You’re an outdoor enthusiast looking to hit the road and explore. You’ve got your bike, your kayak, your tent, your sleeping bag, and a long list of other outdoor essentials. Only problem is it won’t all fit in your trunk. That’s where car accessories come in. But which accessory is right for you?
There are roof racks, roof boxes, roof bags, cargo baskets, even rooftop tents where you can sleep on top of your car. The type of accessory you need depends on what you plan to do, says Justin Chau, the manager of after sales marketing at Subaru Canada.
If you plan to go biking, you need a roof rack bike carrier. If you need to move a canoe, kayak, or paddle board, you’ll need a sport-specific rack as there are different carriers for each type of equipment. If you’re looking for storage space, then you should consider a roof box, bag, or cargo basket.
“The box is for basically anything you want to protect, like if it’s going to be raining or snowing then it’s protected from the elements,” Chau says. “A cargo basket, which is exposed, is a metal basket literally on the roof of the vehicle, and you have a cargo net that goes on top of it to secure the items. You can put your cooler there or anything that can get wet or snowed on.”
Traditionally, the cargo box was used to store skis, protecting them from road salt. But many outdoor enthusiasts are discovering that it’s a great place to store all luggage, opening up trunk space.
“My wife and I actually did a giant road trip through Labrador and Newfoundland, and we put a box on the roof,” says Evan Lindsey, the car line manager at Subaru Canada. “We put all our gear and stuff on the roof, and we actually slept in the back of the car.”
Before you select your rack or box, you’re going to need roof rails. These are the two rails that run lengthwise along your vehicle’s roof. Many models, such as Subaru SUVs, have them built in. But if your vehicle doesn’t, you can install a pair.
The roof rails work in tandem with cross bars, two horizontal bars that run between the rails, creating a ladder framework that your roof rack, box, or cargo basket sits on.
Once you have the rails and cross bars in place, it’s a matter of choosing which type of accessory works best for you. This can be difficult to nail down as it depends on the type of vehicle you own, your budget, and what your plans are. You can either reach out to your vehicle manufacturer or a vehicle accessory expert for advice.
In the meantime, here are five of the more popular roof accessories out there right now.
Rhino-Rack Aero Cross Bars
Australian company Rhino-Rack isn’t as well known in North America as some of its competitors, but the company offers a versatile cross bar system. Many cross bar systems are permanently fixed on the roof of your vehicle, whereas the Aero cross bars can slide along a track system on your roof, adjusting to accommodate various loads.
“You can have them close together for skis or far apart for lumber,” says Greg Niewerth, owner of the vehicle accessory store Rack Stop in Vancouver. “You get a lot more versatility.”
Thule Vector M Box
Thule, a Swedish company, tends to be the go-to brand for boxes. The company offers box accessories ranging from good, better, best, to premium. The Vector box is Thule’s premium line, Niewerth says. The box’s exterior is plastic with an aerodynamic design, but the interior is all metal, making it highly durable.
The box can hold up to 360 litres or skis that are 185 centimetres long. The interior even includes an LED light, so you can unpack in the dark.
Yakima FrontLoader
Made by Yakima, an American company, the FrontLoader is a popular option when it comes to bike carriers. It’s a rooftop, upright bike mount that holds one bike. The FrontLoader sports an aerodynamic design and you don’t have to remove the bike’s tires to fit it on the mount. Plus, the FrontLoader fits with any kind of cross bars, Niewerth says. “It goes on and off super quick.”
Thule Compass
The Thule Compass is a versatile carrier ideal for transporting watersport equipment. With its saddle configuration, you can flatten the carrier and load one kayak or up to two paddle boards stacked on top of one another. Raise the divider in the middle of the rack and suddenly you can carry two kayaks placed on their edges. The rack can carry items up to 91 centimetres wide and weighing 130 pounds.
Rhino-Rack Folding J-Style Carrier
Another versatile watersport carrier, the Rhino-Rack Folding J-Style Carrier can fit multiple kayaks or canoes. It uses the J-Style system, meaning your kayak or canoe is stored on its edge. Thanks to this system, there’s room on the roof to fit more than one watercraft. If you use extended cross bars, Rhino-Rack says it’s possible to carry as many as four kayaks or four canoes at one time.
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