Re: Opinions Wanted: Mopar Cross rails VS Renegade Roof Rac
AtlanticLiberty said:
Ok, I looking to get some sort of roof carrying capability and I've narrowed it down to the brushed alum Mopar crossrails that are very common and functional, or the roof rack that comes with the Renegade package, which gives you cross rails and a little "basket" effect. Plus I think it looks kind of cool.
Which of these would you go with and why? Keep in mind, the largest/heaviest thing that will ever go up there is probably going to be a canoe.
Thanks!
I say go with the crossrails. I assume by "roof rack that comes with the renegade package" you mean the older renegades with the big plastic mess and not the 05 renegade rack. Some reasons for my opinion:
1). Basket is nice, but the old renegade basket, IIRC, is just the edges - the floor of the basket is your roof. So that means no throwing coolers, tires, gas cans, etc up there unless you want to dent + scratch your roof. Sure, you won't see the scratches, but if the paint scratches, it will rust quickly.
2). Also, snow, leaves, etc will get caught in there and cause a hassle from the looks of it, which will help it rust faster.
3). The old rack is made with lots of plastic, which will keep it from rusting, but it also limits your ability to attach things up there. Good solid metal bars with a lot of space around them let you lash large things down easily. Especially if you're considering a canoe as a possible roof-accessory, I say crossbars are the way to go.
4). Crossbars are more flexible. You can attach anything to a good set of crossbars, safari rack, ski rack, bike rack, kayak. You can even stand on them no problem. I wouldn't try that with the plastic renny rack.
