car roof box

shovel

please feel free to move this if posted in the wrong forum.

hi guys wonder has anyone had any experience of this.
looking to buy a car roofbox for a motor holiday to france. the prices i have got from halfords/o mearas etc seem awful dear-500 euro plus. had read that it is much cheaper to buy in france. just wondered had anyone done that and saved money. thanks for any advice

shovel

parsi

Yes. I've done it . Try a Hypermarket or Norauto (www.norauto.fr) who do good cheap boxes for well udner 200. Five years ago I paid 89 quid for my first box and at that stage they were 3 times that in Ireland.

You can also get the bars in the Hypermarket or Norauto and they'll costs less as well. Norauto will also fit the box but a Hypermarket won't...

Norauto have a 320litre one for 79euro !

http://www.norauto.fr/catalogue/transport/coffres-de-toit/coffres-de-toit/1.html

shovel

thanks for the reply parsi . just to show what kind of prices they are looking for here. halfords looking for 200euro for the bars alone. a 470 litre own brand box with 33% off is 320 euro. a 350litre own brand again with 33% off is 210 euro.

actually prices are about the same on their uk website when you convert the sterling.

in halfords roof bars are made up of three parts. all priced seperate and dependant on your car model. then you added the cost of the box.

did you find this the same in france?. the link as far as i can see does not allow you to select bars for your car model (my french is very poor)

thanks again
shovel

parsi

Bars come in a variety of styles/cost. The French stores sell bars that are a form of "one size fits all" - they look brutal but they're cheap. Norauto for example also sell "trendy" bars similar to Thule i.e. with different footpacks depending on the model but they are cheaper.

http://www.norauto.fr/catalogue/transport/barres-de-toit/2.html has their own brand bars for 50euro (you can choose the model instore) - you can't go too far wrong for that price especially if it's only for 3 weeks in the summer...

If you have a new car and if you think you'll hold on to it for a few years you could go for the manufacturers bars and then get a box when you're over there. Or you can just hold off and wait and see.

shovel

after your help i feel that i would be better off waiting until i am in france. definitely feel i am being ripped off here.

thanks again

shovel

parsi

You're welcome. Just make sure that you're height is ok for the ferry comingback i.e. that the roofbox doesn't make you go from a normal car to a high car. If you think it does you should let teh ferry company know and pay the few bob in case they get odd about it later.

shovel

thankjs for that parsi. not too sure where i stand there in regards to the ferry company(irish ferries). have booked in online with a car under 1.90 metres high. did not think about roofbox at that stage(first time on motoring holiday for 2 weeks instead of 1. wales was as far as we went).

interestingly the price was the same for a car under or over 1.90metres. but since have tried to just tell them (irish ferries) by phone that i might have a roofbox either return or just from france back. having talked to 3 different reps. got different answers as regards whether it is an amendment.but the best i can get from the reps is a note on my booking on their side. but nothing only the same booking number for me.

by the way for anyone reading this-only 10 euro between online and phone booking in this case.

regards
shovel

Rougebladez

Am going to France this year and would like to know how you got on with the ferry company as I am thinking of doing the same with regards to buying a roof box over there.

dudara

Moved to Motors

dudara

tin79

Would you try to look for a second hand one here?

I got a perfect condition Karrite including roof bars for 120 last month

Rougebladez

Where did u pick that one up?
Were the bars car specific?
its just that only certain bars will fit certain cars.

007.57

Reillys in Kilbarrack do Farad roof boxes (http://www.faradworld.com/english/) for only 199.95 and includes a set of free roof bars and fitting kit for any car. cant't get much cheaper than that. Bought one there last year for my vectra and quality was great.

was about to buy a 500 euro one from Halfords and they were gonna charge me an extra 110 squid for the bars and 30 for the fitting kit!!! 640 all together! :mad: stay away from Halfords!

You can pick up from any of |Reillys depots/stockists nationwide including the HQ in Kilbarrack, D5. there site is one of the worst sites i've ever seen (www.team.ie) but if you call them they'll sort you out. there site says they got 320L - 550L roof boxes :cool:

Top Dog

Plenty of second-hand ones on both DoneDeal and Adverts - most with bars too.

Also plenty of car-specific bars on both so you could mix & match and still save yourself money

Rougebladez

Ended up getting a Farad from motor shop in merchants quay in cork for 200 blips and that included roofbars.
The bars arent the super groovy type but do the job and the box is decent as it opens both ways....nice!

dahamsta

Rougebladez wrote: »

Ended up getting a Farad from motor shop in merchants quay in cork for 200 blips and that included roofbars.
The bars arent the super groovy type but do the job and the box is decent as it opens both ways....nice!

What's the general quality like, is it fairly strong? Which did you buy?

Thanks,
Adam

Rougebladez

I think its the farad 250 or 300 litre. Its fine and does the job. Ive seen other ones in Halfs that cost a bomb and the top of the range which are very rigid.

Ive used it in France last year and it was perfect.

Its not super rigid and so can bend a little as i discovered leaving the ferry. I reckon a rigid one would have cracked or smashed. Its light enough to put on yourself and the bars came with it.

All I need it for is to keep stuff on the roof that can be locked.

If ur lookin for a cheap does what it says on the tin roofbox then this is the thing for you.
If your lookin for something to transport assault rifles then buy a Scimitar APC.....itll cost the same.