On Lada Vesta station wagon SW and SW Cross cars, standard integrated roof rails are installed from the factory; most often they serve as a decorative element and improve the appearance of the car. However, roof rails also have other, more practical functionality. You can install an additional trunk on them and transport things in it that do not fit in the main one. The luggage rack is installed not on the roof rails themselves, but on the arches that are attached to them. Therefore, if you want to install a roof rack on the Lada Vesta station wagon, the first thing you will have to do is acquire arches and their fastenings.
To bet or not, pros and cons
The need for additional trunk space is difficult to argue with. The internal volume of the car body is divided into several compartments - the engine, the interior, and for things. The first two are among the main ones (for sedans, hatchbacks and liftbacks).
Everything that remains inside is allocated for the trunk. Often this is very little. For example, you have to transport skis, sofas, pipes, bicycles and other large equipment. How to place them in a car?
Various devices that are not included in the standard equipment of the vast majority of car brands come to the rescue. They are installed on the roof of the car - the least used part of the body. But, when installing a trunk, of any design, it is necessary to take into account that the behavior of the car on the road changes.
The most common consequences of installing a trunk:
- increase in air resistance;
- noise at high speeds (from 80 km/h);
- change in car behavior when cornering;
- increase in braking distance;
- “sagging” of the car on the front axle during sudden braking.
For many drivers who support smooth driving at acceptable speeds, these features are not very noticeable, except for a slightly increased fuel consumption. And for fans of high-speed aggressive driving, changes in the behavior of the car must be taken into account.
To decide whether a trunk is needed or not, it is necessary to analyze in what mode the car will be used.
If you need a car for trips to the country, tourist routes to the seas and mountains, transporting goods for sale, or shopping for the household, a trunk is simply necessary. And to operate the car as a personal vehicle for work trips, or for sporting purposes, a trunk is not required.
Recommendations
We can outline several tips for Lada Vesta owners planning to buy and install roof rails:
— do not forget about the maximum permissible load on the roof of the car;
— remember about possible discomfort in the cabin due to noise;
— before purchasing, check with a consultant regarding the accessory’s resistance to temperature changes, ultraviolet radiation and precipitation;
— if bicycles or other large loads are transported, be sure to measure the height of the car with them. In order to avoid consequences when entering tunnels, covered parking lots, garages, etc.;
Carrying a bicycle on the roof forces you to constantly remember its height.
— from time to time you will have to stop along the way to inspect the strength of the load.
Types of roof racks
After making sure that you need a trunk on your car, you need to choose the type of design. Manufacturers of automobile accessories offer several options that differ in the method of fastening, ease of use, load capacity and aesthetic appearance.
When choosing a trunk, also take into account the specific design - some types are designed to transport only a certain category of cargo - folding ladders, boats, bicycles, skis, etc.
For the Lada Vesta car, the designers have provided three types of roof rack systems:
- boat design;
- cross bars on the roof rails;
- special mounts for snowboards, bicycles and skis.
These are relatively few options for installation, but given the fact that roof rails are included in the list, Vesta can transport almost all types of cargo.
For general information, here is a list of all luggage rack options used by car designers. This:
- trunk with fastening to the drain along the body;
- with fixation on the doorway;
- with installation in special places closed with plugs;
- integrated (internal) roof rails;
- T-shaped profile (typical for SUVs and minibuses);
- on magnets;
- belts across the cabin.
The manufacturer of the Lada Vesta quite rationally chose the most popular and safe types of luggage racks, which are suitable for 90% of owners of cars of this brand.
Railings - terminology
Rails are special arches that are designed to secure cargo on the roof of a car. Now they are divided into 2 large categories:
- Longitudinal are elements installed on minivans, crossovers, SUVs and station wagons. The latter will include the Lada Vesta car.
- Transverse - this type of roof rails is suitable for any other type of body.
Longitudinal type roof rails
The differences between them are that the longitudinal components can be installed separately on the roof of the Lada Vesta station wagon in special places that will be covered with plugs (provided there are no factory roof rails, of course). Regarding the transverse roof rails, it will be possible to install on the Lada Vesta those belonging to 2 types:
- Specialized are components designed specifically for Lada Vesta;
- Universal – such roof rails are suitable for different models and are fixed in standard places or on the sidewalls.
