Cargo: Hitch & Basket vs. Roof Rack

ed1chandler

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Location
Normal, IL
TDI
'02 VW Jetta 1.9 GLS TDI
Hey, all

I just got back from an 1100 mile road trip with my family of 4 and our luggage in my '02 Jetta GLS TDI. The good news ... I averaged 49 mpg with the A/C on most of the time. :) The bad news ... it was pretty close quarters.

I'm looking for a good option for a bit more cargo room. As I see it, there are three options: A trailer, a hitch-mounted cargo carrier, or a roof rack. I'm going to eliminate a trailer right off the bat because I don't want to screw with having to pay for the plates ... much less the hassle of backing into places. That leaves me with either the hitch-mounted cargo carrier or the roof rack. Does anyone have any guidance for me as to which is better and why?

Unless I'm wrong, with a hitch-mounted cargo carrier, my towing capacity (which I gather to be 2000 lbs) isn't nearly as important as the tongue weight because all of the force is driving straight down on the hitch. All of the compatible hitches I've found are "Class I" 1.25" hitches with a tongue weight capacity of about 200 lbs. The cargo carriers, themselves weigh about 50 lbs, so it looks like I'm carrying an extra 150 lbs or so of cargo. That's about three suitcases and that's probably enough. I'm also assuming that a hitch-mounted cargo carrier is more aerodynamic since it's essentially "drafting" the car.

I can't find any information about roof racks and their capacity. Can anyone tell me how much weight you can safely carry on a roof rack and (assuming that capacity depends on the rack) what brand or style of rack I might want to consider?

I'm leaning towards the hitch-mounted carrier, but am open to being talked out of it. The only downside is that the cargo carriers are all either 48" or 60" wide, ... and either way they'll obscure the tail lights when they're loaded. Anyone have any guidance on that?

So, the short version is this ...

If you had to get a hitch-mounted cargo carrier or a roof rack to carry additional luggage, which would you get and why?

Thanks in advance.
 

Thorne

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Location
SF Bay Area
I'd get a roof rack and roof box, probably as a set from either Yakima or Thule. Craigslist gets some good deals on these, otherwise check your local resellers.



The roofrack can handle a lot more weight than the US-style tow hitch, even though the ratings may be similar. The roofrack mounts on the roof, but the tow hitch partially mounts through holes in the sheet metal of the spare tire well. And the roofrack doesn't block access to the rear of the car, or view of the essential brake/turn signals.



Although a trailer would carry a lot more, there are few if any decent small lightweight trailers available for our cars. You get your choice of teensy motorcycle trailers, or large cargo trailers with nothing in between.
 
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Lightflyer1

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Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
TDI
2015 Beetle tdi dsg
Roof rack will kill mpg. Also do you really want a lot of weight up high like that?

Carrier won't carry that much due to tongue weight and weight of the carrier itself. Might have some issues with hitch pulling loose. Someone mentioned this with a bike rack mounted to the hitch. Load on a lever in back, removing some weight from front wheels.

Small trailers are available from harbor freight. Seems like this one was on sale this week for $249 I think:
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/itemdisplay/displayItem.do?itemid=2948&CategoryName=&SubCategoryName=

Economy will go down some, but very little weight is actually on the car itself.

I would prefer the small trailer myself. Here is mine:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=208479
 
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daedalus

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Joined
Aug 3, 2005
Location
Pittstown NJ
TDI
05 Variant TDI Black w/Gray
Beware of potential ground clearance issues with a hitch mount. The angle when approaching a hill (driveway for example) off the roadway could cause a bottoming-out issue.
 

Thorne

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Location
SF Bay Area
I strongly recommend against the Harbor Freight trailers -- I have purchased two, both were junk, and nobody will work on them for the same reasons. The bearings are non-standard as are the hub sizes, much of the metal is very poor quality, the grease fittings snap off when used, etc.

The smallest cargo trailers available, the 4x6 size, have a curb weight that means even when lightly loaded they will be close to the max allowable weight for the Jettas. They are nice, but much heavier-built than needed for much of my trailering needs.
 

