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General Car Roof Racks

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General Car Roof Racks

I think this all depends on the person putting the load on the rack TBH.. I could put the same amount on a roof rack and arrive at a destination with nothing left on the roof or arrive and it all still being there :p

A roof box makes some sense and some can be more aero dynamic however for odd size loads (say a childs buggy) it wont fit. they are also relatively waterproof..

where as if you get a frame rack to fit your cross bars it gives you plenty of lashing points..

eurorack.jpg


what ever you do dont rely plainly on elasticated straps as this is illegal as they are not load tested ratchet straps are what you need

ratchet%20straps%20yellow.jpg


I am used to using them on a camping trailer..

i tend to ratchet everything down nice and snug and follow this up with a thick tarp and rope that in place tightly using a knot shown to me by a HGV driver where you pull on it and it tightens cant explain it but can now do it with my eyes closed..
 
Andy Monty said:
Also dont overload your roof rack they have a maximum payload (some roof racks are rated at less than the car so read up on it.)
Click to expand...

The Panda has a max roof load of 50kg, and this include the roofrack. I weighed my sideways bars, and they were 4kg each, leaving just 42kg for the load. That's a little over half an average person - not a lot.
 
My reason for originally asking is because we have a Panda & a Doblo & to be honest the Doblo is that slow it is useless & I am also paying over £200 road tax.
I thought I might buy another Panda with £35 road tax & put a roof rack & box on for when we go on holiday.
 
I've started looking at roof bars and roof boxes myself now that we have the wee one and now have extra luggage (pushchair, travel cot, etc). I'm now considering a soft roof box by Thule (Ranger). It folds up to about 4.5' x 1' x 1' (just rough measurements). I thought that it would be good in that it could be easily removed and stored at your holiday destination as opposed to having to drive everywhere with it on... And it wouldn't take up a load of garage space when not in use.
 
Wee Smurf said:
I've started looking at roof bars and roof boxes myself now that we have the wee one and now have extra luggage (pushchair, travel cot, etc). I'm now considering a soft roof box by Thule (Ranger). It folds up to about 4.5' x 1' x 1' (just rough measurements). I thought that it would be good in that it could be easily removed and stored at your holiday destination as opposed to having to drive everywhere with it on... And it wouldn't take up a load of garage space when not in use.
Click to expand...

I have been looking at the Autoplas 350 but this Ranger might be even better.
What is the price of the Ranger?
 
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Wee Smurf said:
I thought that it would be good in that it could be easily removed and stored at your holiday destination as opposed to having to drive everywhere with it on...
Click to expand...

had to laugh at a couple the other year in a Multipla got to a multi story height bar and "discovered" they couldn't get in :eek:

One good thing with the Thule range most of it can be locked on and there after sales care is spot on (y)

saying that looking at the cost of the ranger a better idea might be a couple of large sailing holdalls easier to get the stuff off the roof and carry to your Hotel room/caravan as you can pack it in the house and lash it to the roof bars

http://www.whitstablemarine.co.uk/showpartnumber.asp?CategoryID=11844&PartNumberID=117205
 
I bought the Fiat roof bars. About £50 if i remember correctly, a perfect fit.
I fitted a Karrite 380 litre roof box, but i had to drill new holes, the holes in the Karrite box didn't line up.
Expect a loss in fuel consumption, even with the bars alone you will lose about 7mpg (That's why i remove them).
 
Just a quick question for Kipster as I'm collecting a pre-reg next week. How do you remove the roof bars - is it just a clip & then a matter of unbolting them?
 
We are having the same problem. Having downsized to a Panda from a Renault Scenic for economy reasons we will need to use our Thule roofbox on the car. We have been advised by The Roofbox Company who supplied us,that we must have longtidudinal bars plus crossbars before fitting a top box? We don't have the long bars yet? Quoted £290.00 plus VAT by dealer. Still looking for some second hand ones. Anyone else used a roofbox? on a panda.
 
John Tomkinson said:
We are having the same problem. Having downsized to a Panda from a Renault Scenic for economy reasons we will need to use our Thule roofbox on the car. We have been advised by The Roofbox Company who supplied us,that we must have longtidudinal bars plus crossbars before fitting a top box? We don't have the long bars yet? Quoted £290.00 plus VAT by dealer. Still looking for some second hand ones. Anyone else used a roofbox? on a panda.
Click to expand...

I presume Kipster doesn't have the longitudinal bars with quite a large box on top.
 
You shouldn't need the longitudnal bars... There's transverse bars that fit directly to the roof. Unless they're not the right distance apart for the roof box you're looking at?
 
The roofbox in the fiat accessories is sitting on traverse bars and longtidudinal bars. Apparently the traverse bars on their own are spaced too far apart for alot of top boxes. Loading is supposed to be increased having long bars? This is from information I got from the Roofbox Company in Sedberg
 
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