Car Top Luggage Carriers, I have questions :)

[taylor1293]

Well....last night we took a few of our suitcases out to the van to see if they fit and discovered there is no way we are going to get all of our stuff inside .

Last year was no problem because we removed the back bench seat in our minivan and we had plenty of room. This year, my MIL is going so we can only remove one of the middle bucket seats. Plus with her extra luggage, that leaves us with much less room.

We have never used a car top luggage carrier. I don't even know what kind to get? Is one type better than another?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Teresa

 

[SPappas]

We are using a soft carrier for the top (bought it at Target) and leave this week-yeah!!!! We used a borrowed one 2 years ago for a beach vacation and it worked great - after you get there, it folds up to easily stow away. They aren't as attractive as the hard cases and you would want to be careful to put things up there that will not get ruined in rain. I plan on using some mid-size rubbermaid containers and such that seal - and maybe the stroller and walker. We are always surprised to see ALL the people who use those! Have fun!

 

[taylor1293]

Thanks for the reply!

Do you know if they make the soft cover ones in a waterproof design? We definitely need something that will keep our soft-sidded luggage from getting wet!

I see you are also from Illinois . What part of the state? We are near St. Louis.

Good luck with your drive and have a great trip!

Teresa

 

[welovedis]

You've got questions, hopefully I have some answers. We have both types of car top carriers-hard and soft. I prefer the soft type because it comforms more to the shape of the packed items, it weighs less and seems more aerodynamic. Also it is much easier to install on the roof than our heavier hard plastic one. However, we have encountered a horrible soaking rain storm during one trip and our packs got wet (only the top part) from the soft carrier. I would think that would not be the norm for a regular trip. We had to drive for more than 3 days with no let-up so that is why the thing was wet IMO. We have since bought the optional "liner" that goes with our pack and have been fine with that solution.

The soft kind we got from Piggy Pack, their website is:
www.piggypack.com
Our neighbors have one made by Samsonite and they love theirs--cost them about $35 only!
The hard plastic one is by Thule and we use it for skis, etc...

For your situation it sounds like the carrier would be perfect. Rather than trying to cram everyone & everything in the inside of the van you could put as much as possible up top. Just remember to keep essentials in your vehicle so you open & close the carrier as little as possible--that helps to keep from leaving something behind (I found out the hard way once!).

Also--if you get a cheaper one that doesn't have a liner you could always get some really large drawstring garbage bags to put your luggage into BEFORE stowing them uptop. HTH!

Good Luck!

 

[SPappas]

ours is "water resistant" - i think it will be fine unless there is a soaking rain like another of your replies states. - if you put your soft-sided luggage in it, I would put it in a large garbage bag first. We are from Spfld Illinois!

 

[taylor1293]

Karen - Thanks for all the great information! I think we will go with the soft-sided and use garbage bags! Thanks!!!

SPappas - Thanks! We will definitely buy the soft carrier and just use the garbage bags! I'm off to Target tonight!

DH and I lived in Springfield (and Pawnee) from 88-90 . DH is originally from Champaign and I am originally from Quincy.

Teresa