Roof box... good idea or bad?

[Amarillo]

Toured Europe with a Thule Atlantis 900 (very big box), a Thule backup box on the tow bar and three bikes. Had the boxes fully loaded without a problem but always emptied the roofbox (with exception of a handful of rucksacks) before raising. Never had a problem. I should add that if it was a bit windy I'd park with the wind and I always checked the roof before I drove off.

With all that luggage space, I am curious about your tour of Europe.

How many people were you, and how long were you away?

We are planning two back-to-back tours with our two pre-school boys:
1. Three months in Scandinavia, the Baltic states and Low countries, followed after a two week break by,
2. Nine months in France, Iberia, Italy and the eastern Balkans.

Our Beach is due early March, and I am wondering how it will pack. I hope to have two folded Bromptons and two toy bikes on the bike rack; a Thule EasyBase with a 315L EasyBag containing "dirty" gear (e.g. boots, oilskins, stove, etc.) with a two child trailer strapped between the EasyBag and bike rack.

I hope that all our personal effects, bedding, children's toys and other camping gear will fit in the cabin without the need for a roof box.

The two boys will sit facing each other, one in a single integrated child seat, and the other on the three seat bench on a booster seat. Our two dogs will go in their crate by the sliding door, which I hope to be able to anchor to the rails. This means that we will have two spare seats for when grandparents and other family fly out to stay with us in rented accommodation.

I will not know how feasible all this is until the van arrives, but I am very eager to know if it will all work.

What arouses my curiosity is why you needed a 420L tow bar box and a 650L roof box: over 1 cubic metre of external storage.

 

[Kmann]

So if you re-read my original post I was referring to the California SE or Ocean, which have a lower carrying capacity than the Beach as they have the built in wardrobe, fridge and kitchen etc:.
Anyway, towing a trailer is much safer than overloading and exceeding the MGW of any vehicle

Of cause the weight limit is an issue. I our case we have a load capacity of 587 kg. (!) When fully loaded we carry approx. 150 kg. "toys" (bikes, board, surf, accessories – rack and box included). Still got plenty margin for ourselves, food, clothes, campingbits and the important wines we collect when on tour – you have to be more careful if you drive a 4Motion with the big 204 hp engine, then you must restrict yourself to carry 114 kg. less … ;-)

 

[zeratul]

What arouses my curiosity is why you needed a 420L tow bar box and a 650L roof box: over 1 cubic metre of external storage.

We are 5 in a beach (children 4/6/8) and did a long trip belgium->slovenia->croatia->italy->france->belgium last year without a roof box or tow bar rack. Just travel light... Some tips:
- avoid assembling unnecessary stuff like leveling blocks etc
- don't use an awning.
- no popup tent
- no external topper (internal)
- windscreen cover - fit in between the seats
- small fridge
- if tight on space, use a good quality inflatable mattress instead of a real one for the downstairs bed.
- sleeping bags instead of duvets

We've never travelled long trips with all 7 seats in because they take up so much space from either the trunk or the space we use for Kitchen pod and porta potti. We might for our trip in may however .. but I guess it will be tight. Making the bed with all 7 seats in means no porta potti or kitchen pod.

 

[WelshGas]

Fair enough.

Which then returns to my earlier response about using a car and towing a caravan.

Not many 7 seater cars that you can sleep in. I thought that was one of your original pre-requesists

 

[itscalledbob]

With all that luggage space, I am curious about your tour of Europe..

We were away for about 5 weeks touring the Alps and Pyrenees. Took four adults out with two flying back after two weeks.

The roof box was used to store two large self inflating mattresses a lightweight tent and rucksacks and a few odds and ends, the boot box was used for cycle helmets, sleeping bags and other large soft items. I kept all the heavy items in the vans load area. We could have rolled the mattresses up and loaded the content of the boxes in the van but I suspect id of got quite frustrated with everything being in the way.

We followed a number of 'Le Tour' mountain stages and the van never missed a beat.

I can't think of any problems.

 

[Amarillo]

We were away for about 5 weeks touring the Alps and Pyrenees. Took four adults out with two flying back after two weeks.

The roof box was used to store two large self inflating mattresses a lightweight tent and rucksacks and a few odds and ends, the boot box was used for cycle helmets, sleeping bags and other large soft items. I kept all the heavy items in the vans load area. We could have rolled the mattresses up and loaded the content of the boxes in the van but I suspect id of got quite frustrated with everything being in the way.

We followed a number of 'Le Tour' mountain stages and the van never missed a beat.

I can't think of any problems.

What a great experience.

I expect that 2 pre school boys and 2 dogs will take up less space than 2 adults, so we may be OK without the roof box. Plus we will all usually be sleeping in the van so we don't need the tent or inflatable mattresses, but we do have a bulky driveaway awning.

 

[Amarillo]

Not many 7 seater cars that you can sleep in. I thought that was one of your original pre-requesists

That is absolutely correct. The reason: to avoid towing.

 

[WelshGas]

That is absolutely correct. The reason: to avoid towing.

Well hope you enjoy your trip. Drive safe.

 

[Amarillo]

Well hope you enjoy your trip. Drive safe.

Are you still concerned that we might be overloading?

With a payload of up to 695 Kg (including driver and passengers) I am confident that overloading will not be an issue.
Driver and passengers ~ 200 Kg
Pets ~ 30 Kg
Bicycles ~ 32 Kg (2 Bromptons + 11 Kg, Rothan + 4Kg, Cnoc + 6 Kg)
Burley Bee trailer ~ 9 Kg
Awning ~ 18 Kg
Tow bar carrier & bag 18 Kg
Bike rack ~ 15 Kg
Leaves a whopping 350 Kg for the additional seat, clothing, toys, dog crate, dog food, books, bedding, cooking/eating equipment and food supplies.

 

[larrylamb]

Our two dogs will go in their crate by the sliding door, which I hope to be able to anchor to the rails.

Will the dog crate impede access to the door or is there still room to get in and out?
Also, can you make the bed up with the extra seat fitted or does it have to be removed?

 

[itscalledbob]

What a great experience.

I expect that 2 pre school boys and 2 dogs will take up less space than 2 adults, so we may be OK without the roof box. Plus we will all usually be sleeping in the van so we don't need the tent or inflatable mattresses, but we do have a bulky driveaway awning.

Yes, we had a wonderful time, thank you.

I agree with you and to give you an idea this is what we do and what we take.

To help packing each family member has two Eagle Creek Cubes for personal items. I'm amazed how much my wife can fit in them and we still come back with unused clothes. It took us a few years to recognise how few personal items we actually need.

We tend to pack a lot of activities in on our trips, this one included ice climbing in the Swiss Alps, rock climbing and down hill mountain biking in the french alps and road biking in the Pyrenees. All requiring specialist equipment. If we take out all our 'gear' we wouldn't need the extra space, but then again we are quite strict on personal items.

But then packing for holidays is like a gas: it fills the available space

So, unless you require a lot of gear or/and need a different pair of shoes for every day and every occasion by separating what you 'want' from what you 'need' you'll have plenty of space.

If you are interested check out https://twitter.com/bobontour/media

 

[Amarillo]

Will the dog crate impede access to the door or is there still room to get in and out?
Also, can you make the bed up with the extra seat fitted or does it have to be removed?

The bed can be made with the extra seat.
The dog crate is untested until the van arrives, but we have two: 77 x 49 cm and 91 x 57 cm. Both have a side door and end door, so could go in landscape or portrait. I would prefer to take the larger crate if it will fit. We plan to use the extra chair rear facing, so the footwell will be wider than usual, if the chair is 57 cm or less wide the larger crate should fit landscape without obstructing anything other than the isle between the driver and front passenger seat.

 

[Amarillo]

We tend to pack a lot of activities in on our trips, this one included ice climbing in the Swiss Alps, rock climbing and down hill mountain biking in the french alps and road biking in the Pyrenees. All requiring specialist equipment. If we take out all our 'gear' we wouldn't need the extra space, but then again we are quite strict on personal items.

OK, I understand. That is pretty hardcore stuff requiring serious gear. We might pack in an occasional sauna, meander into town on bikes hauling a trailer or dog walk on waymarked footpaths, none of which require much other than towel and swimming trunks (trunks optional in Scandinavia), bike or hiking shoes.

 

[larrylamb]

The bed can be made with the extra seat.
The dog crate is untested until the van arrives, but we have two: 77 x 49 cm and 91 x 57 cm. Both have a side door and end door, so could go in landscape or portrait. I would prefer to take the larger crate if it will fit. We plan to use the extra chair rear facing, so the footwell will be wider than usual, if the chair is 57 cm or less wide the larger crate should fit landscape without obstructing anything other than the isle between the driver and front passenger seat.

