Roof boxes... who's got one, are they worth having and more to the point... why do they cost more than my whole tent?

[AitchTwoOh]

and it looks like i've got to get roof bars fitted as well? can anyone help?

[Galava]

its either that or a trailer really ....

unless you can get all your kit and food and clothes into your boot then you'll need one really.

Halfords is a pretty good place to go for advice. Thule are the trendy ones if you are into your labels , but Halfords do their own brand.

[AitchTwoOh]

i'm strictly own-brand in my tastes. our inherited tent is from argos and cost 70 quid, if that's any indication.

i've been looking at the halfords website, i'm finding it pretty confusing tbh. i want a price for the whole thing, but it's all bits and bobs.

[Galava]

basically you'll need 4 feet which are specific for the make and model of your car.

Then you'll need 2 roof bars. Locks on the bars are optional.

If you've got a Halfords or something similar local to you they will sort you out or at least tell you what you need, then you could look in the local paper or ebay for 2nd hand ones. People often change their cars and then the feet are useless (as we found out !)

[Peachy]

We have something similar to this as we cant storea trailer (no front garden, walled up rearaccess) or roof box; works atreatand does for 6 of us

[happycampers1]

We are facing the same dilima, I have just checked out ebay for my car and can get roof bars and a box for £150, my other half is in the trade so he should be able to fit it for me!!



I'd also try towsure, who are quite responable, we always used when I was in the trade?

[OrmIrian]

Useful for big things like surfboards and tents. We have one going begging atm but I suspect DH will want to try and sell it

[Kbear]

Not a cheap business but once you have them you're sorted for many camping trips. Halfords had half-price roof boxes recently. Get the biggest one you can afford. Don't bother with Thule, Halfords' own are fine.

Check out ebay for second hand roof bars which fit your car rather than the ones that you have to by the fitting kit for (ie Halfords).

Avoid the bars that fit in the door of your car (when you check them out you will see what I mean), the doors don't close tight and the wind whistles in and the noise will drive you mad (500 mile trip from Glencoe to London - trust me!).

[AitchTwoOh]

how much for, orm? i was looking on ebay at second hand anyway. although peachy's back thing looks preeeeeeetty cool actually so am also investigating that. i wonder which would affect the driving the least, top or back?

[OrmIrian]

Aitch - I'll ask him.

[AitchTwoOh]

HOW MUCH do tow bars cost?

[Kbear]

I know!!!!!

We changed our car and ours don't fit so we have to buy new ones again. grr

Just paid £254 for new towbar too.

Cheap this camping lark LOL!!

[VanillaPumpkin]

We were thinking about a trailer until I saw how much the tow bars cost .

We got our bars from here I think.

[Lilymaid]

I would recommend buying a decent roof box online rather than going to Halfords. There are lots of different makes and most of them are better than the ones in Halfords. Try Googling or look at this firm - we received ours by next day delivery.

[FairLadyRantALot]

we have one and it is brilliant....defintely worth it if you camp, etc...whihc you seem to do...

Try E-bay, we got a massive one from there, and whilst it wasn't cheap, it was cheaper than anything in the shops, and it truely is fab...

[LupusinaLlamasuit]

Aaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch

You can hire them. Only, don't do what we did and immediately stock up on provision for the trip. In Sainsbo's multistory carpark.

Cos when you scrape them badly, they make you buy it anyway.

Cost 80-100 quid to hire with roofbars for 2 weeks; 250 plus to buy

But having bought it, we decided it is brilliant.

[tinateaspoon]

I agree with lilymaid, I couldn't fault the service from the Roofbox co, they really went the extra mile to get a replacement box to us when the first one was out of stock. We got a much better box for the same price. I think they are a good investment and once you have got all the bits will last. Not sure how we managed without ours!

[AitchTwoOh]

i'm actually very drawn to peachy's mad back carrier thing... partly for it's geek value but also i'm not v tall and dh is not much of a packer so i'm worried about the roof box and getting it up there etc etc. how does that work?

peachy, what if you want to stop off for lunch somewhere? isn't that back carrier thing just like saying 'help yourselves, robbers and brigands...'?

[AitchTwoOh]

have looked on roofbox etc, i STILL don't understand what i'm being offered tbh. why won't they just give me a price for the whole contraption?

[Ponders]

You can only safely put lightweight things in a roofbox (sleeping bags & pillows & stuff) which reduces their usefulness a bit (& to answer your Q, to put stuff in you stand on the back seat & cling on for dear life )

[AitchTwoOh]

really? only lightweight things? well what's the point of that then? surely i can put the tent in? luggage? no?

man, i've looked at that bak-rak website... do not get a word of it.

[Kbear]

ponders, why only light things? I put big holdalls full of our clothes and wellies up there with no problems. Sleeping bags and pillows in the back of the car with the kids. Half a ton of camping equipment in the trailer!

[Kbear]

yep, the tent goes up there too when we don't take the trailer.

[DaisymooSteiner]

We bought one from eBay (new) last year. It's absolutely massive (I can lie down in it properly and I'm 5'7") It came with the roof bars and was just under £200 iirc including postage.

[vacaloca]

I also recommend the roofbox company. Very helpful with advice. They recommended we spent more on the bars and less on the box, so Thule bars but a cheaper box - I think ours is called a Karrite.

Apart from camping trips, I reckon we got our money's worth with our first trip to Spain. Came back loaded with Rioja and olive oil.