[Only_Acura]

We will be taking delivery on our new MDX in April, and then it's off to Orange Beach in May. To save some lying down space inside, since there will be five of us going, we were thinking of buying a roof container of some sort for our luggage. I've seen the plastic bubble type containers, but my wife said she saw one that was more of a material type, that layed a little more flat on the roof, and hence also less wind resistance. This would be my preference, but I'm open at this point. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[igriego]

Roof Top Carrier

Only Acura.

You can try www.mats.com they have the Material type that your were explaining. I do not
have one but the Idea looks good. I may have to try it as I will
be needing a carrier myself. Good luck

 

[24Blacker11]

Packasport

I've got a custom painted cargo box by Packasport (now sold by Yakima). Mine is a model 90 but now I think Yakima calls it a 21 because that is the cargo capacity.

Check this link to see picks.
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=628&highlight=cargo

 

[Jazz]

HI, neighbor!! What dealer did you purchsae your MDX from ?

 

[donsev]

but my wife said she saw one that was more of a material type, that layed a little more flat on the roof, and hence also less wind resistance. This would be my preference, but I'm open at this point. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

I have used a canvas based carrier for a number of years (KangaPack(?) bought at REI). And while it works fine, it will not fit on the MDX b/c of the narrow distance b/w the front and rear roof rack cross bars. I seem to recall that the carrier was 36" long, 34" wide and I *think* the cross bars are about 33" apart. I have even contemplated mcclendon's approach to move the rear crossbar to the 3rd mounting point (involves lopping an inch off the bar) to make more room for the pack to fit.

I *much* prefer the canvas based carriers for the occasional long trip. They fold to a very small size, can be easily stored in the garage (very important ) , and they can also be easily removed, folded, and stored in the MDX (it fits in the rear headrest well)once you reach your destination so that your not screaming TOURIST when your driving the MDX around.

 

[donsev]

Forgot to mention, you can buy different sizes (I believe I have the 10 cu. ft.) but any smaller and they wouldn't hold much cargo.

Here is the pic that shows moving the rear bar back.

 

[gypsy]

I bought the mats.com (MacNeil Automotive) "foldable fabric" rooftop carrier and used it on several trips last summer and at Christmas. I like the fact that it folds up to store, and indeed we do take it off while at the beach etc and just toss it in the back.

But, as designed to be used, it would be too long to fit between the rack bars (at least on my 01). However, I just turn it sideways (the straps work either way) and it fits perfectly. Unfortunately this leaves one of the zippered sides facing forward, which probably contributes to it not being perfectly watertight in a storm, but I wasn't counting on that anyway (from prior experience, I always put each suitcase/bag in a trash bag for insurance).

It will carry a LOT of stuff.

 

[Xtreme MDX]

After my audio video gear install.....

I'm planning on building a custom moulded fiberglass cargo container. It will run a few cm from the roof and have an aerodynamic front nose. The shell will cover part of the roof rack to keep it low profile and the shell will be painted color matched to my MDX, hopefully I can get this done before the July 4th weekend for our week long trip to Bass Lake in the Yosemite Valley.

 

[Only_Acura]

Hello!

HI, neighbor!! What dealer did you purchsae your MDX from ?

I got mine from Courtesy Acura in Lexington. They went $500 below MSRP. I was very pleased with the way they did business. And they didn't try to make up for the discount with other fees or markups. Very nice.

You may be asking why I didn't get it here at Oxmoor. I tried, but they didn't want to deal until they found out I got a good deal down the road. But they still couldn't touch the deal I got at Courtesy. Of course when you have $400 in additional fees, an additional $175 markup on the running boards ($620 vs $795), plus other miscellaneous charges, it does make it more difficult. They were not happy about it either, and they had a few choice words for Courtesy. Very disappointing. Not very professional, and definitely poor sports because somebody else was willing to accept a little less of a profit on a vehicle that they are getting sticker for in the first place. I would easily recommend Courtesy to someone else.

And where did yours come from? We can't wait for delivery. It will be my wife's and I'll hang onto the '99 TL. She's been bugging me for about three years for an SUV, so I figure this ought to hold for about six months before she then decides she wants something else.