Ok, didn't know that re the Beach seat as an Ocean/Se extra seat has to be removed which would be an added daily hassle, same for the dog crate. I can recommend the Brandrup storage pockets for the back of the front seats, found them very handy for storing regularly used items, we manage to fit our microfibre (recommended) towels in the one large pocket. Also coloured packing cubes are great as previously mentioned.

 

[WelshGas]

Are you still concerned that we might be overloading?

With a payload of up to 695 Kg (including driver and passengers) I am confident that overloading will not be an issue.
Driver and passengers ~ 200 Kg
Pets ~ 30 Kg
Bicycles ~ 32 Kg (2 Bromptons + 11 Kg, Rothan + 4Kg, Cnoc + 6 Kg)
Burley Bee trailer ~ 9 Kg
Awning ~ 18 Kg
Tow bar carrier & bag 18 Kg
Bike rack ~ 15 Kg
Leaves a whopping 350 Kg for the additional seat, clothing, toys, dog crate, dog food, books, bedding, cooking/eating equipment and food supplies.

No. Couldn't care less. Wasn't referring to the California Beach in my original post.

Oh, by the way, the VW Payload calculations include the driver and fuel, so you have an extra 75kgms to play with.

 

[Amarillo]

Oh, by the way, the VW Payload calculations include the driver and fuel, so you have an extra 75kgms to play with.

Already included:
2.0TDI 150PS EU6 BMT 7-speed DSG Payload 620 Kg. But it doesn't include the awning or parking heater, or any other option. I expect when delivered I will be given the unladen weight specific to my van.

 

[Amarillo]

Ok, didn't know that re the Beach seat as an Ocean/Se extra seat has to be removed which would be an added daily hassle, same for the dog crate. I can recommend the Brandrup storage pockets for the back of the front seats, found them very handy for storing regularly used items, we manage to fit our microfibre (recommended) towels in the one large pocket. Also coloured packing cubes are great as previously mentioned.

As I understand it, in the 3 seat bench Beach, the back quarter of the multiflex board drops, the lowered 3 seat bench moves back, and a short bed created using the reduced multiflex and lowered 3 seat bench. Alternatively a long bed can be created using the reduced multiflex, 3 seat bench and folded down middle row seats. The standard bed is made with the wide multiflex, 3 seat bench and middle row seats removed.

So, with just one middle row seat we could make the short bed, or the standard bed by removing the additional seat. However, we hope to be able to sleep our two boys across the folded down 3 seat bench, an entirely different configuration.

 

[bigmac77]

Are you still concerned that we might be overloading?

With a payload of up to 695 Kg (including driver and passengers) I am confident that overloading will not be an issue.
Driver and passengers ~ 200 Kg
Pets ~ 30 Kg
Bicycles ~ 32 Kg (2 Bromptons + 11 Kg, Rothan + 4Kg, Cnoc + 6 Kg)
Burley Bee trailer ~ 9 Kg
Awning ~ 18 Kg
Tow bar carrier & bag 18 Kg
Bike rack ~ 15 Kg
Leaves a whopping 350 Kg for the additional seat, clothing, toys, dog crate, dog food, books, bedding, cooking/eating equipment and food supplies.

Weight won't be an issue, storage space will be. I'd be tempted to ditch the extra seat and the dog cages.

 

[Amarillo]

Weight won't be an issue, storage space will be. I'd be tempted to ditch the extra seat and the dog cages.

Yes - I cannot see weight being an issue. 695 Kg for luggage is the free allowance for nearly 70 Ryanair passengers!

We have friends and family visiting us on our trip for one or two weeks at a time. In particular, my parents are staying with us in a villa in Sicily for two weeks over Christmas and the New Year 2017. Having six seats will be extremely useful for family excursions. However, once we trial the vehicle, we will soon get a handle on what we can and cannot manage. Ditching the sixth seat has not been ruled out, but it would mean having to take two Group 2 child seats.

The dog crate (we will only take one) may well have to go, but the dogs still need to be safely stowed somewhere. They are both incredibly well behaved in the car, and usually travel unrestrained in the boot of our Peugeot 5008.

Neither have I ruled out taking the roof box - I would just prefer not to and keep under 2m. I am sure there will be plenty of compromises along the way.

