Talk to me about Rooftop Cargo Carriers for the Car

[NextTime]

So the inlaws are coming with us on our yearly pilgrimage road trip. This means the 3rd row will be up and in use and there will be very little cargo space. There will be clothing, towels, sheets, toys, fishing gear, etc. More than can fit in the tiny trunk space available. DW wants to get a rooftop cargo carrier for the trip. I am skeptical, but there aren't that many options.
I currently know very little about these objects, so need some advice.

Hard carrier:
Very expensive. No I don't have any friends from whom I can borrow one. Is there a place to rent one?

Soft carrier:
Will it flap in the wind and end up driving me batshit crazy over a 10 hour drive? Is it really waterproof?

Trailer Hitch Carrier: Expensive. Can these be rented?


This very possibly could be a one time use thing.
I'm thinking if I can get a reasonably priced soft carrier that is waterproof and will not flap in the wind, I'm sold.
I will also scour FB marketplace and see what I can find.

Suggestions or Recommendations?

[cool7hand]

We found this resource helpful: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/car-racks.html.

[habanero]

I drive with a ski bor mounted all winter. Whatever Yo do, get one that opens from the sides, not from the rear. Much easier to get stuff in and out. Will be bit noisier than with no box

Below 50 mph extra fuel consumption is negligible but you notice the difference at higher speeds..

I use one from Thule but am sure there are lots of alternatives out there.

[NextTime]

I drive with a ski bor mounted all winter. Whatever Yo do, get one that opens from the sides, not from the rear. Much easier to get stuff in and out. Will be bit noisier than with no box

Below 50 mph extra fuel consumption is negligible but you notice the difference at higher speeds..

I use one from Thule but am sure there are lots of alternatives out there.

Yeah the Thules are nice, but pricy. Which wouldn't bother me if this were something I were going to use a few times a year.  Just not ideal for my situation.

[NextTime]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-deluxe-cargo-carrier-66983.html

[PoutineLover]

Wow I had no idea how expensive these were. I have a hard Thule carrier for my car, which came with it when I bought it used. If you can buy one used or borrow one, they do work really well at increasing storage capacity and they're easy to mount. I find Facebook groups like Buy Nothing or other neighborhood groups really great for finding used items to borrow.

[big_owl]

I don't have anything to add....but a road trip with the inlaws?   You're a better man/woman than I ever could be.  If it was me I'd strap them into the cargo carrier. 

[Joel]

Find a used hard carrier and then re-sell it once you are done.

[SweatingInAR]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-deluxe-cargo-carrier-66983.html

These are great if you already have a 2" trailer hitch tube on your vehicle. I use a locking hitch pin to attach it to my car, and either lock the contents to the car or empty the carrier on overnight trips. You used to be able to get these at HF for only $40 after coupon.

The 1.25" ones wobble a bit more, and cannot carry as much. In addition, the hitches on cars and vans are often low enough that it will scrape when you transition from an inclined driveway to flat road.

[NextTime]

I don't have anything to add....but a road trip with the inlaws?   You're a better man/woman than I ever could be.  If it was me I'd strap them into the cargo carrier.

They only know a few words in English. I can get by with my rudimentary Spanish, but if I choose not to focus it just becomes background noise.  Shouldn't be any big issues.

[NextTime]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-deluxe-cargo-carrier-66983.html

These are great if you already have a 2" trailer hitch tube on your vehicle. I use a locking hitch pin to attach it to my car, and either lock the contents to the car or empty the carrier on overnight trips. You used to be able to get these at HF for only $40 after coupon.

The 1.25" ones wobble a bit more, and cannot carry as much. In addition, the hitches on cars and vans are often low enough that it will scrape when you transition from an inclined driveway to flat road.

I only have that puny little hitch tube. Guess it would be the 1.25 inch. I wasn't counting on bringing anything too heavy though.

[nereo]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-deluxe-cargo-carrier-66983.html

I[ve used them and they are great.  Coupled with dry bags and/or rigid plastic containers with actual locking lids and you can pack quite a bit of stuff into them, particularly if you get the one that is one-size larger.

Downsides?  Not many but IME:

• You need a hitch, which can cost $200-300 to have installed
• On some cars (particularly hatchbacks) it can block your ability to open hatch

If your car has low ground clearance it can scrape the ground on tight hills
When parallel parking it's easy to bump into things, and your rear-view camera likely will be blocked
Cars have an annoying habit of "not seeing the cargo rack" and hitting them, thinking your car starts
[/list]

Because of the last one I strongly recommend getting some cheap trailer lights and hooking them up too.  You can buy sets online for $20-30.  At the very least get some reflectors.

