Buy roof racks – for transporting luggage on the roof of the vehicle
The most important utensil for transporting luggage or bicycles on the roof of a vehicle is without doubt the roof rack. Whether a bicycle carrier or a roof box should be fitted on the vehicle - there is no chance without a roof rack. So those who have already planned the next holiday, but have no space in the car, can find out here in our clear guide about everything to do with the versatile carrier and use our finder to select the suitable product for their vehicle quickly and easily.
As a specialist with over 20 years of experience, we place great value on high-quality products: from roof rail carriers to universal roof racks, you can buy roof racks for almost any vehicle roof here. You don't know if the roof rack you are planning to buy fits on your vehicle?
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Product recommendations
Roof Rack G3 Clop infinity 77 cm - 115 cm
Load: 75 kg, Roof type: depending on model, Form: Steel Pipe, Colour: black, Nr. of roof racks: 2
Roof Rack G3 Clop infinity alu 77 cm - 115 cm
Load: 100 kg, Roof type: with open roof rail, Form: Aluminium profile (classical), Colour: Silver, Number of roof racks: 2
Roof Rack Thule SmartRack XT 118 cm
Load: 100 kg, Roof type: for vehicles with open roof rails, Form: 4 sided profile, Colour: black, Nr. of roof racks: 2
Roof Rack Thule SmartRack XT 135 cm
Load: 100 kg, Roof type: for vehicles with open roof rails, Form: Aluminium profile (classical), Colour: silver, Nr. of roof racks: 2
Roof rack online purchase advice
- What do I need a roof rack for: the basic module for transporting loads on the roof
- Roof racks from Thule, Menabo and G3
- Roof rack selection: which rack fits on my car?
- Vehicle roof types: roof rails, normal roof and the rest
- Universal roof rack – suitable for almost any vehicle
- Roof rack fastening with roof rails: the roof rail carrier
- Roof rack made of steel or aluminum – advantages and disadvantages
- Checklist – what should I pay attention to before buying a roof rack?
- Roof rack accessories: from cover strips to padlocks
- Select roof rack for your vehicle now
1. What do I need a roof rack for: the basic module for transporting loads on the roof
Roof racks, also called base carriers, are suitable for creating additional storage space for bulky objects. The car roof rack itself does not carry any luggage – in addition to the space in the car boot, this add-on part can be used to carry transport devices such as roof boxes, bicycle carriers or ski racks on the roof of the vehicle. The car luggage rack is thus particularly suitable for families who want to go on holiday. The extra storage space on the roof of the car leaves more room inside the vehicle, which is gladly made use of by the children in the back seat.
When taking the annual bicycle or ski holiday, all the other passengers naturally also enjoy more leg room. Do you want to transport a canoe or a kayak on the car roof? Then you need special canoe or kayak carriers for fitting on the roof. Some people are uncomfortable with driving with a trailer or they do not have a licence for towing one, but how else should the load be transported? With a combination of roof rack and roof box, driving with a trailer can be neatly avoided.
Note
The roof rack alone cannot transport a bicycle. You also need a roof rack for a bicycle carrier!
2. Roof racks from Thule, F. llI Menabo and G3
Before buying a roof rack you want to get the best possible information: which roof rack is the right one? Which roof rack manufacturer offers the best value for money? To make your search for the perfect roof rack easier, you can buy roof racks from well-known manufacturers at Rameder. The selection of precisely these three manufacturers is based on our many years of experience in the industry.
- The Thule roof racks from Malmö, Sweden, offer robust and extremely weather-resistant roof bars with their classic "WingBar".
- Roof racks from F.lli Menabo have an Italian design with the focus on aerodynamics.
- Roof racks from G3: Classic and modern roof racks with the best price-performance ratio.
Tip
We recommend you look for a car roof rack using our roof rack finder.
3. Roof rack selection: which rack fits on my car?
If you want to buy a roof rack, you should first inspect your vehicle roof. Depending on the vehicle model you own, the choice of suitable base carriers is limited. Not every roof rack fits on every car. The choice of the right roof rack is determined by the vehicle roof type. In our roof rack finder you can find the roof rack that matches your vehicle in just a few clicks of the mouse by entering the vehicle registration or by entering the manufacturer, model and engine.
We recommend that you keep to the following checklist or ask yourself the following questions before buying a roof rack:
- Do you have open, closed or no roof rails at all?
- What do the attachment points on my vehicle roof look like if there are no roof rails?
- Does the roof have a rain channel, a normal roof, a "T-slot profile" or a fixed point fastening?
4. Vehicle roof types: roof rails, normal roof and the rest
The choice of roof rack as well as the type of fastening depends on the respective vehicle roof: closed rails and open roof rails are the most common. Of course, there are also other fastening options:
open roof rails
e.g. Dacia Duster, Skoda Octavia
closed roof rails
e.g. Hyundai Santa Fe
Fixed point fastening
e.g. VW Caddy III
Rain channel
e.g. Jeep Wrangler 3 DR
normal roof
e.g. Audi A1 / Honda Civic VIII
T-slot profile
e.g. Porsche Cayenne (955)
Tip
- Differences between the types of roof rails are mainly of a purely visual nature.
- The open roof rails are usually more practical, as the fastening options are much wider and more flexible.
