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
No issues with ground clearance
Easy rear hatch access
Cons
Difficult to Load/Unload
Bad Aerodynamics - poor mpg
Blocks sunroof
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
I went the hitch mounted route myself. The hitch was 124.00 shipped and I already have a hitch basket. The cross bars for the roof cost more that my entire set up.
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.
I went a more expensive route and bought a lightly used set of OEM crossbars off Craigslist for $150 and a 62.5" cargo tray for $100 for my Yosemite trip BUT I was able to carry a lot of gear
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.
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
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.
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