[Ants]

I have a Yakima hard rooftop carrier that I bought on FB marketplace for $200. It works great and well worth it if you can find a used one. I could probably resell for the same amount. Just make sure can fit your roof mounts.

[Syonyk]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

That's what I do when we're doing longer distance work with our Volt.  People and a few things inside, cargo rack on the outside with the light, fluffy stuff (sleeping bags, pillows, coats, sweatshirts, etc).  I literally can't see it from inside the car, and not having the back piled up improves visibility.



The downside is just that you need a receiver, and, IMO, the 1.25" stuff doesn't have the torsional rigidity I'd prefer for this sort of thing (IMO, there's no reason to get a 1.25" receiver).  That's one of the main reasons I put a 2" receiver on the Volt (same size receiver as a typical truck receiver, and, yes, I can swap stingers between vehicles if I need).

The Harbor Freight one is probably fine.  Mine's custom built for the car, because it needs a bit of a weird drop.  My hitch is up behind the license plate, so it's actually higher than my truck hitch.  It's also powder coated to match the car.  Because if you're going to go custom, go full custom.

As far as I can tell, there's no impact to fuel burn with it back there.  The Volt's highway MPG is nothing to write home about, about 35-38mpg loaded doing 75mph (interstate speeds out here are quite ludicrous, though fuel burn isn't that much worse at 85mph), with or without the rack back there.  I'm certain a roofrack would impact fuel burn noticeably.

[sisto]

I've used the soft type cargo carrier before for the same reason. While I did not test weather of not it's waterproof I can say I have used similar motorcycle ones that held up to rain. As for how well it works, it worked perfectly for us on a trip 12 hours each way. Drove over 100MPH with no issues. I like it also for the ease of storage, it folds up nicely and goes back in the box.

[PDXTabs]

Hard carrier:
Very expensive. No I don't have any friends from whom I can borrow one. Is there a place to rent one?

I have a Yakima SkyBox that I really like. At least where I live there are affordable rentals too: https://oregonriverrentals.com/rentals/yakima-rooftop-cargo-rental/

[NextTime]

I've used the soft type cargo carrier before for the same reason. While I did not test weather of not it's waterproof I can say I have used similar motorcycle ones that held up to rain. As for how well it works, it worked perfectly for us on a trip 12 hours each way. Drove over 100MPH with no issues. I like it also for the ease of storage, it folds up nicely and goes back in the box.

Which model do you have?

[maisymouser]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

That's what I do when we're doing longer distance work with our Volt.  People and a few things inside, cargo rack on the outside with the light, fluffy stuff (sleeping bags, pillows, coats, sweatshirts, etc).  I literally can't see it from inside the car, and not having the back piled up improves visibility.



The downside is just that you need a receiver, and, IMO, the 1.25" stuff doesn't have the torsional rigidity I'd prefer for this sort of thing (IMO, there's no reason to get a 1.25" receiver).  That's one of the main reasons I put a 2" receiver on the Volt (same size receiver as a typical truck receiver, and, yes, I can swap stingers between vehicles if I need).

The Harbor Freight one is probably fine.  Mine's custom built for the car, because it needs a bit of a weird drop.  My hitch is up behind the license plate, so it's actually higher than my truck hitch.  It's also powder coated to match the car.  Because if you're going to go custom, go full custom.

As far as I can tell, there's no impact to fuel burn with it back there.  The Volt's highway MPG is nothing to write home about, about 35-38mpg loaded doing 75mph (interstate speeds out here are quite ludicrous, though fuel burn isn't that much worse at 85mph), with or without the rack back there.  I'm certain a roofrack would impact fuel burn noticeably.

I +1 this option. I have a Prius Prime and we installed a $200 hitch and the 1.25" carrier a couple years ago. Added fuel consumption is fairly negligible for us (though we're plug-in hybrid to begin with). Flexibility for added space is well worth it.

[Dicey]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-deluxe-cargo-carrier-66983.html

A departing tenant left one like ihis, but sturdier, behind. We decided it might be useful. DH hooked it up to his truck's heavy duty hitch for the long drive home. We didn't need to haul anything in it, so it rode empty. When we stopped for gas several hours later, he was shocked to discover it was gone. Our working theory is that the bouncing due to the empty platform may have weakened the cotter pins.  We never heard, felt or saw a thing. There is a freeway transition that is a huge, banked curve. We think it may have separated there and slid off the roadway into the bushes. Crazy!

