Roof rack/box recommendations?

kissenger

kissenger

kissenger

Associate
Joined
10 Apr 2008
Posts
2,493
So ahead of our summer holiday to Costa de Borth in Wales, and having to take a dog for the first time, I’m going to need to invest in a roof box. However I have no idea where to start or what the good brands are, and the array of options seems very complex.

Would any of you recommend a particular brand? And what do I need to worry about when it comes to compatibility? I gather there are ‘foot packs’ that need to be for your specific make/model of car, but are most bars and boxes interchangeable, as long as they’re the same brand?
 
Thule are highly rated for both the bars and boxes.

https://www.roofbox.co.uk/ these guys are great for helping you find out exactly what you need to fit your car.

Be mindful of weights. Most cars have no more than a 75KG dynamic weight load bearing (when moving), so bars and a box can be nearly half of that depending on the size/weight of them.
 
Bars. .. I got aero ones a from lidl for 30quid.
Some italian make, no feet needed as they clamp direct to the rails.

Box wise i got a thule ocean 600, the long half width one as i wanted a bike rack up top too.

Ive also got a towball mount bike rack for 4 bikes - again thule.

The thule kit is great altho not the most cost effective.
You can get 10/15% off at halfords quite easily and they quite often run proomo's where theres discounts for say buying a bike at the same time... A 30 quid balance bike ia arill a bike haha :) time it well and you can save a dscent amount of cash.

Amazon pricing on the boxes can be quite erratic, mine was listed as a preorder for 130iirc. They then went over 300 when they were in stock
 
For anything roof mounted my go to brand now is Atera. In my purely subjective opinion they are pushing Thule quality but for a much more palatable price.
 
Thanks guys. I will probably look for a Thule or Atera used system on eBay. What's the difference between the bars and the 'flush rail'? Thule sells these separately. Not sure why.
 
I have Yakima bars which are also very good - albeit be aware that with most of the aero style bars you will need to use t track fixings with your roof box.

Pretty much a non issue if you buy a new one, if picking something up used (which I would personally, they're funny money new) you might need to also factor in a T fixing kit (£25) and be prepared to drill a couple of extra holes (easy).

R.e the "flush rail" I assume you're looking at different foot pack options. You'll need the right type depending on your car, generally the bars will come with a universal bottom at each side you then need to plug into a specific foot/fixing. This is pretty similar for most roof bars
 
I ended up getting some Atera bars (these ones). They whistle like mad though. Not sure why, because they supposedly don't need any adjustments to the rubber strip or anything. Bit disappointing.
 
I’d recommend Thule like others have said and go second hand Facebook and eBay have plenty available at very cheap prices.
 
Have you checked that the bars are in the correct orientation?

I somehow put my Yakima bars on the wrong way round once and they made an incredible racket.....usually completely silent
 
Yep, they’re definitely the right way. The rubber doesn’t cover the entire width of the bar at the front. I’m thinking it might be that.
 
If you bought from roof box then get in contact with them about it, I've found them really helpful in the past and pretty responsive via email - have got me different component parts that don't appear on the site and sent the odd spare for free too.
 
Morning all!

Im going to grab some compatible roof rack bars for my 2020 Skoda Kodiaq soon and wanted to get a 4 bike Thule system (second hand)

Are Thule universal for fixing to roof bars? I’m a complete novice and am looking for some direction if possible, watching a Thule ProRide 591 Roof Bike Rack Carriers X 3 AND Wing bar eco Black 113 X 2 on the bay but not 100% sure on compatibility for my vehicle/roof bars?
 
You get a mounting kit for your specific car the bars are usually interchangeable if same brand like Thule.

I got the Thule Aero bars and kit. But the Halfords own brand box the more expensive model with dual side opening and quick release clamps. They didn't have have Thule boxes in stock when I was buying.
 
OspreyO said:
You get a mounting kit for your specific car the bars are usually interchangeable if same brand like Thule.

I got the Thule Aero bars and kit. But the Halfords own brand box the more expensive model with dual side opening and quick release clamps. They didn't have have Thule boxes in stock when I was buying.
Click to expand...
Thanks mate, I might pop into my local Halfords for a chat actually
 
I've got a roof bag which is fantastic. If you have rails it just straps to those. Stores in a small bag and much cheaper.

We went to the lakes with the dog and had it full to the brim. Didn't move at all at 80mph
 
I’ve had a Kamei roofbox for about 10 years and it’s been great, recommend checking them out. Would have been used with 5 different cars over the years, I’ve always used the “T” track bolts (instead of U clamps) to attach it as typically had aero style bars.
 
Last edited:
One thing to note about carrying 4 bikes on the roof - make sure you can actually reach up comfortably right into the middle using a step or whatever, bikes are light but you'll still be extending out to near full reach and trying to hook in the wheels etc. It took me a little bit of getting used to lifting them on and off even when carrying two bikes.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom