Ryan_S
New member
hah!
Roof Rack and Hitch Setups HERE!
- Thread starter Quentin
- Start date
hah!
Just added a Thule Atlantis 1600 cargo box on Thule bars. Shockingly quite at all speeds. 40 miles and I don't see a noticable mpg change. Lift gate opens no problem. Very pleased with my $798 purchase...WTF, it's plastic (included install and tax; 15% off MSRP).
Yeah, I hear you. I am considering the same box for my SR5, but damn those things are EXPEN$IVE! I am going to try and go without the Thule rails though, and hope that it will work with the factory rails for the time being.
Rafael
New member
Yakima Frontloader set up
I installed the Yakima Frontloaders on the factory crossbars and they seem to work just fine. My only problem (originally) was that they were too long and would rub against my rear spoiler. I took off the end clips and sawed down the bar a few inches and made new holes for the clips which eliminated the issue.
*sorry for the bad pics as they were taken with my phone.
I installed the Yakima Frontloaders on the factory crossbars and they seem to work just fine. My only problem (originally) was that they were too long and would rub against my rear spoiler. I took off the end clips and sawed down the bar a few inches and made new holes for the clips which eliminated the issue.
*sorry for the bad pics as they were taken with my phone.
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enduro
New member
Thule Cascade XT
Sorry, I didn't respond sooner. I just saw this.
I believe it is the 1100.
-enduro
Sorry, I didn't respond sooner. I just saw this.
I believe it is the 1100.
-enduro
4th Gen party crasher here...
Great thread.
If anyone is interested in trying out a hitch cargo carrier for short money, check out this $60 option at autozone.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...od3-b2c13?counter=2&itemIdentifier=80908_0_0_
I fully intended on mine getting destroyed after a few uses. But it has held up great.
Cheers.
Great thread.
If anyone is interested in trying out a hitch cargo carrier for short money, check out this $60 option at autozone.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/ac...od3-b2c13?counter=2&itemIdentifier=80908_0_0_
I fully intended on mine getting destroyed after a few uses. But it has held up great.
Cheers.
magaca
New member
thanks for you comment, i put like 80-100 pounds plus me walking on top to tie things up its supposed to hold up to 300 lbs, as of reflection i do get some reflection but its different than the hid ligths its not blinding and it does not bother me while driving
i have the 1upusa rack. hands down the best hitch rack i've ever used. top quality, only takes seconds to put your bike on and take off, seconds to take the rack off. it folds down small and is light. it can extend to carry up to 3 bikes. only downside is that it's a bit pricey. 1up USA
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mbskoda
New member
thule 45050 completecrossroadrack setup
just installed mine today . I order it from Amazon and it was much cheaper than local retailer. Plus free shipping. Fit is perfect and installation takes about 10 min. Mine came with end caps and locks .
just installed mine today . I order it from Amazon and it was much cheaper than local retailer. Plus free shipping. Fit is perfect and installation takes about 10 min. Mine came with end caps and locks .
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Anyone interested in loading kayaks or a full length rocket box should know that the spoiler will hit them when opening the rear hatch.
So basically, you can only get gear in and out of trunk through the back window. I would take the spoiler off, but the rear brake light and rear wiper are integrated into it. It is a terrible, terrible design by Toyota. Clearly, these designers have never used an SUV with gear loaded on it before and they would realize what a pain it is. On top of that, the roof rack rails don't extend forward of the passenger doors, so it's not possible to shift the boats and box forward to avoid the interference.
The only possible solution I have is to add another bar over the driver section of the roof using the Yakima Q-towers. Anyone tried this?
So basically, you can only get gear in and out of trunk through the back window. I would take the spoiler off, but the rear brake light and rear wiper are integrated into it. It is a terrible, terrible design by Toyota. Clearly, these designers have never used an SUV with gear loaded on it before and they would realize what a pain it is. On top of that, the roof rack rails don't extend forward of the passenger doors, so it's not possible to shift the boats and box forward to avoid the interference.
The only possible solution I have is to add another bar over the driver section of the roof using the Yakima Q-towers. Anyone tried this?
SeattleMike
New member
Perhaps they realized long ago that long things on the roof would get smacked by the door, which is why they have retained a sliding rear window long after everyone else went with fixed glass.
And it's frankly impossible to design a vehicle that will accept every accessory on the market. I had a rack made to fit the accessories I plan to use, you might contemplate the same option.