As for the soft rooftop carriers, .I found a screaming deal on one in the box somewhere (garage sale??). I gave it to my sister to use on their minivan for a family vacation. It worked great. Tips: pack clothes in duffel bags, not suitcases. Pull a plastic bag over each duffel bag. Pack sheets/pillows/towels in contractor's trash bags. If you must use a box or two, apple boxes are sturdy and have handles to make lifting easier. They also fit easily into a drawstring plastic bag. Stuff the carrier full of soft things wrapped in plastic bags, then tighten the straps firmly. This will minimize noise from flapping and bouncing  as you roll down the highway.

[nereo]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-deluxe-cargo-carrier-66983.html

A departing tenant left one like ihis, but sturdier, behind. We decided it might be useful. DH hooked it up to his truck's heavy duty hitch for the long drive home. We didn't need to haul anything in it, so it rode empty. When we stopped for gas several hours later, he was shocked to discover it was gone. Our working theory is that the bouncing due to the empty platform may have weakened the cotter pins.  We never heard, felt or saw a thing. There is a freeway transition that is a huge, banked curve. We think it may have separated there and slid off the roadway into the bushes. Crazy!

As for the soft rooftop carriers, .I found a screaming deal on one in the box somewhere (garage sale??). I gave it to my sister to use on their minivan for a family vacation. It worked great. Tips: pack clothes in duffel bags, not suitcases. Pull a plastic bag over each duffel bag. Pack sheets/pillows/towels in contractor's trash bags. If you must use a box or two, apple boxes are sturdy and have handles to make lifting easier. They also fit easily into a drawstring plastic bag. Stuff the carrier full of soft things wrapped in plastic bags, then tighten the straps firmly. This will minimize noise from flapping and bouncing  as you roll down the highway.

Did you stop anywhere?  Any chance of thieves? 
Regardless of the reason, a locking hitch pin is cheap insurance against loss (either from thieves or from a rusted pin rattling out).

[Dicey]

Has anybody used one of these? I'd have to check it out, but looks like we could just pack all clothes/sheets/foldable items into normal storage containers and strap them down.
What are the negatives to this option?

https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-deluxe-cargo-carrier-66983.html

A departing tenant left one like ihis, but sturdier, behind. We decided it might be useful. DH hooked it up to his truck's heavy duty hitch for the long drive home. We didn't need to haul anything in it, so it rode empty. When we stopped for gas several hours later, he was shocked to discover it was gone. Our working theory is that the bouncing due to the empty platform may have weakened the cotter pins.  We never heard, felt or saw a thing. There is a freeway transition that is a huge, banked curve. We think it may have separated there and slid off the roadway into the bushes. Crazy!

As for the soft rooftop carriers, .I found a screaming deal on one in the box somewhere (garage sale??). I gave it to my sister to use on their minivan for a family vacation. It worked great. Tips: pack clothes in duffel bags, not suitcases. Pull a plastic bag over each duffel bag. Pack sheets/pillows/towels in contractor's trash bags. If you must use a box or two, apple boxes are sturdy and have handles to make lifting easier. They also fit easily into a drawstring plastic bag. Stuff the carrier full of soft things wrapped in plastic bags, then tighten the straps firmly. This will minimize noise from flapping and bouncing  as you roll down the highway.

Did you stop anywhere?  Any chance of thieves? 
Regardless of the reason, a locking hitch pin is cheap insurance against loss (either from thieves or from a rusted pin rattling out).

DH says they weren't cotter pins, they were some type of slip pin. We loaded it at the rental property, then stopped at my parent's house about an hour later. When we exited their driveway, it bottomed out slightly. He thinks this might have weakened the pins. Our next stop was three hours of freeway driving later and that's when we realized it was gone.

More details: it was actually a motorcycle carrier and DH's truck has a 2" receiver. The tenant owned an RV, so we're pretty sure it came from that. He's also the dude who left hundreds of Talenti ice cream containers stacked on shelves he'd crookedly attached to the garage walls. We weren't unhappy to see him go. Nor was his long-suffering wife, who finally packed her bags and left him to deal with the aftermath. That was one lease we were happy to break. She was a doll and he was a jerk, but I'm getting too far off topic...