Cross type roof rails.
Regarding the material of manufacture, metal-plastic, aluminum or steel are usually used for this.
How not to make a mistake when choosing a luggage rack
It is necessary to choose a trunk taking into account the make and model of the car. Regarding the Lada Vesta, which has several modifications, you need to know that the Vesta SW and SW Cross models are equipped with original roof rails.
On sedans, even in the Vesta Cross and Sport versions, roof rails are not provided. That is, the most convenient and reliable method of installing transverse bars is excluded for other models.
If you have a model with standard roof rails, then you can attach car boxes with a volume of 350 - 700 liters, a cargo basket, and holders for skis and bicycles to the crossbars.
The total weight of the cargo must not exceed 75 kg. The limit is set by the manufacturers, which is related to the stability of the body and safety of operation.
When transporting large cargo, it is necessary to take into account the effect of the height of the package on the location of the center of mass of the vehicle. If the box or box rises more than 1 meter above the roof, you need to be very careful when turning.
But owners of other modifications of Vesta should not despair - there are excellent roof racks for fixing them on a smooth roof, typical of sedans. These are luggage racks with fixation in the doorway. Specially designed roof systems of the following brands are suitable for sedans:
- LUX Air Aero;
- Atlant;
- LUX Standard;
- LUX Travel 82.
For owners of cars with a station wagon body equipped with an integrated roof rail, transverse bars on racks are suitable. This is an almost universal type of fastening, allowing you to transport a wide range of goods, the weight of which should not exceed the established norm of 75 kg.
Among the best models of luggage racks for a station wagon
- Thule Wingbar 753;
- Menabo Lince;
- Inter Aerostar R-54;
- Erkul Wingcarrier V2;
- Atlant brand designs
The arches of these models are made in an aerodynamic profile, which reduces air resistance when moving at all permissible speeds. The effect is felt both when loaded and without luggage.
Advantages and disadvantages of roof rails
For Lada Vesta owners, their car equipped with such a device will have a number of advantages, since the possibilities of transporting belongings will expand significantly, which is especially important in relation to large but light loads. It is the roof rails that will make it possible in the future to fix not only car boxes on them, but also skis, inflatable boats, snowboards, bicycles, baskets, etc.
Carrying a snowboard on the roof will save a lot of useful space in the trunk.
In general, the purchase of roof rails will significantly increase the usable volume of the luggage compartment, but they also have certain disadvantages. This is an increase in background noise due to the whistling wind, an increase in Vesta's windage, which affects handling, the need to lift luggage quite high, an increase in the sedan's appetite (by about 7%), as well as the inability to transport a number of cargo during rain or snow.
Background noise is one of the main problems with this type of fastener.
How to attach and remove the trunk
The mounting method depends on the type of car roof. When purchasing an outdoor luggage system, be sure to check how it is installed.
If there are no roof rails, then some models will not fit. Most luggage rack models are not interchangeable. Please read the instructions carefully before purchasing.
Typical installation instructions look like this:
- Check the complete set of the arc. These are racks, couplers, bolts, adapters for the body configuration. Check the details with the picture.
- Install the racks in the doorways (if there are no roof rails) and securely fix them with bolts.
- Install the crossbars.
- Tighten all bolts to the required torque;
- Install caps and other decorative elements.
When mounted on rails, the action scheme differs slightly. The main thing is that when tightening the bolts securing the struts, there is no play left. But it’s also not recommended to overdo it - it’s very easy to break the thread.
Article numbers of arches and supports for attaching to integrated rails
- ED2-012F - set of supports (consists of 4 pieces) for attaching to roof rails - approximate price 1,700 rubles
- ED2-012F ED7 225S - rectangular arches - 2300 rubles
- ED2-012F ED7 010A - aerodynamic, rounded - 3300 rubles
- LX-848435 - pterygoid - 5500 rubles
Above are the article numbers for the Eurodetal trunk mounts for integrated roof rails. Of course, there are other manufacturers, but almost all of them have the same fastening design.
There are three types of arches on which the trunk will be installed directly: rectangular, aerodynamic and wing-shaped. In most cases, they differ in appearance, method of execution and fastening. Any of them will be suitable for the Lada Vesta St, so the choice is yours.
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, huh???