 

[bigmac77]

Yes - I cannot see weight being an issue. 695 Kg for luggage is the free allowance for nearly 70 Ryanair passengers!

We have friends and family visiting us on our trip for one or two weeks at a time. In particular, my parents are staying with us in a villa in Sicily for two weeks over Christmas and the New Year 2017. Having six seats will be extremely useful for family excursions. However, once we trial the vehicle, we will soon get a handle on what we can and cannot manage. Ditching the sixth seat has not been ruled out, but it would mean having to take two Group 2 child seats.

The dog crate (we will only take one) may well have to go, but the dogs still need to be safely stowed somewhere. They are both incredibly well behaved in the car, and usually travel unrestrained in the boot of our Peugeot 5008.

Neither have I ruled out taking the roof box - I would just prefer not to and keep under 2m. I am sure there will be plenty of compromises along the way.

Get the Cali and go on a trip of three or four nights, you'll know what you can put up with after that. With the extra seat by the sound of it you have to have your children sleeping downstairs. My 2 children are older than yours and go to bed between 9 and 10 on our holidays but I am glad they are upstairs so I can crack a beer or drink a bottle of wine with my wife. I also feel that they are safer upstairs even though they are basically behind canvass, if anything should happen being downstairs I feel better placed to react. Oh and its quieter too.

Fair play though I wouldn't go on a trip of that length unless I was on my own, we did three weeks last year and that was enough in one go. Although going for nearly four this summer.

 

[Amarillo]

Get the Cali and go on a trip of three or four nights, you'll know what you can put up with after that. With the extra seat by the sound of it you have to have your children sleeping downstairs. My 2 children are older than yours and go to bed between 9 and 10 on our holidays but I am glad they are upstairs so I can crack a beer or drink a bottle of wine with my wife. I also feel that they are safer upstairs even though they are basically behind canvass, if anything should happen being downstairs I feel better placed to react. Oh and its quieter too.

We have pencilled in a trip to Swanage 3-6 March. I am expecting a steep learning curve, but we are seasoned campers, upgrading from a tent.

 

[pjm-84]

Enjoy!

 

[bigmac77]

We have pencilled in a trip to Swanage 3-6 March. I am expecting a steep learning curve, but we are seasoned campers, upgrading from a tent.

Looking forward to following your progress around europe.

 

[Cali1]

View attachment 18936 View attachment 18937 I have had a Skiguard roof box since the early nineties, which now lives permanently on the roof, use it for bulky lightweight items (Quechua pop tent, wetsuits, kayak and SUP paddles, life vests etc) - keeping a close eye on the 50kg limit. It's mounted on Thule roof bars with the short feet, keeps the box closer to the roof making it more aero (and looks better than the "praying mantis" look you often see!). Roof goes up and down fine with the box on, and I don't get any wind noise even at motorway speed (or up to 90mph on the continent), obviously a bit of a hit on mpg but can live with that. I have also mounted a solar panel on the roof box, which saves the problems of mounting a panel on the roof.
Hopefully I can upload a couple of photos??? (not a regular contributor I'm afraid). Finally, I use a small lightweight aluminium step ladder that was bought in Italy a couple of years ago........simples.

Hi Steve C,
Now that's exactly what I'm thinking about, sleek box with solar.
Which box is it please and what solar set up are you using? How long can you stay of grid with this?
I'm managing a week to ten days max,but batts run extremely low.
Thanks

 

[Trebor]

Yes, we had a wonderful time, thank you.

I agree with you and to give you an idea this is what we do and what we take.

To help packing each family member has two Eagle Creek Cubes for personal items. I'm amazed how much my wife can fit in them and we still come back with unused clothes. It took us a few years to recognise how few personal items we actually need.

We tend to pack a lot of activities in on our trips, this one included ice climbing in the Swiss Alps, rock climbing and down hill mountain biking in the french alps and road biking in the Pyrenees. All requiring specialist equipment. If we take out all our 'gear' we wouldn't need the extra space, but then again we are quite strict on personal items.

But then packing for holidays is like a gas: it fills the available space

So, unless you require a lot of gear or/and need a different pair of shoes for every day and every occasion by separating what you 'want' from what you 'need' you'll have plenty of space.

If you are interested check out https://twitter.com/bobontour/media

View attachment 18961

Excellent post icbob . Could Gould tell me the size of the cubes and where you get them from please . I've found Eagle Creek on the web but lots different shapes and sizes. Thanks.