Trailer Or Roof Box – What’s Best For You?

With the summer break and the good weather, it’s likely that most families will be hitting the road very soon. For those who are driving to their chosen destination, you can be certain that the holiday prep will need a lot of thought regarding how to store everything you need. Indeed, while it is easy to plan a getaway break as a couple, it becomes a proper logistical nightmare once you add children to the equation. Babies and young children especially do require plenty of room to take all the necessary equipment, ranging from the indispensable buggy to the baby food gear, without mentioning the clothes. Older children and teenagers may need to pack less – hopefully – but the room you’ve got in the trunk is not infinite nevertheless. So trailer or roof box: what’s the best way to deal with extra load and how should you adapt your driving?

Holiday luggage

The Trailer Is Great For Heavy Loads

A trailer is generally the best solution for heavy towing heavy loads. You can tow up to 3.5 tonnes with a pick-up truck but you should be able to tow similar loads with most family cars too – which is good news because there’s no way you can drive on a family holiday in a pick-up. Pick-up trucks, though, offer a safety advantage to the towing business as you can use a gooseneck hitch kit from the truck bed. You might have come across it if you’ve followed heavy campers on the road, as they often choose a trailer to carry the camping equipment while the trailer is used for the additional sports gear, such as pulling a small boat or a bike. Any other holidaymaker, though, tends to prefer the estate car with a trailer for long distance trip, when they travel with a family.

Fiat with a trailer

Driving With A Trailer

Driving with a trailer can be tricky if you’ve never used a trailer before. Indeed, it is important that you secure the trailer to your car and to attach the lights to the wiring harness. This will allow the lights from the trailer to react to your commands. Secure the load with a trailer roof to make sure that everything is safe. Driving with a trailer requires you to drive slowly, no more than 60 mph, so that you can brake on time. Additionally, you need to be very aware of the length of your vehicle, to park and also to take curves, as the trailer will have a different turning radius. You also need to be prepared to refuel more often along the way.

The Roof Box Is Good For Extra Luggage

Roof boxes are great to add the extra luggage and to keep small and medium-sized sports gear for outdoors enthusiasts. They have changed a lot over the past few years and have developed into becoming a sleek and stylish car equipment. The Thule Motion XT Cargo, for instance, is aerodynamic and very stylish – it will look good on your sexy BMX – but it is also very functional with both top and side openings for easy access. If you prefer a more sporty approach, you can try a roof rack basket with LED lights, which is ideal to keep your camping gear. It’s a great addition for holidaymakers who like to explore the countryside, but it’s not best-suited for a family holiday.

Roof box

Driving With A Roof Box

Driving with a roof box in comparison to towing a trailer is a lot easier. However, you will not be able to put as much in as you would in a trailer. It is essential to load the roof box properly, and to secure all heavy items with straps so that they can’t move. Make sure that you don’t exceed the roof load capacity – you can find it in the manuals of your car. Make sure to weigh your luggage, but also your roof bars and roof box so that you can find out the whole roof load. When it comes to the driving experience, your car will have more wind resistance, and consequently, you need to be cautious of cross winds. You need to take the new height of the car into account, especially for low bridges and tunnels.

What To Choose?

The trailer and the roof box offer different advantages and inconveniences. Indeed, with a trailer, you can definitely tow a heavier load and bring more items with you. However, it is less fuel-efficient, and it presents a less enjoyable driving experience, A roof box in comparison doesn’t change your driving experience much but offers less room for your additional items. If you find yourself wondering about a small roof box, you may want to consider a simple option first. Maybe you simply need a bigger car.