Taking the Fabia Estate on Holiday to France soon - well it is a great little car so thought it deserved one!

Got a roofbox fitted but would also like to take the kids bikes. It is a pretty big roofbox so there is no room for roof mounted carriers. Was looking at rear mounted carriers but they all seem to need a lighting board. Has anyone installed one on the Fabia, is it an easy job or did you get an auto electrician to do it. If so how much.

Also interested on experiences withmrear mounted carrriers.

I bought one from Halfords a few years back - about £60 ish. It holds 3 bikes with a combined weight not exceeding 45Kg.

Pros

- don't need lighting board (I've never actually looked to see if lights are obscured though!)

- fairly easy to fit / remove

- small enough to chuck on back seats of Fabia if you're worried about security or you can by a securing kit

Con's

- difficult to avoid scratches when fitting to car and putting the bikes on

- blocks the rear wiper arm

- once it's on then you cant get into the boot

My new car's got a towbar so I'm planning to get a ball mounted rack which will eliminate the scratches concern and will allow access to the boot

Be careful if the rear lights are partly obstructed as the French police love pulling english motorists and fining them for petty traffic law violations.

Thanks for the advice. May just see if I can take the bikes apart and stick them in the roof box.

Once got stopped by French Police in the Alps, they actaully told me if they had known I was Scottish they would have not pulled me over! Lesson learned, St Andrews flag on the front as well as back of the car!

Thanks for the advice. May just see if I can take the bikes apart and stick them in the roof box.

Once got stopped by French Police in the Alps, they actaully told me if they had known I was Scottish they would have not pulled me over! Lesson learned, St Andrews flag on the front as well as back of the car!

+1 always been told if your going abroad and your car dosent have scottish plates, stick an "eccose" sticker on it as most forgieners dont like the english

The lighting board is not just desired, it is the law! You must have not only the lights displayed but also, the number plate and most, if not all bicycle carriers WILL obscure this, to some degree! This will be applicable whatever European country you are going to, including Scotland and England.

TBH, this is one of my major bug-bears, drivers who hope that they will not get a tug with an obscured rear end. I see this almost every day, either with cycle carriers, trailers, etc or the rash of motorists down here in the smoke, thinking its ok to remove the front plate and pop it in the windscren... Just to stop it getting knicked, guv-its in no way intended to prevent anpr devices from cathing me speding or using the congestion charge zone, without paying!

Following on from that, broken or non working lights (Or a lazy **** who cant be bothered to signal) Then learner motorists (Mainly ptw's) Who think its either fine or way cooler to cut down the regulation 7" square, white section of the "L" plate, rendering it near invisible from 20m. Saw a twonk on a scooter this morning like this, on a RED scooter! how the hell is anyone going to know he is a learner and perhaps offer him a little more road space and time to access his situation safely?

I know I've gone off track a little but as mentioned, most of these things are law and are a safety issue, as well as an identity one... How would YOU feel, if a numpty who had their reg number obscured, collided with you and then drove off without any chance of you being able to identify the culprit?

Rant over, thanks for those who persevered and read the lot... To those who didn't, you are probably the type of brain-dead idiot who has commited all the above examples at some time or another! I would also hasten to guess your licences have had more then their fair share of points on and you pay through the nose for an insurance policy!

does anyone have an idea what it would cost to have an auto electrician connect a lighting board (I have the same issue but mine's a rooster scout)... don't fancy doing it myself...As far as i'm aware there's no handy connecting point in the boot...