In the form of a shout or a sigh of relief, the thought is common to all: At last, holidays! It only remains to prepare the suitcases and load them into the car … That’s when we realize that a new problem is looming before we can reach our paradisiacal destination. Nobody wants to leave something at home, just in case, of course. And if it rains, let’s bring the umbrella and the ludo. If the sun comes out every day? I need the umbrella, the little stick and the bucket for the sand. In case it refreshes, let’s carry some sweaters and the jacket … The suitcase grows to the point of exploding, and probably does not fit in the trunk.
The roof cargo boxis transformed, therefore, into an ideal solution. Two transverse bars (or three, for vans with very long roofs) made of sheet steel, stainless steel or aluminum injection that cross the width of the roof work as a support to support excess baggage. They may have a square profile or a rounded, more aerodynamic design. Its most common measures are 1.08 m long; 1.20 m; 1.35 m; 1.40 m and 1.50 meters. Its section, in as much, is of about 3 centimeters, and they resist between 50 and 100 kg of weight, according to the model.
However, not all are suitable for any vehicle. You should think about the width of the roof, its height and where it can be adjusted. Before buying one blindly, it must be verified whether the roof is equipped with a dropper or not, there are even drippers of different widths since the attachment will depend on that.In the first case, the fixing anchor (also called foot) is inserted into the bar. They are placed on the dropper and the closing wheel is rotated, which simultaneously tenses the bars. The pieces that are in contact with the wheel are protected with plastic or rubber to avoid scratches and, at the same time, provide a non-slip and vibration-damping surface.
Models with a lock on the closing wheels are available in order to reduce the risk of theft. The same key serves for the four locks.Meanwhile, to give a more aesthetic presence to the set, there are versions that replace the wheels by a lid of recyclable plastic of high resistance, called ABS, which is snapped onto the set and conceals the adjustment screw.Some vehicles leave the factory with two lateral bars. It will be enough to acquire the two transversal bars and hold them in the way explained above to have a luggage rack. Others have two side slots along the roof (this is the case of many off-road vehicles), from where it is possible to hold them.
However, there are wheels that do not have drippers or slots. In those cases, roof cargo boxis specifically designed to allow anchoring of the anchor in the minimum space that opens between the roof and the doors are chosen.