Lightflyer1

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Sep 13, 2005
Location
Round Rock, Texas
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2015 Beetle tdi dsg
As a small luggage trailer for occaisional use to relieve the load on the car, I think they are great. Simple, small, inexpensive, storable, hand manageable trailer. Build a small plywood box to put luggage in or used old big car top carrier (streamlined). I had one as well and it did just fine. I considered it disposable at some point. One of these with a plywood bottom and an old car top carrier bolted to it would do well for years probably.

One of these:
http://austin.craigslist.org/for/698688302.html

or this:
http://austin.craigslist.org/for/673622942.html

on this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42708

$250 if you are cheap.

Plus I beleive the car will handle better with the trailer than with stuff on top or loaded on the back.
 
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Thorne

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Location
SF Bay Area
Well, the question is, disposable at WHAT point? Don't know how many miles you've logged with your Harbor Freight trailer, but I've done over 5000 miles with mine -- and have to worry about the bearings going at any time.

Having a trailer fail doesn't mean it falls always apart parked in your yard -- it can also fail at high speed, spreading your belongings all over the freeway and possibly causing accidents.

I've had a entire wheel come off a utility trailer doing 75mph in the UK, luckily it was the offside one so it bounced into a field rather than oncoming traffic. I've seen boats and utility trailers upside down on mountain roads and steep curves.

Why have a nice reliable, well-built and maintained car but tow a junk trailer?
 
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ed1chandler

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Location
Normal, IL
TDI
'02 VW Jetta 1.9 GLS TDI
Good information so far, thanks.

New question, ... people are saying that the roof rack reduces mileage. Does the RACK (alone) reduce mileage, or do you mean only with the box attached?
 

daedalus

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Joined
Aug 3, 2005
Location
Pittstown NJ
TDI
05 Variant TDI Black w/Gray
I see a ~2MPG drop with a fully loaded roof top carrier from Yakima. Of course, that is also with the car chock full of vacation stuff, two people and a dog, the air conditioner on and a somewhat heavy right foot. All in all, it's worth 2MPG to me. I see no penalty with the cargo box carrier bars alone. Mine is a wagon, if that matters.
 

milehighassassin

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Joined
Mar 18, 2005
Location
Fort Collins, CO
TDI
2005 Golf TDi PD, Reflex Silver
I am planning on getting a hitch basket. 200 lbs would be plenty for me. I just plan on carring some gear, coolers maybe some gas containers.

I am actually planning on putting a action packer type plastic box on the basket, so I can lock it closed.

Many of the baskets have risers built into them so clearance is not as much of an issue. I am not sure your tail lights would be blocked but the basket I am looking has a lighting kit available for like another $25.
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Hello,

I have not tried a rooftop carrier on my TDI. So I cannot speak for that loss in aerodynamics except that fuel mileage would suffer on my old Pathfinder and A2 Golf. I avoided the rooftop carrier because of the marring to the paint, the hassle of loading heavy items up high, and the potential for muddy bicycles dribble on my roof. But I digress. ;)

I started with a hitch mounted carrier. It carried a good bit of luggage:


I actually weighed each item and kept the load right at 100-lbs. The rack itself is another 50 lbs. ONCE, I loaded a 150-lb generator. I was uncomfortable with this since the car bobbed and heaved. I tolerated that since a hurricane was on the way and I was only driving five miles at low speeds. Since then I have stuck with about 100-lbs or less.

BTW, a standard rack WILL DRAG on driveways and uneven intersections. After a while, I bought a different rack that raises the load about four inches over other racks CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS:


My mileage dropped about 2-3 mpg with a rear rack.

I also like to use my trailer. I get about 36-mpg towing this 600-lb load:


Odds are my mileage would improve A LITTLE if I were to stick with low-profile containers that yield better aerodynamics. I've considered three 48x24x18 trunk chests butted against each other. But I want to stick with the containers I already have. BTW, this trailer is about as short as you can get and still be able to back it predictably. There are shorter trailers; but they're likely VERY difficult to back without jack-knifing. At $200 in 2000 (same trailer is about $400 today), the trailer was cheaper than a roof rack/carrier combo and it has paid for itself over and over again since I've used it to move things that would normally require me to rent a truck or trailer. I pay $38/year to register it.