Actually, this is the only vehicle I've owned or have encountered at a river put-in that has interference with kayaks on the roof rack. It sucks to spend $35k on a new vehicle only to discover this. I'm not saying that I would have gone with an Xterra if I had do it over again, but another potential buyer might benefit from knowing this.
You are right though that at this point the goal is to find another solution that will work for my situation, or I'll just be stuck trying to pass my gear through window.
You are right though that at this point the goal is to find another solution that will work for my situation, or I'll just be stuck trying to pass my gear through window.
SeattleMike
New member
4RunnerTrail
New member
Nice Yetti!!!
BINGO! The sliding glass rear window is one of the biggest reasons I have the 4Runner. I carry 20+ foot long outrigger canoes on my 4Runner and have the same concerns about being able to access my gear when opening the hatch is not possible. Unfortunately, most manufacturers of other vehicles with a long roof line have gone to adding some sort of spoiler that interferes with long loads when opening the lift gate. The window is also beneficial when using a trailer hitch type rack that prevent opening of the lift gate when in use - great when you have back seat passengers and can't access gear through the rear doors. As long as Toyota keeps the sliding window available, a 4Runner will always be at the top of my list of vehicles.
I also have an old Jeep Cherokee that works for hauling long gear. The lift gate will lean up against the canoes, but it doesn't press into them. However, with 226K on it, I need to 4Runner to use when I'm rebuilding something on the J(H)eep.
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SeatleMike,
I have no problem putting kayaks and my rocketbox on top of my 4Runner, but it is not possible to open the tailgate without hitting the kayaks or the rocketbox. The setup in this photo might not interfere because the kayak has a lot of rocker and because it is sitting high on a cradle. However, you can only carry two kayaks that way and most of us stack them vertically which allows up to six kayaks to be carried. And when you have 6 people's worth of gear, being able to open the tailgate is critical. Yes, the sliding glass is great, but the spoiler is just silly.
The fact of the matter is that a basic requirment of an SUV is to be able to carry loads of gear on the roof and in the back simultaneously, which requires the tailgate to open when gear is up top. The 4Runner does not meet this requirement and prospective buyers deserve to know this.
Other years of 4Runners have versions without a spoiler and everything works perfectly then. All I am saying is that Toyota should have considered this very basic requirement when designing this version.
With all this said, every time I drive my 4Runner I say to myself that it is a little slice of heaven
I have no problem putting kayaks and my rocketbox on top of my 4Runner, but it is not possible to open the tailgate without hitting the kayaks or the rocketbox. The setup in this photo might not interfere because the kayak has a lot of rocker and because it is sitting high on a cradle. However, you can only carry two kayaks that way and most of us stack them vertically which allows up to six kayaks to be carried. And when you have 6 people's worth of gear, being able to open the tailgate is critical. Yes, the sliding glass is great, but the spoiler is just silly.
The fact of the matter is that a basic requirment of an SUV is to be able to carry loads of gear on the roof and in the back simultaneously, which requires the tailgate to open when gear is up top. The 4Runner does not meet this requirement and prospective buyers deserve to know this.
Other years of 4Runners have versions without a spoiler and everything works perfectly then. All I am saying is that Toyota should have considered this very basic requirement when designing this version.
With all this said, every time I drive my 4Runner I say to myself that it is a little slice of heaven
Oh, one more thing. Let's be clear about this. The rear door/tailgate does not even come close to smacking anything on the roof. Nor would it matter as much, since the tailgate would be mostly open then and the gate is an inherently strong piece of the vehicle that won't just snap off when it hits an object. I have had this problem with other vehicles and it isn't much of a problem at all.
What we are talking about here is the plastic (flimbsy) spoiler that due to its location/proximity to the roof, will hit things on the roof when the door is maybe 1/3 open. And there is a good chance of the spoiler getting ripped off. Ultimately, this is a problem that Toyota should fix and other buyers should be aware of.
In the meantime, I'm going to give the Q-towers a shot over the driver cab area to see if that can remedy the problem.
What we are talking about here is the plastic (flimbsy) spoiler that due to its location/proximity to the roof, will hit things on the roof when the door is maybe 1/3 open. And there is a good chance of the spoiler getting ripped off. Ultimately, this is a problem that Toyota should fix and other buyers should be aware of.
In the meantime, I'm going to give the Q-towers a shot over the driver cab area to see if that can remedy the problem.
