Roof rack storage totes... bad idea?

[RDiddy]

I go on a few camping trips a year, and when we go we bring everything but the kitchen sink and eat / drink and live like kings.

I have been considering getting a roof rack and a couple of larger storage totes that I could strap to the roof rack to aid in this. Upon researching the topic it appears that everyone goes with a teardrop shaped (read: aerodynamic) type of storage clamshell looking thing, and they are typically pretty small, probably for aforementioned wind resistance concerns.

My question being, would it be a horrible or stupid idea to strap on a couple of say 4' long x 2' x 2' storage totes up there? Something like THIS but hopefully a little bigger.

Also if any of you have any leads on something bigger than what I linked that'd be appreciated. Between these and the Plano sportsman trunk I have found so far, they are just a bit smaller than what I was looking for.

Thank you for your time and help.

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[bigbaozi]

A few manufacturers have started making overlanding cargo boxes for the roof. The ones I have seen are fairly expensive, but teardrops are too. It will need to be sturdy or the wind will just crush it. The box you linked looks a little flimsy, but I haven't put hands to one so I don't know.

You'll notice the fuel economy drop putting that on your roof. We have a hardshell rooftop tent and the mpg readings can get downright depressing depending on which way the wind is blowing.

 

[RDiddy]

A few manufacturers have started making overlanding cargo boxes for the roof. The ones I have seen are fairly expensive, but teardrops are too. It will need to be sturdy or the wind will just crush it. The box you linked looks a little flimsy, but I haven't put hands to one so I don't know.

You'll notice the fuel economy drop putting that on your roof. We have a hardshell rooftop tent and the mpg readings can get downright depressing depending on which way the wind is blowing.

I figured the fuel mileage was going to suffer as a result. I guess that will be part and parcel of strapping those up there. As for the image I posted in the OP, I found that searching in this forum from someone else who wanted to do something similar.

So you figure that the sidewalls of those crates would fold over on themselves under wind pressure?

Thanks

 

[James_a]

Checkout frontrunner they have boxes made for that.

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/

 

[RDiddy]

Checkout frontrunner they have boxes made for that.

https://www.frontrunneroutfitters.com/en/us/

Thank you for the suggestion, I will check them out

 

[bigbaozi]

So you figure that the sidewalls of those crates would fold over on themselves under wind pressure?

Thanks

Sidewalls, maybe the front. Either get something sturdy or get a soft bag. Soft bags kind of get a bad reputation because they aren't particularly sturdy. But, they take hardly any room to store when you don't need them, still usually waterproof, and pretty flexible about what you put inside.

My only problem with those Frontrunner boxes is that they are a bit small (17.7x13.4x8.1 inside). You can use the hi-lid and get a bit more room. Maybe they make a bigger one I haven't seen (I bet they will be soon).

Pelican and Roam at least are making more serious cases more in line with the size you said (4x2x2). But they are "overlanding" gear and the price tag has been set accordingly.

 

[RDiddy]

Sidewalls, maybe the front. Either get something sturdy or get a soft bag. Soft bags kind of get a bad reputation because they aren't particularly sturdy. But, they take hardly any room to store when you don't need them, still usually waterproof, and pretty flexible about what you put inside.

My only problem with those Frontrunner boxes is that they are a bit small (17.7x13.4x8.1 inside). You can use the hi-lid and get a bit more room. Maybe they make a bigger one I haven't seen (I bet they will be soon).

Pelican and Roam at least are making more serious cases more in line with the size you said (4x2x2). But they are "overlanding" gear and the price tag has been set accordingly.

I keep hearing / reading that overlanding term. I need to spend some time and educate myself on this stuff more. Why because it is intended for that does it command a sky high price?

 

[bigbaozi]

I keep hearing / reading that overlanding term. I need to spend some time and educate myself on this stuff more. Why because it is intended for that does it command a sky high price?

I think it's mostly that the products were a bit niche before the pandemic. Overlanding was trendy but not that trendy. The lower volume probably kept some companies willing to take a lower margin out. Maybe RTIC will jump into the storage bin game soon since gear demand has been so high.

 

[Gee-pah]

Hey Rob @RDiddy :

Allow me to suggest the possibility--although perhaps wrong--that you are overthinking this:

https://www.harborfreight.com/54-1-2-half-inch-long-expandable-nylon-cargo-carrier-cover-95165.html

I use these to haul my kid's stuff to and from college (yes, on top of a roof rack but a hardtop should be fine unless your hauling a piano.) Although they're waterproof, we put clothes and other stuff that doesn't take well to moisture inside of garbage bags just to play it safe.

Like @bigbaozi mentioned, you can't beat such gear's ability to fold down to a fraction of its size for storage when not it use.

