What Roof Cargo Solution do You Recommend for a Rental Ford Transit Passenger Van?

Question:

Odd question. My extended family is doing a long road trip this summer in rental Transit vans. I have some concerns over luggage capacity so started looking into roof bags and went to your site. I cannot find any fit info on if a Roof Top Bag will strap to a transit van platform I assume the rental will have no rack installed. Any insight here? The short version is these are Avis Rentals and I’m not entirely sure what transit model we’ll get. I have the Transit 12 passenger one reserved but getting details on what I’ll actually get at the airport is hard. I’m just trying to see what options are out there that I could either travel with (fly) or have shipped to a pickup spot near the airport… I’m simply in the research my options phase at the moment!

asked by: Matt

Expert Reply:

I have a creative solution for you. I looked up photos of different Ford Transit 12 models, and it looks like it comes with sliding doors on one side of the vehicle and either has a sloped roof that at the front end of the vehicle that ends at the windshield or a roof that is completely flat.

If you have a model that has a completely flat roof, you can use a cargo bag that is designed for naked roofs without the need of crossbar systems. For that route, I recommend the Rightline Range 3 Rooftop Cargo Bag - Water Resistant - 18 cu ft - 48" x 36" x 18" # RL100R30. With this cargo bag, you can install it by mounting the bag over the front of the van so that can utilize the driver's and front passenger's door frame. I went ahead and attached a screenshot from the instructions that talks about using all sets of straps on the bag for a 2-door vehicle. Since this cargo bag requires a flat surface, you won't be able to use this option if your Transit has a sloped roof.

If you happen to have a Transit that has either a sloped roof or a flat roof, I recommend using the SeaSucker Monkey Bars # 298-SX6000B along with a cargo box like the Yakima SkyBox 21 # Y07337. Since the Monkey Bars do not require drilling or adhesive of any kind, you can mount and remove the vacuum cups without breaking the terms of the rental company. Also, with the SkyBox 21, you receive a massive 21 cubic feet of storage. The box can attach easily to the Monkey Bars.

One thing to keep in mind about the Monkey Bars solution, though is that the vacuum cups need to mount to a flat surface anywhere on the roof. If the Transit has ditches in the roof, those ditches need to be at least 6 inches wide in order to accommodate the full surface area of the vacuum cups.

expert reply by: Bob C