If you have any thoughts on roof boxes...

[BlueShed]

Please help! Tying myself up in knots. We need to buy one. The only place you can see them is Halfords but they're up on high racks so you can't see inside and I am trying to work out what size to buy.

Broadly down to two options:

1. shorter and wider, 420 litre capacity, internally 155 x 78 cm
2. longer and slightly thinner, 470 litre capacity, internally 166 x 73

So the additional capacity comes from the height of the second.

I just can't visualise how big they are inside, how much stuff I will fit in. I've even folded out blankets on the floor to gauge the sizes.

There are four of us and it would be for camping holidays, or holidays where we are away for a week or two in the car.

Should I go even bigger??

I know it's a bit niche, but if you have any thoughts, or know what you have and how useful it is, please help!

Will check ours when I get home but.. making sure you can safely stand and reach up to close the blooming thing is vital!. And that you keep the keys very safe...
Do not leave them under the supervision of a teen ime.

The higher they are, the more wind resistant , so slows you down and is noisier.

Can’t you ask for them to be lifted down? I’m pretty sure we did this, although we were going to get Halfords to fit the whole thing ( bars etc). We got the Thule and we were very pleased with it, it lasted well over ten years.

Following with interest as I also need to get one and it’s way outside of my range of expertise and feels like a very grown up thing which I’m not entirely ready for

Thanks @Dareisayiseethesunshine

I might have to go back to Halfords without DH and feign the useless female. Ours is a bit small and a bit crap. There was only one member of staff when we were in there and he was constantly serving on the till, so we didn't even ask if the could come down.

We got a second hand Halfords one... It holds 360 litres
. Cost us £80..
Has been all round Scotland and serves us well!

No idea how big ours is, it's big, it whistles on the motorway but we can get three bikes, two pushchairs and a load of other random shit in there packed around. It was
From Halfords.

Word of warning though, can't fit in a lot of places with it in, specifically in France.

Buy neither. What you need is a roof bag!! Costs around £50. Fits masses of stuff. Fits very securely on top of the car as lots of straps to secure it. They are a fat better solution imo.

We did think about roof bags, but I'm concerned (probably unduly, but hey ho) about security of them. I don't think I'd feel comfortable leaving the car parked up somewhere with stuff in one, and that would be incredibly restricting.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COSTWAY-Waterproof-Roofing-Anti-Slip-Combination/dp/B0C3M6F239/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=3MTU86FITILXT&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yJNTrdCUXo88yZ8iGmdP4VIsLG1ilPFrpePbK2Uy5VNBqpzseg9wMAkYHeoevFvMGRXw6OVmVqR3xcZOZl_c3pA9psmMIBiQm8Kfctxk7eKjexulGTypMIYg0jvUWtB9KqOfuz4BTL4jg_-o2ZhwcUfmXX656EfxpAKgr-7MvMl7bjz9lu4ZM4HBvq7IcvsFIwJ73edlhhmiPXdYMSQPaw.1mvu3C3t9M98DStsv5eDW1Rh3c9U9gHW3I5410RbIw8&dib_tag=se&keywords=roof+bag+car&qid=1713980116&sprefix=roof+bag+car%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-3

Ours is similar to this one. We've used it loads and never had a problem. We take it when we go camping about 4 hrs drive away. We tend to put the lighter items in it as easier to load. (Duvets, pillows, buckets and spades and body boards). It has so much space. It's just really handy.

We tend not to put particularly valuable stuff in ours. I suppose if you're going abroad on the ferry and you have valuable items in it, it might be a worry, but we've not had any issues. That said, we've taken ours family camping, so none of our things are particularly secure at the campsite either.

@TheSnakeCharmer Thank you. We wouldn't put items if significant value in, but even just getting bags of clothing, sleeping bags, and so on would add up to a fair bit and be a pin to lose/ hassle to replace. It's possibly not logical but it troubles me.

Thanks for this thread, I’ve done a bit of research on the back of advice on here. The canvas style ones look good. How do they fit to your car if you don’t have bars? Does anyone know?
we only want one to take on holiday once a year as we now have a dog taking up the boot space. They look like a good option to try at least, before committing several hundred to a hard box.

We also use a bag for camping, don't have to worry about storage when not in use, we put bedding clothes etc in it.

We used to use a bag. It did sit on roof bars and was strapped down. Tons of room in it. We used it to drive to holiday cottages, so would remove at destination.

Have a look on roofbox.co.uk

How wide are your sleeping mats? It is helpful if you can stow them across the width of the box at the back. I am buying a bigger, taller box this year because mine is a bit too small for my essential camping items. We aways have to put a huge sim in the boot which takes up space.

Have you got space to store it at home? I never go under a barrier with mine on even though I should be ok for height. So I've no fear about getting a taller box.

If it's camping I bought the biggest one I could afford - and went for 2nd hand so I could afford bigger !!!!

Key points for me were opening from both sides and fixed adjusters not clamps.

NOT these - very fiddly

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/roof-bars-roof-boxes/roof-bars/halfords-replacement-roof-box-fitting-kit-4pk-138738.html?istCompanyId=b8708c57-7a02-4cf6-b2c0-dc36b54a327e&istFeedId=367c5610-f937-4c81-8609-f84582324cd6&istItemId=matlw&istBid=t&$ja=tsid:%7Ccid:17631002110%7Cagid:%7Ctid:%7Ccrid:%7Cnw:x%7Crnd:10691486695194197799%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:9046152&gaddsource=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqexBhCoARIsAFgBleuOFJjBBWOI2FxmuJJ0hPO2son6CIgZLqVd-jD0LEla9JxuzxccSoaAsfiEALww_wcB

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all of the ideas.

I think we're going to press go on a 510 litre one, which is at the small end of 'very big' boxes. We probably don't need that much space yet, but I'd be annoyed to go for a medium-large one and then wish we'd bought bigger.

Storage-wise, we're going to sling/pulley it from the garage rafters.