Roof-Mounted Cargo Basket for 2014 Chevrolet Suburban with Factory Roof Rack Crossbars  

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Thank you for your kind remarks. If you're new to etrailer you're finding out that service and support are what etrailer is all about. I am lucky to have been trained by many great associates here and I am delighted to help out.

Rooftop cargo solutions come in several categories, fabric bags, enclosed plastic cargo boxes and, of course, open metal baskets like the Yakima LoadWarrior # Y07070-74 and the Surco Safari # SPS5084-1101. I realize I don't know the exact weight and shape of the cargo you need to transport, but I wanted to mention these other types of carriers because in some instances one of these other types may better suit your cargo. Rightline offers fully waterproof cargo bags like their Sport 3 XL # RL100S30 that provides 18-cubic feet of capacity and which weighs only about 10-lbs, unlike metal and plastic carriers that can weigh upwards of 40-to-50-lbs. This can be important depending on your cargo weight.

Your first step is a check of your owner's manual to confirm the Suburban's roof weight capacity, which cannot be exceeded. Keep in mind that the weight of the cargo carrier you choose counts against the roof weight capacity. So, let's say for example that your roof can handle 120-lbs according to the manual. If you were using a basket which weighs about 40-lbs, your actual cargo capacity drops to 80-lbs after accounting for the weight of the carrier. The linked article will give you additional information to help you decide what type of carrier will best suit your needs.

Metal cargo baskets come in a variety of sizes - all are rectangular but their dimensions can vary considerably. An excellent very large cargo basket that I can recommend is the Yakima MegaWarrior Extra Large Roof Rack Cargo Basket and Extension # Y07080-82 that measures 74- x 48-inches. This 52-lb basket will fit your crossbars as long as they are between 36- and 60-inches apart. This large basket can be used without having to add another roof crossbar. It is also available without the extension as # Y07080, which measures 52- x 48-inches, and that fits crossbar spreads between 30- and 38-inches.

Since I do not know your actual target budget for the carrier I have provided a link to all cargo baskets that will fit your factory crossbars so you can evaluate sizes versus costs. Keep in mind that baskets will have specific requirements for the crossbar spread; take a measure of your two crossbars' spread (measured center to center) and keep this in mind as you review our offerings.

When it comes to wind noise at highway speeds there really is no "quiet" cargo basket. All will generate noise, and while some may be slightly quieter than others when they are empty, once filled with cargo they will generate noise mostly from your actual cargo itself. The nature of your cargo items and the manner in which you load and secure them will have more to do with the noise level than the basket itself.

Often our customers that choose rooftop cargo solutions also select a tire step. For example, # HE4040 is a fully-assembled step that simply slips over a rear tire to give you a height advantage for loading and unloading cargo. It has a 400-lb weight capacity and folds up for storage in the vehicle.

You may also want to consider some cargo tie downs. We offer a whole range of such items like the cost-effective Erickson # EM31352, which is a 4-piece set. We also offer simple bungees. If you go with bungees, I recommend you start with an assortment. A good start would be 4-6 each of the # EM06664 19" and # EM06656 24" and 2-3 each of the lengths such as: # EM06658 36" and/or # EM06668 42".

expert reply by: Adam R

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