Roof box or trailer for our camping stuff?

[runnyhabbit]

Our love affair with camping is blossoming in a big way as is all the stuff we're beginning to accumulate.

So we (me and dh) know that roof box or trailer are the way forward. Priced both up, and will roughly be the same cost.

So wise MNers - which one would you go for? and why?

Thank you

Which one is bigger?

We've got both (although in my defence, there are 7 of us!)

I would say though, that the trailer is the most useful. We've got one of those with a frame and cover on the top which almost doubles the space inside. I find the roof box a bit of a pain because I'm a bit short and have to sort of balance on the door sill to get stuff out of it!

ginger - what is it like to tow a trailer - do you have to go really slow on the motorway.

We are trying to work out what to get as this year we really were packed to the roof!

A 60 litre rucksack and a plastic lidded box for the food and cooking stuff when I'm camping with a car is sufficient

OMDB - you would be very shocked at all the crap essential equipment we take with us!
sundew - towing is no problem - Motorway 65-70mph is fine. The only prob I have is with going backwards! The blinkin thing always goes the opposite direction from the way I expect it to go - so have to leave reversing to hubby

We also have both, but it means that we have very little in the car which is great. the roof box is only really good for lightweight stuff like bedding etc. the tent will have to go in the boot /trailer. If we just take the trailer then it's great as it means we can always get into height restricted car parks instead of having to park with the motorhomes and lorries.

Depends whether you don't mind towing - personally I don't mind it, the speed issue is fine too. - and I totally agree with gingertoo, reversing is a right pita, defies all laws of steering - apparantely the bigger the object that you are towing the easier it is to reverse!!

Have you already got a towbar with socket?

Dh would prefer the trailer - plus we could keep most of the camping stuff in it, and keep it in the garage. Just hook up and go when the mood takes us
The only thing putting me off is paying £250 for a towbar but it's because we have to have a swan neck thingy. (Dh has done lots of research on this, and knows what he's talking about) Trailer itself isn't a problem because we know quite a few people who have hinted at getting rid of theirs

Thing is, I think a roofbox looks neater, iyswim.

Why do you need a swan neck towbar? Tey tend to have them on the continent but not really over here.
You'll find more use for the trailer in 'real life' iyswim

i would say roofbox. when we go camping in france we often stop off in towns for lunch site seeing etc betwween pitches, it is harder to park up with a trailer. also we don't have anywhere to keep a trailer.

We've got a roofbox but but we're thinking of getting a trailer for next year. Yes, it'll be a bugger to store not to mention park, but we reckon it'll be worth it. Our roofbox is ok but it's always a pain to close and doesn't ever hold as much as we think.

If you haven't already got a towbar though it starts to get really expensive

The reason for the swan neck is something to do with how the towbar is attached to the chassis on the car. Don't know the exact technicalities, dh is looking into it (he used to be a mechanic)

Can see the logic of the trailer, ie somewhere to permanently store the stuff, but I'd use the roof box to pack the lightweight stuff (sleeping bags etc) And also a bit worried that we wouldn't be able to park the car next to the tent if we had a trailer. (Obv depends on campsite)

Height not too much of a problem when it comes to packing a roofbox - dh is 6'3, and I'm 5'8

We have a trailer and its really useful. We store it in the garage with most of the camping gear in and can now pack up to go camping really quickly. Also, our trailer has bars on top so we can use it for general transport - we have used it to bring home big items from Ikea by strapping the boxes to the bars. Would agree that reversing is nigh on impossible - I have given up and now unhook the trailer, turn the car round and then re-attach the trailer!!

If you are struggling with space then get one of these babies a duuo trailer We only have a door access through the back of our garage and it turns on its side to push through - fab!

obviously you can't store equipment in it, that has to go in the shed / house but if we didn't have one of these then we couldn't have a trailer.

Do you go on ferries for europe camping hols at all? Becasue they charge extra for a tralier but not for a roofbox

I love our trailer, so much easier to pack/unpack than the roofbox. It came in very handy in the New Forest this year as it has a hard top and we stored all our food in it so our tent didn't get trashed by ponies .
I'm another one who can't reverse it though. Well, I've had a go and didn't do quite so badly last time (in a very large pub car park), but Dh panicking and shouting that I'm going the wrong way makes me very cross. How else am I meant to learn? He can't even bloomin' drive! I get my own back by making him unhitch and re-hitch after I've turned the car around.