Roofboxes

[seatkid]

Conundrum - how do you fit 7 people AND their luggage/toys/buggy/kitchen sink into a Shalaxy and still have room to move and be comfortable for 3000 miles of european motoring.

 

Do I really need a roof box? :unsure:

 

1) do P&O North Sea ferries have height restrictions?

 

2) whats the maximum (or legal) safe speed I can expect to travel without it suddenly being ripped off and killing dozens of other motorists behind me.

 

3) Are they noisy and do they reduce the mpg by 50%?

 

4) what the maximum weight of luggage I can expect to carry on the roof (bear in mind the roof box and fixing parafania all weigh)

 

5) Are there any insurance issues I should be aware of?

 

6) where do I store the bloody thing?

 

7) will I lose a lot of money if I sell it on ebay after the "grand tour"?

 

8) Any suggestions for a good quality but still affordable solution (inc bars)

[Mirez]

1) do P&O North Sea ferries have height restrictions?

 

Used to be 2.5m, not sure if its the same now

4) what the maximum weight of luggage I can expect to carry on the roof (bear in mind the roof box and fixing parafania all weigh)

 

75Kg is the Maximum roof loading of the galaxy/alhambra

 

5) Are there any insurance issues I should be aware of?

 

Yes, don't go fast enough that it rips off and kills dozens of motorists behind you... that's just a lawsuit in a can.

 

6) where do I store the bloody thing?

 

Why not buy second hand and then flog it back on after the trip?

[chrispb123456]

Seven people thats a lot of luggage, we go to Germany a few times a year with a trailer 1.5 metres long 1.1 high 1.0 wide, costs extra on the ferry but keeps the car free from bags and clutter, keeps the weight lower down more stable.

[sparky Paul]

Recommend a long, flatter, tapered shape, rather than the cheap ones shaped like a brick. IIRC, ours is a Thule Alpine 500... when mounted on the car the contour of the front follows on from the rake of the windscreen and it looks quite smart.

 

2) whats the maximum (or legal) safe speed I can expect to travel without it suddenly being ripped off and killing dozens of other motorists behind me.

 

Mine's never slowed me down. :angry:

 

3) Are they noisy and do they reduce the mpg by 50%?

 

I notice a 8-10% mpg reduction with the petrol. This box is not noisy at all, but the cheaper squarer boxes are.

 

6) where do I store the bloody thing?

 

Mine goes in the shed, but they do take up more room than you think - especially with the bars attached.

 

7) will I lose a lot of money if I sell it on ebay after the "grand tour"?

 

They seem to fetch good money at the right time of the year.

 

8) Any suggestions for a good quality but still affordable solution (inc bars)

 

I used to have cheap roof bars, but they were too fiddly to mount and in the end I replaced them with a set of Ford bars. They are worth the extra, two people can demount or refit the top box inside a minute, which is great when you are at your destination. I bought the box secondhand locally, there's one just like it on fleabay now. No it's not mine! :unsure:

Edited May 11, 2011 by sparky Paul

[sharan]

I travelled from ireland to Spain last year in a Sharan with a smart black Mont Blanc roof box. It was a god send, only thing i noticed was on long boring motorways if you let your right foot be a bit heavy they temp gauge went up slightly!! i got thule roof bars and paid about

[seatkid]

OK - I hired a Thule Roofbox for this trip. Cleared it with my insurance company, but.....they will not cover any damage to the roofbox, also my checked Travel insurance again no cover.

 

Despite initially verbally saying my liabilty is limited to the security deposit of

[chrispb123456]

OK - I hired a Thule Roofbox for this trip. Cleared it with my insurance company, but.....they will not cover any damage to the roofbox, also my checked Travel insurance again no cover.

 

Despite initially verbally saying my liabilty is limited to the security deposit of

[seatkid]

Appreciate you have your roof box bar etc, while i see the box idea good for a single destination, if you are going to be doing loads of stop overs (luggage off and on every day.

Have you thought about the height and accessibility of actually taking your gear on and off every time.

 

Towbar and trailer may not suit your criteria but I personally think easier safer option and more room :35:

Not planning to make a habit of it. Towbar and trailer too expensive an option plus insurance not keen (want to charge).

[Willie Krashitt]

Hi SK,

 

We use our roofbox every year - Thule Ocean 200, and find economy isn't hit too hard, but then we have also been towing a trailer tent as well so speeds have been a bit slower.

However, one thing you will need to be aware of is the number of car parks with height restrictions - typically set at 2 or 2.1m, especially in the more popular tourist areas. Galaxy + roofbox = nearly 2.4m (8ft) tall. For us, when we had pitched up, we quickly learned to take the box off and store it behind the tent so as to avoid lots of frustration.

As regards storage if you buy one, I added a couple of small pulleys in the joists at the top of the garage roof and with some rope tied to the roofbars, hoist it vertically up between the joists - fits perfectly and is completely out of the way.

 

George.