Traveling with luggage around the world

When buying a car trunk, first of all pay attention to quality and safety.

Time to go on a big vacation trip. But how to pack, how to transport the bike, where to put the wife's clothes and toys. Children? This problem is solved by car trunks - on the roof, on the hook and on the tailgate. Today we advise you on what to look for when buying them.

- When a client asks me to recommend a good and cheap barrel, I immediately ask: why do you need two? Because it is impossible to combine high quality with a very low price,” explains Jacek Rados, Commercial Director of ZPH Taurus, which is the general representative of the well-known Swedish company Thule.

Who will professionally install the trunk for us

He also gives examples of boxes that break under the influence of heat and bicycle racks that can come off the car while driving.

“Today, you can buy everything on the Internet, even goods that pretend to be products of well-known companies,” says Jacek Radosh. “Unfortunately, they are often poorly made. Meanwhile, from our many years of experience, we know that the most important thing is high quality, which means safety and ease of use of the product.

There are no standards in Poland that define what parameters shoes must meet, but one of the pillars of Thule's strategy is safety. Quality Control Centers exist in three countries where products are subjected to rigorous testing to a level that exceeds generally accepted standards.

- When buying, it is also worth asking yourself who will mount the trunk for us, - says Jacek Radosh. – A box or rack on the roof of a car is an additional few tens of kilograms, which - especially when transporting bicycles - have a significant impact on driving safety. In our company and our representatives, you can professionally install the rack, he adds.

Railings so might come in handy

The easiest way to install roof racks for cars equipped with special roof rails. You simply buy cross beams to which a box or holder for a bike or skis is attached. Support beams from the so-called legs and a set that is mounted directly on the roof of the car

– From time to time, during breaks in the trip, it is necessary to check whether any mounting elements have loosened, advises Jacek Radosh.

How to transport bikes safely

It is a little more difficult to prepare a car for transporting a bicycle. We can attach it to the car in at least three ways: by installing special holders on the roof beams, on the sunroof or on the car's tow hook. “Safe, high-quality grips must remain stable even at high speeds,” advises Jacek Radosh. – However, when cornering, crossing railways and when braking, you need to be especially careful. Mounting a bicycle on a rack is easy, anyone can do it if they have holders in which, thanks to a well-thought-out design, the frame and wheels of the bicycle are set in the desired position. Then just fasten the bike and it's ready.

What can be transported on a car hook

Roof racks have many advantages, such as keeping bikes on them from getting dirty while driving, from obscuring rear window lights or license plates. However, along with the fashion for SUVs and station wagons, there is also a growing interest in tailgate-mounted bike racks. This is a slightly worse solution due to higher fuel consumption.

There is an opinion among drivers that the luggage compartment located at the rear of the car reduces air resistance. On the contrary, wind tunnel studies confirm that air turbulence originating behind the vehicle has the greatest impact on fuel consumption. Thus, a bicycle positioned transversely behind the vehicle increases fuel consumption significantly – at higher speeds.

In this situation, a good solution would be to buy a trunk mounted on a car hook. Its only drawback is the problem with the license plate. “In many countries, it has been decided that a third plate is issued – for the bike rack,” says Jacek Radosh. – In Poland it is impossible. We try to help customers and give them a board on which they can rewrite the numbers and hang them on the trunk.

Attaching bikes to the back of a car has many benefits, of course. The biggest of them is that we have the entire roof at our disposal and we can install a luggage box on it, which is very important when sending on a long journey.

Remember it's important

• When choosing bike racks, you should focus not on the lowest possible cost, but on quality. This is of great importance when driving, especially in the event of hard braking - a loose bike can not only damage your car, but also cause a serious accident.
•  It is also very important to attach weight holders. Each car has slightly different mounting points - for proper installation, you need to contact a service or a good trunk specialist. Otherwise, you can destroy the trunk and the car.