In short, I'd say the cargo rack is good for most lighter weight items. However, you may find that some luggage gets heavier than expected fairly fast. I like the fact that my trailer can supply very secure storage and I can manage the tongue weight much better than can be done with a cargo rack. Regardless of whether you choose a roof box, a hitch carrier, or a trailer, I must warn you of the possibility of interior room not really improving since you or your family may just opt to bring more stuff. Think about when you moved up from a two bedroom home to a four bedroom home. Did you really just have two empty rooms? Or did you add more stuff? ;)

Good Luck,

Scott
 

Joe Fisher

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2002
Location
Kalispell, MT
TDI
NA
I"d feel fortunate indeed if I only had a ~2mpg drop with the Yakima box on top.
With the box mostly empty and just me and my dog in the car, I notice a 4-5 mpg drop.

It's worth it though, the box is *so* convenient.

Joe

daedalus said:
I see a ~2MPG drop with a fully loaded roof top carrier from Yakima. Of course, that is also with the car chock full of vacation stuff, two people and a dog, the air conditioner on and a somewhat heavy right foot. All in all, it's worth 2MPG to me. I see no penalty with the cargo box carrier bars alone. Mine is a wagon, if that matters.
 

JungleDeath

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 27, 2005
Location
Reno, NV, USA
TDI
00 Golf_11 JSW
I'm not sure if this matters to you but interior noise from rooftop racks are annoying. Even with the fairing. If you have a sunroof, forget about opening it while on the highway.
 

ed1chandler

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Location
Normal, IL
TDI
'02 VW Jetta 1.9 GLS TDI
I'm liking the hitch-mounted carrier more and more. The clearance may be a worry, though. Has anyone found a 1.25" drop/rise hitch adaptor?
 

HopefulFred

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2002
Location
Atlanta, GA
TDI
Golf, 2006, Indigo Blue
Do you have a favorite model that you are considering? What does the budget work out to for all the bits you'll need? (hitch, carrier, lock?, lights?)
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Ed,

ed1chandler said:
I'm liking the hitch-mounted carrier more and more. The clearance may be a worry, though. Has anyone found a 1.25" drop/rise hitch adaptor?
Adapters will lengthen the load bar and exert more leverage on your hitch. Plus they add weight and present another item that needs to be locked to the car. I opted to buy a new rack that already features the lift I want. Photo and link in my post above. You can just make out the cable that I pass through the receiver lock.

Scott
 

ed1chandler

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Location
Normal, IL
TDI
'02 VW Jetta 1.9 GLS TDI
@Stealth TDI
Yes, I saw the rack and appreciated the link. That looks like a good option. I just figured if I could find a rise adaptor then I might be able to go with one of the poly racks rather than steel. That'd lower the weight and raise the rack. Still, I appreciate the link.
 

milehighassassin

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Joined
Mar 18, 2005
Location
Fort Collins, CO
TDI
2005 Golf TDi PD, Reflex Silver
I am going to buy a rack with a riser in it, and if it is not enough I will remove the riser and either make one myself that can be welded or have a metal friend do it for me. It should cost much to remove the riser and put a different one on.
 

Shawnz

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2008
Location
Peoria, AZ (Phoenix)
TDI
'02 Jetta GLS TDI, ex-O1M
Maybe you can pick up something liek them low-profile trialers at Uhaul. There must be an aftermarket flavor as well:





Register it in AZ. $12 for perm tags :).
 
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Gr8pumpkin

Member
Joined
May 6, 2008
Location
Wisconsin
TDI
2005
What is the tongue capacity listed in your owners manuals. Often we run in to issues just because the rack has a 200/300 lb capacity, and has a 1 1/4 shank. People assume there vehicles can handle it.
 

