Roof boxes

for beginners

This post is for anyone who must DO THE ROOF BOX on the car this summer but doesn’t know anything about it, (it is not exactly instinctive), and requires assistance.

1. There are two elements to getting a roof box. The first is the bars, which attach to the roof of your car and are more or less permanent. The second is the box, which will fit to the bars, usually by means of a u-shaped piece of metal that threads through the base of the box and is then screwed into place the other side. Fancy systems have a purpose-made clamp that sort of pinches through the box from the top and grips onto the bars underneath.

2. There are a billion different types of roof bars you can get and your car doesn’t necessarily need to have purpose-built rails down the sides (it’s just more of a palaver if they don’t). If I was doing this again, I would buy Volvo-specific bars for my Volvo - see above. If I were you, I would check if your car manufacturer supplies bars for your car. Like a wet-nosed noob, I went to Halfords, because I thought someone jolly in overalls would help me. Non. A very stressed-looking person, who I suspect can’t even drive, pressed Halford’s own brand roof bars on me and then told me that they couldn’t fit them until two days after I am due to be on the beach in Wales. So my mechanic, Andrew, fitted them for me instead.

3. Then you need a roof box that suits your particular car and travel needs. For this, go directly to The Roof Box Company. They really know what they are talking about. I rang in some state of despair about all this and got through to them very quickly. I was assisted by an actual human being who was just brilliant and very patient with my ground-zero level of knowledge. The website is also terrific - you type in what car you have and you are shown a variety of options to suit your vehicle. Thule is the brand that everyone recognises but I went for a Kamei Husky 420 because even brief research makes me suspect that Thule is one of those brands that everyone recognises, but isn’t actually very good.

4. When the roof box arrives in your house it will be the biggest thing you have ever seen. It will be like the Titanic has arrived in your living room. When you come to fit it to your car, it will suddenly be a normal size. Fitting a roof box to the roof bars is quite fiddly and a 2-person job. You might need a small chair to stand on.

Some housekeeping:

You will have missed this unless you are a paying subscriber - no judgement from me - but in the comments under my last post about the JVN air dry cream, a reader, (I think a bit confused), asked me why I was doing “product placement advertorials”.

I always assume that what I do is obvious, but now I feel like I might need a refresh on this issue.

I do not solicit or accept freebies and don’t write about something because I have been paid to. I have done this in the past but don’t any more and never on this Substack.

If I sound suspiciously enthusiastic about a product or service, it’s because I have found it to be good and want to share this recommendation as I think personal recommendations are useful - that’s all. Some posts on this Substack request payment because… god I don’t know… until we overthrow capitalism people tend to do “work” on the basis that they will be paid “money” which can be exchange for goods and services?

How about you? Do you have a roof box? Do you need one? Where are you going with your roof box!? What are you going to put in it!!! Please leave a comment in the handy space provided below.