Roof racks and cargo box revisited.

Hey, I'm a newbie and im trying to find out the same thing. I dont think that the prius has enough luggage room in the back for a 2 week trip for three ppl comfortably sort of need to know quickly

 

Try going to rackoutfitters.com and enter "Prius" in the search. You'll see pics of the Thule rack. They say that is the best one for our cars.

 

Thule and Yakima roof racks are both quality products. If they can't tell you exactly what parts are required for Prius, the info is probably searchable in PriusChat. Don't exceed their weight capacities. Do make every effort to secure the load. Whatever the shape of the box it is going to reduce fuel economy above 40 mph, and the effect is non-linear.

If you use a parking garage, remember that the vehicle has become taller

 

Have a 2007 Prius...want to buy roof rack to pack clothes and camping stuff for two adults. I am real confused as to what size is best for the prius.Any ideas???

 

Go to Yakima.com or Thule.com.
Almost infinite options, they make it easy to figure out what works best for your needs.

I prefer YAKIMA, I think it fits the 3D shape of the Prius best. Thule is a good brand also. Winter I'll have a box for skis & boards, Summer I use it for Sailboards & bikes. It does have a very sig. impact on mpg though. Luckily they're easy to remove & install.

Be very aware of load rating & proper installation & like tochatihu said, remember your car is taller - I have the roof dents to prove it!
Also be aware that your center of gravity is raised, depending on what you have up there, so adjust your driving accordingly.

If your stuff fits within the dimensions of a hitch mount basket off the back, it's worth looking at too. More aerodynamic, less mpg impact, & easier access. You may not dent the roof, but be carefull
not to back into anything! Hitch storage will also effect handling by making the car "tail heavy" so load & drive carefully.

Hope that helps some.

 

Hey, thanks so much marzprius. Very helpful information.

 

I have the SARIS rack and Thule box. The SARIS rack is unfort no longer made but works great on 2006 (2007 I assume). Can be gotten used on Prius Chat sometimes. The advantage of Saris is incredibly easy to use. I wish Toyota would pay Saris to make this rack for Prius as OEM. The Thule box I got is wide and holds a lot but kills MPG (-10) but easy to attach and gives my Prius great volume when I need it.

 

Thanks for the info and the Pic was great. If you get a chance could you let me know wht are the dimensions of your Thule Box.
Thanks

 

...from my 2007 POST: THULE Cascade XT1500 good match for Prius, being shorter ~69-in long does not interfere with open tailgate and also is not too tall so have plenty of clearance under garage. It is easy to attach to SARIS rack and very easy to work with in general. This THULE model widely avail right now, but may be phasing out. I paid like $325 on sale for the Cascade with free shipping from AutoAnything.com


I think the model is outdated but more details-

• Gloss Black finish sets the CascadeXT series apart from all the rest.
• Smooth, aerodynamic design for minimal wind resistance.
• Access gear from either side of the car using our patented Dual-Side opening feature.
• Easy opening and closing with Thule�s Central Locking, One Key System.
• Quick Snap™ hardware for easy on/off attachment to roof racks.
• Mounts to most factory installed racks and aftermarket racks.
• Perfectly sized to allow rear hatch access on wagons and SUVs.
• Great for golf clubs, camping gear and more.
• Holds 6-8 pairs of skis. (160cm)
• Dimensions: 69"(l) X 16.5"(h) X 32"(w)
• 15 cubic foot capacity.

 

Wow. I just started using PriusChat a few days ago and I couldn't be happier!! The CascadeXT sounds perfect for us. I will post my progress.