Hitch mount/Roof cargo carriers

[Boostedbus]

Wow! They are pricey. I think I would fabricate something myself with a standard hitch basket and a truck bed box made from aluminum. Or maybe even make or have someone make one completely from scratch with diamond plate and aluminum stock. Check out Tractor Supply Co. for baskets and boxes.

 

[ManUpOrShutUp]

I have an oversized, hitch-mounted cargo rack and a DeWalt cargo box. The box is wheeled so I can just take it off the rack and take it with me. I did the roof mount thing in the past and never will again. It's a PITA.

 

[Aspen03]

Wow! They are pricey. I think I would fabricate something myself with a standard hitch basket and a truck bed box made from aluminum. Or maybe even make or have someone make one completely from scratch with diamond plate and aluminum stock. Check out Tractor Supply Co. for baskets and boxes.

That they are. I was shocked myself to see the range of them. With the price of steel climbing quickly and aluminum has never been inexpensive plus it requires more skill to work with I'm guessing by the time I paid someone to design and build I wouldn't save much if anything. It likely would be heavier as well, even in aluminum. I don't need the box removable from the mount at all, wouldn't have anywhere to store it at the destination. Locking and weather resistant are key here, I don't want to have to deal with straps and the like to tether down a tool box or similar. Simplicity for wife and kids carries a lot of weight in the decision.

I'll check out some more YouTube reviews and come up with something soon, season is almost upon us. If I had to guess the Stowaway is where I'll end up, I just know whatever I buy I'm likely to have for years so I want to do my best to make the right choice.

@ManUpOrShutUp I agree on the rooftop carrier. Neither of us is tall, it's a struggle for me to get up w a polisher and reach the center of the roof without a ladder or standing on a seat which I'd prefer not to and I feel that would make dealing with loading/loading it that much harder.

 

[Boostedbus]

One good thing about the V8 Expeditions is they don’t have rear exit exhaust like the Ecoboost V6’s. This could be a problem with a thin plastic box from the exhaust heat melting it. I use a aluminum basket on a regular basis hauling a Rotomoulded cooler and a bag of garbage back from my cabin on weekends. I have to put the contractor bag of garbage on the driver’s side or it will get a hole burnt through it. So far it hasn’t melted the Big Frig cooler but it has blackened it from soot. I’ve never hauled any thinner plastic coolers to know how they would hold up under the heat. My basket also sets back away from the rear of the vehicle more than regular baskets due to its ability to fold up flat behind vehicle when not in use. I paid more for that option but I’ve always been afraid to fold it up due to my power lift gate option on my Expedition.I’m paranoid I’m gonna hit the button on the dash or the fob and cause paint damage to the gate when it hits the basket. The nice thing about it being extended out farther is that the gate will clear the cooler when when it’s on there......I can breathe easy with the paranoia. Possibly something to consider if you plan on trading up on a newer Ecoboost model in the future. You could always do the side exit exhaust mod that’s been posted on here before if it came to that.

 

[Aspen03]

Unfortunately the Navigator has rear exit exhaust which is what this will be used with on most occasions. It has a significantly better quality ride and they kids think they are in a limo and for some reason the kids behave better. Not trying to upset that situation!

One thing I like about the Stowaway is an available heat shield for just such an instance. They have kind of overengineered thier product from the video reviews I've seen.

Is there not a way to disable the power liftgate? Our 03 Navigator has the ability to shut off the power to it and the running boards.

 

[Boostedbus]

Is there not a way to disable the power liftgate?

I think there is for the dash button, but I thought it doesn’t disable the remote. I very rarely have it empty where I could stow it in the up position anyway. I always take the Big Frig cooler and it’s too heavy and a pain to slide with it’s rubber feet on my vinyl pet liners on top of the carpet. I can always use the fold up feature on the wife’s Explorer, it doesn’t have a power gate to worry me. The heat shield I think would be a good investment.