Rooftop Safari Basket Recommendation for 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara

Question:

I am interested in setting up a heavy duty roof rack for the above vehicle-something strong enough to carry 2 20 liter jerry-cans of fuel and a second spare tire, plus a few trail accessories on bumpy dirt roads. Im thinking that a system rated for 200 pounds should be adequate. What I would like to do is to remove the plastic factory roof rails, which I believe are inadequate for my needs. In their place I’d like to install a semi-permanent rack system with feet that bolt directly into the factory roof rail mounting holes. Can you advise on cargo bars with a foot kit that can be installed this way? Better yet would be a bolt-together safari basket that can mount directly to brackets/feet and avoid the cargo bars altogether. The mounting studs for the Suzuki factory installed rails 2 on each corner have a spread of 2-13/16 inches 72 mm. Photo attached. Product guidance much appreciated.

asked by: Ken

Expert Reply:

My recommendation would be to go with a siderail mounted Safari basket. There are several baskets that mount to the roof siderails on your 2003 Suzuki Grand Vitara without the need for crossbars which are not necessary for this application. Surco offers their 60 x 50 x 5 inch # SPS5060-1101, which weighs 34 lbs, and the 50 x 45 x 5 inch version # SPS4550-1101, which weighs 32 lbs. These baskets have a weight capacity of 250 lbs.

Since you plan to transport a significant amount of cargo on your Grand Vitara's roof, I suggest you refer to your owner's manual to confirm the roof weight capacity; you should also be able to obtain it from your local Suzuki dealer. Bear in mind the cargo basket you select will itself count against that total weight rating. The total weight of these items plus your cargo cannot exceed the limit specified by the manufacturer.

expert reply by: Chris O