My husband has finally talked me into looking at a rooftop carrier for our 2007 Toyota Sienna. We have three boys and half our family lives 8 hours away, so we travel a lot (every few months). We try to pack light but always seem to come back with more than what we left with.
Hubby is set on a hard-shell one (he has no concept of money and always wants the best of everything). I had no idea how expensive these are! Do any of you have one of these? Is it worth the money? What brand and type do you have? Will we have it forever?
What about the soft-sided "bags" for the roof? I'm kinda leaning more towards this option (read: cheaper!). Anyone have one of these? Do you wish you'd gone with the hard-shell?
Weather-resistance is a bit of a concern, but I'd consider wrapping everything in a tarp for the price difference!
Any insight is greatly appreciated as I'm just starting to research and feel it will be a large task.
Thanks so much!!
K.
Been satisfied with the $35 soft-sided one from Walmart. I personally think it's good enough, put everything in plastic garbage bags. It will flap if you don't have it well-tied down and not as convenient to open because of that, but it is $35 versus many hundreds.
We have had a hard top one for about 6 years, but it was given to us by a friend, who no longer needed it. So, I can't account for the value/price. We use it all the time! We put the suitcases in it for a family of 6. We have never had any leaks, etc. There is a certain amount of "drag", but I wouldn't say it's so noticable that it makes a huge difference in gas economy. If you are basically just going from point A to point B, maybe the soft would be ok. However, I can tell you that in nearly all trips, for one reason or another, we've had to get into the carrier to get something. Unwrapping the tarp to get to the item and having to wrap it all back up again, may be a hassle. As far as the price, you could look on craigslist, to see if there's one available there.
To answer the question regarding keys, etc. - we have stayed in hotels with the carrier. There are keys, but we always take the stuff in, anyway-even if we didn't need it with us. They are pretty indestructable, being made of fiberglass, but if someone wants in, they're gonna get into it.
Good luck in your search!!
Check out the one from Sears. It is a hard one but costs so much less then the other ones. Below is the link for one not quite like mine but the same price and idea. I traveled through some heavy rain with mine and it stayed dry on the inside. I can put it on my van and take it off by myself with no problems in about 10 minutes. I have taken it to FL, VT and Bar Harbor ME, so we have used it quite a bit.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02807271000P?prd...
We have the Sears brand (I think it's called, XCargo??) and LOVE IT!!
You want a hard shell to protect from the elements, not to mention it's a dome so it holds quite a bit.
Think of this as a lifetime purchase. Don't forget the oldie but goodie saying "you get what you pay for".
Happy travels!
We borrowed a soft one before and it was horrible! Maybe we just didn't have it full enough but it flapped and was very loud the entire time we were driving, even with it bungie corded down. We drove from IN to GA and IN to TX with it. I would go with the hard one.
We have a Thule hard top carrier that looks like a coffin. (not to be morbid but it does) We have a small Dodge Caravan and for a family of 5 we could not make it up to Minnesota every year without it. We've had ours for about five years now and love it. We had a cheaper one but it was hard to open, hard to prop the top to stay open, and hard to close. Sold it. I think the hard top is the way to go since you can lock your items up and not worry about damaging the items within. Who knows how much replacing items could be? By the way, ours works great for hauling Christmas trees.
Hi K.. I wonder about getting one as well. How do you get up top to get the stuff out? I am very short and dont' know if I could even reach it. Plus, if I stay overnight in a hotel, is the lock just like a locker lock or is it more antitheft?
We use a soft sided waterproof one for camping gear. All the sleeping bags and duffel bags go in it it has has not leaked, and my hubby will also bungy it down too. We bought about 4 years and it has worked great we do not tarp over it. Happy travels!
J.
We don't have a van or suv but borrowed my parents van for a trip one year and a friend gave us a hardtop carrier so I have no idea of cost but it was so nice to use and have the extra room in the van. When we change cars again (will get van or suv) we will definitely use one for trips.
I like the hard top but don't know anything about the bags. I'm guessing you use them like the hardtop, putting suitcases/duffel bags, etc. in them. Personally, I like how solid the hardtops are. I would definitely look at it as a long term investment.
Good luck; enjoy your travels!!!
