roof basket advice

[Bikemobile]

im looking to spend about $100 total with shipping for a roof basket.

It needs to mount on thule bars on my S10 camper shell and yakima round bars on the wifes jeep grand cherokee.

I also wanted something that wouldnt need a fairing. I will be putting two action packers and some firewood up there most of the time and maybe luggage on other trips.

Ive got $100 at paypal that I would like to spend on ebay.

What do you think of this one?

It has plastic corners but looks relatively strong to me.

similar but silver and black.

last one is the basic yakima basket case.

 

[mountainpete]

With two action packers and firewood you could easily go over 100 lbs of weight - not only does that cause a fair amount of torsional stress on the basket it can also become a missile in an accident if the basket fails. Quality is important.

You're not going to find much in the $100 price range, but out of the ones you have above I would go with the Yakima. They make quality products and I am surprised that you could find one of their products for $100.

Pete

 

[Bikemobile]

ok round two....

$115 Black widow
43.5" long x 39" wide x 6" tall

$125 Stingray
52.5" L x 43.5" x 5.25" H

They both come with better mounting hardware also:

 

[Frankspinz]

The "SportRack" roof basket is all metal and quite sturdy. I've used and abused mine for more than 5 years with no issues ...

http://www.sportrack.com/a21030

 

[mudbutt]

ok round two....

I have one made by RAGE. It's held up pretty well for a cheapie.

 

[Bikemobile]

I have one made by RAGE. It's held up pretty well for a cheapie.

That one almost looks like the "stingray." How do you like the mounting hardware?

 

[mudbutt]

That one almost looks like the "stingray." How do you like the mounting hardware?

No I have the ER-08208....

The hardware works as it should. My problem is the stock cross bars on the XJ suck. So the whole thing rattles a lot on rutted roads. A fix is pending.

The clamps work well but make sure you replace all the nuts with Nyloc nuts, or at least use Loctite. And if the Allen screws are "tamper resistant", be sure and toss the allen key into your tool box..... Ask me how I know!:bike_rider:

The other thing is, measure, measure, measure.... If I had it to do all over again, I'd get a carboard box the same dimensions as the rack and throw it up on the roof to see what it will look like.

I was focussed on the rack being too big. I measured and deemed the rack usable.

Once I got it and threw it up there, It looked the size of a postage stamp. Off it came.

I didn't want to hassle with sending it back, soooooooo.........

I bought some tube and quartered the rack. Then I welded the rack sides back together 8" longer and 8" wider.

But that left too much gap in the center where it originally bolted together. So I had to buy more tube and weld that into the bottom.

Then I had to repaint it.

I had over a week in the thing and I think it's still too short. But I also added light tabs, a hoop to protect the lights, and a shovel mount.

 

[Bikemobile]

Ive found that alot of the baskets are really small also. The stingray will "fill up" the space between the rockymounts bike trays on my wifes jeep wk and will sit jusy inside of the yakima towers on my zr2.

I put a bid in today for a stingray on ebay.

 

[herm]

i bought aluminum tubing and fittings from mcmaster carr and built my own, search for my thread in the domestec section.

 

[Papa Tac]

Sears (Canada) has a Rola basket for $139. I just got one delivered (got the extension too) and it looks great, just not on the truck yet. Thinking I might get one for the Impreza...

 

[Flip_4_It]

I have a 4.5' x 5' defender rack that I love. You might consider looking on craigslist. I found alot of nice used racks on there for cheap, they were just to small for my truck. A lot of craigslist sellers will take private payment by paypal also.

 

[BigSwede]

Just bought a Yakima Load Warrior in great shape off of Craigslist for $125...may look for an extension also.