We're due to go away on holiday this Saturday and because we now have a smaller car, I've invested in a roof rack and a Hapro 3300 Roady 330L roof box to take up some luggage slack.
The roof and rack have a 50kg limit, so I'm guessing with the box at 12kg and the bars at 4kg I've got 34kg to play with. But I have no idea what 34kg of stuff looks like?
I've read the advice of pack the lightest stuff in the box, saving the boot for the heaviest main luggage, and then pack the lighter stuff front and back of the box, with heavier stuff in the middle.
So, main bags will be in the boot and then we'll take stuff like walking boots, coats, towels, fishing rods, some food supplies, guitars, etc. I'm guessing this stuff would be suitable for the roof box, and obviously make sure everything is packed tight so it can't move around.
We're only going to Norfolk from London, but I've never used a roof box before so any tips based on experience and dos and don'ts would be more than welcome.
I've rented one for out last two holidays as a new family addition has meant we have insufficient boot space. My main advice is use smaller soft bags as they are easier to arrange as the space is irregular. I'm probably stating the obvious, but anything you want to be more accessible keep in the boot.
Got luggage scales perhaps? I'd be thinking of it as roughly one and a half holiday suitcases.Originally Posted by Onelasttime
I was going to say look on Amazon and buy some cheap light hold all bags to fill it, that way you can easily load and unload and know the weight of each bag.
Also think about what you can fit in a suitcase and what that weighs, 23kg?
I've never used suitcases, ever, but get the idea.
When you put it like that, it doesn't sound like a lot, but I guess I'll be filling it with all the awkward shaped, lighter stuff.
And good tip about only putting in stuff you don't need until you get there.
And the cheap holdalls is also a good idea.
We have one that we use quite often.
I think the application of common sense is all that is required. These things and car roofs are built to well exceed claimed specifications.
I’ve never bothered weighing anything we put in ours and never had the slightest issue.
Obviously don’t fill it with bricks, but regular luggage will be perfectly fine.
Just make sure the box is absolutely solidly anchored to the roof bars and they rock solid to the car. Stop halfway and just do a quick check - grab each anchor point and you should be able to rock the car with no looseness to the mounts.
So clever my foot fell off.
Remember the weight limit is for the handling of the car - the roof won’t cave in unless loaded with bricks etc.
Would you like some advice on how to make sandwiches for the journey OP?😄😄😄
I would imagine the threaded bolts in the roof fixing points will have a stress threshold.
Ahem…
This is the most pathetic post I've read in a long time. No mates to talk to? Ahh never mind.
Not sure why you're stalking me, but if you want to talk about it I'm here for you.
Elvis loves you brother.
I'm not sure why you think I'm stalking you. I hadn't realised that the last few needy and pathetic posts I had responded to were made by the same person. I did know that you asked a bunch of strangers what car to buy and then asked the same strangers what to do when that car broke down a few weeks later. I thought that was a bit amusing but that's all. The quote you made about a stalker was not aimed at you so I'm not sure what that is all about
I do hope that my comments haven't caused any long term psychological problems for you. Thoughts and prayers to you and your family at this difficult time. You can get through this. Be strong OP, be strong.
Youll be fine, take your own advice, lighter stuff and soft bags to squish down.
I wouldn't put your guitar in there - the temptation to squash the lit shut could be fatal and/or security risk
Enjoy Norfolk
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Last edited by xxnick1975; 1st August 2023 at 22:26.
Also OP- don't forget to check your tyre pressures!
The North Face duffel bags work well for us. You can get cheaper options as well. They are fairly light and very tough - different sizes available…. We’ve had ours 15 years and still going strong…
As others have said, just be sensible and you'll be fine. Ours typically contains:
Wellies / Walking boots
Beach goods (Buckets, spades etc)
Towels
pottys, high chars, stairgates (now no longer needed, hurrah)
bulky clothes like coats and jumpers.
bike helmets
Keep closing it as you pack it to check your stack isn't too high and you are not fouling the latch mechanism.
We tend to leave the outdoor gear in there through the holiday unless it needs drying
As FB said, do check it's secure at the start and during the journey.
Some more sensible advice. Thanks.
@FFF I'm all over the tyre pressures. Drives my family mad whenever we go away.
I don't know what the weight limit was on my old astra estate but the amount of timber I used to put on the roof bars was probably above 50kg. Properly ratcheted down and driving sensibly was always fine.
OP, I used to do several thousands of miles each year with roof boxes.
1 Don't take the piss with weight and you'll be fine. If you put 100kg on the roof then took your car round Cadwell Park there might be an issue, but otherwise you'll be fine.
2 Assume it'll leak - I always used to put stuff in waterproof bags, or have items in there that wouldn't be bothered by some dampness. Basically, no guitars unless you're angling to get a new one anyway and need an excuse.
3 Remember that the box will add some significant height to your car and don't try to go under low-height barriers. I managed to destroy a virtually-new roofbox doing this.
4 Make sure you know where the keys are. Nothing worse than trying to unpack and realising that the keys are at home. Yes, I've done this too.
5 Be prepared for a fair amount of additional noise - some boxes are better than others, but I once used a cheap/nasty bar/roofbox combo for a 1200 mile journey as sold them the moment I got back as they annoyed me so much.
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