Slave2school

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Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Location
Angus, Ontario
TDI
99.5 used to at least...


Cost maybe $600 with the plywood.



Had it on the Golf but now I have it on the *gasp* Focus Wagon (great car btw).
 
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coffeerich44

New member
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Jun 7, 2008
Location
long island
TDI
2014 jetta
Gr8pumpkin said:
What is the tongue capacity listed in your owners manuals. Often we run in to issues just because the rack has a 200/300 lb capacity, and has a 1 1/4 shank. People assume there vehicles can handle it.


According to my 2002 jetta owners manual, tongue load is 165lbs and 1000lbs tow capacity for manuals and auto's. It also states in the manual "Your Volkswagen was designed primarily for passenger transportation. If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that your car will be performing a service it was not intended for. The additional load will affect durability, economy and performance." The roof racks were designed for the vehicle and are probably the wisest choice for a few extra pieces of luggage. Also don't forget that the further out you hang the load, as in the hitch box, the more downward force that would be exerted on the hitch. The 165lb rating assumes the weight directly on top of the hitch not 2 ft out. You might be better with a trailer where you could better control the hitch weight or pack lightly. These are pretty tough cars and it seems they can carry hitch boxes and tow trailers despite what the manufacturer says. The bottom line for me is if it fits on a luggage rack use it. Trailers and boxes are cumbersome and should be used only if there is no other way. I've used both and while there very useful they will take their toll on the vehicle and unless you are can do the repairs youself then be prepared to open your wallet.
 

ed1chandler

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Location
Normal, IL
TDI
'02 VW Jetta 1.9 GLS TDI
That's odd. Naturally I checked my manual first. (I'm one of those rare few who read them all the way through.) My manual says TW=200 lbs and Tow=2000 lbs.

It's hard to tell these days if that language about "a service it was not intended for" is a genuine warning or just a legal butt-covering device in case someone tries to tow their yacht.

In any case, I appreciate all of the advice so far. Last weekend I had a 1.25" hitch installed. So, at this point, I'm looking at cargo carriers.

I'm liking the 48" wide model that StealthTDI linked above. My only concern is that it looks like even that would obscure my tail lights if I put much on it.

There is a 36" model out there with a 5" lift that says it was designed for ATVs but fits a 1.25" hitch. Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about this one? http://www.etrailer.com/pc-CC114~TR65855.htm The picture is a little misleading since it doesn't come with the rails.

Thoughts?
 

Stealth TDI

Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 13, 1998
Location
Newport News, VA
TDI
2017 GTI APR Stage 3 (395 hp/376 lb-ft)
Ed,

Obscuring the tail lights isn't a terrible problem, especially if you don't use the whole width of the carrier. The more pressing need is perhaps the license plate. My goal when taking this photo was to take it from the vantage/height of a following police car:



I have since mounted license plate holders on the boxes I normally use. I can put high quality prints (copies) of my plates in the holders and feel pretty confident I won't be hassled by the police during the day. One officer I solicited for info mentioned that extra plates are not necessary, but show good intent. Still, I try to avoid driving at night with my plates obscured since my rack is unlighted. Oh, for reference, that cooler is 44" wide and 20" tall. Also, the rack has pre-drilled holes for mounting license plates and lighting.

I like the other rack you found. To be honest, the 48" rack is about 50-lbs. While not too heavy to carry, it's a bit awkward when sliding it into the hitch receiver since I need to bend down and aim just right, just about without bending my knees. It's tough to explain, but I can feel the strain on my lower back and hamstrings. Backing the car onto my Rhino ramps makes the task a bit easier. :cool: The 36" rack is 15-lbs lighter and probably significantly easier to maneuver. I'd say the only drawback to that rack is your actual payload size will need to be a tad narrower than 36" since your tiedown hooks will take up some space. That's perhaps the top reason my loads are not the full 48". Still, if I were to do it all over again, I'd REALLY consider the 36" rack. Many of the 36x20" cargo boxes I have or have seen are only that wide at the widest parts and are tapered at the bottom (see the taper on the cooler?). In short, these 36x20" boxes should fit the smaller rack just fine.

