Trip to Ikea

popa smurf

Thinking of taking a trip to ikea have a mazda 5 so good bit of room in back all seats down but would I be mad to get a roof rack and load some flat packs on there. Wouldn't like to loose my load on M 50 safe option would be rent a van for a day. Anyone any experience with roofracks and flatpacked furniture

conzy

In my experience roof racks are for bulky light objects like sleeping bags and tents and maybe one or two suitcases. Unless you had a roof box that was incredibly sturdy and well secured to the car I wouldn't go putting 100kg of flat pack furniture in one.

Seve OB

conzy wrote: »

In my experience roof racks are for bulky light objects like sleeping bags and tents and maybe one or two suitcases. Unless you had a roof box that was incredibly sturdy and well secured to the car I wouldn't go putting 100kg of flat pack furniture in one.

said a roof rack.... not a roof box!!!!



OP. I've done it with heavy flat pack stuff not even in boxes. You'll be fine. Just make sure you have proper straps for tying it down. Don't drive to fast. And get out and check it every so often to make sure the straps haven't come loose.

Oh yea, I always got with the motto, "if I think I have enough straps on, I'll stick another one or 2 on to be sure to be sure"

popa smurf

Thanks guys for reply I think I will chance it on a sunday morning M 50 will be quite

iano.p

Done this loads of times with kitchen presses coming down the m50 and m7. Keep the speed slow 90kph worked for me. Just get good straps and check the load every now and again.

CiniO

popa smurf wrote: »

Thanks guys for reply I think I will chance it on a sunday morning M 50 will be quite

You can not be taking chances.

You either load and strap it properly into your roof rack that you will be sure it won't come off even at 160km/h, or don't put it on a roof at all.

Amount of traffic is completely irrelevant.

colm_mcm

If you're getting a heap of stuff, it's often a better idea to get it delivered rather than rent a van.

Cerco

Aldi have ratchet tie down straps on special at the moment.

Odyssey 2005

Can't believe your going to Ikea on a SUNDAY .Place will be like a kindergarten and an old folks home...

MarkAnthony

When I die and go to hell I'm going to find myself in Ikea on a weekend.

OP as for the plan even Ikea recommend it!

TrailerBob

CiniO wrote: »

You can not be taking chances.

You either load and strap it properly into your roof rack that you will be sure it won't come off even at 160km/h, or don't put it on a roof at all.

Amount of traffic is completely irrelevant.

While I generally agree with the sentiment of the post, wind resistance is a huge factor in roof loads, and the idea of securing something for those kind of speeds is a bit ott. I have found that materials behave differently once you pass 60mph or 100kmh, and they often deform, or try to lift with massively more force. Keep the speed low is the key.

Proper ratchet straps, used correctly will be plenty adequate for flat pack stuff. Brought two wardrobes and a headboard on the roof of a passat from Cardiff way back before Ikea were here.

josip

How did you get on OP?

Back in the day when the only Ikea on this island was in Belfast we went and bought a double mattress.
We had roof bars on the Octy at the time.
Tied the mattress on securely and headed back to Dublin around 9pm.
We knew that we wouldn't be able to do 120 but as long as we could do at least 60 I felt ok to drive on the motorway back. It turned out that about 67 was the most we could do before the front of the mattress would start to flex upwards from the wind.
And so began the long journey south.
We overtook one of those JCB Fasttracs with an empty long trailer on the A1.
We were doing 65/66. It was flat out doing 64/65.
I could have grown a beard in the length of time it took to overtake them.
Further south on the M1, still doing around 65, we were overtaken by a car with Ikea flat packs on the roof. Because their load didn't flex although it was higher, they were comfortable doing around 75 I reckon.
They gave us a wave. We gave them a wave back. Like-minded souls on the M1 at 11pm on a Saturday.
The thing I remember was that they had a new car with a KY reg.
So we still made it home well before them.

MarkAnthony

josip wrote: »

How did you get on OP?

Back in the day when the only Ikea on this island was in Belfast we went and bought a double mattress.
We had roof bars on the Octy at the time.
Tied the mattress on securely and headed back to Dublin around 9pm.
We knew that we wouldn't be able to do 120 but as long as we could do at least 60 I felt ok to drive on the motorway back. It turned out that about 67 was the most we could do before the front of the mattress would start to flex upwards from the wind.
And so began the long journey south.
We overtook one of those JCB Fasttracs with an empty long trailer on the A1.
We were doing 65/66. It was flat out doing 64/65.
I could have grown a beard in the length of time it took to overtake them.
Further south on the M1, still doing around 65, we were overtaken by a car with Ikea flat packs on the roof. Because their load didn't flex although it was higher, they were comfortable doing around 75 I reckon.
They gave us a wave. We gave them a wave back. Like-minded souls on the M1 at 11pm on a Saturday.
The thing I remember was that they had a new car with a KY reg.
So we still made it home well before them.

Middle lane all the way then? :pac: