Different car models in the country have a small box fixed on their rooftops. The box is common in Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) reserved for road trips and other distance travels.
They are universally known as roof boxes, luggage boxes, top boxes or roof pods. Roof boxes are box-like structures built on cars.
However others are bought and fixed professionally by different auto-experts following approvals by different relevant bodies such as National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) in case of large scale modifications.
Roof boxes were specially designed to enable motorists carry more luggage. They were introduced to help long distance drivers save on the cost of booking another car for luggage.
To enable the roof boxes serve their purpose efficiently, car manufacturers designed them to be lockable and waterproofs.
"This ensures that they can handle extreme weather conditions without getting damaged, so you’ll never have to worry about your items being destroyed because of exposure to rain or snow. Since it’s impossible to control the weather, this is a huge advantage of roof boxes over other car cargo solutions such as roof racks," Pure Travel explained.
Roof pods do not require ropes or tarps to load the luggage securely, unlike in matatus and other vehicles.
They are rigid and stronger compared to plastic boxes. Despite being an utility part for long distance cars, car enthusiasts and manufacturers prefer making small boxes to avoid affecting driving experience.
Roof boxes are streamlined (built in V shape) to provide minimal resistance to air due to friction drag.
Before entering Kenyan market, roof boxes were used in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, UK and the US to carry bulky objects like luggage, carriers, containers, skis, canoes, bicycles.
"The shape of the roof boxes is aerodynamic which contributes to cutting through the air. It helps in reducing the drag which vehicles might face while on road," a car expert explained.
It was also introduced to help curb cases of car's breaking ins and theft, which had surged in different parts of the world.
However, new SUV models have carriers which can be fitted with roof boxes separately.
