Surco Safari Basket
- Thread starter Bergger
- Start date
calamaridog
Expedition Leader
I have never used one but I've seen them up close. They are certainly a cheap option but I would not consider using them for heavy loads.
Unfortunetly, you seem to get what you pay for, and the stuff I'm looking at right now is beyond my disposable truck money right now.
Unfortunetly, you seem to get what you pay for, and the stuff I'm looking at right now is beyond my disposable truck money right now.
bigreen505
Expedition Leader
So what counts as a quality rack? Con-fer, Garvin, Yakima and Thule baskets? I have almost given in to the fact that I will need one at some point, but not really sure where to look.
paulj
Expedition Leader
It would depend on how much weight you intend to haul on the roof - and what the vehicle can safely carry up there.
The really heavy duty racks/baskets mount with 3 sets of legs to full length raingutters or equivalent mounting points. But if the factory roof rack or mounting points aren't rated for more than 100 to 150 lb, there is little point in spending $600 or more on a heavy duty basket.
One decision that you have to make is whether to get an basket that has its own mounts, or whether to mount a basket on separate racks. Surco may be the least expensive of the integrated designs. If you go the separate route, a basket like the Yakima Loadwarrior will handle as much weight as the Yakima or Thule cross bars. I suspect, for that matter, that any of the $150 baskets (Rola, Proline, BVG) will be ok as well. For that matter, I've seen 'baskets' consisting of wire shelving zip tied to the cross bars.
Having mentioned the vehicles roof rack ratings, I should conceed that it is hard to say what they are based on. Is the rack the weak point, the mounting points, or the roof structure? Maybe they are based on vehicle stability considerations, since manufacturers are worried about being blamed for roll overs, and roof loads do reduce the stability.
paulj
The really heavy duty racks/baskets mount with 3 sets of legs to full length raingutters or equivalent mounting points. But if the factory roof rack or mounting points aren't rated for more than 100 to 150 lb, there is little point in spending $600 or more on a heavy duty basket.
One decision that you have to make is whether to get an basket that has its own mounts, or whether to mount a basket on separate racks. Surco may be the least expensive of the integrated designs. If you go the separate route, a basket like the Yakima Loadwarrior will handle as much weight as the Yakima or Thule cross bars. I suspect, for that matter, that any of the $150 baskets (Rola, Proline, BVG) will be ok as well. For that matter, I've seen 'baskets' consisting of wire shelving zip tied to the cross bars.
Having mentioned the vehicles roof rack ratings, I should conceed that it is hard to say what they are based on. Is the rack the weak point, the mounting points, or the roof structure? Maybe they are based on vehicle stability considerations, since manufacturers are worried about being blamed for roll overs, and roof loads do reduce the stability.
paulj