And to the extent that this doesn't meet (all of) your needs, Harbor Freight makes rigid cases of all sizes at good prices.

~~~

You mentioned need to better grasp overlanding and the gear sold under this marketspace. In best practice this stuff is high quality, and near military grade in toughness so as to not only survive the elements, but not let its owner down when taking their Wranglers deep off road, where the help of others may be less accessible than on asphalt roads.

..and that comes at a premium, worth it to some.

It sounds to me like you infrequently venture a little bit off road to a camping ground. I'll bet true off roading gear, given your needs--and this is not meant to knock some really great products--may be money better spent elsewhere.

Good luck.

 

[bigbaozi]

And to the extent that this doesn't meet (all of) your needs, Harbor Freight makes rigid cases of all sizes at good prices.

Those apache cases at HF are nice if you can find one in the size you need. I think the biggest one is carry-on size.

 

[Gee-pah]

Those apache cases at HF are nice if you can find one in the size you need. I think the biggest one is carry-on size.

...and some of the larger ones designed for long guns could probably be easily configured to carry other items, if necessary, replacing their egg crate foam or even substituting it with form fitting Kaizen foam....

https://www.fastcap.com/product/kaizen-foam

 

[RDiddy]

Hey Rob @RDiddy :

Allow me to suggest the possibility--although perhaps wrong--that you are overthinking this:

https://www.harborfreight.com/54-1-2-half-inch-long-expandable-nylon-cargo-carrier-cover-95165.html

I use these to haul my kid's stuff to and from college (yes, on top of a roof rack but a hardtop should be fine unless your hauling a piano.) Although they're waterproof, we put clothes and other stuff that doesn't take well to moisture inside of garbage bags just to play it safe.

Like @bigbaozi mentioned, you can't beat such gear's ability to fold down to a fraction of its size for storage when not it use.

And to the extent that this doesn't meet (all of) your needs, Harbor Freight makes rigid cases of all sizes at good prices.

~~~

You mentioned need to better grasp overlanding and the gear sold under this marketspace. In best practice this stuff is high quality, and near military grade in toughness so as to not only survive the elements, but not let its owner down when taking their Wranglers deep off road, where the help of others may be less accessible than on asphalt roads.

..and that comes at a premium, worth it to some.

It sounds to me like you infrequently venture a little bit off road to a camping ground. I'll bet true off roading gear, given your needs--and this is not meant to knock some really great products--may be money better spent elsewhere.

Good luck.

Thank you for the advice, it is much appreciated. I have been looking at those rear cargo haulers that you linked. They do look very handy and convenient. I do have a tow hitch so I will likely get one.

In regards to overthinking this, you're not wrong... I may be going a bit overboard on this whole thing. I don't go deep into the woods so much so that my survival depends on the gear's performance.

In my defense, we finally got our first jeep and I am very excited to rig it out with all the stuff I have been wanting to do for years. We can finally consider getting a boat with our tow hitch. We finally don't have to rent SUV's / jeeps anymore to go on our camping trips as all we had before was a car. We can now mod it to make our lives easier so we've been buying lots of cool shit for our new Wrangler, so admittedly we're a bit caught up and overzealous in our new endeavor.

However, my current camping gear setup mostly resides in 4 roughly three foot long by 20 inch x 20 inch rubbermaid storage totes and they have not fared well over the past four or five years, to the point that the hinges are all broken, the lids do not stay on, they are cracked in spots and as a result of the cracking plastic there are now holes in them and this causes them to get squished when loaded up.

They do take a lot of abuse, get stacked on top of each other and they are packed quite full and heavy.

Going forward, I don't mind having to spend some money to get something decent that isn't going to bust after a year as opposed to the $25 flimsy storage totes I was using.

I do appreciate your comments on being able to have storage gear that shrinks in size when not in use, but I was likely going to remove the roof basket, rack, clamshell or whatever rig I end up with upon our return from each trip and store it in our shed, so it isn't as much of a concern so much.

 

[RDiddy]

Thank you all for the storage bin suggestions, I am looking at all of them.

 

[Gee-pah]

Thank you for the advice, it is much appreciated. I have been looking at those rear cargo haulers that you linked. They do look very handy and convenient. I do have a tow hitch so I will likely get one.

Rob: I didn't mean to imply that they couldn't also be placed directly on a hard top roof--I imagine they can.

In my defense, we finally got our first jeep and I am very excited to rig it out with all the stuff I have been wanting to do for years.

I have no idea what you're talking about. Each purchase I made for my JL was part of a methodical and objective decision rubric where emotion and "kid in a candy store" type mentality played no role.

NOT

We can finally consider getting a boat with our tow hitch. We finally don't have to rent SUV's / jeeps anymore to go on our camping trips as all we had before was a car. We can now mod it to make our lives easier so we've been buying lots of cool shit for our new Wrangler, so admittedly we're a bit caught up and overzealous in our new endeavor.

With that closing statement will the defendant please rise. I hereby charge you with being a human being, living life, taking pleasure. Shame!

However, my current camping gear setup mostly resides in 4 roughly three foot long by 20 inch x 20 inch rubbermaid storage totes and they have not fared well over the past four or five years, to the point that the hinges are all broken, the lids do not stay on, they are cracked in spots and as a result of the cracking plastic there are now holes in them and this causes them to get squished when loaded up.

And by my way of thinking, as I seek to rationalize this with my wife while se looks at me sideways, "you can't have old cruddy gear on a brand new Wrangler! What will the neighbors think!"

 

[Boatbuilder88]

I'm considering a hitch carrier.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadrat...jumbo-cargo-storage-bag-2-inch-receiver-hitch

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