- A roof rack can be easily retrofitted for many different types of vehicles and manufacturers.
What is meant by a T-slot rail?
A T-slot rail is the groove that is present in the roof rack rail. These are mainly found on roof racks with aluminium rail profiles. With the help of T-slot adapters you can fasten roof boxes or roof bike carriers even more securely.
The thickness of the roof rack profile (formerly bar thickness) – what is that?
When talking about thickness in connection with a roof rack profile, then this means the cross-sectional dimensions of the crossbeam. The picture on the right shows a roof rack with a T-slot aluminium rail profile and a roof rack profile of 80x35 mm.
5. Universal roof rack – suitable for almost any vehicle
Universal roof racks are characterised by the fact that they are compatible with almost any vehicle. Nevertheless, a universal roof rack for closed rails will not fit on open rails, for example. For many people, using the roof rack universally makes it easier to choose the right type.
6. Roof rack fastenings
Fastening on rail supports
You want to fasten the rail supports or the roof rack to the rails? Then make sure that the support feet initially rest loosely on the rails. Only once you have placed the load carrier in the middle and the weight is optimally distributed over the vehicle pillars, should you tighten the feet. The grips and the caps are then fitted at the designated places and the correct fit of the roof rack is checked by the plastic strip with dimensional information (ruler).
Fastening without rails
Fastening the roof rack without rails must make do without fixing points on the surface of the roof. But that is no problem: this roof rack system rests on the vehicle roof with paintwork-friendly, rubberised support feet and is anchored in the door opening with a retaining claw. The feet for the load carrier can be purchased separately. When assembling the roof rack, make sure that the support feet and brackets snap into place – there should be an audible noise. However, some models are already pre-assembled on the crossbars.
7. Roof rack made of steel or aluminum – advantages and disadvantages
The advantages of the individual materials are small. The biggest difference between a roof rack made of steel or aluminum is probably the dimensions and the associated range of applications. Tubular steel profiles are generally designed as square tubing and with a cross section of approx. 32 x 22 mm are suitable for (almost) all roof fittings. They are galvanised and plastic-coated, so rust is not an issue here. Moreover, steel is extremely robust due to its strength. However, steel has the disadvantage or rather aluminum profiles have the advantage that they weigh less. The lower weight is naturally reflected, albeit minimally, in the lower fuel consumption.
Aerodynamics, appearance and assembly
Anyone who attaches importance to a nice vehicle appearance will naturally only opt for the aluminum profile. With this profile, not only does the modern design come to the fore, but the aerodynamics are also impressive and produce very good results in the wind tunnel with corresponding potential savings in fuel consumption compared to tubular steel roof bars with a square profile. These reasons speak for themselves and justify the somewhat higher purchase price compared to standard steel roof bars. For assembly on the vehicle roof, the choice of roof rack shape or profile is irrelevant, as the feet of the supports are identical.
Note on the usable area!
In the case of tubular steel bars, this is only within the support feet. Attachments such as brackets or clamps must not be attached outside the support feet! Whereas with aluminum profile rails using the T-slot with T-slot adapters, the entire width of the carrier rail can be used for fastening purposes.
8. Checklist – what should I pay attention to before buying a roof rack?
Roof rack shape
Once you have determined the correct fastening option of a roof rack for your vehicle, you should pay attention to the roof rack/bar shape. Here we differentiate between tubular steel and aluminium rail profiles. The tubular steel profile is a square profile and the aluminium rail profile is usually a flattened version with a "T-slot".
Properties and material
QUESTION: Do you attach more importance to robustness and a reasonable purchase price?
ANSWER: We recommend a steel roof rack.
QUESTION: Do you attach more importance to aerodynamics, air resistance and low driving noise?
ANSWER: We recommend an aluminium roof rack.
The more often an aluminum roof rack is used, the more the higher purchase price compared to a steel roof rack is compensated by its aerodynamic and fuel-saving properties.
Roof rack profile thickness
The thickness of the roof rack profile is also an important factor for the planned use. Therefore, please check beforehand for which dimensions (cross-section) your additional transport system is suitable. The respective permissible dimensions (cross-section) of the roof rack profile can be found in the data sheet of the roof box.
GS mark
Before you buy a car roof rack, you should check whether the rack in question has a GS mark. The GS seal (certified safety) stands for compliance with quality and safety standards. So if you attach great importance to safety, the roof rack should be marked with the GS logo.
Roof rack lock
Some car roof racks can be locked. The roof rack lock acts as an anti-theft device and can be attached to the crossbars. However, this accessory cannot be attached to every base carrier. So if you attach great importance to security, then you should buy a lockable roof rack.
Note
Not every roof box or roof bike carrier can be fitted with all roof rack profile thicknesses.
9. Roof rack accessories: from cover strips to padlocks
A roof rack can be equipped with various roof rack accessories.
These accessories are very popular with customers:
- Lock set
- Ski rack attachment
- Tensioning strap
- Load stops
- Roof basket.
10. Select roof rack for your vehicle now
When you buy a new roof rack you can't go far wrong. After reading our guide, you will be well prepared for the purchase of a roof rack and the matching accessories. To be able to offer you the right roof rack for your vehicle, we have developed this vehicle finder. Simply select your vehicle manufacturer in the first step.
Vehicle manufacturer overview