Cars admin26.02.2020
A roof rack is an addition that can expand the functionality of the car. The design allows you to transport all kinds of cargo that cannot fit in the main trunk or in the cabin, for example, boats, bicycles, skis. You can buy a trailer and install a tow bar, but a roof rack is a better alternative.
Roof rack: pros and cons
There are three types of luggage systems that can be installed on Vesta:
- structure for transporting boats;
- special mounts for transporting skis, snowboards, and bicycles. On a sedan they are installed on the roof, on a station wagon - on the rear, fifth, door;
- transverse type arches installed on rails.
Due to ease of installation and low cost, the latter type is the most popular among car owners. Rails are special strips that are attached along the roof of a car. The simplicity of their design ensures ease of installation of the luggage system.
Since the Vesta manufacturer does not provide standard fastenings for roof rails on all trim levels, sometimes it is necessary to use products from third-party companies.
The structure is fixed with four rack-clamps on the doorways. This way you can avoid drilling holes for fasteners. After this, transverse arches are installed on the roof rails, on which you can place a car basket or car box.
Types of luggage racks
There are several types of luggage systems:
- special design designed for transporting boats;
- a mount for transporting skis and bicycles, in addition to the roof, can be installed on the fifth door of a station wagon;
- installation of transverse arches on car roof rails using racks.
On a note!
The presence of additional luggage on the roof significantly affects the vehicle's resistance to side winds and resistance to oncoming air flow. These factors reduce the dynamic characteristics of the Lada Vesta, and therefore increase fuel consumption.
Luggage box
The luggage box is a plastic container with a tight lid, secured to the arches. The main feature of the design is its large capacity. Manufacturers produce car boxes with a volume of up to 700 liters, but for Vesta the average volume is more suitable - no more than 450 liters. The load capacity of such a box will be approximately 50 kg. Design advantages:
- the closed case protects the cargo from the negative influence of weather conditions;
- The car box has a streamlined shape, which reduces air resistance when driving - such a trunk has virtually no effect on the dynamic characteristics of the car.
There are also significant disadvantages:
- It is permissible to transport goods only with small dimensions, since this parameter is limited by the space of the box;
- high price.
When installing the structure, you need to take into account that not only the box itself must be of high quality, but also the arches on which it is attached. Correct installation is also important. The weight of the transported cargo should not exceed the permitted maximum, otherwise there is a risk of pushing through the roof.
Trunk basket
A special basket can be installed on the transverse arches, which is a lattice with sides up to 15 cm high. Belts or ordinary ropes can be used to secure loads. You can carry luggage weighing up to 50 kg. The basket can be easily removed. Advantages of this device:
- affordable price;
- transportation of large-sized cargo is permitted.
The disadvantages include:
- lack of protection from the negative effects of the environment;
- an increase in air resistance when driving – a decrease in the dynamic characteristics and stability of the machine.
Car owners can purchase roof rails with various types of arches. The cheapest are ordinary metal arches located across the roof. You can opt for more expensive aerodynamic cross bars. They have a streamlined shape and reduce air resistance. When transporting cargo in any type of roof rack, the dynamic performance will be reduced. This means that fuel consumption will increase and stability will decrease, especially in crosswind conditions.
Installation of autobox Eurodetal Magnum 420
We put the car box over the crossbars and align it in the center.
We install the car box taking into account the open trunk lid. In the Eurodetal autoboxes of the Magnum 330, 350, 390, 420,580 series, a quick-release patented “crab” type mount is used to attach the autobox to the crossbars. The device is very convenient and allows you to secure the car box in a matter of minutes. A similar type of fastening is used in expensive car boxes in the premium segment. The “crabs” have a hole for threading tie-down straps through it, which come with the kit and are designed to secure the load.
Finally, we insert the covers into the crossbars and lock them with a key. Final check of the tightness of the crossbars and boxing.
The entire installation process took 30-40 minutes. You can easily do the entire procedure yourself if you are not able to come to our store.
How to choose a roof rack
The manufacturer equips some Vesta modifications from the factory with fasteners for the roof rack, which means the owner only has to choose racks. They are open, closed, and special for transporting bicycles and other non-standard equipment. This is the base of the Lada Vesta roof rack. Baskets and boxes are installed on it. The base must be adapted to a specific car model. There is no truly universal trunk that fits every car. When choosing arches and rails, you need to pay attention to the possibility of adjusting the distance between the crossbars.
Various types of fastening
The LADA Vesta SW Cross roof rack can be mounted using different types of fasteners. According to the type of installation, racks are divided into:
- unified (suitable for several car models);
- special (they are made for a specific vehicle).
You should be especially careful when choosing universal models, since they do not take into account the features of a particular model, so certain difficulties may arise with installing the trunk.
It is worth noting that the devices can be attached to roof rails, smooth roofs, and also mounted in standard places and gutters.
Main selection criteria
When choosing a design, pay attention to the permitted weight of the cargo being transported. When transporting luggage on the roof of a car, it is worth considering that the maximum speed cannot be higher than 130 km/h. You also need to decide what exactly will be transported. This takes into account the size of the car itself.
It is best to buy a roof rack for a specific model. Those that are considered universal are not suitable for all cars. The material from which the structure is made is also important when choosing. A reinforced roof rack is considered the most reliable, but a plastic one is also not bad if it is made of high-quality materials. Price is an equally important criterion for selecting a car rack, but it is better to focus on time-tested, well-known brands.
