The ATU Accessories Section Most People Skip

Ask most people what ATU sells and you’ll probably hear tires, oil changes, maybe a battery if they’ve had a recent breakdown scare. What tends to fly completely under the radar is just how much the accessories side of the catalog covers, stretching far beyond basic car parts into genuinely useful gear for road trips, family travel, and everyday convenience. If you’ve only ever browsed the tire section, it’s worth circling back, because this part of the site solves problems you might not have even realized ATU could help with.

Roof Boxes and Roof Racks — Solving the Packing Problem Properly

Anyone who’s ever tried to cram a week’s worth of luggage, camping gear, or sports equipment into a regular trunk knows the particular stress of realizing it’s simply not going to fit. The roof box and roof rack category is a genuinely strong section here, with options suited to different vehicle types and cargo needs. Rather than resorting to strapping things precariously to a roof rack with bungee cords and hoping for the best, a proper roof box gives you secure, weatherproof extra capacity that makes road trips and family holidays considerably less stressful to pack for.

What’s particularly useful is that roof racks and roof boxes are sold as a properly matched system here rather than two separate, potentially incompatible purchases, which removes a lot of the usual guesswork around fitment.

Tow Hitches and Towing Accessories — For Anyone Hauling Anything

If you’ve got a caravan, trailer, bike rack, or boat that needs towing, this category is worth a dedicated look. Tow hitches and the broader range of towing accessories cover what’s needed to get a vehicle properly set up for hauling, and because ATU pairs the parts catalog with an actual fitting service at branches, this is exactly the kind of installation you’d rather leave to someone who does it professionally rather than attempting in a driveway with mismatched tools.

For anyone who tows regularly, whether for caravanning holidays or hauling equipment for work, having a reliable source for both the hardware and the fitting in one place is a genuine convenience that’s easy to underestimate until you’ve experienced the alternative of sourcing both separately.

Multimedia and Audio — Upgrading the In-Car Experience

The multimedia and audio section covers car speakers, navigation devices, and other electronics for anyone wanting to upgrade their in-car entertainment setup beyond whatever came standard with the vehicle. This is a particularly fun category to browse if you’re the kind of driver who spends a lot of time in the car and wants that time to feel a little more enjoyable, whether that’s clearer audio for music and podcasts or a proper navigation unit for anyone who prefers a dedicated device over relying entirely on a phone mount.

Lighting — Small Upgrades With a Noticeable Difference

Replacement bulbs and upgraded lighting options sit in their own category, and this is one of those areas where a relatively small purchase can make a genuinely noticeable difference to both visibility and how a car looks at night. Upgrading to brighter, longer-lasting bulbs is a simple, affordable way to improve safety on night drives, and it’s exactly the kind of practical upgrade that’s easy to overlook until you’re squinting at a poorly lit road wondering why visibility feels worse than it should.

Child Seats — Getting Something This Important Right

This category deserves particular attention, because getting a child seat right matters more than almost any other purchase a parent makes for their car. The range here covers different seat groups suited to various ages and sizes, and having this sit within a brand that also handles installation and fitting takes a lot of the anxiety out of a purchase that often comes with a lot of second-guessing. Knowing the seat is properly compatible with your specific vehicle, rather than guessing from a generic online listing photo, is worth the extra bit of research this category rewards.

Floor Mats, Seat Covers, and Interior Essentials

Rounding out the interior side, floor mats and seat covers are well represented here, giving you an easy way to protect a car’s interior from the usual wear of daily use, whether that’s muddy boots, kids’ snacks, or pet hair. These are some of the most affordable items in the entire accessories catalog, and they’re a great low-cost way to extend the life and resale value of a car’s interior without a major investment.

Camping and Caravanning Gear — A Genuine Surprise

This is the category that catches most people off guard the first time they stumble across it. Camping and caravanning equipment, suited specifically to road trip and travel use, sits comfortably alongside the more traditional car parts categories, which makes ATU a surprisingly relevant stop for anyone planning a longer trip rather than just sorting out routine vehicle maintenance. Combined with the roof box and tow hitch categories, it’s entirely possible to outfit an entire camping or caravanning setup from this one site rather than bouncing between specialist outdoor retailers.

Tools and Testing Equipment — For the Hands-On Driver

For anyone who likes handling smaller repairs and checks themselves rather than booking a workshop visit for every minor issue, the tools and testing equipment category covers a solid range of hand tools and diagnostic devices. This is a great section to browse if you’re building out a basic home toolkit for car maintenance, since having the right tools on hand makes routine checks and small fixes considerably less frustrating.

What Tends to Be Most Popular in This Category

Roof boxes see a predictable seasonal surge heading into typical holiday travel periods, when families are suddenly trying to figure out how to pack for a week away without overstuffing the trunk. Tow hitch accessories stay fairly consistent year-round, driven largely by caravan owners and anyone regularly hauling equipment. Child seats are a steady, ongoing category given how often growing children need a new seat group, and lighting upgrades tend to see a noticeable bump heading into the darker months of the year when visibility becomes more of a daily concern.

Deals Worth Watching in This Category

Accessories like roof boxes and lighting upgrades regularly feature in ATU’s seasonal promotional offers, particularly around the run-up to common holiday travel periods when demand for extra cargo capacity spikes. Bundled pricing on roof rack and roof box combinations is also worth watching for, since buying them together as a matched system tends to be more cost-effective than purchasing each piece separately over time.

Why This Part of the Catalog Deserves a Proper Look

It’s easy to think of ATU purely in terms of tires and oil changes, but the accessories side of the business genuinely rounds out the experience into something closer to a full travel and lifestyle outfitter for car owners. Whether you’re packing for a family road trip, setting up a tow hitch for a caravan, upgrading your in-car audio, or finally getting a properly fitted child seat sorted, this is exactly the kind of category that’s easy to overlook until you actually need it, and genuinely satisfying to discover once you do. The next time you’re planning a trip or just want to upgrade how your car feels day to day, it’s worth scrolling past the tire section and giving this part of the site the attention it deserves.