DentedHHR

So I picked up this roof basket at my local wrecking yard. Cost me a WHOPPING $8.56

Mounted it on the $5.11 roof rack (which I also bought from the same wrecking yard).

What do ya think?

Yakima 4x4 roof basket, Yay or Nay????.......

Forward progress, or should I ditch the basket.






I must say, I do go camping alot, kayaking and mountain biking. I have alot of Yakima roof rack accessories that snap/clamp onto the basket.

Oldblue

If it makes you happy and you recall the laws of physics, weight, centre of gravity, centrifugal force and such , keep it.
I’m afraid of baskets




And school marms on a bicycle

SuKi

I don't know. I think you should take it all off, and put it in your garage. I'll drive up and take it off your hands for say, $30. But seriously, it doesn't look bad, and as long as you don't overload it, I'm not sure what the weight capacity chevy states for the roof, I think you'll get some good use out of it. I'm currently contemplating a tail hitch basket, but i really can't load it up due to the tongue weight, so it's almost pointless.

RJ_RS_SS_350

Use it when you need it, but keep in mind that basket is going to be an air dam up there, and will adversely affect your fuel economy.

DentedHHR

I think you're right.

I bought it thinking it would be good to haul duffel bags and small luggage cases when I travel to Los Angeles (900 mile round trip) so that the interior of the car doesn't feel so cramped............but after having it on the roof and looking at it, I think it would cause too much wind resistance resulting in very poor fuel econony.

In the garage it goes.

Sometimes good ideas just aren't that great.

Oldblue

Hey, you can use it when required or sell it from a whole lot more on one of them selling sites

spacer

As I already have a hitch receiver, which I've used mostly for bike racks, I'm all for picking up a lightweight basket rack for it. Some of the lighter ones are about 35 lbs, I think... which leaves me with enough capacity to get some of the bulkier, but light weight stuff out of the cabin. That can mean a lot on longer trips.

Also, it's a good way to carry a gas can without filling the cabin with vapors. Some routes I've taken... an extra 5 or 10 gallons extra on-hand can come in *very* handy. But... that's generally not an issue in most places.

I kinda like the look of the roof racks, but I'm pretty leery about stickin' stuff out in the wind.

Oldblue

Some folks try to defy the laws of weight and structural steel



These types of carrier are helpful

prod

Keep in mind GM put a limit of 150lbs in the manual for the factory roof rails without bending the roof. There isnt much structural reinforcement under there. I would guess your setup is pretty heavy even when empty.

DentedHHR

The roof rack is OEM from a 2003 z71 Tahoe.......I narrowed the width 10 1/2 inches to fit on the HHR. I'd guess that it weighs 20Lbs......it's just light weight tin & plastic.

I carry two kayaks on "JayHooks" clamped to the Tahoe rack atop my HHR. Total weight of everything (kayaks, hooks, Tahoe roof rack) is right around 110Lbs. I think that's pretty much the limit of what the roof could handle.......this rack is not attached where a factory HHR rack is mounted which (I believe) lessens the weight capacity in my particular case.

The roof basket with Tahoe rack probably weighs 50Lbs......I don't think loading 100Lbs in the basket would be a wise choice..........40mph, drive over a dip in the road, that weight could multiply for a split second causing damage..