roof top luggage carriers questions

[momoftwogirls]

We now have 3 children and space is limited in the van. We've decided to purchase a roof top carrier for our car but I have no idea what kind to get or where you can buy them. Any advice on what to purchase and where to buy it would be appreciated. I've seen both hard and soft sided carriers - what are the pros and cons of each? Thanks for your help!

 

[Padre Disney]

We had four kids and had a van but needed more space so we got a suburban. BUT we still needed more space because we almost always have others traveling with us. We can haul 9.
At first we had one soft sided carrier. It was the canvas kind and was weather RESISTANT. Key words " weather resistant" not water proof. Hit some heavy rain and the luggage near the front of the carrier was damp. One carrier was not enough so we bought a second soft sided carrier. This one was vinyl and was water resistant but not water proof. We put large plastic bags over the luggage that was in the canvas carrier and during the next trip we hit heavy rain again. This time everything in both carriers were dry. So I would recommend the vinyl kind.

Always place the zipper towards the back of the vehicle having the zipper meet in the middle. This way when you fold the flap down it will be harder for water to enter. DH always tried to pack them so that the air would flow over them better by putting smaller luggage at the front and larger at the back whatever just load it. We bought some of those red straps that had a ratched on the end. We wanted to make sure the load didn't come off. I can't tell you how many times we have used these carriers. They are wonderful. When we are done with them they fold up nice for easy storage. We have never used the hard sided carriers because we didn't think they would hold as much and we didn't want to store them. We have seen lots of hard sided carrier tops in ditches. Not sure if it is from not getting locked correctly or what. We bought one at Kmart and one at walmart. I think we paid between $40 & $50 for each. They look like they won't hold much but when you put them on your van and start loading you will be surprised at how much stuff it can hold. We have 2 on the top of our suburban every time we head out for a long trip.
Good luck

 

[zman]

I bought the Sears brand that is the hard-sided type. On sale it cost $99 (normally $129, I believe). The reason I wanted the hard-sided was I felt it would be more sturdy (just my opinion). I also had to purchase the hooks and straps separately (about another 10 bucks). You can get a more expensive type at Sears that will fit on top of your luggage rack, if you have one (and it has to have the cross-members). This sits on the luggage rack and not the roof of the vehicle and comes with the hardware. About $159 on sale.

I would get at least 15 cubic feet. There are smaller but I wouldn’t do it. Also, it has the locks built in, which is kind of nice.

The other brand I have seen is one called Thule, I believe.

Paul

 

[Lisa3]

We have a Thule car top carrier on top of our van and it was the best purchase we have ever made. We decided to "save money" on our first road trip to Disney 3 years ago and borrow a carrier from a friend - big mistake. It was not meant for our car and the hum from the boat straps we used to tie it down were deafening. We left from NJ at 10:30 PM and turned around and came back home at 11:15 PM. Needless to say the next morning I was scouring the yellow pages to find a carrier (with 3 kids there is no room in a van for luggage). We have used the Thule for many trips and even keep it on the car during the holidays to hide Christmas presents in when out shopping with the kids.

I will say that these carriers are much more expensive than Sears or other brands but believe me the investment is well worth the years of use you will get out of it.

 

[NotUrsula]

With any kind of roof carrier except the sort that is bolted on, you need to re-adjust the anchors any time you change the weight of the load. That is the reason you see roof carriers lying beside roads; they fall off because the anchors are too loose, and tired drivers don't notice that they have lost them.

Put the carrier on, tighten the anchors, then load it and tighten them again. When you reach your destination, if you wish to leave the carrier on while empty, re-tighten the anchors before you drive it that way.

 

[Lewisc]

Sears tells you not to drive with an empty carrier on your roof. They say to put your spare tire up there if you don't have anything else.

Figure your gas mileage may go down up to 10%. I'd avoid using a roof carrier if at all possible.

 

[Lisa3]

Figure your gas mileage may go down up to 10%. I'd avoid using a roof carrier if at all possible.

I am by no means an expert on car top carriers but to put 5 people in a van with all their stuff for two days (or more) is crazy when there is another alternative. We did not notice a significant different in our gas mileage either (the shape of your carrier will definately affect this - the Thule carriers are long and sleek).

I do agree that it is very important to get the proper roof rack and anchors for your carrier. Go to a reputable dealer and buy the package that belongs together (carrier, roof rack, anchors & locks). We leave our Thule on most of the time (and it is usually empty). It is locked onto the roof rack so there is no chance of it coming off. You should inspect and tighten the anchors periodically just as you would inspect any other part of your vehicle for safety.