OT: Roof rack/Cargo Boxes

[William]

I'm in the hunt for a rack/cargo box for the Honda. I have one on the LC that worked great for bikes, paddle boards, and holding gear. Now I would like to find one for the Element. Anyone using something similar on your vehicle? What brand and how has it held up?

I like the Gobi rack (example below) but I don't know that I $1,200 - $1,400 like it.









William

[AngryScientist]

i'd love to get one for my jeep, but i have a real hard time getting over the prices these things go for. i'm definitely going to look into a DIY route on this one.

[pdmtong]

It really depends on the volume/shape/bulkiness of the items and can they be outside or need to be inside

A common two or three bar rack with some mounts and a box can not carry the same weight as the $1200 set up you reference

Cargo boxes either take up the entire roof or the narrow one are designed to still give you half a rack for boards bikes kayaks.

Cargo boxes are great but they are a pita to out on and off and store. Leaving. Them on top limits your vehicle access and car wash options

Lots of pro con. Figure out your majority carrying scenario as a first step
If yiu opt for the anything possible scenario it's much tougher and potentially more expensive

Out here cargo boxes come up on Craigslist - check there too

It else wait for the rei sale when they discount them 20% or so
I have a Yakima sky of pro 16 because I like the open close mechanism over the Thule Everything else goes inside (suburban) or on the hitch (Thule T2)

[William]

i'd love to get one for my jeep, but i have a real hard time getting over the prices these things go for. i'm definitely going to look into a DIY route on this one.


The Rack for the LC was a DIY that someone else made and I acquired through an LC forum. I may ultimately go DIY here as well.







William

[velomonkey]

I'm loyal to Yakima since I purchased my first one in college in 1992.

In 2002 I purchased a Yakima Rocket Box. You can use it on Thule, factory bars or Yakima. The Rocket Box is the long rectanglur cargo box. I can fit suitcases and overnight bags up there with no issue. And then there is still space for a bike rack or two on the rails. Like I said, had it since 2002, have lent it out numerous times and it's as good now as when I purchased it.

One note: I don't go through cars too often, but when I do I can find most of the stuff on Craig's list for a lot cheaper. Purchased 3 copperhead bike mounts, a full set of mounts and cross bars for about 1/3 of retail.

[malcolm]

William I'm sure you know but nice cargo boxes come up frequently on the sales sheets, craigslist etc deeply discounted. People buy them thinking they'll just leave it on the car then realize it's not such a good idea and don't want it taking up space in the garage so take a big hit to unload it.

[William]

I'll keep an eye on CL for sure...though I don't see a lot of Element gear pop up too much.







William

[Mr. Pink]

Here's something to consider. You will not be able to park in most parking garages, or use most car washes with a box up there. I am experiencing this right now with my '10 Forester with an older '01 Thule Vision box. I had that box on my '01 Forester for ten years and had no issues, but, they raised the overall height of the newer Foresters (along with all the other awd cars from most manufacturers. Everybody wants to make believe they're in an SUV and sitting high), so now I'm in a situation where I can't drive to certain places, like a mall near here and the express train parking garage. Real hassle, and it has me considering a new car, although I have owned Subarus for twenty years. I am addicted to ski boxes. Best way to carry skis.

[William]

I understand, I lived with it when the LC was my Daily Driver. I worked around it and had no issues.







William

[veloduffer]

You can get soft cover cargo boxes from Thule and Yakima, as well as Sears, that would fit your cargo rack.

I have a Thule cargo box that is super easy to get on & off (no tools needed and opens on both sides), and works with any rack, including factory. I use it on our Highlander and Outback.

[p nut]

How much gear are you looking to carry? (weight). I can't imagine the Element being able to handle anything more than a standard Yakima/Thule crossbars.

We have Yak bars and Load Warrior rack that we've used for a while. No complaints and has held up well. I see the Gobi/Eeziawn/Frontrunner racks being used for strapping heavy cargo (RTT's, gas cans, tools, etc.), which may be overkill for the Element.

So I'd say Yak/Thule crossbars and a rack or box of your choice would do just fine. Nice 60, by the way.

[William]

Thank you for the input everyone!:cool:

Thule doesn't seem to do mounts for the Element SC which is slightly different then the other models. The tower mount location on an Element part of the roof cage so it can actually hold quite a bit of weight, it's the tower/crossbars that can be the limitation. I need something that can hold bikes, multiple SUP's, camping gear, and be able to handle lumber and other things occasionally (not all necessarily at the same time :) ). Leaving it on is not an issue for me, but low profile would be a plus.







William

[Mr. Squirrel]

dear mr. william,
keep it natural, just stay away from my tree. nuk nuk nuk!:p

mr. squirrel

[MaraudingWalrus]

I absolutely love the Kuat roof racks and baskets, but they do tend to be fairly pricey.

[csm]

I have the Yakima towers n my element that bolt I to the stock location. I will put a rocket box up there to carry skis and what not. It works great!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[ericssonboi]

I'm in the hunt for a rack/cargo box for the Honda. I have one on the LC that worked great for bikes, paddle boards, and holding gear. Now I would like to find one for the Element. Anyone using something similar on your vehicle? What brand and how has it held up?

I like the Gobi rack (example below) but I don't know that I $1,200 - $1,400 like it.

I went with the roof box route. Using a Yakima rack with Thule box (square mounts for more compatibility of rack systems). Usually adds 15-16L and can be had for around $5-600. Essentially it doubles your trunk capacity and is deal for road trips with a full car load (5 ppl worth of stuff). There is usually a maximum capacity within the box / roof load but most sporting gear isn't too heavy. I only ran into a possibly load issue when i was transporting luggage to the airport.

Here's something to consider. You will not be able to park in most parking garages, or use most car washes with a box up there. I am experiencing this right now with my '10 Forester with an older '01 Thule Vision box. I had that box on my '01 Forester for ten years and had no issues, but, they raised the overall height of the newer Foresters (along with all the other awd cars from most manufacturers. Everybody wants to make believe they're in an SUV and sitting high), so now I'm in a situation where I can't drive to certain places, like a mall near here and the express train parking garage. Real hassle, and it has me considering a new car, although I have owned Subarus for twenty years. I am addicted to ski boxes. Best way to carry skis.

A little OT.. but the Foresters can use the same suspension as the 08-13 WRX/STi suspension. This should drop it a few inches if you ultimately want to solve your ride height issue.