Much as manufacturers intent on selling high-profit, 8,000-pound gas guzzlers would have us believe otherwise, you don't actually have to buy a school bus-sized SUV for the occasional road trip or cargo haul. Roof-top cargo carriers like the X-Cargo have been proving so ever since that first farmer strapped a chicken coop to the top of his Model T. Granted, technology has certainly made these cargo containers easier to mount and more efficient to use than ever before, but they continue to offer the same practicality and versatility that they always did.
Place the carrier on the roof with the help of another person. Set it on the cross rails of the vehicle. Adjust the roof rails. Set the cross rails (if adjustable) to the widest setting that will line up with the mounting slots in the carrier.
Set the carrier as far to the rear of the vehicle as possible to reduce wind resistance. Leave room for the rear hatch (if applicable) to open.
Place the U-bolts around the vehicle’s cross rails and up through the carrier. Place a metal reinforcing plate between the roof rail and the carrier. Secure them with the threaded knobs. Tighten by hand until tight. Repeat this step for all four U-bolts and secure all four corners of the carrier to the cross rails of the vehicle.
Cover the extra holes. Place the vinyl patches included with the carrier over any unused mounting holes in the bottom of the carrier. This will help keep water out of the carrier. Close the carrier. For safety, the lid of the carrier must be closed and locked while the vehicle is in motion.
