Roof boxes/racks

[ErichFromm]

I always seem to struggle for space when camping, trying to fit all the accoutrements into the car seems to be a increasingly difficult task (particularly with a little boy who refused to stop getting bigger).

I've taken a trailer before and this was great for space but a pain to store given I don't have a garage. The roof boxes/racks I see around seem like a nice compromise but I wonder how effective they are in making up the storage gap. I don't imagine you put heavy things in there and they are definitely not trailer-sized.

To those that use them: what do you store in there and how effective do you find them?

[Moondog55]

I've always thought the old "BIG BOOT" was a great idea. store vertically when not being used

http://www.singlewheel.com/Auto/Big-BootFR.htm

[ErichFromm]

Looks interesting. Have you seen it first hand? I'd wonder about how stable it is - seems to have only a single wheel.....

[wildbird]

I use a roof basket for family camping, and put our tent, chairs, table, water and some other stuff (not affected by rain) there and secured with tie downs. Take a while to manage how to tie them up but very effective.

[photohiker]

Alloy roof rack for camping trips. Chuck all the weatherproof stuff up there that won't fit in the car.

Just be aware that a roof rack kills your fuel economy by 10-20% depending on what you load it up with. If we're going for a non-camping trip, I take it off.

[Moondog55]

Looks interesting. Have you seen it first hand? I'd wonder about how stable it is - seems to have only a single wheel.....

Seen them but not used them, I'm trying to persuade The Boss that we need something like it tho now that the 6*4 has all the camping gear in it permanently

[GPSGuided]

Just be aware that a roof rack kills your fuel economy by 10-20% depending on what you load it up with. If we're going for a non-camping trip, I take it off.

Absolutely. Further, with increasing load, it'll affect the car's dynamics as well as increasing the potential to damage the car at rack mounting points. Drive with a little more care.

[ErichFromm]

Yes - I thought that was the main requirement: only light things on top to avoid centre of balance being off.....

[stry]

And they are a classic case of "out of sight, out of mind"

Very messy going through low doors - well it was for me anyway

[ErichFromm]

Ha! Ouch....

[Lizzy]

We used to use a roof pod- was great for a bit extra room when travelling. We would put clothes and other light things like sleeping bags up there. Pack stuff in soft bags and its easy to access & weather proof. Ours was easy to take on & off- so we'd only put it on when needed & then store in garage on top of a bunk bed rack which housed canoe/kayaks etc

[stry]

Do you already have a cargo barrier in your Forester ?

If you haven't, my experience has been that the barrier enables far more stuff to be shoved into the luggage area. Being able to pack the internal space all the way to the roof, and forward to the barrier makes a big difference !

[photohiker]

Just be aware that a roof rack kills your fuel economy by 10-20% depending on what you load it up with. If we're going for a non-camping trip, I take it off.

Absolutely. Further, with increasing load, it'll affect the car's dynamics as well as increasing the potential to damage the car at rack mounting points. Drive with a little more care.

Yes. Be aware of the manufacture's roof loading weight and respect it! That's the reason we have an alloy rack, a steel rack is heavy and takes about half the roof loading. They are also very heavy to handle when putting them on and off.

With the alloy rack I can do it on my own at a pinch. Only weighs about 20kg (2 meters long)

[photohiker]

Do you already have a cargo barrier in your Forester ?

This is another "must have" for anyone loading items in the cargo area. If you do have a prang, stuff in the back is going to bounce off the back of your heads! Buy an Aussie standards approved barrier.

[GPSGuided]

Yet again, if you see how some in the third world load their vehicle... Would this be enough for your camping load?

[stry]

Maybe not - he does travel with an infant

[ErichFromm]

The barrier may not work for me: I usually put the seat down to fit in poles for shelter etc. I guess you could fit alot of clothes, sleeping bags etc in a pod. Would still struggle with storing it though. Always thought those flat cage things would be more useful than a pod: more offroad and less volvo driver looking..

[MickyB]

Could you put ski racks on the roof for your poles and put the barrier in your car for the rest of your gear?

[GPSGuided]

Pods are nice as it's a sealed environment. Don't have to worry about waterproofing cover and aerodynamically better than throwing anything up there. Just have to make sure you buy an appropriate sized model for your vehicle and don't over load.

[photohiker]

The barrier may not work for me: I usually put the seat down to fit in poles for shelter etc.