Good Luck,

Scott
 

milehighassassin

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Mar 18, 2005
Location
Fort Collins, CO
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2005 Golf TDi PD, Reflex Silver
I will have to post the route I went in the last week. I bought an aluminum rack from harbor freight that weighs 26 lbs. It came with a 2" reciever for it. The 2" reciever will slide out from the rack as well. I got a NEW 2" receiver (so I can still use the original on a truck, etc) and I welded my 1 1/4" receiver hitch to the new 2" receiver, creating an adapter and a 5" riser to get it off the ground. I am pretty impressed with the way it turned out. I also added some reflective tape to the rack and it has two red reflectors mounted to the back. I have been thinking about mounting a lighting kit which would be tail lights, signals and brake lights.

The rack was $60 and has a 500 lb capacity. Which is more than enough.
 

Rickstah

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Feb 5, 2002
Location
Yukon, Oklahoma
TDI
NB, 2002, green, Eurotek STG1
most of the points have been covered on mileage hits, etc, but I just wanted to share my experience with one of the Sears SV20 carriers on my honda odyssey. I specifically measured my mileage on this last trip and was surprised how little it really did affect my mileage. That said, it is a gasser and aero drag probably affects a diesel's narrower torque band more noticeably, hard for me to say since I have only pulled a heavy trailer once on Christine, and it really killed the mileage. Excerpt below. The downside for me on a carrier is it is awkward to load unload on a higher vehicle, sedan, probably no issue, and I've weighed the load before and had 120 pounds (the limit for the rack) on the Ody...as for wind noise if you have an aero carrier, it will be marginally lounder, I actually had to open the sunroof slider to hear any increase. Text below is from my Odyclub forum post...(this was originally a test to see if the rear a/c really caused a mileage hit. Found out it could cause up to 3 mpg less if run constantly, and independent of the front a/c)

************************************************
Ok, on a whim, after loading things up, I knew I was kind of heavy, so i went by a place that had a truck scales on it, and weighed the Ody with a full tank of gas, two big dogs (75 and 90 pds), myself (225) wife (120) boy (150) big dog crate (45 pds) several bags, probably 10-30 pds apiece, and a bag of dogfood, 40pds. Lead sled, I'm tellin you. I already had the Avids up to 45 pds, so anyway, grand total...5540 PDS!
Good grief, wished I'd gotten the Airlifts...actually it wasn't too bad handling, as long as I did the cruise liner lane changes
.

So, mileage. Filled up in OKC, went to Amarillo, 262 miles, mileage was 21.97 mpg. I had it on cruise, 70 mph, sometimes down to 68 and up to 71 depending on hills.

From Amarillo to Albuquerque is pretty flat at first, then hilly, then lots of big hills in NM. 290 miles, mileage 21.33. Drove 70-71, also. Did not use the rear a/c except for a minute or so during the four stops we made in order to cool it off for the dogs in back.

We had a good south wind blowing against us the whole way out.

Without the carrier, I usually get between 22-24 mpg on that route, going 74-75 at somewhat less weight, probably 200 pds less, similar conditions, same gasoline in same places. This time I had the new Iridiums, new air filter.

Coming back from Alamogordo, we got 22.34 mpg with one less dog and driving on a highway that was generally 60-65 mph, which I tried to stay on, not using the rear a/c.

Returning to Oklahoma on I-40, running the rear a/c and driving the speed limit, one or two over, got 21.2 mpg.

What does this tell me? Rear a/c not much of a factor, carrier may cost me 1-2 mpg, I guess. Driving 60-65 versus 70-75 may cost me 1 mpg, too.

I have no more information.

*********************************************************
 

ed1chandler

Member
Joined
Jan 10, 2008
Location
Normal, IL
TDI
'02 VW Jetta 1.9 GLS TDI
@milehighassassin

Any chance you have pictures of how that all fits together, ... the welds and such? I'm just not picturing that in my mind's eye.
 
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