How to Choose the Best Roof Rack

Whether you’re planning to travel long distances or just take the family camping for a weekend, you don’t want your plans limited by your vehicle’s cargo space. The family car might not have enough trunk space for luggage and camping equipment, but that doesn’t mean you have to do without or upgrade to an SUV. With the help of roof-top storage, your vehicle’s cargo space can be greatly increased.

However, choosing the right roof rack and cargo container for your car can be a challenge. With so many available options, it’s hard to decide on the best fit for your needs. By researching your options and understanding the available choices, you can make the best decision on a rack for your car.

What is a Roof Rack?

Before you start shopping, it’s best to learn some proper terminology. A roof rack is a frame that attaches to the roof of a vehicle. It is generally bolted to the roof, making it a permanent fixture of the car, and will consist of two or more bars, often with cross-bar supports.

These frames can be used to secure cargo carriers. They can also be used as bicycle racks or to anchor camping equipment, canoes, Christmas trees and other large or unwieldy items you need to haul. Without a rack to anchor it to, a cargo carrier is useless.

The function of a rack is two-fold. First, it protects the roof of the car by providing a raised surface to set things on. This saves the paint on your car’s roof from being scratched and can help protect the car from dents and dings while loading or unloading gear stored on the roof. Second, the rack provides a way to anchor large or bulky items securely.

If you are considering buying a roof-top carrier for your vehicle, you’ll need a rack in place first. Without the rack, there is nothing to attach a carrier to. However, even if you don’t buy a carrier, you can still use the rack to secure and haul certain items.

Roof vs Rear Mount

If you’re looking to carry items and increase your vehicle’s cargo space, a roof-mounted option is just one choice. Before committing, you might want to consider other types of racks, such as rear hitch-mounted racks. There are benefits and drawbacks to both types of racks, so the choice will depend on your needs.

A few things to consider before buying a roof model include:

• Will fuel economy be affected by roof-top storage options?
• Are you able to comfortably reach the vehicle’s roof to load/unload items from roof-top storage?
• What type of items will you be hauling? Some items, like kayaks and skis, require the extra space of roof-top storage. Others, like luggage, could be stored anywhere.
• Do you have an existing frame to work with? If your car comes with factory-installed roof rails, it may be easier to install a rack.

If you’ve decided that a roof-top storage option is right for your needs, it’s next time to learn about the available features and things to look for when shopping for a frame.

Rack Features and Installation

Some cars come with factory-installed roof rails. If there is no cross-beam support, this frame cannot be considered a rack, but it can make installing one easier.

A rack is made up of several difference pieces:

• The mount, which connects to the vehicle’s roof.
• The cross bars, which attach perpendicular to the mount and hold the weight of the load.
• The tower, which connects the cross bars to the mount.

If your car has these parallel-running rails along either side, adding a rack may be as simple as attaching a tower and cross bars to the existing mount.

If your vehicle does not come with a mount or roof rails, you will need to choose a mount that fits your car. You can check dealer fit recommendations for your car’s year, make and model online. Thule offers one such guide.

In general, rack mounts can be fitted in one of two ways. The first is the factory option of bolting the mount directly to the roof. This is a sturdy, permanent option. It also requires professional installation to prevent damage to the vehicle. The other choice is a clamp option. Depending on the model, these tower clamps might attach to the door frame or the rain gutter above the door. These are a less permanent option and can still be quite sturdy. They are however less aesthetically pleasing, which may be a factor for some people.

Special Roof Rack Considerations

When shopping for a car-top rack, there are a few factors you should consider:

What is the size of your vehicle? Not every rack will fit every car, and knowing both the dimensions and the load-bearing limits of your car will help you to choose a safe and secure option for the vehicle.

What will you be using the rack for? The type of rack you choose may vary depending on what you expect to haul. For example, if you’re planning to primarily use it as a bike rack, you may look for different features than if you had a cargo carrier in mind.

What type of attachment makes the most sense? If you’ll be installing a new rack mount, decide whether you’d prefer a clamp-mounted option or would like the rack to be bolted to the roof. There are pros and cons of each choice, but remember that a permanent installation will lead to holes in the car’s roof if you ever remove the rack. For this reason, if you intend to sell the car but keep the rack for your next vehicle, a clamp-mounted option may be ideal.

Once you have decided on the type of rack that’s best for you and ensured you’ve chosen a model that will fit your vehicle, it’s time to start shopping for the best option. Factors to consider at this stage include price, quality of workmanship and materials, where the rack is manufactured and whether it will do everything you need it to do.

A great way to narrow down your options and choose the perfect rack is by looking at consumer reviews. By seeing what other people have said about a specific model, you can decide whether it will suit your needs as well. For reviews and more information about car-top accessories and more, be sure to check out the rest of our site!