Anti-MPG Mod. Roof Rack Carrier or Roof Bag Suggestions Needed.
 

So, the girls convinced me to go to the SPCA yesterday, "Just to look". Here is what we came home with...
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...pscvdgaohh.jpg

Both of my dogs. She is a 20 lb (for now) Border Collie/Pit Bull mix and he is an 80 lb Boxer/Pit mix.
http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/g...psquzjpsus.jpg

Anyone have suggestions for a good roof rack carrier or roof bag for the Mazda5? We frequently drive to NJ (280 miles) and I want something for the roof that is waterproof (or very water resistant). It needs to hold two medium suitcases or duffel bags. We try to travel light, but there is no way both dogs are going to fit in the back with luggage once she is grown. Obviously the carrier/bag will only be up there for trips, but if it has rails, they will probably stay up there. I am not looking to spend $1,000...

Other suggestions are welcome too. No, I am not getting a Suburban!

Maybe a small aeroshaped trailer?

It's possible, but I think it would end up costing more. I'd need a hitch. The Mazda isn't rated to tow anything, but I doubt a little trailer would be a big deal.

Since the Mazda5 isn't intended for any kind of towing, it probably isn't feasible to install a hitch and put an aerodynamically-neutral box in your pressure wake. With that in mind, something along the line of a Thule Hyper is probably going to be the least-bad option.

The Thule Hyper is $911, so probably not happening. But, Thule has a lot of good options.

I am trying to be frugal about this. But, I don't want to be cheap and get something that won't last. So, I'll pay more for something that will last.

A roof box will probably last a lot longer than a roof bag. It's also a pain to put on and off, not to mention store. We've got a Thule box and it's really nice, but there have to be less pricey choices out there (I wasn't involved in buying it). It lives out back under the deck, sitting on top of our kayak and underneath our canoe.

Go with the smallest frontal profile you can and use duffels.

BTW, nice score on the puppy. :)

My neighbor has a big plastic tote style locker that he affixed mole skin to the bottom of and uses straps that go inside of the doors/across the ceiling of his Matrix.

He says that he has used his homemade box to travel to California, Texas, and New York from Nebraska on several occasions. It honestly looks like any other car top carrier, and I think it probably cost him about $40 from Walmart. I helped him install it earlier this spring because he had one arm in a sling...couldn't see any damage to his roof from the mole skin rubbing on it.

Thanks!

I think she is going to be a great dog. She is very well tempered. She is still getting used to the house, the lawn, us, and my other dog, but doing very well overall.

Both of them are rescue dogs. So it feels good knowing they both got to live and are in a good home. Plus, they make us happy.

Oh, and the big one is a great watch dog. He loves attention, but he is protective.

Hmmm...you've got me thinking about some Wally World engineering!

I know I can get the straps with the door hooks, so I can probably come up with something.

I'm looking at these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006YIU5TI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2RA9SXXT GVE9R

Amazon.com: Rola 59834 Mazda 5 Cross Bar: Automotive

Rails and box for under $500 and decent reviews on Amazon. I don't need them right away, but will after another 4-6 months.

I am not too worried about getting the most aero designed rails and box out there. The fuel savings over the initial cost would probably never equal out for as little as it's going to get used.

I just added a roof rack to my 2010 prius
as well as a Thule Weekender

I figure the roof rack is worth about -1 or 2 mpg on open highway
an the roof box is worth about -4 to 5 mpg
(but it wont be on my car all the time)

mine is similar to this
*** Thule cargo box ***

what is your local craigslist?



I'd suggest a full roofrack kit (about $500 new)
Thule or Yakima are both great products




I'd suggest spending no more than necessary for a super smooth looking one since it's just gonna be for occasional use


good luck

complete setup for under $500
 

SportRack is made by Thule
and it's about 2/3 the price

SR1010 Complete Roof Rack System | SportRack US ($189)
Vista XL | SportRack US ($279)

if you are a costco member,
they sell them thru the costco.com website

I borrowed my sister's roof bag and drove home from NJ with it. I got 29 mpg that tank, which is the same I would have got without the bag on top. But, even if I did lose 4-5 mpg, it would leave me at 24ish mpg. Not too considering the only vehicles that can fit the luggage and dogs inside (Suburban, Tahoe, Durango, Excursion, etc) would get much less than that, aside from other minivans. But, most minivans aren't going to touch 30 mpg like our Mazda5 can. This box is only going to be mounted for road trips.

Thanks for the links. The sportrack.com website is about what I am looking for. Nothing too over the top, just something that works. I don't need a super-aero composite rack and box.

I am still looking into bags as well. Amazon has a few with really good reviews for under $100. If it lasts two years and I have to get another one that will last two more years, I am still well under the cost of a rack and box.

Oh, and there are a few name brand, good condition boxes on CL around here for under $150. I will definitely look into them.

Le's think about that, though. What matters in towing is the weight/force, isn't it? So the aerodynamic drag of a roof box would create more drag than a small trailer. I'm talking about motorcycle-sized, of the kind that I had no problems pulling behind an 850 cc Suzuki.

