No matter if it is breezy weather to set out on a trip on your four-wheeler or a cross-country road tour to visit your acquaintances, you have a lot of luggage to fit into that cabin space. People often try to attach a trailer or a hitch-mounted carrier, which eats into the excitement of the drive.
Therefore, to enjoy your ride without cramping for space, you would need the perfect roof rack that is both strong and accommodating. We take a look at eight aspects that can make your task of choosing the right roof rack easy.
[PS: Here is the guide on how to make a road trip fun]
1) Decide What You Wish To Transport
The goods you intend to put on your car’s roof will determine what kind of roof rack is ideal for your need. Smaller items and regular luggage can fit in a simple cargo box, and a naked roof rack is sufficient for such loads. Recreational items like kayaks, bikes, paddleboards, and canoes need additional safety measures, and fixed-point racks are ideal for loading these stuff.
These metal racks are extremely reliable and durable, meaning you can peacefully load items of varying sizes on them. For adventurous tourers who wish to capture the dramatic scenes from their car’s rooftop, GoPro roof rack mounting brackets are an ideal tool to mount your action camera.
2) Find Out The Load Capacity Of Your Car’s Roof
Although vehicles have an official weight capacity, the cabin space is mostly considered for this estimate. Your vehicle’s roof may not be sturdy enough to endure the load of your luggage in a long journey, which may result in an unsafe and rough ride. Therefore, it is crucial to know the strength of the car’s roof and the weight ratings of the cross-bars and side rails.
You may find the roof’s load-carrying capacity in the vehicle’s user manual or on the internet. Understanding your car’s roof correctly will also help you find out the best roof rack attachment according to the roof’s sturdiness.
3) Calculate The Total Weight Of All Loaded Items
If you are thinking of loading heavy sports equipment, daily essentials, and clothing in a cargo pack, make sure the total weight of these items is less than your car’s weight capacity. If you carry a mix of different items, you may need to divide the load into roof and cabin space to ensure optimum balance while driving the car.
4) Adjust Your Car’s Existing Roof Set-up
You need to know what roof set up your car has at present to make sure that you employ the required tools for transporting your articles. Hardtops are the most common car roofs that are usually rigid. If it is a fixed hardtop, it can handle heavier loads than other roof varieties. The load handling capability significantly decreases when it comes to a retractable hardtop.
Sunroofs can be a bit problematic when it comes to installing roof racks. The openings in the sunroofs are made of glass, making it difficult to install any equipment on that part of the roof. Depending on whether it is a pop-up sunroof or a spoiler sunroof, it can significantly reduce the carriage space on the car’s roof. Convertible roofs allow you minimal load capacity, and if you do load stuff on them, you are missing out on its unique feature.
5) Evaluate Your Vehicle’s Performance And The Driver’s Abilities
Loading heavy items on the roof rack directly impacts the car’s performance. When you have huge weights on the top of the vehicle, it can either boost or worsen the riding experience of the car, depending on the build, engine, and driver’s expertise. You may find it difficult to break or accelerate normally in such situations. Additional dangers can appear on winding roads, as the car’s center of gravity would change with the loading of heavy items on the roof. Abrupt turns can even make your vehicle overturn.
Therefore, understand your car’s engine performance and handling before loading random items on its roof. The driver’s ability also becomes critical when heavy items are on the roof rack.
6) Understand Roof Aerodynamics
While you must remain within the car’s weight limits while loading goods on the car’s roof, the aerodynamics of the items should also be considered. For example, rooftop tents and roof boxes are aerodynamically designed. So, they will have almost no impact on your vehicle’s maneuverability. However, the aerodynamics will become off-centered if you load unconventional items, like a sofa, on the car roof. This may negatively influence the car’s steering and maneuverability.
7) Select A Roof Rack As Per Your Application
Fitting the wrong roof rack means installing and uninstalling it several times, causing extra strain on your car’s roof. Here are a few roof racks that can cater to your needs.
- Cargo Bags: Waterproof cargo bags enhance your luggage protection in extreme weather conditions. These bags are available in several sizes to fulfill your requirements. Cargo roof bags are flexible and a lot more convenient to transport. You can simply fold and store these bags when they are not used.
- Cargo Boxes: Although you can attach your items on the roof rack openly, some fragile items may require additional protection. A Cargo roof box is a hard container that easily installs the car’s roof bars. These hardened boxes can be locked, and they are harder to tamper with. So, you can have that extra peace while sitting in the car if you install this secure equipment.
- Bike Racks: Bike racks provide optimized carriage for your bicycles. It is better to carry one bike on your car’s roof, but some racks can accommodate two or three at once.
- Kayak Racks: These racks are designed to transport canoes or kayaks safely. When you install a kayak rack to carry such items, ensure that you secure the boat properly to the rack.
8) Focus On The Rack Material
If your roof racks and accessories are predominantly plastic, there are more chances of failure. Plastic can become brittle with time and may fade in extremely hot weather. Plastic also has inferior weight ratings compared to metal and will last shorter. Therefore, always choose sturdy material even if it makes the deal costlier.
Final Words
Different items need different types of roof racks for optimal installation. You can easily select the best roof rack for your purpose by getting a grasp of your vehicle’s weight distribution, its roof strength, performance, and the track to your destination.