I’ve got a roof box off free cycle. Husband has gone mad!

[VWCJW]

Every holiday, my husband prides himself on taking hardly anything to a self catering holiday, and gets really stressed by me and my daughter taking a normal amount of clothes. He moans that it all won’t fit in the car and our kids sit with loads of stuff by their feet and piled up between them. This year, we have a long journey through France and our kids are getting taller so I got a roof box and my husband has got really upset and stressed about it. He says he doesn’t want to drill holes in his car and it means we will just take more stuff we don’t need. He was literally shaking about it. I’ve told him we will get rid but I don’t really want to. We have a massive box of footballs in the garage and I am sure they could be stored in the roof box so it won’t take up more room but he just says he hopes we will have less footballs in the future. He’s clearly not thinking properly as our son is really sporty and will probably end up with rugby and basketballs too, once at secondary school. Am I right to think that a roof box is a good thing? I see loads of cars with them. Or is he right and they are just an excuse to take a load of extra crap you don’t need?

Ooo good idea!!

We leave ours on the car. So no need to store it anywhere.

Why don’t you fit the roof box yourself OP? Lots of instruction on Google/YouTube. Once it’s on, he’ll probably come round to the idea. Though he sounds like a drama queen

Are you fitting it and driving? Some people have anxieties about this sort of thing. Nothing wrong with that. Perhaps you should have discussed it, rather than just doing it and expecting him to be happy.

No hole drilling needed

We take a roof box to France every year. One of the advantages of self-catering is you can take as much stuff as you need. Some places in France also require you to take your own bedding which can take up a lot of space so the roof box is really handy, and expensive so to get one for free is a bargain.

As everyone has said, you just need to look up and purchase the correct roof bars for your car. You will be able to find fitting instructions online.

You also need to measure your car with the roof box on it in case it takes you over the height limit for your crossing which means you have to pay more. We go with Brittany Ferries andour car and roof box just fit under the maximum height.

Oh I do love being single!

Do not let him put the roof box on, anyone thinking to drill holes in the car is not competent!

😂😂😂

(A Morris Moaner then rather than a Morris Minor 🚗)

My dh is like this, hates change. I just push things through. If it works out he adjusts and if it doesn't he enjoys saying "I told you so" and referring back to it for the next 10 years. It's a chance I'm willing to take usually...because I'm always right 😛

You may already be aware of this but that is terrible for your fuel economy, an empty one can increase your fuel consumption by 10-15%.

Seems like I am the only person not in love with my roof box!
It definitely affects fuel efficiency. We drive to Italy over summer and over that distance there is a definite impact.
It makes it harder to park ( becomes too tall for some multistories)
It means you have to go in the "tall" queue at the channel which some years goes much slower.
It's a thule one so.a decent make but still on occasioan whistles which is a pain.
Also a right pain to get.stuff.in and out as I'm shortish.

Overall we avoid using it now and pack lighter if possible. Saying that we do tend to chase the sun and eat out / takeaway on holiday so dont need wellies / warm clothing and cooking stuff.

I'm with you op. I want to pack the things I will need. I cannot get my head around all these people going on holiday with 3 outfits and spending all their time doing washing.....it's a holiday if I wanted to wear the same thing every day and do the bloody washing I'd just stay at home. I purchased and fitted my roof bars and box, I did not need a man from halfords to show me how to do it. If you don't drive too fast it actually doesn't affect fuel efficiency that much.

So he's alright when he sits in the drivers seat but everyone else has to sit surrounded by stuff unable to move because you can go on holiday and just wash all his clothes for him 🤔.

Does he do any of the work? The shopping ? The washing?

Its a bit " I'm.alright jack" he needs to grow the fuck up.

Leave him behind that will save some space

You've got the roofbox but DH will be dumped with sorting it . You will need to buy roofbars and fixing if your car has anchor points on roof rails for fixings .
If no roof rails on your car to attach roof bars the other ones clamp in the top of the door openings and complelty fuck the door seals .
As others said fuel efficiency and height issues on car parks .

MN is weird about washing. If someone asks about washing clothes at home, they'll be told to only put thr washing machine on a couple of times a week, a dark and light load. However as soon as you go on holiday, its perfectly normal to wash clothes on holiday every other day.

I also don't understand the "just buy things there" mentality for saving space, do you throw the new things out or have the same problem on the way home?

We have a FOLDING roof box. It's the business, and easily stored in a flat.

As I was standing on the foot plate packing it with camping gear, I asked DH (formerly an aeronautical engineer) if it made a difference how I packed it.

"Only at take off speeds" he said, reminding why I married him. May or may not be true though.

So have you told him that no hole drilling is involved?

I get really jittery when packing and kind of punish myself by taking as little as possible. This is clothes rather than self catering stuff. I’ve no idea where it comes from, husband on the other hand takes (in my opinion) loads of stuff and it makes me furious seeing all the shirts and stuff hanging up. Like I say no idea why, I know Its bonkers and irrational. I thought it was just me but your husband seems similar. Difference is I’m not an arse about it as I know it’s me!

My dh was always dead set against a roof box and also thought you had to drill holes on to the car 🤔 (no idea why!!).
Anyway, we took an extra person with us on holiday at Easter so had no choice but to get one and it was a game changer!!!
It was surprising how much we managed to fit in to jt! Dh now thinks it's the best thing ever!
We did buy new roof bars though to make sure we bought the correct ones for our car, but bought a second hand roof box.

I mean it's the only solution

How small is the boot? We can fit 3 large suitcases and a couple of other things in our boot, along with a box of kitchen things and a cool bag. I don't see what your bringing that takes up so much room.

We've debated roof boxes, but in the end just pack less, and ram it in. It always seems a faff and extra expense with the bars being needed (we don't have any). I'd never considered a less aerodynamic car.

So he's alright when he sits in the drivers seat but everyone else has to sit surrounded by stuff unable to move because you can go on holiday and just wash all his clothes for him 🤔

This!!

A roof box makes it a more pleasant journey for everyone else.... and who wants to be washing on holiday? It's a holiday!!

Did neither of you think of googling how to fix roof boxes? It’s totally bewildering anyone could think you need to drill holes in the car.