A Suitable Case on the Boot Rack
For long journeys on the continent, and with a standard MG Rover Boot Rack, we were looking for something better than a case covered in a plastic bin liner. It is possible to purchase a purpose designed case to fit some of the boot racks available, but I felt these were too small and too expensive.
This year we have purchased a Samsonite suitcase. It has a waterproof seal on three sides, though not along the hinge side. It was in this area that it failed the 'hose' test, which probably was quite severe, since I used the full power of a concentrated jet. The seal was improved by fitting 2 strips of sponge-type draft excluder along the inner edges adjacent to the hinge.
We used this case for 2 weeks on our 2508-mile trip to Italy and the Alps with no leakages at all. Whilst we took the precaution of using plastic bags inside and spent a full day travelling through torrential rain and drizzle, the case remained 100% dry inside. It was loaded onto the boot rack with the case handle towards the front of the car, thus reducing the chance of the hinge side leaking.
I used a 'spider-web' strap plus a cloth strap to fasten it to the boot rack, and a heavy-duty wire cycle-lock though the handle and around the rack itself. For added security, I drilled a hole in two of the case's feet, allowing a second cycle lock to be fed through and around the rack.
It is not impregnable, but somebody would have to be well prepared to be able to steal it, which left us feeling quite comfortable to leave it in motorway car parks and the like.
