The end of the year is the time when families are busy planning their summer holidays, working out how much essential luggage can be fitted into the car and still leave room for the family!
Thule, the Swedish manufacturer of premium vehicle accessories, has a huge range of solutions to deal with any cargo-carrying requirements, be it for luggage, bicycles, sports equipment or pets, in the safest and most secure way possible.
The use of a rooftop cargo carrier allows motorists to easily add an additional 610 litres of packing space to most vehicles sold in South Africa. The required roof bars also allow for the carrying of other items such as canoes or bicycles up top and alongside the rooftop cargo carrier. Thule’s rooftop cargo carriers range in size from 360 to 610 litres and are lockable both onto the roof bars while also featuring lockable lids for safe transportation of luggage.
How much is 610 litres? Well, the boot of the average-sized family vehicle is around 350 litres, so Thule’s rooftop cargo carriers allow you to more than double the luggage carrying capacity of your car.
Rooftop cargo carriers are also great for large-volume items that would otherwise occupy most of the boot space, such as strollers, golf clubs and diving gear.
Using a rooftop cargo carrier allows motorists to expand their cargo-carrying ability while freeing up the towbar for other duties such as towing a caravan or the fitting of a towbar-mounted bicycle carrier.
In addition to maximising usefulness, Thule’s designers have also focused on aerodynamics which delivers rooftop cargo carriers that minimise wind resistance and ensure a fuel-efficient journey.
Thule are well known for its bicycle carrying solutions and this range includes roof, boot, load bin and tow bar mounted bicycle carrying solutions. Thule’s bicycle carriers are designed to safely and securely carry bicycles while eliminating any chance of damage to bicycles or vehicles.
Towbar-mounted bicycle carriers are a great option as they are easy to load and allow you to keep an eye on your bicycle via the rear-view mirror.
The Thule Epos is the Swedish brand’s latest towbar-mounted offering and is designed to ensure the maximum safety of all types of bikes while being easy to use in all areas of operation.
The biggest innovation of the Epos is the way in which bikes are attached to the carrier. Instead of a claw-style holder attached to an integrated rear frame, the Epos utilises an innovative telescopic bike attachment system. Patented telescopic arms with a pivoting cradle, along with steel reinforced straps mounted to the base of the rack can be adjusted to allow for simple attachment anywhere on the frame or rear wheel, offering numerous attachment options. This eliminates the need to thread attachments through frames of the bicycles loaded alongside and allows up to three bikes to be loaded in any order, eliminating the need for last on first off. All types of frames and geometries are supported including e-bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes and even bikes fitted with fenders or racks. A generous 25cm distance between the bikes reduces the risk of bike-to-bike contact.
A load capacity of 30kg per bike as well as extra-long wheel holders, enables the easy transportation of bikes with slacker head angles, chunkier tyres and longer wheelbases up to 1350mm. Even the ratcheting pump buckles have been redesigned for easier fastening of tyres up to 50mm.
Transport pets safely with the Thule Allax
Thule recently launched their range of Allax dog crates in South Africa, allowing dog owners to travel with their canine family members safely and securely inside the vehicle.
This innovative dog-carrying solution prioritises safety and comfort. Extensive crash testing resulted in the incorporation of an innovative crumple zone that provides superior protection for both passengers and the occupants of the crate.
The Allax boasts several innovative features including rounded edges that ensure a perfect fit for both the car and the dog as well as adjustability, a gas strut, a lockable door and a window for improved visibility of the outside world from the safety of the crate.
The Thule Allax is the perfect way to travel safely, easily and conveniently with your dog and is available in ten different sizes.
The Thule Caprock is a platform for adventure
The Thule Caprock is a platform-style roof rack designed for use on larger off-road vehicles by creating a foundation for everyday work or leisure adventures and offers a modular design that supports a variety of gear and mounting types, supplied by Thule or third-party suppliers while being easy to load and unload.
All of Thule’s vehicle-mounted products are backed by a five-year warranty, but Thule also understands that products can get damaged through wear and tear or loss of small items and parts.
Thule South Africa carries a wide variety of spare parts to ensure that products sold remain safe, and functional and operate as they were designed for many years both through their warranty programme and to purchase. This offering includes items such as keys, locks, a wide variety of rubber parts, straps, knobs, and attachments as well as clamps, nuts and bolts of various sizes, which ensures sustainability and value for money by facilitating an extremely long product lifespan.
Make your holiday journey as safe and enjoyable as possible for the whole family this year with Thule.
