The volume of the upper and lower trunks of the car, name, description, purpose
Content
To understand what type of roof rack is best installed on the roof, you need to carefully study the possible options for mounting it.
It's great to get together with the family and wave somewhere in the wild or drive away with friends to the sea in the midst of a summer vacation. Therefore, when asked where to put the equipment - backpacks, umbrellas, tents and other accessories for recreation - tourists prepare an answer in advance. Experience suggests that a regular trunk is usually not enough. And as soon as the question arises of how to place the remaining things, the top trunk on a car is immediately called as the next alternative to a cargo space.
Varieties
Some people have enough space on top, some don't. It all depends on the size of the company and the preferences of its members. Rolling out a dusty grandfather's trailer from the garage is superfluous: it is more practical to supplement the car's exterior with a rear trunk or a special mount.
Top rack: take can not be left at home
When it comes to the additional arrangement of things that do not want to fit into a regular cargo compartment, the first solution is the roof. More precisely, the trunk located on it. In this case, the dimensions of the cargo in length and width are limited, but there is a margin in height.
Aerodynamic car roof rack
There are two types of luggage racks: basket racks and cross rails. The first are chosen according to the type of fastening and the size of the roof. The second - universal, not tied to the overall dimensions of the body - are more popular.
Rear rack: take even more with you
Again, the top trunk on the car is full. Additional suitcases on top will adversely affect the aerodynamics of the car. In such cases, the rear cargo box should be dispensed with. Its design is a metal frame-stand with a swivel arc. A special place for mounting on a towbar has been designed here.
Main characteristics
The role is played not only by the name of the top trunk on the car, but also by the technical parameters:
- The maximum weight of the transported cargo. In this case, it is imperative to know what kind of load the roof of the car can withstand.
- trunk material. It is better to prefer stainless steel or aluminum options.
- Protection of transported luggage from theft.
We must not forget about the reputation of the manufacturer.
What are we driving
There are several options for placing cargo on top and behind the vehicle. The difference is in volume (more space is placed on the roof) and the orientation of luggage in space. For the transportation of sports equipment, special fasteners are used.
cargo box
The name of the car roof rack in the form of a boat is a cargo box made of plastic. The top cover protects things from precipitation and ultraviolet radiation, and the lock protects from those who want to profit from someone else's good. Car trunk volume in the form of a box - from 300 to 600 liters, load capacity - up to 75 kg, opening type: one-way, two-way or side-to-back.
Car roof box
A good example is the "Italian" Junior Pre 420 - a polystyrene model for transporting things:
- volume - 420 l;
- carrying capacity - 50 kg;
- length - 1,5 m;
- width is almost a meter.
Installation is simple and convenient. Reliability and safety, confirmed by the certificate of the German expert organization TUV (Technische Überwachungs-Verein). Central locking - with two fixation points. The container is mounted on aerodynamic and square crossbars.
cargo baskets
Steel or aluminum cargo baskets have a load capacity of up to 150 kg. The choice of platform depends on the size and fraction of the baggage being transported.
cargo basket
The basket "Everest Plus" of the Ukrainian manufacturer "Kangaroo" with limiters around the perimeter is equipped with three crossbars with fastenings to the drain or rails. Small cargo can be placed thanks to the metal mesh.
Mounts for transporting skis, snowboards
Transportation of winter equipment is a separate conversation. Fastening elements for transporting skis and snowboards are mounted on the trunk arches and are structurally rails with rising locking bars.
Roof rack for skis and snowboards
The Ski-Rack 4 model of the Spanish manufacturer Cruz is made of aluminum. It can carry four pairs of skis or two snowboards at the same time. Locking locks will greatly disappoint those who like to appropriate someone else's property.
bike racks
Installation of such devices does not require a towbar, top or rear trunk.
bike carrier
The Aguri Spider model is a steel space frame with folding bars, on which there are clamps for securing three bicycles. Bikes with wheels of any diameter will fit here.
Fastening for transportation of water equipment
The cross rail with foldable U-bar is suitable for kayaks, kayaks, surfboards and other outdoor gear. Sometimes thoughts about the name of the upper trunk on a car of this type are visited: a kayak carrier or ... a kayak transporter.