[Poundwise]

We found an old X-Cargo hard carrier through Craigslist for $15. Ask on Buy Nothing also. It's not stylish but it does the job very well.  We were able to purchase keys for it through the Sears website.

Once a person has determined that they no longer want their cargo carrier, they become very eager to get rid of them because they take up so much space!

edit: oops, X-Cargo, not S-Cargo!  (was thinking of escargot, like a snail!)

[roomtempmayo]

Yeah the Thules are nice, but pricy. Which wouldn't bother me if this were something I were going to use a few times a year.  Just not ideal for my situation.

You can probably find a used Thule box for $200-300.  Depending on your roof setup, you might need a similar amount in parts (feet/crossbars) or you might need nothing.

I've had a Thule system for 20+ years.  I've done 1000+ mile trips with the box on top many times driving 80 mph and not even thinking about what was on the roof.  It has never failed in any way.

The box has lived on my car for months and years at a time, and I use the box in ways I never anticipated.  I've hauled firewood in it.  I've put one piece fishing rods in it.  I've put fish in it.  In the winter, I keep a snow shovel and recovery gear in it.  And, of course, I throw muddy boots, wet towels, and leaking bags of potting soil in it.  It's a little bit like adding a pickup bed to your car.

Roof racks are one area I think it's worth it to pony up for a Thule or Yakima.  You might think you'll only use it once, but I bet you'll get your money out of it and then some.

[WSUCoug1994]

Check out Craigslist - I rented one for $20 for two weeks and there were quite a few options.  It was a nice compromise.

[tygertygertyger]

Mostly posting to follow!

We have a soft carrier that is waterproof... kind of. Turns out that the bottom is waterproof. The top is water resistant. It poured down on us for hours.

We'd known it would be rainy, so had the foresight to put many items in garbage bags just in case... but sadly the waterproof bottom was a holding bed for a lake once the top got soaked, and all our important camping equipment (tent, etc) was on the bottom, nicely soaking up the water.

We are looking for a new one. I look forward to these suggestions!

[NextTime]

Mostly posting to follow!

We have a soft carrier that is waterproof... kind of. Turns out that the bottom is waterproof. The top is water resistant. It poured down on us for hours.

We'd known it would be rainy, so had the foresight to put many items in garbage bags just in case... but sadly the waterproof bottom was a holding bed for a lake once the top got soaked, and all our important camping equipment (tent, etc) was on the bottom, nicely soaking up the water.

We are looking for a new one. I look forward to these suggestions!

Damn, that would suck.  I'm still deciding on what to do.

[405programmer]

Just throwing in an anecdote of my own experience. 3 years ago we had a similar need to turn a small car into a big car. So we got the Yakima skybox 18. It's pretty big but fits perfect on top of our golf sportwagen (the station wagon golf). I don't know if we've gotten our money back on the 4 times we've used it in 3 years but it has worked flawlessly every time! I wish we could have found a used one but there were none in our area when we needed it. I don't think the box whistles at all, just the carrier bars, but you will feel crosswinds more with the box up top.

We also have a hitch mount storage rack and some locking-lid boxes but I vastly prefer the roof box if I can get away with using it. The hitch mount can block the rear hatch and your license plate depending on size of your cargo. YMMV if you get hassled for blocking your license plate; I think it depends on the state you're in.

I second the idea to find one of these used. Some 20+ year old ones might have different plastic makeup and might get brittle with significant UV exposure but the newer ones look like they will last forever. I've met disc golfers who leave them on their car year round for years and their boxes look as nice as mine which has lived a life in our backyard shed outside of the 4 road trips.

For reference:
https://yakima.com/products/skybox-18-carbonite

ETA:
Another negative of the rear hitch mount is all your weight is going to be on the rear suspension. I know when I load my little car with people and camping gear we already hit the overload rubber a fair amount on the suspension and I suspect my rear suspension when overloaded destroys my rear tires by forcing more extreme camber angles. Only got 30K miles out of my last set of tires.

Also, when thinking of weight capacity the limiting factor on most class 1 or 2 hitches is the hitch itself not the carrier box. My carrier box is rated at 500lbs but the hitch can only support 200lbs. Subtract the 50lbs the box itself weighs and I'm limited to 150lbs.

[Unique User]

Check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I bought a 1980s era Sear’s X-Cargo carrier for $20. It’s not the prettiest but we’ve been on the road since last August and no leaks and no problems.

