Roof box loading

[Ade B]

Hello, long time no speak.

About to tootle off on a week's camping holiday in the UK with the family (minus dog)

Looking to use the roof box for the first time in earnest and would like to pick the collective brains of the forum for any do's and don'ts.

I've got a fairly large full width Thule box to go on top which loads from the rear. Max weight on the Halfords bars is 75kg (need to check the car roof rail loading).

Thinking of sticking bulky but relatively lightweight stuff up there like:

pushchair
folding chairs
folding plastic table (if it fits)
sleeping bags (in waterproof bags)
camping cooker and table
possibly moses basket for Baby B (if it goes at all)

Common sense suggests that it should be fine if strapped down internally - don't think we'll need the push chair during the journey..

Heavy stuff like the tent, clothes, towels, food etc. will go in the boot.

Anything else I should consider?

TIA

Ade

 

[renault12ts]

The car will be 100kg all in including the box.

 

[Benzowner]

From the list, unless you have wooden folding chairs, very heavy, I don't think you will be overloaded with exception of the pushchair. In my day, they we quite heavy, but these modern pushchairs are probably much lighter

 

[Ade B]

From the list, unless you have wooden folding chairs, very heavy, I don't think you will be overloaded with exception of the pushchair. In my day, they we quite heavy, but these modern pushchairs are probably much lighter

All nylon and metal tubing. Maclaren doesn't have a beer holder in the arm though.

Might dig out the bathroom scales to check. Alternatively might just chuck it all in and see if the lid closes..

Cheers

Ade

 

[Londonscottish]

You'll be fine with that lot up top. I just got back from a family camping trip actually and other things I find useful are;

Other things worth thinking about

Compression sacks
to compress bedding, etc into small packages

Collapsible water carrier
....to carry water

Camping shower
Bag-thing you can hang up for basic showers. Or loads of baby wipes

luggable loo/potty
In case the kids/wife get caught short in the night...

Good air beds
I use Aero beds with rechargable pumps - they are the business

Rain poncho
Big plastic bag, really. It it does rain hard you want to keep your warm clothes nice and dry

Warm clothing
have a couple of layers for sitting out in the evening

Chargers
Get as many car charges as possible for phobnes, pumps, etc

Torches/head torches
Take more that you think you might need....

 

[SilverSaloon]

roof box loading sounds ok to me - i generally have stuffed as much as possible in mine in the past.... should be fine. Dont forget you should lower your speed if you have a roofbox on the roof.

 

[Ade B]

cheers guys

re roofbox, dry run on the garden decking fit everything listed with space to spare which is good as in an online frenzy I've just bought a camping 'kitchen', some pack flat storage and old skool cool box. (reading many, many, many reviews suggests that for our needs a cheapo powered cool box isn't worth it).

On the speed front no concerns there as economy is king (well it is since I've now got a nice MPG display on my jap oil burner)

We've various bits of kit accumulated over the years including assorted air mattresses, chairs, tables, torches, head torches etc. I've had a water carrier somewhere which never gets used as a jumbo bottle of mineral water bought enroute does the trick nicely.

We're fully fleeced and waterproofed from walking holidays and the kind of sites we're looking at are more civilised than the kendal mint cake and cold-tap-in-the-corner-of-a-field we've stayed in (very happily) in the past.

Only downer is the remainder of the working week...


Ade

 

[Londonscottish]

cheers guys

re roofbox, dry run on the garden decking fit everything listed with space to spare which is good as in an online frenzy I've just bought a camping 'kitchen', some pack flat storage and old skool cool box. (reading many, many, many reviews suggests that for our needs a cheapo powered cool box isn't worth it).

On the speed front no concerns there as economy is king (well it is since I've now got a nice MPG display on my jap oil burner)

We've various bits of kit accumulated over the years including assorted air mattresses, chairs, tables, torches, head torches etc. I've had a water carrier somewhere which never gets used as a jumbo bottle of mineral water bought enroute does the trick nicely.

We're fully fleeced and waterproofed from walking holidays and the kind of sites we're looking at are more civilised than the kendal mint cake and cold-tap-in-the-corner-of-a-field we've stayed in (very happily) in the past.

Only downer is the remainder of the working week...


Ade

Fantastic - you're good to go

 

[Benzowner]

you'll be fine with that lot up top. I just got back from a family camping trip actually and other things i find useful are;

other things worth thinking about

compression sacks
to compress bedding, etc into small packages

collapsible water carrier
....to carry water

camping shower
bag-thing you can hang up for basic showers. Or loads of baby wipes

luggable loo/potty
in case the kids/wife get caught short in the night...

Good air beds
i use aero beds with rechargable pumps - they are the business

rain poncho
big plastic bag, really. It it does rain hard you want to keep your warm clothes nice and dry

warm clothing
have a couple of layers for sitting out in the evening

chargers
get as many car charges as possible for phobnes, pumps, etc

torches/head torches
take more that you think you might need....

caravan :d :d

 

[Ade B]

Well the roofbox worked a treat - almost no noise at motorway speeds, no real difference to the feel of the car - it was noticable when fully loaded but didn't upset handling at the speeds I was doing.

Everything inside stayed dry. Pretty pleased with my £50 purchase.

Ade