Car top carrier

[The Ericsons]

We will be going to Colorado in June and would like to use a car top carrier if this is possible. Has anyone used one, what brands work, how much weight on top of the car, experiences, etc. Thanks!

[altaskier]

Thule makes a roof rack fit kit for the Prius. Several people have used it with success; search the site for "Thule" under Appearance Modifications. I've carried both a bike rack and a ski box on top (not at the same time) with a Thule rack. You just have to be careful to mount things off-centerline because of the antenna on top (or remove the antenna).

[The Ericsons]

Could you be more specific on the exact type of Thule rack and where we can find information on it? The Thule website doesn't respond to a search using Prius roof rack. Thanks.

[altaskier]

The basic parts are 1) 400XT Aero Foot Pack, 2) LB50 Load Bars, and 3) 2142 Fit Kit. That gives you the two bars you can then mount anything on, like bike racks and boxes from Thule or Yakima. You can find this from going through the steps of "Rack your car" on the Thule web site.

The total list price for these three things on the Thule web site is US$230. You might be able to get it cheaper from www.rackattack.com (where I bought mine) or www.rei.com.

[The Ericsons]

Dear Altaskier,
Thank you very much for the explicit items - found them on the rackattack site and they were cheaper. I assume you have a second generation Prius that you have used these on. Will probably give the company a call on it. Thanks again.