[jeromedawg]

As others have said: Yakima or Thule. If you have a roof rack with adjustable cross bars on top of the car, then it's an easy add-on and very much necessary if you're using your third row AND wanting to roadtrip IMO. Look for something on the larger side too. The one we have is a long and narrow Thule Evolution (more intended for skis/snowboards I think) - it works for our purposes but there's a limited amount of space. I wish we would have just gotten a wider unit like a Yakima Skybox 18 or 21. Try to find a used one on CL or FB - keep checking prices and try to get one for under what most are selling for. These boxes generally hold their resale value pretty well, as long as you don't somehow completely thrash them haha. I'm thinking about selling my current box and looking for a bigger one. It definitely helps. One thing to watch out for with this, which is commonly overlooked is being aware of the height that these car toppers will add to your car. If you have an SUV and put one on top, your clearance height may very well surpass that of your garage (and others) as well as parking garages, etc. So just be careful and cognizant of that.

As far as the soft-sided toppers, I haven't had experience but I've researched them a bit. Too many stories of those things ripping or coming undone for me to feel confident using one though - I'd rather be safe than sorry with something like this (would hate to have my clothes, luggage, etc fly off the roof of the car while driving down the freeway) so the hard topper is the best compromise IMO (there's also more flexibility with what you can store - you can't store fishing gear in a soft topper, at least I wouldn't, but you can in a hard topper). It's a bit of a PITA to get on and off the first few times but after that it's like clockwork. The only other caveat of course is storing it - right now we have it upright in our garage leaning against the wall. Some people hang it from the ceiling/rafters (if there's clearance). Preferably leave it stored indoors if at all possible. When we were living at the apartment, I would just leave it on top of our car though and it was fine. Otherwise, you can rent or just buy and resell. It's really not that big of a deal either way (although if you're looking to buy in the future, there's no guarantee it will be easy to find one right when you need it)

[charis]

I have a Yakima hard rooftop carrier that I bought on FB marketplace for $200. It works great and well worth it if you can find a used one. I could probably resell for the same amount. Just make sure can fit your roof mounts.

This ^

Our Thule hard carrier was $80 on Craigslist. We use it for most car trips even with the third row down just to free up space and fit our dog. We use it in the winter for ski and snowboarding gear.

[jeromedawg]

I have a Yakima hard rooftop carrier that I bought on FB marketplace for $200. It works great and well worth it if you can find a used one. I could probably resell for the same amount. Just make sure can fit your roof mounts.

This ^

Our Thule hard carrier was $80 on Craigslist. We use it for most car trips even with the third row down just to free up space and fit our dog. We use it in the winter for ski and snowboarding gear.

That's a bargain! I think I paid around $250ish for my Thule and that was just an OK deal IMO - I had to buy new fasteners for it too. I got a great deal on crossbars for our roof but unfortunately the crossbars are in a fixed position and won't fit most carriers (the spread is further apart then most carriers these days will support). The guy I bought the Thule from had drilled additional mounting holes in it to fit the van he put it on top of. There was also a crack in the back that I sealed up with fiberglass tape + ABS cement. Now that I think about it, I probably got ripped off lol. In any case, I've gotten really great usage out of it. I bought a new keyset as well which matches the keyset for the crossbars so I'm a bit invested into our current system. I may eventually get a Yakima Skybox one of these days. On a related note, I've seen people on FB and CL also renting out their spare units. This seems like it could be a nice little side gig if you have the storage space for it. For a while one of my buddies was into flipping these units - he would look for low-priced units on FB, bargain them down as low as possible, then turn around and flip it for a lot more later on. He also did this with kayaks too. I guess it can be worth the time, gas and labor/effort in many cases haha

[charis]

Yeah, I totally held out for a bargain by browsing for weeks. Lots of listing for at least twice that amount. I think it was listed for $100 when I offer 80.

[jeromedawg]

Yeah, I totally held out for a bargain by browsing for weeks. Lots of listing for at least twice that amount. I think it was listed for $100 when I offer 80.

How long ago was this btw?

[charis]

Yeah, I totally held out for a bargain by browsing for weeks. Lots of listing for at least twice that amount. I think it was listed for $100 when I offer 80.

How long ago was this btw?

3 or 4 years ago

[StartingEarly]

If you plan to ever remove it consider how you're going to do it ahead of time. My father tried removing his by himself and it got away from him, he ended up hurting his shoulder and it has been months of recovery.