---

Aside on the dogs: I'd suggest looking up the "Plott Hound". Many mid-size brindle dogs get labeled as Pit Bulls or mixes, when they're really Plott Hounds (or something else). They have completely different personalities: mine's a water dog, fascinated by birds, runs at speed for miles, and has the hound-like 'woo woo woo' instead of a bark - yet he came to me from a Pit Bull rescue group. (Another foster failure: I was only supposed to give him a temporary home "just for a week or two" until he could be adopted. That was 3 years ago this April.)

I really don't think I need a trailer. After thinking about it, that's more maintenance in tires, axle grease, etc. It's not much maintenance, but more than a roof carrier. Plus, the carrier is easier to drive with.

I looked up the Plott Hounds. Very interesting! I think it's common to call anything brindle a pit or boxer mix. According to his adoption paperwork, my older one is a boxer mix, which helped me get a lease or two in an apartment. He hates water, is good at licking himself, doesn’t barking excessively and plays catch the tennis ball and never, ever, ever, under any circumstance, give it back (unless you have second tennis ball to throw him...). He is great with the kids, friendly to strangers, but also protective.

She is still young, but it looks like she is a pretty normal puppy. She doesn't like the tennis ball yet but already stole the older one's bone. He was fine with it since he stole her new bone. She snapped at him when he got close to her food, but I think that is pretty normal. Hopefully she picks up his manners.

Are both of those your dogs? Both are great! It looks like they are enjoying the woods.

You can buy a receiver hitch for about $150. Then get a cargo carrier that mounts in the receiver hitch like this one:
Amazon.com: TMS T-CCR1948KB Heavy Duty Hitch Mounted Cargo Basket Luggage Carrier Hauler, 2-Inch: Automotive

For $40. (I've never used this particular carrier, but it looks reasonably well made, especially for the price)

Then get some waterproof totes and strap them in when you go. That's well within your $500 budget and keeps your luggage in your wake as well as down low so it's easier to get into it. It does make the rear hatch harder to use though...

Trailer downsides are registration, electrics, extra tires to worry about, parking, theft, etc.

The roof box is much simpler, even with the added frontal area and lifting.

Yes, both mine. We're out camping with the horses in the South Warner Wilderness (northeastern California). Not the best picture, but they don't hold still for photos. The other one's a Bossy Collie - Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix. Kinda hard to live with, since they have completely opposite personalities: the BC chases tennis balls (but ONLY green tennis balls!), then waits for you to come get it. The brindle chases anything you throw in the water. He runs for miles - look away for a minute, and he might be a quarter mile up a mountainside. The BC gets in front on the trail, and refuses to go faster than a slow trot...

I used a big cargo basket on the Durango. The Mazda hitch is only a 1 1/4", so I need a basket that small. I could always have my dad make a basket out of aluminum, that would save a lot of money.

The only two downsides to the basket is that it acts a lever on the rear suspension and once loaded, I can't open the trunk to let the dogs out. It can turn a little weight into a big load for the axle. Kind of like a pipe on a breaker bar... My old Durango had something like a 9,000 pound towing capacity with a max tongue weight of 500 pounds (I think). One time I had about 300 pounds on the cargo carrier, with only the 70 lb dog in the back and the rear suspension was noticeably lower and it handled a bit different.

I put three bikes on a bike rack on the Mazda5 last year and the suspension sagged as well.

But, having a trailer hitch would open the Mazda up to other options, like a decent bike rack.

Harbor Freight has a very nice aluminum cargo carrier for $99 that has rails all around.

Guys, Sarguy stated pretty clearly he doesn't want a trailer, and I looked up the Mazda5 and the website says, pretty plainly, "no towing."

I don't think there are even any decent hardpoints to be had for adding a hitch, and though I'm certain it wouldn't be difficult to add some, it doesn't feel to me like he wants to do something as irreversible as that.

The whole point I'm getting here is you're trying to put the luggage still on the car, but leave room inside for dogs, right?

Awesome dogs, by the way. The picture of the little one at the top of the thread actually wrangled a "D'AWWww!" out of me, which isn't easy.

Your points about the trailer are right on. In my area enforcement on the registration and lights is spotty, where it exists at all, but I'm right there with you about the registration and lights. It would drive me bonkers, no lights die like trailer lights in my experience, and every once in a while you find a LEO who just cannot let them go by.

I don't mind the hitch, but I don't think it's the way I want to go. A roof bag would distribute the weight a little better. But, I did ask for all suggestions and appreciate every one.

Yes, the point is that I need to put luggage somewhere not inside the car. He takes up almost half the trunk and she can sit on a lap for now. But, she is growing and in 6-8 months she will probably be 50-60 pounds. So, there goes the other half the trunk!

Thanks! They are both great dogs, especially with the kids.

Trailers are a pain sometimes. I'd have to wire a harness in, which isn't a big deal, but some of them come with the quick splices (those plastic clips that bite through the wire insulation). I'd prefer the type that plugs in between the taillight harness plug. Plus, a little trailer at freeway speeds can be a pain, and I won't even mention my wife driving a car with a trailer attached. I can see it now, "Oops, I forgot the trailer was back there and jackknifed it backing out of the parking spot".