 

[Only_Acura]

Re: Re: Need suggestions for a roof container

I *much* prefer the canvas based carriers for the occasional long trip. They fold to a very small size, can be easily stored in the garage (very important ) , and they can also be easily removed, folded, and stored in the MDX (it fits in the rear headrest well)once you reach your destination so that your not screaming TOURIST when your driving the MDX around.

Do you guys have trouble with them keeping the contents dry, especially during a big downpoor? We will be on the road 10 hours, during the summer, going south, so there is always the possibility of a good storm on the way down or back (20 hours total), and it concerns me about the contents staying dry. Although the convenience of folding them up is desirable, I'm not sure it's worth it at the loss of dry luggage and such. Of course the price difference makes the canvas more appealing as well. Really appreciate the input. Thanks.

 

[Jazz]

Acura_ Only :: I feel the same way you do about the Oxmoor Acura dealer. They gave me the impression that they could care less if they sold the vechile to me or the next guys that walk into their door. The only reason I purchase the MDX from them was convenience . They are located about 30 miles from my home. I hope that their service department , if I ever need them , have a better understanding of what the term " customer relations " really means

 

[donsev]

Re: Re: Re: Need suggestions for a roof container

Do you guys have trouble with them keeping the contents dry, especially during a big downpoor? We will be on the road 10 hours, during the summer, going south, so there is always the possibility of a good storm on the way down or back (20 hours total), and it concerns me about the contents staying dry. Although the convenience of folding them up is desirable, I'm not sure it's worth it at the loss of dry luggage and such. Of course the price difference makes the canvas more appealing as well. Really appreciate the input. Thanks.

A good canvas cargo carrier should be designed to prevent any water infiltration (i.e., good waterproof material, no seams on the front or sides, a good long flap to cover the zipper etc.). Having said that, I can only recall one time when we were in a downpour with the carrier and I *think* I recall a little moisture made its way into the inside (although this could have simply been condensation, it was so slight). But, I do tend to put the items in the carrier that are themselves in bags (IMHO, I don't think that anything that is in a piece of luggage, a nylon duffel bag, or even a simple plastic bag could get wet - at least in the carrier that we have).

 

[Only_Acura]

Agreed

Acura_ Only :: I feel the same way you do about the Oxmoor Acura dealer. They gave me the impression that they could care less if they sold the vechile to me or the next guys that walk into their door. The only reason I purchase the MDX from them was convenience . They are located about 30 miles from my home. I hope that their service department , if I ever need them , have a better understanding of what the term " customer relations " really means

They only really cared when they realized they may not get the deal, but instead of making it happen anyway, they proceeded to call the other dealership names instead. Sad.

As far as services goes, I have no complaints. Even though my '99 TL came from Lexington, I've still had good service. I've taken both TL's to them for service, mostly oil changes and such, and a couple of repairs covered by the warranty, and have had good, polite service. On one occasion I just dropped in and they were able to fix it on the spot in about 35 minutes, so I don't see any problems with the service end of the deal. They do not have Sunday hours and their Saturday hours are not very long, but other than that you should be fine. Good luck and happy driving.

 

[Only_Acura]

I like the Kanga

I have used a canvas based carrier for a number of years (KangaPack(?) bought at REI). And while it works fine, it will not fit on the MDX b/c of the narrow distance b/w the front and rear roof rack cross bars. I seem to recall that the carrier was 36" long, 34" wide and I *think* the cross bars are about 33" apart. I have even contemplated mcclendon's approach to move the rear crossbar to the 3rd mounting point (involves lopping an inch off the bar) to make more room for the pack to fit.

I *much* prefer the canvas based carriers for the occasional long trip. They fold to a very small size, can be easily stored in the garage (very important ) , and they can also be easily removed, folded, and stored in the MDX (it fits in the rear headrest well)once you reach your destination so that your not screaming TOURIST when your driving the MDX around.

I looked into the Kanga, and I really like it. I think I will probably get the Hurricane and the added security of the welding. It's reasonably priced, but has the convenience of storage. Thanks for the suggestion and the input.

 

[RedMdxMemphis]

I am looking for one myself.

Two big names are yakima.com and Thule.com. They have many choices. Yakima also now add packasport to its product line. It is so areo dynamic and nice looking but a bit pricy.

Does anybody have the up-to-date measurement on the dimension of the rack bars and the space in between and so forth?