[habanero]

The best way to get it on and off is to have some sort of lift installed in the garage so it can be lifted on and off easily. They can be had quite cheaply and greatly simplifies the operation plus storage is in a space that normally wouldn't be used for anything else, i.e the void between the roof of the car and the beams.

[getsorted]

Hard carrier:
Very expensive. No I don't have any friends from whom I can borrow one. Is there a place to rent one?

I'm not sure why, but I see these quite often in my local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.

Rental centers that are locally owned, you really never know what they will have! Definitely worth making some calls.

[turketron]

If you're not in a hurry, set up Craigslist alerts and just keep an eye on what's available. I set up a search for a cargo box and found one for $20, maybe took 2 or 3 months to find one that was a good deal and was compatible with our rack. It's an older Yakima Rocketbox that was intended for ski equipment, so it's longer and narrower than most boxes but still has plenty of space in it, perfect for things like clothes (in soft-sided luggage) or sleeping bags, etc. I used the same strategy previously to get our roof rack -over the course of 6 or 8 months we pieced together a complete set of Yakima towers, bars, and a handful of attachments (kayak saddles, etc) for about $150 total.

[jeromedawg]

The best way to get it on and off is to have some sort of lift installed in the garage so it can be lifted on and off easily. They can be had quite cheaply and greatly simplifies the operation plus storage is in a space that normally wouldn't be used for anything else, i.e the void between the roof of the car and the beams.

That would be nice if your garage has the clearance for this. Aren't most garage clearances 7-8' in height? Most garages I've seen you can't pull into with one of these on top unless you have a sedan/coupe or car lower to the ground. If you have a hard topper on top of a minivan, SUV, etc, you're likely going to need at least another foot or two of clearance I think. I'd love to mount stuff to our ceiling but we have bedrooms above so the garage ceiling height is severely constrained.

[habanero]

That would be nice if your garage has the clearance for this. Aren't most garage clearances 7-8' in height? Most garages I've seen you can't pull into with one of these on top unless you have a sedan/coupe or car lower to the ground. If you have a hard topper on top of a minivan, SUV, etc, you're likely going to need at least another foot or two of clearance I think. I'd love to mount stuff to our ceiling but we have bedrooms above so the garage ceiling height is severely constrained.

Yeah, friend of mine had a SUV and bought a ski box and figured out afterwards that he couldnt even get into the garage. He did not feel awfully clever.

General recommendation is to have around 2ft of clearance, but guess it can be done with less depending on box and lift system.

[jeromedawg]

That would be nice if your garage has the clearance for this. Aren't most garage clearances 7-8' in height? Most garages I've seen you can't pull into with one of these on top unless you have a sedan/coupe or car lower to the ground. If you have a hard topper on top of a minivan, SUV, etc, you're likely going to need at least another foot or two of clearance I think. I'd love to mount stuff to our ceiling but we have bedrooms above so the garage ceiling height is severely constrained.

Yeah, friend of mine had a SUV and bought a ski box and figured out afterwards that he couldnt even get into the garage. He did not feel awfully clever.

General recommendation is to have around 2ft of clearance, but guess it can be done with less depending on box and lift system.

LOL yea... that's the only semi-irritating thing about these things. Outside of the garage, you still have to be cognizant of vehicle clearances and I've seen the aftermath of several incidents where people didn't and ruined their cargo toppers :( It's super easy to forget that you have something on top so even going into low clearance parking garages, etc can be easy to overlook. We almost did this in Vegas haha

[Ecky]

Roof racks hit fuel economy pretty big, often even larger than a cargo trailer which holds many times as much stuff. A small trailer or carrier will have negligible impact on fuel economy. Most people that get roof mounted carriers just end up leaving them up there, and drive around with a 10-15% hit on fuel economy for the rest of their vehicle's life.

If you can do the work yourself, a hitch can often be found for under $100. I have a 4x8 aluminum cargo trailer that cost me under $700 shipped from Amazon, which I've hauled over 2000lbs in, and have used for multiple cross-country trips. You can feel a trailer that large back there, but it opens up getting sheets of drywall/plywood or whatever else without the need for a truck, and there are certainly smaller options.

[HalfDollar]

Roof racks hit fuel economy pretty big

This. I was surprised at the drop in mpg.

Also, I agree with hitches for around $100 for the smaller type or $150 for the larger type which can hold more. Not including installation.

Then a medium sized carrier can be around $250 or $80-200 for smaller/used.