fits across Auris and Golf boots anyway, but no idea of the width of the MG's).
Love it.
Daston said:
Steve Kimberley said:
We use this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Valley-Sherpack-158...
Excellent build quality, and has never leaked. You can just roll it up and put it in its bag and put it in the boot when you get there too (fits across Auris and Golf boots anyway, but no idea of the width of the MG's).
Love it.
That looks really good, plus would be handy as we don't have much room in garage or house. How do you think it would hold up to having a tent or push chair in it? Also do these run a risk of masking the car roof?Excellent build quality, and has never leaked. You can just roll it up and put it in its bag and put it in the boot when you get there too (fits across Auris and Golf boots anyway, but no idea of the width of the MG's).
Love it.
No probs marking the roof as it sits rigidly on roof bars (my last three cars will bear witness to that).
I had a rigid box for years. Much prefer this for its convenience with regard to storage and being able to just throw it in the boot when emptied.
Good value too.
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