Installation Tips
The easiest option for installing a roof rack is to contact a specialist. But you can do this on your own - the procedure requires a minimum of skills and takes very little time. There are different ways to attach the roof rack, which will depend on the design of the product. There are mainly two methods used:
- regular;
- universal (on roof rails).
Regular installation
Most roof racks sold come with a set of necessary parts for mounting. It's convenient and practical. The racks are usually fixed with bolts. If you don’t have them, you can buy the same ones at a car accessories store. Standard installation allows you to install the trunk in 10-15 minutes with a minimum set of tools.
It is important to choose a design recommended by the manufacturer, in which case there will be no problems with installation.
Universal installation
The Lada Vesta is not equipped at the factory with special mounts for the roof rack. So-called universal structures are installed on water outlets or in doorways. This method involves some difficulties and requires much more time and effort. Universal installation involves installing roof rails.
A roof rack is convenient and practical, despite a number of disadvantages. With its help, the car can be used as efficiently as possible. When installing the structure, you should remember that the reliability of securing loads on it, as well as ensuring road safety, falls on the shoulders of car owners. Manufacturers' installation requirements should not be neglected.
Not long ago we talked about the trunk volume of the Lada Vesta SV Cross, which turned out to be very convenient and roomy. But even such a spacious trunk is not enough for everyone. When you need to transport some long cargo, but it physically won’t fit into the cabin, then the Lada Vesta SV Cross roof rack comes to the rescue. Although the new product of the domestic automobile industry has recently appeared on sale, accessories for it appeared almost immediately. You can already easily buy an armrest, floor mats and trunk mats, mud flaps and much more.
Original roof rack Lada Vesta SV Cross
The original Lada Vesta Cross roof rack can be found on the official website LADA.ru in the accessories section.
In our case, we have only one option with article number 99999218107182. This type of luggage rack is intended for Lada Vesta SV Cross cars with roof rails. The rack bars are made from anodized aluminum, making the rack lightweight, durable and corrosion resistant. The kit contains everything needed for installation, so there is no need to purchase additional parts. In addition, the trunk arches are made specially streamlined to eliminate additional resistance to the oncoming air flow, and therefore reduce noise in the cabin.
Features of the original trunk
First of all, we need to talk about the accessory that the car manufacturer itself produces. To buy such an element, you need to visit the Lada company website. Product code – 99999218107182. This device is suitable for cars with roof rails installed.
Anodized aluminum was used to produce the crossbars, as a result of which the device is distinguished by its lightness, strength and increased resistance to rust. The kit already includes everything you need for installation, so there is no need to look for additional fasteners. Due to the increased streamlining of the arcs, the car's dynamics do not suffer, and additional sounds do not penetrate into the cabin.
How to buy a cheaper roof rack for Lada Vesta Cross?
Everyone understands perfectly well that spare parts and accessories from dealers are always sold at an inflated price. In order to save, it is enough to order this part in a simple store. For example, let's go to the website Autolife42.ru and find offers for the article from the official website LADA.RU:
Right from the first offer, we see that you can immediately save more than 1000 rubles by simply ordering a part from a third-party site. The price for the trunk in this case is 7,150 rubles.
But this is not the limit. You must understand that AvtoVAZ does not produce spare parts for its cars. This is usually done by third party organizations that specialize in the production of concrete parts. I once came across roof racks from the Atlant company. We go to their website and find a trunk for Vesta Cross NE. We need this in order to calculate the article. It looks like 7002+8827+7228. This is not one trunk article, but three different ones. We search them on the same site and this is what we see:
All together it turns out to be 4975 rubles. Not a bad saving, eh.
How can you save money?
At the same time, prices from official dealers are very high. To save money, you should visit the website of your favorite online store and then check the availability of the required product. Don’t be lazy to look, because often the savings can be quite serious (1000 rubles or more). In addition, you can find the website of a company that produces such accessories (after all, AvtoVAZ itself does not make luggage racks, but only sells them). Thus, you can save an additional 1.5-2 thousand. Quite good, just needs a little effort.
True, you should not buy goods from unverified sellers, because there is a high probability of running into a fake. It is better to trust reliable suppliers, so you can get the highest quality product for an affordable amount.
What other roof racks can be installed for Vesta?
In addition to the usual arches, which we described above, other types of racks can be installed on the Vesta SV Cross. For example, there are autobox type roof racks on sale. This is a good sealed aerodynamic box in which you can transport various things. This box is very convenient for traveling by car, when you need to transport a large number of things, and space in the cabin is limited.
If you are a fan of skiing or snowboarding, then it is not always possible to transport them in the cabin of your car. For such needs, you can use a special roof rack for the Lada Vesta SV Cross.
There is also a rack for transporting bicycles. And for fishing enthusiasts there is a design for transporting small boats.
Pros and cons of the roof rack Lada Vesta SV Cross
The roof rack undoubtedly has its advantages, such as greater capacity and no need to transport bulky items in the cabin. Basically, it's just convenient and practical.
But along with the advantages, the roof rack of the Lada Vesta SV Cross also has disadvantages. First, you need to lift the load up. Secondly, you must be careful when unloading and loading, as you can scratch the car’s paintwork. Thirdly, when driving at high speeds, increased background noise occurs.
