Kia Forum banner

Cargo Carrier: Roof Mounted v/s Hitch Mounted?

4K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  ecanderson 
#1 · (Edited)
We all know most 3 row crossovers cannot carry 6-7 person worth of luggage so we have to look into cargo carrier options. We mostly know the pros and cons of each but wanted to know you guys opinions.

Roof Mounted

Pros
  1. No issues with ground clearance
  2. Easy rear hatch access

Cons
  1. Difficult to Load/Unload
  2. Bad Aerodynamics - poor mpg
  3. Blocks sunroof
  4. Roof mounted racks look ugly on panoramic models

Hitch Mounted

Pros
Opposite of Roof Mounted

Cons
Opposite of Roof Mounted

Obviously, I am leaning towards hitch mounted solution. Now question is steel v/s aluminum and folding v/s non-folding
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Yeah, I got the Curt hitch for $127 and can probably snag a basket for $40 bucks from HF. Only issue with folding ones is inadvertently opening the trunk which can be disastrous.
 
#6 ·
I too am in the market for a hitch mounted cargo carrier. I want to keep the roof free to carry a canoe.

I have the same questions regarding folding/non or steel/aluminum. I am leaning towards non-folding as I don't see myself hauling the cargo carrier unloaded. I am eying up a steel one from Princess Auto (Canadian equivalent of HF?) for $50. Slightly smaller than the others but should help me out with not having to use the rear seats to haul cargo on a camping trip.

What is this basket people speak of? Is it an additional item to use with the carrier? What else do you use to secure your stuff? I was thinking just ratchet straps.
 
#7 ·
You should get a carrier with a side wall (basket type) so you don't have to worry about putting 100s of straps/bungees to prevent things from falling off
 
#9 ·
I went the way of the roof basket. Haven't had it long enough to see my difference in fuel. Will post pics when I've posted enough, haha.
 
#11 ·
Trunk opening not an issue IF you put together some sort of rubber bumper for the hatch to hit on the carrier. That will cause the hatch to stop and reverse direction.
Like CrazyBiker, I went the HF route. Specifically, https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-aluminum-cargo-carrier-92655.html
Costs a bit more than the steel version, but is a WHOLE lot lighter, which also makes removal/installation a snap, so folding it isn't an issue to begin with for me.
There are frequently item specific coupons for these that take them down to $59.99 (one just expired on 2/28). Or you can probably throw a 20% at it, which comes out to the same deal.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top