Roof rack for water equipment
The Thule Kayak Support 520-1 roof mount can be mounted on both aerodynamic and rectangular skids. This design allows you to place two kayaks, securely fastening them with straps.
How to lay
Important question. The volume of a soda bottle and the volume of a car trunk are incomparable values. But sometimes an ajar small cola will do sticky things even in a big box.
Favorite things should be safe not only on the roof. At the same time, from everything spilled, scattered and crumbled in the cargo compartment, neither purity nor your mood will be added.
Car roof rack mat
Those who wish to take a supply of fuel (for a car) with them, in addition to taking care of the tightness of the canister, should take into account the requirements of the rules for transporting dangerous goods and traffic rules (traffic rules). Transportation in the trunk of a passenger car gasoline is carried out in a reusable vessel. The quantity should not exceed 60 liters per container and 240 liters per vehicle.
For those who find rubber mats banal, alternatives include linoleum, laminate, and even genuine leather with hand-stitching. The last option is beautiful, easily soiled and ... terribly expensive.
Polyolefin models can be safely added to the number of practical polyurethane or rubber coatings, for example, the Weathertech Mitsubishi Outlander trunk mat, 2012. The price, however, “bites”: the buyer will pay almost thirteen thousand rubles for such an instance.
Top rack mounting options
To understand what type of roof rack is best installed on the roof, you need to carefully study the possible options for mounting it.
Roof rails
Two bars, located along the car, attached to the body at several points, allow you to mount the cross rails of the trunk in the most suitable place. There is enough free space between the rails and the roof to be used for any type of fastening.
Cross rails for car roof
Sometimes the roof rails are mounted on the roof of the car in specially designated places. So, the accessories of the Turkish manufacturer Can Otomotive on the roof of the Toyota Prado 150 are installed in regular factory holes.
Integrated roof rails
They differ from the standard ones in the absence of a gap between the roof. Here, mounts are thought out that repeat the shape of the rails.
Doorway
The trunk is mounted using clamps. Parts in contact with the body are made of rubber or coated with a layer of polymer to avoid damage to the paintwork (LCP) of the car.
Magnets
On the one hand, they can be placed anywhere on the roof, on the other hand, the small holding force of the magnetic field allows only light loads to be transported. In order for luggage to remain where it was secured, the speed, according to experts, cannot exceed 80 km/h. In addition, holding magnets no, no, yes, they will leave marks on the paintwork. And most importantly, the roof of the car must be metal.
Beyond the gutters
This type of fastening can often be seen on domestically produced cars. Drains are located along the entire roof, which allows you to choose the most convenient installation location.
Established places
These are the holes provided by the manufacturer. They are usually reinforced and equipped with plastic plugs. The disadvantage of such a system is the fixation of the trunk in strictly defined places.
T-profile
This type of attachment is rare. It can be seen on minibuses and SUVs. By design, these are strips, more reminiscent of rails, laid in special grooves along the entire roof. T-shaped brackets are attached to them, along which sliding arcs move in the transverse plane of the car.
Take for example the Volkswagen Transporter T5 '03-15 with the Thule SlideBar 892 T-bar.
Belts
Soft, rubber, inflatable ... And this is also a trunk.
For example, HandiRack from HandiWorld. Inflatable sections are mounted to the car with belts through the passenger compartment. Fastening the load on such a car trunk is again done with tie-down straps.
Securing cargo to the trunk
Advantages:
- load up to 80 kg;
- universality;
- compactness when folded;
- fast assembly/dismantling;
- no damage to the paintwork of the car.
Disadvantage: inconsistent appearance
Such a model is a way out of a situation where there is no upper trunk, but you need to carry it.
Trunk and fuel consumption: you have to pay for pleasure
It turns out that travelers pay extra baggage fees on top. One of the goals of automotive aerodynamics is to reduce air resistance. And then with all the “consequences”: an increase in maximum speed, a decrease in fuel consumption. Even minimal changes in the aerodynamic model are reflected in the characteristics of the car.
Enthusiasts tested the dependence of fuel consumption on the type of cargo fixed at the top. The results are disappointing. Consumption increased by almost seven percent with the installation of only cross rails. Further more: with a surfboard, the figure increased by 19%, with two bicycles - by 31%.
Sadly, those who like to carry a lot of things on the roof will have to pay for extra gasoline.
