With 2 little kids we're finding that we have way too much crap to carry on road trips. I was thinking of getting an enclosed roof top cargo carrier for the top of the SUV. Does anyone own one? Do they hold much stuff to make it worth the effort?

Get the bag. It holds a lot and you can fold it up if you don't fill it, to cut drag.

When we used to have a shorter Yukon versus Yukon XL and kids were in 3rd row we use a Masterbuilt Hitch Haul cargo bag and found that to be a good solution. One time we had that plus 3 sets of golf clubs up top on the luggage rack in a duffle and the wind noise and resistance was unbelievable at interstate highway speed.

In addition to the wind issues, the bag was water tight, easier to access and rear hatch door just clears it to access the few things that would go behind the 3rd row seats.

+1 for bag. Those hardtops are wayyy overpriced. I want a basket for my wagon.

Have one for many years. Great to get stuff out of the vehicle and people have room inside. Been coast to coast a few times.


Sears Car Top Carrier

I didn't like my hitch rack do to the amount a dirt/grease/crap that got all over everything when it rained or on dirt roads (the bag solves most of that) and the amount of weight a really loaded one would put really far back of the axle made the rear squat and the front meander a bit more.


I love my roof rack, but as stated above they decrease mpgs significantly and are less easier to get to.

Pick your poison.

For me, the roof basket is on there permanently and I don't have to store a hitch rack in the garage.

I've got a hitch basket and a roof rack basket. I bought the hitch basket cheap at harbor freight, and it works well. Some cops can be anal about it hiding your rear plate, so you might have to take it off and zip tie it to the cargo basket. I use mine with a great big heavy duty plastic foot locker or a couple of smaller plastic tubs to make it weatherproof.

I also built a roof basket for my Nissan with my welder that is big enough to hold an oversize spare and a couple gas cans, or other cargo that is weatherproof. It is harder to reach and load up there, and does cause more drag, but does not interfere with my ability to traverse rough terrain or open my tailgate while loaded.

We have the large Thule Atlantis model. It is fairly streamlined so I found it a bit surprising that it held a good amount of luggage. It is also very useful for transporting dirty skis and ski boots (we mostly use for ski trips to Colorado). It locks and seems more secure than a hitch mounted option, although I definitely wouldn't consider it theft proof by any stretch. One of the biggest disadvantages is having to store it when not in use. Mine is suspended by ropes at the top of our garage.

Only for the family dog

I use a big pelican style case that I picked up at a surplus store. It is waterproof and can also be used as a canoe or mobile washing machine.

Never understand this when I see it. How much stuff must you tote around to require an SUV with an additional carrier. Pack light & enjoy

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Never understand this when I see it. How much stuff must you tote around to require an SUV with an additional carrier. Pack light & enjoy

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Tahoe with three rows of bucket seats and five passengers doesn't leave much room for luggage/gear especially when packed for a ski trip.

10 day live out of the car trip fills up the disco. Sometimes theres 2 fridges in the back so the non essentials go on the roof to keep it organized

2 little kids and all their s*** in a small-ish SUV for a week long beach vacation will fill things up pretty well. Once we wear out this Pilot in a couple of years we need to get a Tahoe or something.

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Never understand this when I see it. How much stuff must you tote around to require an SUV with an additional carrier. Pack light & enjoy

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Tahoe with three rows of bucket seats and five passengers doesn't leave much room for luggage/gear especially when packed for a ski trip.

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This. We had 6 passenger so 2 kids filling up the 3rd row of a regular Yukon. You can't fit much more than a small carry-on sized back behind the last row. We had a week-long trip to our place in the mountains of Ruidoso, NM so had ski gear, stuff for house, in addition to a few suitcases for clothes. We still enjoyed!

We did a short ski trip, only 4 hour drive, with 4 adults 4 kids (18 months to 8 years) in a Sienna. I bought a Keeper bag carrier for the roof. We had 1 large suitcase, pack-n-play, smallish suitcase, ski helmets and a few other things in the roof bag with some room to spare. We put a couple small suitcases, 2 coolers, stroller, and other miscellaneous stuff behind the 3rd row. The bag worked great and folds up nicely to store it. We also use the space vacuum bags for the majority of clothes especially bulky ski stuff.

Just remember the bags up there when going into a garage. We almost drove into the underground parking and remembered at the last second before F-ing everything up. Backed up and unloaded then parked in garage.

The wife, 2 kids, and I are going skiing again next weekend but won't use the carrier as plenty of room in van for the 4 of us. We'll use the bag again when we drive home to Texas in May-June from Calgary.


https://www.amazon.ca/Keeper-07203-1-Waterproof-Cargo-Cubic/dp/B00D9C2CDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1459545214&sr=8-1&keywords=Keeper+roof+top+carrier

I went with the enclosed rooftop carrier over a bag. Reviews I read on the bags said they could add a lot of wind noise and many weren't waterproof when you're going 60+ mph. Bought a Thule that's around 64" long and 34" wide and I got a lot more stuff in there than I thought I could. Only used it a few times over the last 4 years though. Having a 3rd kid, wife just got a minivan so I don't need it anymore. Will sell for $150 NW of Houston if anyone's interested.

I have been using a WeatherTech Rack Sack for years and love it. As other posters stated, the convenience of being able to fold it up when not in use is a plus. It is very durable and holds a lot. Highly recommend.

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2 little kids and all their s*** in a small-ish SUV for a week long beach vacation will fill things up pretty well. Once we wear out this Pilot in a couple of years we need to get a Tahoe or something.

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You'll find that with more room available, you'll take more crap. It's best to lay everything out and ask what is essential vs nice to have.