You would take a lot of things on the trip, but your trunk is too small? Solution – rooftop cargo carrier. Rooftop cargo careers are designed for practical luggage transportation and represent the right solution when it comes to vacation and travel. They appeared several decades ago and from year to year it’s becoming more and more considered a necessary part of car equipment. Especially if the bus isn’t your favorite means of transportation, but you like to enjoy the comfort of your vehicle. They are a perfect replacement for old-fashioned packing suspenders because in this way all luggage is packed elegantly and safely. Whether you live an active life or you just need a little extra space, you can always choose a good roof box that suits your needs.
The question is, what you need to pay attention to when choosing the perfect roof suitcase? Of course, size and design are the most important, but there are other parameters based on which we can more easily decide on the one that suits our needs.
If you’re wondering this, keep reading and learn how to pick the best rooftop cargo carrier which will allow you to carry everything you want without fear of not having enough space in the car. So, let’s begin!
1. Consider your budget
One of the first things to consider when making any purchase is your budget, or how much money you are willing to spend on something. This is recommended in this case as well.
Take some time and inquire about the manufacturers. There are many of them on the market today and some have overestimated their products, so they can be very expensive. Sometimes the high price is justified by the fact that the piece has many good and quality features, but if you don’t need them, you can always opt for a cheaper variant whose performance will be enough for you.
However, this doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice quality for the sake of a cheaper product. So, it would be good to find some golden mean.
2. Type of carrier
Depending on what you want to pack and what the physical properties of those items are, you need to think about what type of carrier you want. There are generally two options, namely Hard Roof Cargo Carriers and Soft Roof Cargo Carriers.
The first option involves hard boxes that, thanks to their solid construction, offer safety and security on the road. They are also characterized by good water-resistance as well as an easier locking mechanism. Thanks to their shape and design, they are also characterized by aerodynamics.
However, their shape can be restrictive in terms of the items you can place inside. You will certainly not be able to accommodate those that don’t follow the shape of the box.
For all those who need more flexibility and adaptability of the carrier, the Soft option is recommended. In addition to flexibility, they are also very light and make packaging easier. But unfortunately, they aren’t always waterproof and are more susceptible to theft.
Think about size
The next thing you need to think about is what size you need. The size will depend on your needs, the number of family members, but also the size of the car on which you want to install the box.
On the market, you can find the smallest ones all the way to the big ones that go with long vehicles.
First of all, plan the upcoming period and think about how often you plan to travel and how long you would stay to know if there’s a need to pack a larger amount of clothes or maybe some equipment like the one for skiing. If you realize that you don’t want to stay long on preferred destinations, immediately opt for a smaller carrier.
Also, if you are driving a small car, you can’t consider buying a larger roof bag. Families with many children will also certainly need more packing space than those consisting of two members.
Easy installation
Some families love to travel and are out of town almost every weekend. And while they will constantly need to keep their truck installed on the car and ready, others won’t like it and will want to take it off every time. That’s why it’s very important to know how difficult it is to install the unit. Sometimes the size of the garage will require uninstallation before parking the car. Some variants of cargo are adapted to flat roofs and some to convertibles – you can click here to compare and verify these facts.
We are sure that you don’t want to spend a lot of time on installation, so it would be good if the product has a simple and quick instruction that won’t require special skills or the help of another person.
Accessibility and opening mechanism
At first glance, it will seem unimportant, but trust us, you can always find yourself in a situation where you remembered that you left something up there that you urgently need by mistake. At such moments, it will mean the ability to quickly and easily access the contents of the roof bag.
The opening mechanism on some brackets is designed so that you can access things more easily. Some open only on one side, which can make it difficult to use them in certain situations, and some on the top or on both sides.
Sometimes manufacturers don’t make openings on all sides for safety reasons, but we shouldn’t blame them for that – it’s all for our good.
Weight capacity
The last but not the least important item implies the obligatory consideration of the capacity of the weight of the cargo carrier. You don’t want to buy one, and then go on a trip and, when it breaks, realize you’ve overloaded it. The estimated weight can sometimes be lower than standard, which can limit the number of things that can be packed.
Individuals or families who want to carry very heavy equipment should choose larger capacity boxes, as excessive weight can damage the carrier and cause you additional cost and nervousness.
As you can see, choosing a good and quality rooftop cargo carrier isn’t easy at all. Although we will like a manufacturer at first sight and want to buy his product, if we don’t get well information beforehand, it can result in dissatisfaction later. Careful consideration of options and features will ensure a good choice that will meet your needs.