Roof Rack advice

S

shoota

Member
Ok guys, I need help thinking through this. Admittedly, I've never used the rack once in my 16 years of driving a 3rd gen. I've just never needed to. But now that I have a kid his car seat (and the tons of other stuff he needs) are going to severely limit the interior storage space. We're going camping for Thanksgiving and I'm trying to think ahead about how to utilize the stock rack. Is it feasible? Am I just asking for it to break? Should I get a new rack knowing I won't use it that much? I can't process it all :-0
 
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Rack advice

maybe just one of those trailer hitch baskets? not permanent when not in use toss in garage. Cheap at the harbor freight.

the roof basket thing is a trendy thing these days. 99% not even being used for anything. It's like the GPS stuck in your LOS out the windshield. or those dumb suction notepads EVERYONE in Cali had to have years ago...


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AZBub said:
maybe just one of those trailer hitch baskets? not permanent when not in use toss in garage. Cheap at the harbor freight.

the roof basket thing is a trendy thing these days. 99% not even being used for anything. It's like the GPS stuck in your LOS out the windshield. or those dumb suction notepads EVERYONE in Cali had to have years ago...


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I'll look into the hitch basket thing, hadn't heard of that. Thx
 
What exactly do you want to carry on top? A rocket box or equivalent might be you best bet for hauling kid stuff.
 
After having one of my factory cross bars fall apart when I dropped it on my garage floor, I wouldn't trust them to carry much of anything.

If I were in your position I'd be looking at craigslist for a used set up thule/yakima crossbars and a cargo box. I bought my bars on craigslist a few years back for $100, if I remember correctly.

Or, if you don't want to buy anything, I'd put all of the bars that rest on the roof (I don't know what they're called) between the two crossbars and carry my load on top of those, using the crossbars as nothing more than something to keep my load from shifting forward/backward. Of course I'd also use some ratchet straps to secure the load, and bungee cords all over it as a backup.
 
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A.Wilson013 said:
After having one of my factory cross bars fall apart when I dropped it on my garage floor, I wouldn't trust them to carry much of anything.

If I were in your position I'd be looking at craigslist for a used set up thule/yakima crossbars and a cargo box. I bought my bars on craigslist a few years back for $100, if I remember correctly.

Or, if you don't want to buy anything, I'd put all of the bars that rest on the roof (I don't know what they're called) between the two crossbars and carry my load on top of those, using the crossbars as nothing more than something to keep my load from shifting forward/backward. Of course I'd also use some ratchet straps to secure the load, and bungee cords all over it as a backup.
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That's what I'm afraid of, I keep reading about they fail often. I would look on CL but honestly I'm not familiar enough with what fits and what doesn't.
 
Sounds like you'd benefit from a cheaper basket. I'm into my Rola basket for $175. That's with an 18-19" extension....kind of overkill. For $120 you'd be set up, and its no big thing to remove and put back on when needed, clamps right to stock racks.....just RTV/silcone the gaps and screw holes. I threw on a coat of paint for good measure, as well.
 
Crowcifier6 said:
Sounds like you'd benefit from a cheaper basket. I'm into my Rola basket for $175. That's with an 18-19" extension....kind of overkill. For $120 you'd be set up, and its no big thing to remove and put back on when needed, clamps right to stock racks.....just RTV/silcone the gaps and screw holes. I threw on a coat of paint for good measure, as well.
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That might be the way to go. Home Depot has them for $107.
 
I got a Yakima Load Warrior, they have larger(longer) units also. Mounts directly to the existing factory crossbars. One man attach/remove...important for me because I need to lose the rack for daily city use.
 
Mark_BC said:
How much will it hold?

For people without sunroofs, what about racks that go forward more towards the front? the stock racks only use like half the roof space.
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If you are not opposed to drilling some holes I did this http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/222700-diy-oem-style-full-length-roof-rack.html and it actually clears my sunroof. The whole purpose was to make it easier to secure a longer roof basket with out breaking the bank on an expensive rack. My old 4runner had a regular short basket and I never liked the look.
 
Large hitch carrier is the way to go IMO. You can just pack your stuff in 1-2 large ice chests, they will stay mostly dry in my experience.

I have a smaller hitch carrier and a 3/4 roof rack replacement, but I nearly always use the hitch carrier first for on-road travels. It can obstruct the back lift gate though.

Those hard aero boxes seem pretty useful though, and I've seen them for rent on craiglist.
 
SilverRidgeRunner1 said:
Dang if u were close I would just give u mine ha ha I used it to haul some stuff with, now it used for a peaceful relaxing wind noise that reminds me of the ocean :cowboy:
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[MENTION=110088]SilverRidgeRunner1[/MENTION], I am pretty close, what kind of rack do you have? I am in the market for one as well :)
 
Just curious, how many people with full racks actually need / use that much space on their rack?

Also, folks with roof racks, how useful (and how often) has it been to you for storage and securing items for travel?
 
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