Car roof boxes and bags

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

winjim

Smash the cistern
Now that the family has increased it turns out we fill up our medium sized hatchback with no room for luggage. As we're going on holiday soon I was thinking of hiring a roof box, but then I saw that you could get roof bags, so it might be cheaper just to buy one of those. Anybody have any experience or opinions about those two options?


TLDR. What is the best and cheapest way of fitting a family of four's luggage on the roof of a Skoda Fabia?

TIA
 
D

Deleted member 26715

Guest
TLDR. What is the best and cheapest way of fitting a family of four's luggage on the roof of a Skoda Fabia?
Put it all in the trailer
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
Yes, I use a roofbag, bought from Amazon. Black waterproof material with orange lettering. You do IME need to have roofbars to secure it between. I'd also, no matter the reviews, pack the bulky stuff you'll inevitably be putting up there in plastic bags.

A big advantage is that they fold down to a small size in between uses.

...or you can hire roofboxes, as we used to.
 
Last edited:

Beebo

Firm and Fruity
Location
Hexleybeef
Once common sights you dont see anymore..

The old fashioned roof rack covered in bags with a tarp flapping down the motorway. I remember seeing loads of stuff falling from roof racks in the good old days.
 

Dave7

Legendary Member
Location
Cheshire
Once common sights you dont see anymore..

The old fashioned roof rack covered in bags with a tarp flapping down the motorway. I remember seeing loads of stuff falling from roof racks in the good old days.
Ahh yes....so many happy(ish) memories of doing that. We was proper holiday makers, not like these namby pamby drivers today with there posh roof boxes and bags ^_^
 

KneesUp

Guru
I have a roof bag, which I have used only a few times. I can't remember the make but I can look when I get home. I was impressed with it to be honest - it packs away to the size of, er, I dunno - two shoeboxes, a huge loaf of bread - not that big considering how much space is in it, anyway. Last time I used it, it absolutely leathered it down with rain for the four hour journey home and the contents were dry when we got home despite spending a few hours in a 70mph shower. It has as chunky zip with a velcro cover to go over the zip.

They are not as streamlined as a box - if you pack them with 'bag' they tend to get blown into odd shapes, but you can always just ram it full to get around this. Ours has a number of pole sections you fit together and then slide into pockets to give it rigidity - it does need roof bars to attach to, obviously - this it does with U bolts. I guess security wise it wouldn't be great if you had to stop off en-route and leave it in a hotel car park or something.

All in all I'm pretty pleased with it - I think I only paid £15 for it new. I do also have a 'tray' you fasten to roof bars to make an old fashioned roof-rack but I don't have roof bars foe the current car, so I don't use either currently - you're welcome to borrow the bag (although I might have trouble locating all the U bolts)
 
OP
OP
winjim

winjim

Smash the cistern
Thule ranger 90. Very good and folds compact.

Don't hire, just buy one.

Either a box or bag. Storing is the problem.
Thule. Sounds spendy...

All in all I'm pretty pleased with it - I think I only paid £15 for it new. I do also have a 'tray' you fasten to roof bars to make an old fashioned roof-rack but I don't have roof bars foe the current car, so I don't use either currently - you're welcome to borrow the bag (although I might have trouble locating all the U bolts)
Thanks, I'll take you up on that if I may, then at least we can try it out before we decide.

So I guess I just need a set of bars now. A quick search tells me that Eurocarparts will sell me a set of Menabo Tema Alu for about a ton or steel ones for about £20 less. Look like a 50kg weight limit. Any good?
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
Thule. Sounds spendy...

Thanks, I'll take you up on that if I may, then at least we can try it out before we decide.

So I guess I just need a set of bars now. A quick search tells me that Eurocarparts will sell me a set of Menabo Tema Alu for about a ton or steel ones for about £20 less. Look like a 50kg weight limit. Any good?
You don't necessarily need the tray, we have an anti-slip mat on the top of the car, and strap the bag in between the roofbars - sticks up slightly less that way.

As I said earlier, the best thing to put in the bag is the light, bulky stuff such as bedding, clothes etc
 

KneesUp

Guru
Thule. Sounds spendy...

Thanks, I'll take you up on that if I may, then at least we can try it out before we decide.

So I guess I just need a set of bars now. A quick search tells me that Eurocarparts will sell me a set of Menabo Tema Alu for about a ton or steel ones for about £20 less. Look like a 50kg weight limit. Any good?

Right - I've found the bag in the attic- it's a Carnopy. Great name, eh. Seems they've gone out of business. It looks much the same as the Thule linked to, except it was £15. EDIT - it's got all the bits btw.

50kg is ok for bars, although if you're ever likely to put bikes up there bear in mind that's 50kg for the bikes and the racks. I use the bag for bulky things not necessarily heavy things as it upsets the balance of the car otherwise anyway - I had stuff like folding chairs and camping furniture. I will admit I weighed stuff out of interest as I added it. Will PM you re: getting the bag to you.
 

mr_cellophane

Legendary Member
Location
Essex
Put it all in the trailer
Possibly cheaper in several ways. A trailer will create less drag than sticking a box on top of the car, therefore not such a reduction in MPG and being restricted to 60mph will also save loads on money on fuel.
Also easier to load/unload a trailer.
 

KneesUp

Guru
Possibly cheaper in several ways. A trailer will create less drag than sticking a box on top of the car, therefore not such a reduction in MPG and being restricted to 60mph will also save loads on money on fuel.
Also easier to load/unload a trailer.
But more annoying when you have to park because you need a double space - and it's almost impossible to reverse with our trailer because you can't see it and it has a very short tongue. I've only once had to resort to unhitching it and turning it around by hand :-)
 
OP
OP
winjim

winjim

Smash the cistern
Possibly cheaper in several ways. A trailer will create less drag than sticking a box on top of the car, therefore not such a reduction in MPG and being restricted to 60mph will also save loads on money on fuel.
Also easier to load/unload a trailer.
Would need to at least get the gate to my drive fixed before I considered a trailer. I can restrict myself to 60mph if needs be...
 

Bonefish Blues

Banging donk
Location
52 Festive Road
Possibly cheaper in several ways. A trailer will create less drag than sticking a box on top of the car, therefore not such a reduction in MPG and being restricted to 60mph will also save loads on money on fuel.
Also easier to load/unload a trailer.
You can buy a good deal of fuel, even today, for the 2-300 quid a s/h trailer, towbar etc will cost, so you'd need to use it pretty often to realise a saving.
 
Top Bottom