KAMEI Corvara 475 black metallic DuoLift roof box...

KAMEI's Corvara DuoLift boxes are the best designed and engineered boxes available. The DuoLift system uses metal lid hook-hinges (plastic hook-hinges are a weak point), and its gas-assisted struts allow the box to be opened (from either side, and to a massive 35cm wide) and closed with a smooth motion that just isn't possible with other systems. The only downside is that so much patented technology and quality doesn't come cheap, but for the sake of a extra £40 or so for a range of boxes that has a 6 year guarantee, and should last a lifetime if sensibly looked after, our recommendation is "Go for it, you won't regret paying the extra", and they're cheap compared to e.g. Thule Spirit boxes which simply aren't as good.

There's a general consensus that KAMEI, based in Wolfsburg in Germany, makes the best quality boxes on the market. Don't just take our word for it! They're a specialist box manufacturer, Quality Assured to ISO 9001, represented in over 40 countries, with numerous Best Buy awards over the years, including the Auto Express 2008 and 2009 "Best Buy" which was awarded to the medium length version of this box (the Corvara 390), the third time in a row that KAMEI has scooped this top award. And the 'Long Thin' version of this box, the Corvara 310, came out top in the German ADAC test of 8 boxes (December 2006); as well as being the most waterproof box it was, much more importantly, the only box which passed their city crash test. See test summary. Following this test KAMEI did another six months development and testing work, including further crash testing at TÜV in Munich with a 75kg load, before launching the DuoLift range.

With their innovative and intelligent designs, top quality materials and engineering, and outstanding build quality, it's no surprise that KAMEI are Original Equipment box suppliers to several major manufacturers, including Audi, Mercedes-Benz and VW. And their boxes have the longest guarantee of any manufacturer in the car rack systems sector - 6 years!

The superb Corvara range of boxes was launched earlier this year; it's KAMEI's 'flagship' range, and incorporates the best of their engineering innovations, including their new low profile "push-push" quick fitting system.

The central locking system has the benefits of central locking without the potential drawbacks. Turn the key and the lid opens wide on its gas struts, but to close it you just pull the lid until it clicks shut - no need to hold the front and back shut while simultaneously turning the key. And you can’t lock the keys in the box inadvertently because the keys can’t be withdrawn from the lock until the box is properly shut. That's clever engineering...

The box to bars fitting system is extra low profile to maximise the useable space in the box. Push all four U bolts into the guides below the box - they're held in place with special grippers so they won't fall back onto the roof - and then, placing one hand into the box, push the spring loaded tensioning arm up and down a few times - "push, push, push" - to tighten the box onto the bars. It's a one finger operation, strain free!

Some other features:

• Corvaras are made from top quality 'DUROKAM', an ABS plastic developed by KAMEI to optimise weight, stability and impact resistance. If you'd like to see samples of KAMEI's plastic, to see the colours and feel the quality, please click here. We'll post two 10cm x 10cm squares by 1st Class post, free of charge to UK addresses only (silver and metallic black). These will make very good coasters but in any event we hope that you'll appreciate the quality differences between DUROKAM and the run of the mill material that is used in most roof boxes you'll see on UK roads.
• The shape was refined after wind tunnel testing, and the whole range is TÜV and GS (security) tested and approved.
• This Duolift box opens from either the left or the right hand side, making it very easy to fix to roof bars (no stretching into the box is needed), as well as providing full choice about where you position it, depending e.g. on what else you are carrying on the roof. It has a 'black metallic' lid on a matt black base - a genuine metallic black which will look anything from a deep black to a deep silver grey depending on the light conditions. It's also available in silver-grey (cheaper).
• The DuoLift system includes patented gas struts for wide and easy opening and closing.
• There are sliding box to bar fittings at all four fitting points so there’s never a need to drill new holes if the distance between your roof bars is non standard.
• The locking mechanism uses metal components throughout, including the catches in the lid; there are 3 locks and 3 hinges.
• This box comes with fittings to accommodate both roof bars up to 44mm wide as well as Atera and Thule "T-track" aluminium aerobars. If you are using another brand of aerobars, please check the adapter links below, and order the KM52087 adapters if necessary. If your roof bars are wider than 44mm, with no "T-track" slots, you'll need to purchase adapter set KM52088, also listed below.
• See KAMEI newsletter for more information.
• There's even a smart fabric cover available separately to protect the box when it's not in use.
• 6 year guarantee.
• Weight 19kg empty, maximum load 75kg, gross loading limit 94kg, but only if 94kg is within your car roof loading limit.