There are some with doors so you can plce things like poles and ski's in without removing your cargo protection. Poles could go on your roof rack anyway. What poles do you have that don't fit in the back?

[GPSGuided]

Poles could go on your roof rack anyway. What poles do you have that don't fit in the back?

+1. Lethal stuff in an accident. Really need something to restrain projectiles, a must.

[ErichFromm]

What poles do you have that don't fit in the back?

I have those basic poles you get from Ray's tent city: the metal ones. I use them to create a big shelter when we go camping - either with a shadecloth (summer) or canvas (winter). They only close up so far - fully closed they go from back of the front seats all the way to the back gate. I could pull them apart to make smaller but that seems like a lot of hassle.

Putting them on the roof might work though - never really thought of that....

[stry]

Could you put ski racks on the roof for your poles and put the barrier in your car for the rest of your gear?

That gets my vote !! Ticks all the boxes, and you have the flexibility to add something later if more is needed, although I doubt that more will be needed.

[davemal]

I've always thought the old "BIG BOOT" was a great idea. store vertically when not being used

http://www.singlewheel.com/Auto/Big-BootFR.htm

Does anyone know of anything like this still available ?

I was searching for something similar a couple of years ago but never found anything...

[Travis22]

He Erich,

Ive been meaning to reply here for ages but couldnt get a minute to do so earlier! Im sure you know the drill with the little ones, didnt get to be till 4am. Entire household has been crook now for 3 months as the cold keeps going round and round and our littlest is now getting a tooth just to add to the suffering!!! Im running on fumes atm!

Anways, we bought a pod years ago and they really are fantastic, there is no way we could have gotten away in the Forester camping without it with a bub. Ours is a pretty large one, tho i guess its a mid sized pod not the smallest but there are larger out there too. The biggest pain about pods is storing them when not in use, we ended up mounting a large shelf high up on the garage wall above the cars and the pod sits up there when not being used. They weigh nothing empty so i can actually get it up to and down from the shelf by myself but with my wife there to help it is effortless. However if you dont have a garage you'll have to think about where your going to store it?

You really wouldnt believe how much gear we can fit in it and when its up there everything is secure, and dust and water proof. We put camp chairs, tent poles, tent pegs, large hammer, tarps, shovel, log splitter, 10L jerry cans, Shoes, clothes, toiletries bags, 3L gas bottle in a 10L plastic bucket (for nesting storage - fits perfect)... thats all i can think of off the top of my head but i know there would be heaps more stuff too!

Ours has been with us over 3 different cars and its still like new. Additional road noise is minimal (v's a full roof basket / rack there is no comparison the pods are much quieter and when not in use easily removed from the car).

Eventually we will put a full size ARB roof rack on my wifes car for outback travels now with 2 bubs but while we had just the one the pod has served us well out there as well.

I tried looking for a picture of our forester with the pod on it but couldnt find any (on backup hdds somewhere). Attached pic of the pod on our old WRX (trust me, they can handle high speed travel too haha - yeh we were all young and dumb once) and a more recent pic on my wifes car now. (Looks big on the WRX and small on the Prado, it was a good fit for the Forester. very easy to access etc)

Travis.

[Moondog55]

I've just made a pole carrier using HD PVC 199mm SWV with a cap on one end and a screw-on at the other. Somewhere to put long skinny things like steel poles
Something like that and a pod would take most of our gear but I like having the stuff in a lockable trailer, I'lltry and get one of the ALDI pods next year for the ute

[north-north-west]

...I'lltry and get one of the ALDI pods next year for the ute

Aldi do a pod? Do you have a rough idea of the price?

[Travis22]

NNW i havent seen it but turned this info up:

Aldi's car roofbox

$299 - 370L capacity and 1928mm x 550mm.
Made in Italy with 5 year warranty. Black or Grey.
The UK version was Montblanc but badged with the Aldi Auto-Xs.

Roof pods can often be picked up for a great price second hand, i think a few people must get talked into buying them with new cars by the dealers then they get sold later on virtually unused at a fraction of the new cost.

Travis.

[north-north-west]

Ta.
Probably don't really need one but it could be useful. Have to get the rack sorted first. The one from the Hilux won't go on the CR-V.

[ErichFromm]

Thanks for the comprehensive post Travis - particularly given the demands of looking after kids Good to know that pods are useful. As you say the main issue for me is storage space, but might be able to wrangle it.