I know it's way over budget and you don't want a trailer, but I can't believe it's taken so long for companies to start producing these:

Yakima Rack and Roll Trailer - 66" Yakima Trailers Y08106

Yakima = way overpriced ($1,719.20) but I LOVE the concept. Super skinny tires for LRR and aero, extremely lightweight (150lbs for the trailer) and carries a 250lb box with standard roof rack mounts, but nice and low for easy access... and tucked nicely into your slipstream. On fairly flat land, there'd probably be almost no hit at all to MPG (obviously more on hilly terrain). Just posting the fact that they exist for more people to know something so awesome exists :).

It's my fantasy road trip rig for sure.

Thanks for sharing.

You know, if one was mechanically inclined, they could build themselves a trailer for a lot less. That thing is nice, but a DIY trailer would save a lot and you could probably get most of the parts from Walmart.

Have you named the dogs yet?

My nephew has a Pit and she is a goofy hoot.

Thank you for rescuing a shelter pet!

Emily Dickenson when she was a kitten:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6...o/IMAG0891.jpg

Thor a week or so ago:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Y...o/DSC_2385.JPG


Hmm...do we have a show your pet thread?
This may be a bit cheesy for you, but if it were me- I would take a bike rack ($60 at Walmart, $25 on craigslist) and secure the bags to it. If I wanted something more aerodynamic and aesthetic, I would turn it into a boat tail like on my Insight. As long as the top can open the baggage can go in and out, and when it's empty the hatch can be opened no problem.

They do over at MyTractorForum.com, and even a somewhat macabre/tearjerking past pets section.

His name is Duke. That was his name when I adopted him. It was funny because my name is Luke. I was going to change it but no one thought I should.

Her name was Jasmine, but we changed it to Duchess. We thought it was fitting.

Nice animals! Yes, adoption is the only way for us. I would never pay for a dog. I do like pure breds, but I prefer mutts. They seem to be healthier.

I already have one of those strap on bike racks, so putting a container or bag on it might be an idea. Especially since the rack budget is slowly dying. I spent $175 on adopting the puppy, then needed to buy a shampooer/shampoo for $240, puppy food/toys/Nature's Miracle for $100, then Duke got sick with an ear infection, eye infection and the runs. His vet bill was $340.

The shampooer was on our list to buy, but after Duke had several accidents in the house, we really needed it.

Just FYI there is a big sale on Thule at moosejaw and backcountry now.

Same for us, we can only rescue. Except, when I get my Caucasian Shepherd, it's nearly impossible to find one that is tame (by tame I mean like the tigers at the zoo who don't kill you when you go in their pen) and in need of a home.

I'm sorry for your situation, but it seems like a good home for your new gentlemen.

The way mine works, there is space between it and the vehicle. If it looks like this:

< VAN
The a bag could be secured in the open wedge between the van and it, and the other portion could be secured inside the bike holders. Here is the inside of my boattail.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W...o/DSC_8221.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7...o/DSC_8247.JPG

Definitely enough space for a modest haul. A large duffle bag and two medium to smalls should be easy to fit in. A few cable ties combined with the lack of turbulence from the shield would make it pretty secure. I wouldn't leave it out over night, though. Will bring attention and people would have an easy time pulling your stuff out- especially if you design it for ease of access.

Wow. The bag in a boat tail is a great idea.

I'd like to put a bubble in place of the trunk lid on my Civic, so we could fit the dogs and kids on a little road trip. It wouldn't be very aero, but at 42ish mpg on the highway, the bubble would only lower my mpg's a bit. But, I don't know how well a bubble would work...

I always thought that the Thule boxes might be more aerodynamic if you mounted them backwards considering the shape...

What about a cargo bag that straps on the back? Something like this. Shouldn't hurt mileage, but I'm not sure how it would effect opening the rear hatch.

Not a bad idea. I, personally, would rather build something than buy it. That does seem like a good product, though. Make sure you have a lock for the zippers, if you stop overnight. I would guess it would be harder to open, but a boattail can get heavy depending on build, I would imagine it would be worse to have a loaded boattail than that loaded.

do you seats fold flat?

I understand the dogs are taking alot of horizontal space, but are they using all the vertical?

is there a way you can pack everything and have the dogs sit on it? or have built some sort of floor above the luggage for the dogs?

I've done some road trips with lots of luggage and dogs, and the dogs just had to sit up high.

Effective, but bad for future presidential runs.

Summit Locking Roof Cargo Box

12 cubic foot hard shell roof box. Heck, it might be pretty aerodynamic mounted backwards too!
$119 + $50 S&H.
http://cdnll.discountramps.com/image...rgo-box__6.jpg

They have some really inexpensive roof bags too:
Roof Top Cargo Bags Starting at $34.99

i like to fill my boats with gear on the roof.
no rack to buy.
a few cheap foam blocks work fine.
you have a canoe/kayak/sailing dinghy to play with when you get there.