Car box for the roof
Car booth is a great convenience. The holiday season starts already. We often go on holiday with our family by car. Various accessories are often useful for the car. Among them is a car box, to be placed on the roof of the vehicle. What is it, what is it for and how to choose the right one for your four-wheeler?
Car boxing. What’s that?
A car booth is an ideal accessory, useful for lovers of long journeys and expeditions, both in summer and winter, which are constantly arriving. The growing number of car travel lovers makes more and more box offers.
This accessory is used to carry luggage on the roof, which increases the transport space of the vehicle and allows you to take much more things with you. You no longer have to choose what to give up, because everything will not fit. With the box, you can take everything you want with you.
Which box to choose for your car?
Although roof boxes are not complicated devices, choosing the right one is not so easy. Manufacturers are offering more and more boxes, and paying attention to a few details will make us narrow down our choice to a few models.
What you should pay attention to when choosing a car box:
- Dimensions
Length is important because the box must not obstruct visibility from the front or block the possibility of opening the boot lid. Optimally, the box shouldn’t overlap the windshield more than 10-15 centimeters and the distance from the end of the roof in a combo-type vehicle is also similar, as the sedan box will protrude slightly over the rear window.
Other dimensions are height and width. Low boxes are suitable for transporting mainly flat things. So if you want to carry suitcases in a box, it is better to choose a higher one. The width will depend on whether you want to mount brackets on the roof and transport e.g. a bicycle in addition to the box;
- The way of fastening
You should choose the right box for your base rack. If you do not have such a rack, you will have to buy one. On the market there are mainly boxes mounted in three ways. The first one is the T-slot mounting of aluminium beams, the fastest, most aesthetic and aerodynamic. It also takes less space in the box. The second way is “paws” controlled by knobs.
It is also very fast and easy to use. It is suitable for most of the base racks, except those with very wide beams. The last way is with U-shaped clamps. It is compatible with steel and aluminum beams with an oval section. However, it does not fit flat beams that resemble the shape of a wing. It is also possible to buy adapters for mounting in the first way.
What else should you know about boxing?
Please refer to the car manual for the maximum roof load. Do not exceed the manufacturer’s recommendations, and remember that the box and base rack weigh their own. So if the maximum roof load is 75 kg, after deducting the weight of the box and the roof rack, we have about 50 kg left. This is the maximum weight of the luggage.
Additional improvements
This is primarily about the possibility to open the box from both sides. Of course, such boxes are already much more expensive, but they are functional. The possibility of opening the box from both sides is also a big facilitation of assembly, because the box is assembled in four points and it is easier to get to them if the box lid can be opened from both left and right sides. Of course, the double-sided opening also makes it easier to pack up your baggage and allows you to access it more freely.
Finishing
his is also important, as damage resistance or ease of cleaning depends on it. You can choose between glossy, lacquered or matt, rough surfaces. Lacquered surfaces are more expensive and more beautiful, but matt ones have many advantages. For example, they are more resistant to scratches and abrasions, as well as easier to clean, which is important especially in summer, when a lot of insects can smash against the front of the box.
As you can see, it is not worth suggesting only the price when choosing a box. You know, it can be considered an additional fad, which is not worth spending a lot of money on, but if you want it to be as functional and good looking as possible, it is worth spending more money.