Mistakes To Avoid When Using a Roof Rack

Sometimes a trunk isn’t enough to fit everything you need to take on a trip; motorists may need a little extra space to store everything they need. Because of this need for more room, roof racks offer a simple alternative to people who need that space to fit their belongings. But individuals also need to make sure they are aware of the mistakes to avoid when using a roof rack.

The Cost of Fuel Consumption

The more weight you pile onto your car, the more your engine needs to work to move your vehicle. Many people don’t take this into consideration when they start loading up their roof rack; it’ll start reducing their fuel efficiency. This becomes the most apparent when motorists store a hundred pounds or more on top of their car. Take care to limit the weight you place on your vehicle; otherwise, you’ll just reduce fuel economy and spend more money on gas.

Forgetting Your Vehicle’s Height Clearance

In four-door sedans, there’s no need to look at clearance signs when going through underpasses and other such structures; just about every sedan can clear these with no issues. But once you start adding height to your car, you need to know just how tall everything is. A Toyota tundra that has a seven-foot clearance now needs a 13-foot clearance with a loaded Toyota Tundra rack on top, and that can cause issues on the road. Make sure you don’t crash your belongings into low over-hangings; it can damage your car and destroy your luggage.

Overloading Your Rack

Similar to placing too much weight on your car, you need to be sure you can take off everything you put on. Overloading your rack with objects you can’t lift will only expose you to danger if you lose your grip. If you struggle with something you need to place on there, seek help for when you need to put it on and take it down. This is easy to see when you pile on heavy items but be careful with overloading luggage with small items; the weight will quickly add up.

Always Maintain Your Safety

Knowing what mistakes to avoid when using a roof rack allows you to utilize it to the best of its ability. Overloading it with too much weight only hurts your car’s performance, and stacking it too high poses a safety risk to you and others on the road. Always store your items with deliberation and never push your rack to its limits.