ADAC, Germany's largest motoring organisation, tested 8 roof boxes in November 2006, including the KAMEI Corvara 310, the thinner version of this box. The results of their crash tests were a wake up call to the industry.

The KAMEI box passed with flying colours. It is important to note that Thule modified their fitting system after these tests, obtaining a "Gut" rating in the retest. Crash testing to ADAC standards is now an important part of roof box development for the main three roof box manufacturers, Hapro, KAMEI and Thule.

Please note that this video is 13.4MB.

Here's a video which shows a Corvara DuoLift 475 being fitted to aerobars. Note that the aerobar adapters are included.

You'll also see how the box is just pulled shut and then the key removed.

Technical Specifications at a glance:

External dimensions: 230 (l) x 75 (w) x 41 (h) cm

Internal dimensions: 218 (l) x 65 (w) 37 (h) cm

Volume: 475 litres

Weight: 19kg

Max load capacity: 75kg

Max number of skis: 7

Opens from: both sides

Type of struts: hydraulic gas struts

Opens how wide: 35cm

Fits bars up to: 42(w) x 32(d) mm*

Distance between roof bar fittings: 57 – 92cm

Guarantee: 6 years

Colour: metallic black

Useful information:

* 20mm T track adapters also included to fit most aero bars including Thule, Atera, Cruz, Whispbar and some other OEM bars. 25mm T track adapters available separately to fit some other aero bars (e.g. BMW), see below for details.

Very few customers know much about the roof box market before they visit our site. We have a lot of information about the things to think about before buying, and the “real world usefulness" of various roof box features, but you’ll be buying sight unseen, and you probably won’t have used a roof box before, so there is inevitably some luck in getting a box that you’ll be happy with.

We want to remove the risks of buying these large and often expensive items, perhaps from brands which almost every other roof box retailer doesn’t stock, and so we have a unique “90 day Exchange Scheme” for roof boxes.

This allows you to use a roof box and, with the benefit of experience, to exchange it for a new one within 90 days of invoice date. Most exchanges are from a shorter box to a longer one, or from a wider box to a narrower one.

These are the rules of the Exchange Scheme:

• You are allowed one exchange only.
• The original box must be in "as new" condition, subject only to fair wear and tear.
• The replacement box must be a different model.
• The replacement box must not be part of a package deal or be from our Bargains section.
• Roof bars are never part of the Exchange Scheme.

This is how the exchange scheme works:

• We charge in full for the replacement box, including the appropriate carriage charge and a charge for any packaging needed for the return of the original.
• We arrange the collection and pay the return carriage costs.
• When the original box arrives back here we refund you for the invoice value of the original box, but you won't get back more than the invoice value of the replacement box. In other words, if the replacement is cheaper than the original we won't be giving you "extra cash back".

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

For most UK addresses, the charge for our two to three day service is £5.50 (£9.50 for orders including a roof box) and our charge for Next Working Day deliveries is £8.50 (£12.50 for orders involving a roof box). AutoSock, and small spare parts, are charged £3.95 (1st Class post) or £5.50 (express courier, usually Next Working Day).

There are different charges for any delivery including a sea crossing, and deliveries to Skye - we will contact you with a quote on receipt of order.

Orders for Next Working Day delivery need to be received by 4.00pm.

There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays. Next Working Day orders placed on a Friday will be delivered on the Monday, Next Working Day orders placed on a Saturday will be delivered on the Tuesday.

We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver on a day and at an address which suits you. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. All courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.