Vehicle Storage Rack Considerations

• Think about the loads you will be carrying, well beyond your immediate carrying needs. What about utility loads, luggage, skis, or long loads such as kayaks, sailboards or even lumber. Adjustable wrist straps with no buckle to minimize chaffing on bare hands.
• What type of vehicle is being outfitted? Is it a tall vehicle (van or sport utility), short vehicle, old vehicle, new vehicle, leased vehicle? Does it have (or not have) rain gutters, receiver hitch, externally mounted spare tire, factory roof rack? Do you want this rack to fit more than one vehicle?
• Will load carrying space be a problem in the future? Are there children on the way or will friends or relatives be traveling with you in the near future? Should you think about a cargo box?
• How often will you use the rack? Once or twice a year (it might be better to rent a rack) or on a monthly or weekly basis?
• Will your vehicle be garaged? Find out if roof line clearance will be a problem with your vehicle or if the length (i.e. with a suburban) of the vehicle with an added rear rack creates difficulties. If your rack will need to come off, is it easily removable and just as easy to reinstall?
• Think about security. Will you leave your vehicle unattended for long periods of time with your recreational gear stowed? How expensive is your gear? People do steal racks too, so how important is it to secure the rack itself to your vehicle?
• Lastly, think quality and warranty. Are name brands important to you? Ensure that the rack will not damage your car in any way. Find out how long the warrantee period is.

Rack It Up
Car Rack Loading/Maintenance Tips

It's hard to drive anywhere without seeing at least one or two automobiles proudly displaying their multi-sport roof racks. With the increased popularity of the multi-sport roof-racks, however, comes an increase in mishaps that can be prevented with a little common sense and practical rack safety.

Watching your $1,000 canoe bounce down the highway in your rear view mirror or hearing a crunch as an audible reminder that your $750 mountain bike is still on top of your car as you pull into a low clearance gas station are preventable occurrences that happen all too frequently.

Like your car, roof rack systems require maintenance and a certain amount of attention if you expect them to remain in safe working order. Periodically lubricate all locks, hubs, fastening bolts and knobs. Always remove your roof rack before running your car through a car wash. Dirt can collect under the pads of a rack and abrade away your car's paint. Clean the pads and the roof of your car monthly. Inspect your roof rack regularly for signs of wear. The plastic parts of a rack may fade over time, but color can be restored somewhat with a little Armor-All.

When carrying bikes above, find some way of reminding yourself to be aware of low clearances. Liston Concepts in Salt Lake City, Utah, manufactures a bright yellow arrow attached to a suction cup which you place on your window or rear view mirror anytime you have a bike on the rack. Neat idea, but you have to remember to use it.

Child seats and panniers can create extreme wind resistance that places unnecessary stress on the roof rack. Remove them when transporting bikes on a roof rack. Always load bikes with the chains to the inside. That prevents grease from getting all over you when you lift the bikes on and off.

Skis should always be mounted with tips facing to the rear. Sandwich skis bottom to bottom to prevent shifting within a ski mount. Worried about someone stealing your skis. While no rack is theft-proof, you can minimize quick snatches of equipment by making sure that the cross bars are close enough together so that the skis cannot be slid forward enough to remove the tails and then back to slip out the tips.

Never load sailboards or surfboards with the nose facing forward and in the up position. The upward wind force placed on the rack in this situation may be enough to literally tear the rack from your car. The recommended way to mount boards is with the nose forward and the bottom up.

Canoes and kayaks should always be secured by the bow and stern to the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle. This is in addition to the tie down straps across the body of the craft.

Multi-sport racks work well as utility racks, carrying anything from large boxes to construction materials. Never, however, exceed 150 lbs (100 lbs with Yakima SST racks). Secure the load properly with adequate tie down strapping. Disperse weight over the entire rack system keeping the heaviest loads nearest the towers and away from the middle of the rack where the load may bend the crossbars. Long loads must always be tied with additional strapping to the front and rear bumpers.

Does your rack whistle or whine in the wind when you drive? Try moving the rack forward or back. Next, try rearranging the load configuration. If none of those solutions work, some companies offer a fairing to minimize wind resistance and noise.

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