Cargo Carrying Options for 2004 Honda Pilot Traveling Through Rugged Terrain

Question:

My friends and I are going to be driving my 2004 Honda Pilot on an 18 day roadtrip. During the drive, well be going through some somewhat bad terrain rocky, mild-moderate incline, mud. We need to be able to carry a little more cargo than will be able to fit inside the vehicle safely while maintaining visibility through cargo space. I have a few questions: 1 How reliable are rooftop cargo bags for long roadtrips? 2 Can I use a hitch riser with a hitch-mounted cargo rack and a waterproof cargo bag? 3 What are other possible options? My car has factory roof rails but does not have crossbars. Thanks!

asked by: Elizabeth

Helpful Expert Reply:

Since you'll be dealing with inclines and some questionable terrain, I'd recommend going with the roof top cargo option versus a hitch mounted cargo carrier. Using a riser with the cargo carrier will cut the tongue weight capcity of the hitch (maximum amount of downward force that can safely be applied to the hitch) by half. Plus, the additional accessory mounted between the hitch and the cargo carrier will allow for extra bounce, which can exert damaging leverage on the hitch. A cargo carrier can bottom out, which could damage the carrier.

I'd recommend using a roof mounted cargo bag like one of the models offered by Rightline. In most cases, the vehicle side rails are sufficient to secure a roof cargo bag.

Rightline makes cargo bags with capacities ranging from 4.3 cubic feet for the # RL100D90 all the way up to the 18 cubic foot # RL100S30. If you click the provided link, you can see the available sizes. Rightline's cargo bags do a great job of excluding moisture, but in unusual circumstances like very strong rains, it's possible that some water could get into the interior of the bag. This is why we recommend folks wrap anything that cannot get wet in plastic.

A tire step like part # HE4040 would make accessing roof mounted cargo much easier.

expert reply by: Mike L